Chapter 11: Ten Things You Should Know About Crypto

Translating the head-scratching lingo, odd habits, and important basics of digital currencies with Coindesk's Joon Ian Wong.

From Crypto Kitties to Bitcoin Carnivores, the world of digital currencies is like a weird parallel reality, hidden just out of plain sight from most of us. This top ten countdown will grant you powers to see previously-invisible blockchain subcultures and crypto experiments surrounding you...but beware: once spotted, they cannot be unseen. Our field guide is the very knowledgable and deadpan Joon Ian Wong of Coindesk.

GO DEEPER:
ZigZag: Chapter 2 is Blockchain 101. So much lingo: magical crypto friends, Hodl and Buidl, Bitcoin Maximalists. South Korea is crypto crazy. Ethereum’s creator and his concept of a “World Computer.” Paul Krugman’s op-ed: Why I’m a Crypto Skeptic. Why Venezuelans want out of the Bolivar. Joon uses Bitrefill in Asia. Russian hackers paid by Bitcoin. Mining warehouses in Mongolia. Blockchain + Brooklyn = a solar panel experiment. Fighting back against Bitcoin energy guzzlers. Will proof-of-stake lower Ethereum’s environmental impact? Jimmy Song thinks smart contracts are dumb. Ethereum's existential crisis.

Credits:
David Herman, Audio Engineer and Composer 
Dan Dzula, Audio Engineer
Jordan Lauf, Intern
Alice Rutherford, Illustrations