I want to interview you. I hope for your consent.
Thanks for the opportunity to participate in one of your interview sessions. I duly appreciate .
1. When and why did you become interested in cryptocurrencies?
I first heard of Bitcoin in 2015 but I didn't really put much interest in it but then a year later, I stumbled upon an article about Bitcoin; calling it "The future of finance". I kept reading articles about Bitcoin but just wasn't sure how to get involved in the ecosystem.
2. When and why did you buy your first bitcoin?
I bought my first Bitcoin using a small family savings in my possession at the time (I wish I bought more). I knew it was a silly thing to do but still went ahead to do it. Why? I was overly interested so I just trusted my guts. It was a risk I was willing to take.
3. How did you get on the forum?
I heard about a cryptocurrency called "The Billion coin - aka TBC" and the first thing I always do when I don't know something is to read or research on Google. I did just that and Bitcointalk.org had the top results on Google for a ponzi scheme shitcoin I searched for.
Even though I held a tiny position in Bitcoin then, The prices was really nothing to write home about so I kept looking for way I could invest them. It was around that time that there was a high influx of ponzi schemes of which a few had the option to invest using Bitcoin and I did (now with regrets).
I can't recall the thread now but the OP and replies gave me a clearer picture (It's nice to always read/know other people's opinion/stance on something) so there and then, I knew Bitcointalk would have answers to most of my bitcoin/blockchain/crypto related questions. I proceeded to create an account which was flagged due to my IP. That's how I got to know about the forum. It's the best yet "easy" decision of my life.
4.1. What prevents mass adoption of cryptocurrencies?
A lot of people are actually clueless about cryptocurrencies. Even when some of them try to get involved, most of the ecosystem tools and services require some technical know-how and not a lot of people have so knowledge or are willing to learn how.
Mass adoption would come when the process of owning crypto is newbie/grandma friendly. That's why I'm impressed with how far we have come now - cryptos being used in the real world.
4.2. How do you think mass advertising of gambling projects has a positive effect on the development of the forum or harms the community?
My stance on this is a bit bias since I'm a gambler myself. Since majority of the projects being advertised on the forum are gambling related, it might be overwhelming to most newbies/users who are not really into gambling.
On my part, I have no problems with it. In fact, I'm a usual fan since I can now bet on my favorite games with my favorite cryptocurrencies and retaining my anonymity while at it.
4.3. How do you consider whether 2-3 years of experience in cryptocurrency is enough to successfully invest or does an investor need to receive special education?
To be honest.... It depends on a variety of factors and it differs from one person to another. I've been people who have hit the ground running in less 1 year in the space.
And yes, an investor needs special education before investing investing in order to make an informed decision. That's why people always say "DYOR - Do your own research". The market trends changes too. Back in 2017, we had the ICO era, then came the IEO era and currently we have DeFi and yield farming. An investor needs to be constantly up to date with this trends, so yes, educating one's self would increase their odds to make better investment decisions.
5. What do you think of the current Merit system and signature campaigns? Do they harm the forum?
Right now, the only thing stopping spam from taking over the forum is the merit system. Since the inception, it has helped to improve the quality of posts made by users. So it was (and still is) a welcomed development.
About signature campaigns, it true it also contributes to spam on the forum but that has changed over the years as we have more qualified managers who have an eye for quality posters. So people have to improve their post quality in order to take part in these campaigns.
6. The most useful forum topic? Most helpful users?
There are tons of useful topics on the forum. The wealth of knowledge shared here is unmatched.
One topic I've found really useful lately the one by Ramotiv on crypto links - https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/huge-list-useful-crypto-links-5264359 (This is just one of my "many" favorite topics).
7. 3 things you would implement on the forum?
1. Flagging new accounts from an IP just because someone did some "evil" with it in the past would be stopped (I don't know if this is still being done). Most users are just hearing about Bitcoin and want to be part of the community. Flagging their IP might be a turn-off.
2. Mobile responsiveness & redesign:
The current forum software displays in in desktop mode even on mobile (it appears zoomed out) so most times, I have to zoom in in order to read properly. One of the things I would do is to make it mobile responsiveness and could save data costs as uploaded images images would be resized to fit.
On the redesign, I like the current colors combos, it just needs a few touches here and there.
3. Nothing else. Apart from the aforementioned things above, I'm good with the everything the forum has to offer.
8. Do you trade on exchanges or invest in projects?
Yes. I invested in quite a few ICO projects in 2017 - early 2018. What seemed like good returns turned sour as I had the mentality of an investor which is to "Hodl" regardless of what/how returns were. I learned the hard way. So right now, I'm taking trading lessons (Technical and fundamental analysis). That way, I would take profits instead of just holding blindly. Also, it would help me make more informed decisions.
9. Tell a story about your big profit or big loss?
Like everyone else, I've had my fair share of wins and losses. My biggest loss and wins are not taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves (selling too soon and buying too early).
I held a couple of ico tokens during the epic crash in 2018 (90% - 95%). Till date, only a tiny fraction has come close to such price levels.
10. What do you think about the DEFI ecosystem?
It's a welcome development to the space and could spearhead the movement for mass adoption but I don't think the current APY/ROIs/insane gains are sustainable in the long run. That's something I keep in mind.
11. Is your anonymity a vital necessity or precaution?
I'd say it depends. I'm the type of person who loves operating from the back stage so yeah, it's a vital necessity but it ultimately depends on the situation.
12. The last cryptocurrency book you read?
"Mastering Bitcoin" by Andreas Antonopoulos. It's actually the only cryptocurrency book I've read. Yet to finish it but I plan to
13. Advise 3 cryptocurrencies/tokens for investment in the next 1-2 years?
When it comes to long term investments in crypto, the best bets have always been big capped projects. So these are my picks:
1. Bitcoin (YES)
2. Ethereum (Ethereum 2.0 is coming)
3. Pending. Haven't seen any project "yet" that I'll be comfortable leaving my money for long term like I do with Bitcoin and Ethereum.
14. How much will Bitcoin cost at the end of 2020?
My personal bias for Bitcoin this year has always been $15K. But that was hampered by the covid-19 sell-offs so Bitcoin had to over 200%+ to get to the current price.
All things considered, Bitcoin should be worth $13K or more by the end of the year.
15. P.S. (Optional)
Learn to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. Risks? Yeah, there's risks in everything.