Quarter-Life Crypto

By ways of an introduction

Existential crisis, also known as existential dread, are moments when individuals question whether their lives have meaning, purpose, or value — thank you Wikipedia.

After roughly twelve months alone, staring at my reflection in the mirror, or my reflection in my computer screen, I find myself questioning the impact I have on the world. At 24, I have nearly three years of work experience under my belt at a leading financial technology firm. From the outside, it probably seems like I have a lot figured out. Yet, I believe I have an extremely narrow, non-transferable skillset, unsuited for life outside my current bubble.

In the beginning of quarantine, I thought this would be a great time to reset and set my priorities straight. Moving back home with my parents would add some accountability to my life. Less drinking and partying. More reading and working out. However, as a self-respecting millennial, I have remained plugged in, unable to avoid the real-time documentary chronicling the slow degradation and downfall of our country.

Trapped within my suburban quarantine, I could not fight the overwhelming onslaught of emotions felt watching 2020 unfold. However, I could also not help but chuckle at the irony the role social media played in this documentary’s propagation. Twitter and Instagram added fuel to the fire—but they also donned the mask of court jester. A gallows humor, sadistic Puck, providing an outlet and escape for those powerless to enact change. Oh!, what an interesting dichotomy. Finmemes and their compatriots — perfect foils to the videos of armed civilians storming the capitol and hypersensitive cancel culture. The funniest part of it all? Like a collective consciousness, it seems as though all millennials share in this dark humor. Our DMs and group chats filled with posts sent to us by our friends, most of which we have already seen and laughed at. With each like and retweet, we are all exclaiming the same message:

Are we completely fucked? Of course, but, we are going to enjoy the trip while it lasts.

In the 2020s, to be a millennial, existential dread, is almost a prerequisite.

But, with a kick.

Less like this:

More like this:

Can you blame us? In an era of hyperactivity, of a 24/7 news cycle and a faucet cranked open to an endless flow of information and depth, we are an age born to see and process injustice in real time. There is no longer one story that is truth, but a news machine acting as a prism — self-servingly distorting information to polarize viewers and funnel in ad-revenue. Not only is our news supply distorted, but so is our money supply. After over a decade of Quantitative Easing, we have adopted MMT on a global scale. As the money printer continues to go brrrrr, asset prices rise as a result, perpetuating a wealth gap supported by a system that is too big to fail. We are the victims of generational can-kicking, born prisoners confined within this house of cards.

All of these sovereign failures have led to a churning in the underbelly of our society, but I think more importantly it has led to a generation of individuals desperately looking for a way to change the system. What if we had the power to burn it all to the ground (metaphorically - keep the face paint and viking helmets at home), and strived to build something from the ground up? What would it look like? What would we change? What would we keep? After countless hours of internet surfing, Twitter scrolling and sub-redditing (verb?), the solution is clear — crypto.

Move over FAANG, there are some new acronyms in town. $BTC, $ETH, $YFI, $AAVE, DeFi, Web3, etc. Movements without selling out people for profits; where consumer data and polarization are not the goal, but privacy and a democratization of the system.

Before I continue I would like to openly admit I am a newcomer to this space. That being said, it has not taken long to realize the cryptoeconomy is a world that prides itself on community and openness; building products and protocols that solve real-world issues. From the welcome parties new entrants to crypto-twitter receive, to the knowledge sharing and open-source code strewn across Github and the like.

Through this space, this movement, millennials have been handed the keys to a new kingdom, one we can paint with wide brushstrokes. Build, tear down, iterate upon. A golden opportunity to design mechanisms that break the wheel of the systems set up to exploit the little guy. Over the past few weeks we have seen firsthand the kind of impact communal empowerment can have . While I will save my breath on $GME (get your fill from Wily Bobolink), the start of this new year has exposed cracks and flaws in our current system. The need for DeFi, Web3 and a community whose mission is to unlock the potential of a decentralized and democratized entrepreneurial space has never been more apparent.

My early stage research into crypto has been a catalyst. It has been a beacon of light that has forced me to put the existential dread away (keeping the dark humor), and find new outlets, both financial and creative, to supporting this budding ecosystem. What began as a quarter-life crisis has led to an awakening. Few times in history have generations been able to build their idealistic utopia. While I may be dramatizing my belief the impact of the cryptoeconomy can have on society, we need to take chances to ignite change. Why not take bets on the fastest and best-looking horse? I invite you all to join me.

-QLC