Why invest in crypto?

Unlike stocks, cryptocurrency offers more opportunities to make life-changing money while being at the forefront of personal financial freedom. Traditional finance is broken and antiquated. Fractional reserve banking is simply a cover for a government-approved Ponzi scheme propped up by the FDIC, while the finger is pointed at crypto exchanges since they are often not controlled by major hedge funds or Wall Street. Although some exchanges engage in bad practices, such as FTX which collapsed in the fall of 2022, using exchanges avoids the central purpose of holding crypto. Investing in crypto requires a level of self-responsibility and education to not only maintain what you have but to grow and store it safely and securely. There is nothing more satisfying than knowing you have your own assets under your control, not someone else's.

Additionally, crypto allows people who are blind, and may not be able or willing to join traditional employment paths, to achieve financial independence. Vocational rehab agencies and commissions for the blind often suggest that the only path is through traditional employment. Many of us are either severely or totally blind and do not have the same experiences as our sighted counterparts, like owning businesses, driving vehicles, or having typical physical job experiences. This limits the potential jobs a vocational rehab agency can support, often leading them to suggest getting a degree. However, even with a degree, there is no guarantee of getting a job, as thousands and millions of others have the same qualifications and physical experience. It's a losing battle.

The solution is to build wealth quickly and create your own empire without relying on a vocational rehab agency for the technology you need. These agencies will not provide the necessary accessibility tools unless you agree to go to school. Meanwhile, counselors manage many cases without much effort while you go deeper into debt. The general consensus is that agencies and counselors know what is best for you and that thinking for yourself won't get you anywhere, but I found this to be untrue. After playing the game for over a decade, I had enough. The moment I decided to follow my own path, my net worth skyrocketed. My goal is to help you do the same.

The challenge with crypto investing is that the tools for interpreting or analyzing charts and doing technical analysis do not exist for blind individuals. This is why I have spent time learning programming and developing a fully accessible charting solution that everyone can use. When you don't conform to the status quo, many will doubt and laugh at you. Many have not reached the point I have and will likely remain among the 95% who struggle. Despite the hate and insults, I will continue sharing this information because it would be wrong to keep it to myself.

Where do I start?

With tens of thousands of cryptocurrencies available across numerous blockchains, determining what to buy and where to start can be overwhelming. I was in this position when I first started and, like all newbies, I followed the most popular influencers who pushed the worst projects, like XRP, HBAR, DOGE, ALGO, and others. I didn't know what actually constituted a good crypto, what narratives to invest in, who the founders were, or the difference between proof of work and proof of stake.

Three years into my crypto journey, I have gathered everything one needs to know to become very successful. A little knowledge goes a long way, and this is the knowledge and information I am passing on to you. Research can be time-consuming, but I've outlined below the most important criteria to watch out for when vetting a project for consideration to add to your portfolio:

• Was the project released before, after or during the previous bull run?
• Is the team doxed?
• What are the tokenomics/was the project fair launched?
• Is the project a proof of work or proof of stake?
• Is the project listed on smaller reputable centralized exchanges, not just DEX's?
• What narrative is the project under?

When was the crypto project released to the public?

The release date of a crypto project is crucial in evaluating its potential. Projects launched before or during the peak of a bull run often experience artificial inflation followed by a significant drop during the subsequent bear market. Ideally, you want to invest in a project that did not experience a significant pump but rather had a steady growth throughout the bear market into the next bull market. A dramatic rise followed by a sharp drop is a visual cue that the project may be a scam, where early investors pumped the price and then dumped it on later investors. These charts typically look like a circus tent and go sideways after the initial pump. Projects like these will struggle to recover, as they need to reach their previous high before achieving new gains.

Is the team doxed?

When you find a prospective project you might want to invest in, it is imperative to research who is behind it. Many scam projects will either not disclose their founders' names and photos or openly admit that the team is anonymous. Anonymous teams, aside from meme projects, are a red flag. The team members should be well-respected, have verifiable backgrounds, and be socially engaged. Public teams are less likely to rug pull the project as their reputations are on the line. However, be cautious, as photos and information can be copied, faked, or otherwise manipulated to appear legitimate. Always cross-verify the details from multiple sources to ensure the team's authenticity.

Importants of tokenomics

The tokenomics of a project can reveal a lot about who was allocated what portion of the tokens and how much is made available to the public. You want to be mindful of the token allocation allotted to the founders, exchange listings, the public, marketing, and other uses. Many people overlook this aspect, but it can tell you a lot about how the project may perform. For example, Ripple owns around half or more of the XRP supply. As XRP pumps, the founders, who consist of only a handful of individuals, will likely dump their holdings on those who think they are holding something that will increase dramatically in value. Consequently, it is unlikely that XRP will ever reach a new all-time high above its previous one.

Fair-launched projects do not have any preallocated holders, as by definition, a fair launch means all tokens are in the public domain. This means that because the allocation is available to anyone who wants to hold it, the chances of a huge dump in price from any one individual are very low.

Proof of work vs proof of stake and why it matters

The two primary types of crypto consensus mechanisms are proof of work (PoW) and proof of stake (PoS). Although there are other consensus architectures, these are the most common. Proof of work means that when a coin or token is produced, it is mined by converting physical resources, such as electricity, into the target asset. This means that the value of the asset is inherently part of the minted coin or token, as it embodies the resources used to mine it.

Proof of stake, on the other hand, mints all tokens at once, with additional tokens produced as a result of holders locking up their tokens for a duration of time. PoS operates on the assumption that people will hold the token to secure the network, but the production of new tokens essentially occurs out of thin air. Because of this, PoS tokens are often considered less valuable, as no physical value is stored in these tokens.

Given the choice, proof of work coins, such as Bitcoin, are generally more valuable because physical hardware and resources are used to mine them, and there is a finite number of them that will ever be in circulation. This scarcity adds to their value. However, this does not mean PoS tokens cannot or will not increase in value. The value of PoS tokens is often tied more to the narrative and potential of the project than to the intrinsic value of the tokens themselves.

It's also important to note that PoS is considered more environmentally friendly compared to PoW, as it does not require the same level of energy consumption. This can be a significant factor for investors who are concerned about the environmental impact of their investments. Additionally, PoS networks can be more scalable, allowing for faster transaction times and lower fees compared to PoW networks. However, with the advent of newer PoW technology such as that of Kaspa and better PoW algorithms, this has become less of a concern. The line between these 2 mechanisms are becoming increasingly more and more blurred. The narrative of environmental impact is one used to FUD crypto as a whole as it strives to divert cash flow away from traditional finance.

Listings on CEX's vs DEX's and why it matters

When cryptos are new, they are often listed on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) first, as well as smaller centralized exchanges, often outside the United States. It is usually relatively easy to get a project listed on these smaller exchanges since they don't require the same level of regulation as larger ones like Binance and Coinbase. Having a decent number of small exchange listings may be a good sign that the team is serious about getting their project in front of as many people as possible. Decentralized exchanges are the least important in this context, as tokens on chains like Ethereum are usually listed automatically on DEXs such as Uniswap.

This initial period is often the best time to invest in a project. When it finally gets listed on a tier-one exchange such as Coinbase, Binance, Kraken, Crypto.com, or Uphold, that's when you can expect significant price increases. Remember, if these exchanges aren't given an allocation of tokens, they must buy the crypto at market value to have enough supply for their clients to trade. This process of tier-one exchanges purchasing cryptos at market price is what drives the price up, leading to the substantial returns investors hope for.

Narrative and why it is important

Not all narratives carry the same weight. At the time of this writing, the hottest narratives are layer one/layer two solutions, AI, gaming, and memes. Memes always seem to have their moment in the sun and pump exponentially since they are primarily driven by hype. Gaming is another huge narrative with significant crossover from web two to web three, with many game studios backed by reputable developers aiming to capitalize on this space. Layer one and layer two networks usually perform well since these are the foundational chains on which other projects are built.

AI has been a growing narrative over the last two years, with projects like Bitensor Tao striving to be the layer one for AI applications. Additionally, real-world assets may also be something to keep an eye on as they gain traction in the crypto space.