How to Introduce the Decentralized Crypto Economy to the Uninitiated

So you have discovered the inspiring,exciting and mindbending landscape of the crypto economy, you have a hang of how it works and you want to share that with your friends and family. Where do you start?

We have been conditioned for generations to see money as a piece of paper, banks as an institution of power and a safe vault for our paper money, governments and central banks as the ONLY ones with monetary authority and a salary from a company as something you get in exchange for your time.

Thats how it’s been and how it will always be, right?

With the groundbreaking innovations happening within the thriving world of crypto-entrepeneurs all of that will be turned upside down within the next 5–10yrs. Those that get onboard the train will reap the benefits and thrive in opportunities. And naturally we like to bring our loved ones along for the ride.

How to break it down?

First, do not get into the tech of it. Don’t drop fancy words like blockchain revolution, hashing power, scalability, redundancy, transparency and all that good stuff. Keep it simple and straight forward. Start with mental concepts.

I find that the easiest way of introducing blockchain/token/decentralized systems/coins etc is to start with the basics conversation of the economy of life. Often when you speak to someone and you ask them questions, it helps them to check what concepts, ideas, beliefs they are carrying.

Start by asking, what is money? What is a bank? What is a payment? What determines the value of a service/product/content?

From there you can see where that persons understanding stands and meet them halfway. Most probably you will get answers that are deeply entrenched with concepts of centralized and “power over others” as the only legitimate form of authority.

Start with a philosophical, open conversation of the nature of money, watch some informative youtube videos together and look up historical origins of value exchanging.

Once it’s concluded that money is just a medium of choice, used to exchange value, issued by whoever you choose to assign as an authority, it gets much easier to understand, and for a curious mind, fun to explore further.

In essence, decentralized systems take the notion of authority out of a few and disperses amongst many. Who doesn’t want more power?

Power to take back their time, power to be a part of a community and be able to influence the course of society, power to manage and distribute their money without fees and hassle, power to make money in a manner that better fits their values and ethics.

If your loved one is now intrigued and wants to know more, drop some serious information at this point. Send them suggestions of books, articles, tutorial videos on topics such as economy, math, computer science basics, finance and let it marinate.

If they now are geared towards looking for a change of status quo, lean back and watch them bloom and join the exciting ride ahead.☺