How I got here
I got into crypto in April 2021, which is to say that I was not an early adopter. I don’t even think crypto registered as a concept in my brain until early 2021, when it bled into popular culture and everyone started talking about it. A lot of exciting events were happening at the time — Bitcoin hit an all time high, Coinbase was going public, and when the price eventually crashed, I bought crypto for the first time, completely oblivious to its greater implications.
A year later, I am definitely in a different place than I was last April. I understand more about blockchain, crypto, and web3. I made a Discord account and joined a bunch of servers. I’ve minted a few NFTs. I have a non-custodial wallet. I’ve made a few baby steps on Twitter. I’ve shifted away from thinking about crypto as solely an investment opportunity and more of an entire paradigm shift in how we interact with power and economic structures. But I still feel like a total newbie who hasn’t quite found my “people” in web3 yet, and I think that’s mainly because I have spent my first year in crypto pretty passively participating.
To be honest, even as a digital native, I haven’t always felt very comfortable sharing on the Internet. But I want to change that. There is a lot I don’t know about web3, and a lot that I know I can learn from people and communities if I engage with them. I’ve made a commitment to myself to finally start contributing to this space, even in the smallest of ways via this blog.
I know there are a lot of people new to web3 who are like me, who might be nervous to put themselves out there and haven’t quite figured out how they fit into the web3 puzzle. If that’s you — hello, I’m Emma! And if that’s not you, hello as well! I’m striving to continue learning, listening, and writing this year as I keep exploring web3, and I’d love to connect if you’re also in the space!
Why writing and what the future for me looks like
I’ve always really liked writing, and even dabbled in journalism in high school. But I found a lot of other interests in college, so writing and telling my own stories have taken a backseat to my other ventures, until now. I really enjoy speaking with people, going through the drafting process, and reading (news articles, books, newsletters, you name it!), so it feels pretty natural for me to start here in terms of active contribution to the space.
I’m really excited about reflecting on my own experiences in web3, and also sharing the experiences of the communities I’m a part of. One project I want to take on is documenting the power of community building and shared learning in web3 for underrepresented people, starting with the super cool initiatives that I am a part of. I’ve joined a few women-led initiatives that are aimed at getting women and non-binary people into crypto and they’ve been crucial to making me feel like I belong here.
And further down the line, I want to start contributing to web3 in a product or engineering capacity. Outside of the crypto craze of the last year, I’ve also begun building my career in product (in web2) and gaining more confidence in my development skills. I am super interested in the technical side of web3 (as well as the community development side!) and I’ve already seen so many awesome resources.
But for now, I’m going to focus on the path right in front of me and continue writing and learning. I’m so excited for what’s to come!
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