Welcome To The Crypto Times!

Taking A Rational Look At An Irrational Space

When the first Bitcoins clinked into their owner’s digital wallets in 2009 no one, not even its mysterious creator, could fathom the global phenomenon this geeky project would become.

Almost a decade later, a single coin is worth up to $10,000 and more, and the underlying technology, the blockchain, is hailed as the next big thing. Banking, insurance, healthcare, logistics, cyber security, politics, the energy sector, you name it, decentralized ledgers can and maybe will disrupt it. What follows any visionary invention that can push the human race forward is the desire to capitalize on its opportunity — and make big bucks along the way.

Since crypto went mainstream, especially mainstream media, in 2017, the number of speculators and amount of false information in this space have gone through the roof. From billion dollar ICOs to million dollar exit scams to market makers controlling prices, cryptocurrency is an unregulated Wild West that parts fools from their money faster than Billy the Kid can fire his bullets.

While the underlying developments hold a lot of promise, like smart minds making measurable progress on important problems, the gambling on the surface confuses beginners and veterans alike. Rumors are treated like signed contracts, news good and bad blown out of proportion, and every misquote is misquoted again ad nauseam.

Today the news are hard to rely on in general, but news in the crypto world? Impossible. That’s why I’m starting a publication for Medium Members with the goal of providing facts, context, and a rational, objective look at what’s going on in this wonderful, crazy, fast-paced industry. I’ve been involved since June 2017 and I have yet to find a reliable, down-to-earth source of written crypto content online, let alone on Medium. The Crypto Times wants to become this source.

The idea is simple: Each week, I will pick a topic that’s been all over the news, research it and write about it. Every post will center around three parts:

1. The News. Here, I share what the news is about. It’s a raw look at the source, so you can gather your own first impression.
2. The Facts. Next, it’s time to set some much needed context from pure data. What did the verbatim statement say? What are the actual numbers? What’s the history leading up to this particular piece? No opinions allowed.
3. The Commentary. Lastly, I will reflect on the event and the backdrop it’s set against. This is a personal opinion, but hopefully one well-grounded in the previous analysis and something you can use to form, confirm, and hopefully challenge whatever you make of the situation.

That’s it. Now, why run this as a publication for Members? Three reasons:

1. You need timely, well-filtered, objective information. Whether you want to stay on the bleeding edge of technology for professional reasons, have an insatiable curiosity to learn about this new field, or are looking to park your money in smart places, without good brain food, your mind can’t help you achieve any of these things.
2. You need to be able to trust whoever provides that information. You can’t trust me if the system forces me to manipulate you into clicking a button and then monetizing your attention elsewhere. But if you pay me to bring you the best information possible, my best interest is acting in your best interest.
3. We used to have great journalism fueled by the safety of subscription payments and we need it back. Medium is working hard to pull this off and I want to support them. If I can make this publication worth your $5/month alone, then think about how much of a no-brainer a Medium Membership becomes overall.

I hope you’re as excited about cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and all things decentralized as I am. These are the bricks that part of our future will be built upon, and I can’t wait to help you take a good, hard look at each one of them.

Let’s explore this industry and new format together. I invite you to write for us. I’m sure, like a blockchain, we’ll evolve as we go.

Keep it crypto,
Nik