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Crypto IRL

Some say Crypto is a scam. Others swear it"s a breakthrough technology. But which is it? Join us, as we explore Crypto in real life (IRL). afolabio.substack.com

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All Episodes

14:21

Ep. 54 Hivemapper: Google Maps killer?

Crypto IRL ·

2022/12/12

Preamble rant:The recent collapse of FTX, a large crypto exchange, and its associated entities, left many of us disappointed and disgusted with flashbacks to Enron and Lehman Brothers. Nothing is new under the sun. Unfortunately, whenever humans are involved, there is a potential for bad actors to make poor choices that wreak havoc. This has proven true across industries, countries, and time. But regulation and controls can help safeguard the little guy. I expect more regulation, legislation, and

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18:06

Ep 53. Credit: It's complicated 🐦

Crypto IRL ·

2022/10/10

If you are like me, then you were a little awkward in college. Here’s an example of an interaction I had on campus as I walked from my dorm to class. Pretty college co-ed: “Hey! Do you want a free t-shirt?”Me: Uh! (Awkwardly looks away. Runs in the opposite direction.)Don’t hurt me🤕 It’s complicated.Let’s flash back a few months before this awkward interaction. So many thoughts rushed through my head as I packed my bags. I wondered if my American professors would understand my Nigerian accent. I

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25:35

Ep 52. The Celsius Bankruptcy

Crypto IRL ·

2022/07/24

PreambleMy wife and I recently packed our bags and relocated to New Jersey! Texas was good for us but now we are on to our next adventure in Greater New York City. Would love to meet up if you are in the area. It’s been fascinating observing people’s reactions when I say I work in crypto. Some acquaintances immediately start walking me through their crypto portfolio while others clutch their pearls and flee for dear life. Jokes aside, I am often the first person they have met who works in the space

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20:30

Ep 51: Metaverse 101

Crypto IRL ·

2022/06/19

I’ve got a confession. (Cue Usher’s hit single “Confessions”) I am not exactly sure what the metaverse is. There I said it. I feel so much lighter lol :-)Last year, “metaverse” burst onto our collective lexicon when Facebook announced it was reinventing itself as Meta. Mark Zuckerberg produced an hour-long video explaining what the metaverse was and how Facebook was going to engage in it. I didn’t watch the video then but I did see a few clips. It felt important. I felt like it must be a big deal if

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3:17

Ep 50. Time to dream again

Crypto IRL ·

2022/06/19

Hey y’all!This will NOT be a typical newsletter. I started writing as a forcing mechanism to learn more about crypto. It has been fun. Along the way, I’ve learned a ton, made new friends, started Bitcoin mining, and got a new full-time job in crypto. Thank you for coming on this journey of discovery with me.The vision of 5x5 Crypto was to simply explain the 5 most important developments in crypto in about 5 minutes. Lately, it has become a drag to consistently produce weekly updates. The truth is

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10:10

Ep 49. Built different🍄

Crypto IRL ·

2022/05/18

Hey y’all! Did you hear the remarkable story of how an inexperienced passenger safely landed a plane when the pilot became incapacitated? Here’s some background: I listened to the recording of the passenger calmly explaining the situation to the air traffic controller multiple times. I listened intently as the air traffic controller steadily guided the passenger to land the plane. And he did it! He safely landed the plane. I was struck by how calm and measured the passenger was. He had a pregnant

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10:04

Ep 48. Lightning⚡Baby!

Crypto IRL ·

2022/04/10

What a difference a year makes! About a year ago the price of Bitcoin hit $63k, today it’s $43k (-30% YoY). But attendance at the annual Bitcoin conference in Miami increased 2.5x to 30,000 people this year. So what’s the deal? Let me tell you a little secret: it’s not just about price.The conference itself is a bit of a sideshow. Tons of people I know went to Miami without stepping foot in the convention center. A lot of the action happens behind closed doors in meeting rooms, rooftop bars, and

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9:11

Ep 47. Is Bitcoin religion?

Crypto IRL ·

2022/04/04

Weekly rant: Is Bitcoin religion?The crescent moon was spotted. Ramadan is here. This is a particularly holy time for the 4.5 billion Muslims, Jews and Christians around the world. Muslims are fasting from sunrise to sunset for a month. Jews are preparing for Passover. Catholics are giving up vices to observe Lent as all Christians gear up for Easter. But the world is losing religion. Mosque, synagogue and church attendance have been falling in the West. Is Bitcoin the new religion? The similarities

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9:52

Ep. 46 Oily Bitcoin + Underwear 🩲

Crypto IRL ·

2022/03/27

Is the economy gonna boom or bust? Lately, this question has been popping up everywhere. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has pushed oil prices sky high, inflation has been soaring and many people are feeling the pinch in their wallets. So what’s the deal? Apparently, the answer lies in men’s underwear🩲 Alan Greenspan, former head of the Federal Reserve, once said that sales of men’s underwear are a key economic predictor. The theory is that men’s underwear are discretionary spending…no one sees them

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10:09

Ep 45. First Bitcoin Mortgage🚀

Crypto IRL ·

2022/03/21

Hey y’all!I hope you had a terrific week! I’m visiting New Jersey this week. I checked into my hotel, walked towards the elevator when I ran into this: This is a first! I’ve seen Bitcoin ATMs before but never in a hotel. The narrative I’d heard was that there are 2 main sets of Bitcoin ATM users in the US. The first set are immigrants. They buy and send Bitcoin as a means of sending and saving funds for loved ones in their home countries ex Venezuela, Mexico and Nigeria. This is particularly helpful

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11:31

Ep 44. Crypto Pi Day 🥧

Crypto IRL ·

2022/03/14

Tomorrow (3/14) is Pi day! Yes, guilty as charged. I’m a recovering math and science nerd. Pi day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant “pi” which relates to the circumference of a circle. It’s also a great excuse to eat lots of pie. In honor of Pi day, I wanted to take a walk around the world and touch on a couple crypto relevant stories * Ukraine vs Russia: Crypto in war? * EU may ban proof of work - misguided? * Jambo: Can Play to earn take off in Africa?* Holy metaverse?1

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12:28

Ep 43. An ode to squirrels

Crypto IRL ·

2022/01/24

What’s your favorite animal? For a long time I really didn’t have one. When asked, I’d sometimes pick a random African animal or something philosophical to try and impress whoever I was with. Ugh. Thankfully I’ve passed that stage. Lately, I’ve been watching squirrels. I see them everywhere from our backyard to the parks when I’m out cycling. Beyond their cute fluffy tails, squirrels just always seem happy, energetic and playful. They seemingly bound from tree to tree without losing enthusiasm. Have

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12:28

Ep 43. An ode to squirrels🐿

Crypto IRL ·

2022/01/24

What’s your favorite animal? For a long time I really didn’t have one. When asked, I’d sometimes pick a random African animal or something philosophical to try and impress whoever I was with. Ugh. Thankfully I’ve passed that stage. Lately, I’ve been watching squirrels. I see them everywhere from our backyard to the parks when I’m out cycling. Beyond their cute fluffy tails, squirrels just always seem happy, energetic and playful. They seemingly bound from tree to tree without losing enthusiasm. Have

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15:17

Ep 42: I spy a metaverse

Crypto IRL ·

2022/01/16

Happy New Year! E ku odun! Bonne année! Feliz ano nuevo!I started writing this edition 2 weeks ago but then I became unwell. Thankfully, I am feeling much better now. I hope 2022 brings more joy, growth and good health. Please stay safe out there. I spy a metaverse🕵️Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone 📱 15 years ago. Back then, Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft famously laughed at the most expensive phone in the world ($500). Ballmer said the iPhone wouldn’t take off with business customers because

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9:54

Ep 41. Winter is coming?!❄️

Crypto IRL ·

2021/12/19

My wife and I typically do a quick getaway at the end of the year. It’s nice to ring in the new year in a new city but we also invest time to review our goals and set new ones. We hit all the big ones: relationship, fitness, financial goals and more.This year, crypto has become a bigger share of our portfolio. We ramped up our investments and fortunately those investments have done well in the crypto bull run. We continue to think through how best to play in the space. Six months ago, my

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9:57

Ep 40. Get the bag💰

Crypto IRL ·

2021/12/13

Hey,In recent months, lots of high profile personalities have announced plans to get paid in crypto. The Mayors of New York and Miami joined athletes like Aaron Rodgers and Odell Beckham; and artists like 50 Cent and Mel B to get partially or fully paid in crypto. Coinbase recently partnered with UnitedMasters to let musicians receive their royalties in crypto. But is this just a gimmick for the rich? What are regular Joe and Jane doing? I’m conducting a survey to understand attitudes towards

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9:00

Ep. 39: New beginnings🚀

Crypto IRL ·

2021/11/28

Hey friends, About a year ago, I started publishing this newsletter as a forcing mechanism to document my learning, clarify my thinking and keep up with crypto news. I decided to share in the event that someone else might find it useful. Thank you for coming on this journey with me. #wagmi! (Crypto babble for “We’re all gonna make it!”)Well fam, I’ve got some exciting news to share: I did it! I took the plunge. This week will be my first working in crypto full-time. New beginnings 🚀I came across a

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10:39

Ep 38. Crypto Purpose?

Crypto IRL ·

2021/11/23

Hey friends! My wife and I recently drove out for a beach weekend to celebrate my birthday. It was great to hear the crashing waves and feel the sand beneath my feet. I like to watch the sunrise on my birthday. I start the day with gratitude then I reflect on my purpose and aspirations. Recently, more than one friend remarked that crypto felt like a solution looking for a problem. They basically said crypto serves no purpose. I disagreed. What starts off looking like a toy can become big business

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9:59

Ep 37. Crypto: It's 1998!

Crypto IRL ·

2021/11/14

Hey friends! I want to invite you on a trip down memory lane. Can you guess which year these events happened?* President Clinton is engulfed in a sex scandal * Titanic becomes the first movie to gross over $1B * The word’s largest company is born when Exxon acquires Mobil for $74Bn It’s 1998. Gosh, I feel old :-) Crypto continues to march ahead at a dizzying rate. I took a couple weeks off as I completed a Product Management certification while also working on a couple other things. Stay tuned,

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7:20

Ep 36. Toy or Next Big Thing?

Crypto IRL ·

2021/10/11

Last week, I enjoyed sharing my thoughts on Pay like you email in longer form. Thanks for the feedback. This week, I have been reflecting on toys, Facebook and Kim Kardashian. Read on to learn how these relate to crypto. 1. Toy or the next big thing?6 hours! We were all forced to detox from Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp for 6 hours during the outage this week. It got me thinking about how entrenched Facebook Inc has become in our lives and global business. When I created my Facebook account in

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