Upon awakening, one begins to look a the charts, study the patterns, digest the news. To no avail, we are still in a bear market for the foreseeable future.
There are tons and tons of ideas and innovations being made on the blockchain today. But where is all the money? When are we "going to the moon"? That's what crypto is all about, right? Hopping on a SpaceX rocket ship and blasting off?
I don't know about you, but my pseudonym is @cryptoastronaut - and playing basketball on the moon sounds great.
As one who is a traveler, hiker, and adventurer in the "real world", I consider myself a pioneer in this virtual one as well.
If you're reading this, commenting on this, upvoting, or resteeming this - then it's likely that you are too.
Everyone has different intentions, motivations, and things that bring them here to Steem and the crypto universe in general.
I think we all share some similar attributes, however;
- We like money. Some of us, that's all we care about. Others, just like being rewarded for their time/effort, and money has the power of having valuable, and thus it is valuable to trade for things we want. I think it's clear that money, despite being the 'root of all evil' is the primary and foremost motivation for anyone reading this (even casual observers). Money = Survival = Primary instinct.
- We dislike authority (to some degree) and prefer not to have Governments (or other people in general) intervene, impose, or otherwise try to control our lives. Our lives are our own, and that is the way we prefer to live them. We value privacy.
- We are open-minded, and like to seek the newest and most cutting-edge technological innovations, and put them to our use. We understand the power that technology has to improve our lives. A clear example is the Internet itself, perhaps the greatest invention since the light bulb (Thanks, Edison[Tesla]).
Thanks to the blockchain, you can now digitize any sort of contract between yourself and another individual, completely anonymously, instantly, and without the need of a third party. Brilliant! Wonderful! Now where's the money?
Look, if I knew where the money was, I would tell you. Because I don't either. Seems like real estate is pretty popular these days, as people need roofs over their heads and whatnot. Clearly, the problem is onboarding.
It's very hard to onboard because you have to educate someone who cannot think in abstract concepts, they only understand money as cash in their actual hands. I still know people who don't know how to use a debit card. They carry cash and coin. Seems archaic, yes I know, but there are many 1st Gen and 2nd Gen (silents and boomers) who operate in this fashion. Some of them even still carry checkbooks, listen to records/tapes, and use FAX machines for Pete's sake!
^ there should be a funny GIF here, but it never shows up in the preview. This comment may be edited out later. I try to host big pictures and files on my own server, to reduce bandwidth on Steem's behalf as much as possible.
As such, those interested in blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies tend to be younger people generally what is referred to as Gen X, Y (Millenials), and Z. I don't know who on Earth came up with those terminologies, but it's safe to say they should be thrashed publicly in the town square.
What comes after Z? Do we start back at A? Or start somewhere in the middle like M? Nonsense.
Think about it, Vitalik Buterin, the half-human/alien hybrid who spearheaded Ethereum, is only 25 years old. I have three teenagers, myself, so to me, he is young. I actually thought I was young until this young man came along.
So - the tech is there. The innovations are there. Perhaps some of these technologies will 'liberate' us from the toil and struggle of everyday life, but I'm not sure how. Until then, we have to work, pay bills, pay taxes, and do it all with FIAT currency in the real world.
The "use-case" for crypto just doesn't seem to be gaining any traction in the mainstream. In my observation, especially with my own kids, no one even uses computers and laptops anymore. I've argued with my teens about this, telling them about the old "glory days" of PC's and Windows 95. They literally don't see any purpose in it.
"Well you can play games on it" - "that's what Xbox is for, Dad."
"You can create and edit videos or music" - "I've got apps on my phone for that, Dad."
The list of "You can do's" is getting smaller and smaller.
You used to absolutely NEED a PC if you wanted to e-mail someone, visit a website, or use the internet. Now, you have all that in the palm of your hand, or in some cases, on the wrist.
Therein lies the key, and major fault of the crypto-sphere and blockchain tech in general. Most of it DOES NOT OPERATE on mobile platforms. Yes, there are a few key companies who have realized this and are working on solutions as we speak - but until we find some serious use-cases, and killer apps in the mobile-sphere, we won't be seeing any "money" for a while.
So this message goes out to all you brogrammers, blockchain enthusiasts, and crypto investors. Start focusing on mobile, as much as you might think you are a PC, linux, or macOS master race - you need to start thinking like the rest of the sheep. They aren't the pioneers. We are. It is to our honor, and to our duty that we bring the tech to them, and with as many ease-of-use (idiot factors) features as possible.
That is all for my thoughts, today. This post has already gone on far too long. Leave a thoughtful comment, tell me whether you agree, disagree, or if you care to agree to disagree. Thanks! :)
Happy New Year's Eve, and here's to hoping that we all become better people and achieve our goals in this next year. Good luck!
The One,
The Only,
@cryptoastronaut
100% Original Content - 100% Power Up
Totally agree that mobile apps are the way of the world now and I'm actually writing this comment on my phone via SteemPeak.
I think the thing is that this is still all very new and at the "proof of concept" stage, branching into new territory and so the priority is looking at that rather than the mass onboarding. Some say this time next year will be a boom, I think we're still 5 years away from seeing things in crypto have real use.
I do see STEEM as a great way for content creators to get even closer with their fans and everyone can benefit but it's still in its infancy and complexity is still there for the most part.
I'm one for making things as easy as possible and think I may do some walk through videos. You've also got a mindset shift with this platform vs conventional social media so that's going to be another psychological barrier to overcome.
Being simple and perhaps entertaining with explanations is key.
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Thank you blockchain! Great post.
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what an intriguing read this was.
thank you for thoughts and analysis.
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What an intriguing
Read this was. thank you for thoughts
And analysis.
- tryst
I'm a bot. I detect haiku.
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