Most people cannot understand crypto because they think of it as one thing.
It is, in fact, two things.
On one side, you have the casino. Speculative frenzy. Fortunes are made occasionally, memories are made constantly. Adrenaline pumping, breeding laughter and cold sweats and insomnia. Girls in skimpy clothing (sometimes wearing bera-heads). Hopium pumped like oxygen into the room by those that will take home the profits. Grifters sitting alongside grandmas, all watching the shiny lights flash in front of them.
On the other side, you have the church. Repetitive sermons. Meaning made through morality, value created through vision. Guys in long beards arguing about arcana, grandstanding while grandfathers nod their heads sagely. Promises of the world-to-come (and your crucial place in it). Creation of faith and damnations of the unbelievers. The scripture may differ, but the point is always the same - this blockchain stuff can make the world a better place.
But here's the truth: the casino was built by the church, and the church is funded by the casino.
You cannot condemn one without condemning the other.
Can the casino be exploitative and frivolous? Yes, but it is also exhilarating and seductive to its patrons, and the only reason the lights still work at the church.
Can the church be overwrought and self-serious? Yes, but it is also enlightening and rigorous to its parishioners, and the only reason the casino hasn't been shut down.
"Crypto is meant for having fun and getting rich quick!" yells the Gambler. And he is right.
"Crypto is meant to change the world through financial revolution!", shouts the Priest. And he is right.
In truth, the Gambler and the Priest are brothers-in-arms. They are two sides of the same coin. Try removing one and you will kill the other, like siamese twins.
If you want to make it in crypto, you have to open your heart to both the gambler and the priest. You must enjoy the spectacle while you pray for the miracle. You must have fun while you try to bend the moral arc of the universe towards freedom, or you will not last long in this space.
You cannot understand crypto without understanding this basic fact. If you've been in crypto for years, you know what I mean. If you haven't, you will soon learn.
Shout out to @wassielawyer for inspiring the title of this piece!
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