Building a Better Story
It’s been another big week for us behind the scenes.
While our dev team and new recruits have been building out an even more ambitious and powerful path forward than where we started out, we’ve also turned our attention to an equally important ingredient in the success of our vision and mission: the story we need to tell to win the hearts and minds of the masses, and unlock the New Economy for everyone. It’s, understandably, a pretty big story.
We believe that the entire blockchain and crypto industry has had a bit of a branding problem that companies and communities have been struggling to solve, but also largely ignoring. Our sector is still in its formative stages, and things are moving fast, and we’re starting to garner more attention. But what first impression are we making? What stories are being told on our behalf? What’s being left out, and who’s getting the message? Too often, media coverage and institutional opinions paint Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in general simply as tools for money laundering, drug dealing and other vague and ominous threats of a dark web, while ignoring the incredible possibilities that the underlying technology affords. I encourage all of you to think back to the first time you started learning about crypto. You probably were first introduced to Bitcoin by one of your friends or by reading an article online and had to dig through the “Bitcoin FUD” in order to reach the gem that is hidden underneath. We need to do better at sharing the potential of what we’re all feverishly working to build in a way that resonates more widely for it to truly grow. Sure, the blockchain revolution is a threat. A threat to the status quo. A threat to the deeply entrenched inequities of the establishment. But how will its promise be fully realized? We believe it can only happen by ensuring that people have access and can participate in the New Economy, especially during its formative stages. If cryptocurrency is going to change the world, that change needs to start now. That’s why we’re building what we’re building.
Bitcoin was born not only out of the 2008 financial crisis, but also out of the cypherpunk movement which has often had an admirable, but belligerent stance towards establishment powers and governments. Bitcoin’s story and technology has been forged by a remarkable collective internet intelligence — which has given rise to a highly resilient, incredibly innovative, but at times not-so-accessible brand. It seems lately confusion around it is only growing, just as cryptocurrency has started to creep into the mainstream conversation. Not the greatest timing.
This presents an opportunity. What if there was an entity other than Bitcoin that introduced newbies to this market in a new way? What if there was a brand that talked about financial empowerment and equal financial access instead of being painted as a tool for criminals? What if there was a platform that was simple and empowering that could breathe new life into this already rapidly expanding industry?
At this organization, we’re working to craft a people-powered, approachable and ethical solution that will shed new light on the entire crypto industry. One that will reduce the friction and fear new users have when entering the market. This is where we’ll all grow. This starts with our story, and expands into making incredible products and services — driven by human centered design and innovation — with the power to change lives, and change the world.
We’re standing on the shoulders of giants, and we have the tools and the insights we need to get this right. We truly hope that we do. We aren’t just setting out to build a product. We’re building a revolution, together.
https://medium.com/@shingolavine/building-a-better-story-a611cb09fccd
