Beating the Bear-Market Boredom
Don’t Act Grizzly, There’s Work to Do
Obligatory Disclaimer: I am NOT a financial advisor, and none of this advice should be taken without speaking to a qualified professional first. Further, do NOT invest more than you’re willing to lose, and do your own research first.
“Just HODL.” We’ve heard those two words so many times in the past few months. Or better yet, “do your own research.” While DYOR is an absolute must if you’re planning on surviving a bear market, sometimes reading countless whitepapers and scrolling through endless tweets just gets downright old. And that’s ok!
If you’re still “just hodling” and “DYOR” with me, here’s a virtual handshake. Props, mate! You’ve made it. You’re hanging on, if only bearly (hah), but bear markets can be some of the most boring times a crypto-aficionado can experience. I get it! That’s part of the reason you haven’t heard from me in a while.
But fret not, my friend. I’ve come to realize that times like these call for some creative solutions to the intense boredom that comes around every now and then in these insane markets. Instead of keeping them to myself, I thought I’d share them with you. Enjoy!
Join (or start) an in-person crypto community near you
Take it from me — nothing will make you say “hashtag bullish” more than spending time with intelligent, like-minded crypto-peeps. While there’s nothing wrong with turning to places like Meetup.com for events like this, it’s hard to beat starting your own. You’d be surprised what amazing people you can meet and what great conversations can be had. They’re inspiring!
I’ve had the privilege of co-hosting DecentralizedDC the past two months — if you’re near the DC area, you should check out our Twitter (@decentralizedDC) for more info on the next event.
AND if you want some tips or pointers on putting together your own event, feel free to DM me on Twitter! I’d love to help you get started.
Offer your skills and services to a project you enjoy
Believe it or not, crypto-projects still operate during bear market seasons, and odds are they could use your help. Chime in on Slack, Telegram, or your social platform of choice and ask if your community has any unmet needs you can help fill. Mainstream adoption begins with you!
Brush up your personal crypto security
After someone ported my phone number to a burner phone and commandeered my 2FA a while back, I went to great lengths to make sure my security got an upgrade. The best time to have good crypto-security is during a bear market, in my opinion, because pocket change today could be your lambo of tomorrow. Here’s how you can begin:
Do some research and get a hardware wallet like the Ledger Nano S (my personal fav), and back up those Ledger keys somewhere like the HODL Wallet.
If you’re not quite sure where to start researching, don’t worry, I got you. Check out this article for the first steps I took to secure my crypto.
Write your Member of Congress to let them know you support favorable crypto legislation
If the crypto world needs anything right now, it’s an educated US Government. While there are awesome organizations out there doing great advocacy work daily, they need your help! You are the constituents to which Congress actually listens, and a short note really does go a long way.
Not sure who your Member of Congress is? Not a problem — use this link, put in your zip code, and voila! You now know what they look like and how to contact them.
Not sure what to write? Also not a problem. As a former Capitol Hill Intern, I can tell you from personal experience that brevity is a must if you want to be heard. Your note could be as simple as:
Dear Representative/Senator ______________:
As an avid supporter of cryptocurrency and blockchain, I’d like to urge you to work towards legislation that supports innovation and economic growth for the American people. Cryptocurrency is already changing the world for the better, but it could do more with your help.
If your staff would like more resources in order to better understand cryptocurrency and blockchain, organizations like Coin Center are here to help. Cryptocurrency has helped me (in X specific way), and I’m sure it will do the same for many more Americans with support from you.
Sincerely,
________________
Finally, if the Bear-Market Blues have you down…
…you can always watch Carlos Matos sing “Hey, hey, hey” as Willy Wonka, or listen to this hilarious EDM remix of his Bitconnect speech. That always picks me up!
What do you do to beat bear-market boredom? Let me know in the comments! We’d love to hear from you.
