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đ„How to survive Thanksgiving
PLUS: Pick your crypto dream team
GM. This is the Milk Road. The newsletter serving up daily plates of crypto news so good it leaves you asking for seconds.
Here's what's on the table for Thanksgiving Eve.
Your Milky Guide to Thanksgiving
Pick your crypto dream team
Milky Memes
A MILKY GUIDE TO AWKWARD THANKSGIVING CONVERSATIONS
They say you should avoid talking politics and religion with your family.
With the way things went the past year, it may be time to add crypto to the list.
If you brought up crypto last Thanksgiving, work in crypto, or have ever mentioned the word Doge, you sure as hell are going to have some explaining to do tomorrow.
As soon as your Uncle Jimmy finishes that third scotch, you know he's giving you that smug smile and hitting you with the, "So, what's up with crypto?"
Thankfully, the Milk Man is here to make sure you come out of these conversations alive.
So here is our Milky Guide to Awkward Thanksgiving Conversations.
1/ What happened with FTX?
You know youâre going to hear about this one.
Wunderkid billionaire. The face of crypto. Beloved by mainstream media. Respected by politicians. Vowed to donate all of his money to charity.
Steals billions from everyday people.
This one wonât be easy but we got your back.
Let's start out with by deflecting some blame away from crypto and towards Samuel.
"This wasnât a crypto thing. It was a greed and corruption thing.â
It wasnât crypto or the blockchain that failed us. It was a scam artist who used the allure of crypto to steal billions from ordinary people.
Next, we'll compare the FTX collapse to traditional financial markets.
âLetâs not pretend this hasnât happened before.â
Do you remember Bernie Madoff? The guy that Ponzi'd $65b worth of client funds? Compared to Madoff, FTX was chump change.
The FTX shenanigans probably set the crypto space back a year or two, but if we all learn our lesson, there shouldn't be another FTX:
We will buy via regulated, onshore exchanges
We will immediately transfer our crypto to self-custody
We will stop losing our entire bag chasing yield on centralized exchanges
And if a CEO says they are involved in effective altruism... we will run for the hills
So yeah, Samuel is a POS who should probably definitely go to prison.
But donât put that on crypto. Put that on human nature and the lack of regulation.
Remember, crypto is not a system built on trust, but a trustless system. The blockchain runs code. Humans run fraud.
2/ Wonât the government crack down on crypto?
There are definitely people in the government who don't want to see crypto succeed.
Last Friday, the President of the Minneapolis Fed, Neel Kashkar, said that the whole idea of cryptocurrency is ânonsenseâ. Elizabeth Warren says crypto will ruin the economy.
But there are also a lot of pro-crypto advocates.
Senators Lummis and Gillibrand introduced a crypto bill. And earlier this year the White House released a report recommending a framework for responsible digital asset innovation.
The reality is, blockchains donât care where you live. So whether or not the U.S. cracks down on crypto, things like decentralized blockchains, apps, and finance are definitely here to stay.
3/ So far the only crypto use cases I have heard about are for illegal activities
The "crypto is for criminals" talking point is old and outdated.
Blockchains are public and transparent. That means anyone can see what's happening at any time.
It's hard to hide illicit activities on the blockchain and people that do more often than not, get caught - just ask Razzlekhan.
Here are a few real world use cases you can show Uncle Jimmy.
There are dozens of other potential use cases you can tell your unc about: voting on the blockchain (theyâll love this one if they deny election results), real estate, ticketing, and more.
4/ What should I invest in?
There are a lot of promising projects out there.
Alternative layer 1 blockchains like Solana and Avalanche, layer 2 Ethereum solutions like Arbitrum and Optimism, and decentralized applications like Uniswap.
But since itâs early no one really knows whatâs going to make it big vs. whatâs going to flop.
Just like the dotcom bubble, itâs hard to pick the winners. For every Amazon and eBay there were hundreds of Pet.coms.
Even in todayâs market, itâs hard to pick individual stock winners. So what do most people do? Index investing.
People throw their money in securities that track the S&P 500, Nasdaq, and DOW Jones. You get exposure to the stock market without taking on the individual risk of each company.
Ethereum and Bitcoin are the crypto equivalent to index investing.
Ethereum gives you exposure to Ethereum layer 2 blockchains and applications like Uniswap.
Bitcoin is the grandfather of crypto. Itâs the oldest, biggest, and most held cryptocurrency. When Bitcoin is up, crypto is up. When Bitcoin is down, crypto is down.
If someone wants to get into crypto, just keep it simple. Donât invest a lot of money to start. Custody your own assets. Focus on learning and walk before you run.
FYI, this is not investment advice.
5/ Is crypto safe? Every time I see crypto in the news itâs negative. CEO steals millions or innocent person hacked for everything they own.
Itâs true. Weâre still in the wild west days of crypto.
Anyone can create a token or launch an NFT project. The lack of regulation and opportunity does a great job of attracting digital solar panel salesmen from Florida and Russian developers who will pull the plug on your project faster than a trust fund baby pulls the plug on their dying father.
The early days of the dotcom bubble and the stock market were also wrought with fraud.
So, yes, there are a lot of crap out there. But don't let it ruin your view on crypto.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, and most major blockchains have never been hacked. Make sure you let Uncle Jimbo know that.
5/ Isnât crypto bad for the environment?
Bitcoin uses a lot of energy, .55% of global energy production to be exact.
That's a lot of electricity. But, it's not as bad as it sounds.
In a White House executive report, they said bitcoin mining âcan be good for the environment." Plus, some miners are using broken-down coal plants, or low-cost natural gas that would otherwise go unused.
Ethereum used to be responsible for ~.5% of global energy production before transitioning from a proof of work blockchain to a proof of stake blockchain reduced energy consumption by 99%.
6/ How do I learn about crypto?
Keep it simple for 'ol Uncle Jimmy.
Send him to Milkroad.com and have him hit that subscribe button. We'll handle the rest.
But he'll have to wait until Monday for our next edition. The Milk Road is taking Thanksgiving and Black Friday off.
PICK YOUR CRYPTO DREAM TEAM
Reply to this email with your lineup.
The 3 best lineups will receive $100 Ethereum each.
Choose wisely.
TODAY'S EDITION IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY AMBIRE WALLET
One of the best parts about being in crypto is that we speak our own language.
GM. WAGMI. DYOR. WEN MOON. NFA.
It's like a cult.
Ambire Wallet made a game for crypto fanatics like you and me. Itâs Cards Against Humanity meets Crypto.
You can teach your friends about crypto or play with other crypto fanatics for a good laugh.
@AmbireWallet Wait im part of a card game wtf lol
â Cobie (@cobie)
7:48 AM âą Oct 15, 2022
Even Cobie loves it.
But hereâs the messed up part. You canât buy the game. I know, WTF.
Sadly, Ambire only gives it out to select people at conferences. But your boys at the Milk Road got an exception.
Ambire will run occasional raffles on Twitter for a chance at a free game. But you have to follow them.
So, follow Ambire today for a chance at a free game.
MILKY MEMES
Crypto mfs pulling up to the Thanksgiving dinner
â Hawks (@NFTHawks)
9:56 PM âą Nov 22, 2022
Pls share this meme with your family if crypto comes up at the Thanksgiving dinner table đđŠ
â The Incubator đ„ (@theincubator_)
8:51 PM âą Nov 22, 2022
Me at Thanksgiving last year: âcrypto to the moon!â
Me at Thanksgiving this year âbuy the dip!â
Me at Thanksgiving next year (probably): not invited
â greg (@greg16676935420)
7:49 PM âą Nov 21, 2022
That's a wrap for today. Stay thirsty & see ya tomorrow!
If you want more, be sure to follow our Twitter (@MilkRoadDaily)
What'd you think of today's edition? |
A ROADERS REVIEW
VITALIK PIC OF THE DAY
I wonder what's on the menu at the Buterin household tomorrow
â The Milk Road (@MilkRoadDaily)
5:44 PM âą Nov 23, 2022
DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own researchBut
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