Cryptos Grim Worldview

For anyone who has spent any significant amount of time in the various circles of the internet where cryptocurrency is discussed, the term FUD, will not be new to you: “Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt”. FUD is what the naysayers seed. It is the argument of those with no real argument. FUD is what they spread, those who are so jealous they aren’t part of our group, our group destined for success and riches, and so they are trying to take us down.

This is reflective of the larger culture of ‘us vs. them’ that is often found in crypto circles. It is us vs. the institutions/banks/the people out for us/etc. I have to imagine that this perception of the world would take great effort to maintain, and would likely be exhausting. If you live your life convinced that those who disagree with your technical vision of the future are therefore out to get you, one is stuck in a constant state of vigilance, because after all, you are constantly under siege by them. Personally, I find most often when people are voicing a difference of opinion on cryptocurrency, those opinions are voiced of good faith, genuine ideas, and without ulterior motives. Unfortunately, as it is true of all things and people, some will not come in good faith. Not many, but some, and yet despite those few I still strive to not let the fear of the occasionally malicious person place upon me an undue negative disposition of everyone who disagrees with me. Jane West, in her 1812 novel The Loyalists wrote “Let us not attribute to malice and cruelty what may be referred to less criminal motives”.

As a reader, you might personally agree that some of those items are wrong/incorrect/what have you, but the concern isn’t whether or not the items are ultimately true, but instead whether they even deserve the light of day and consideration. Personally, I think that each of those points deserves a full throated response from their respective communities even if their ultimate answer is “we disagree”. The burden of proof lies on those who sell crypto as the next big thing. If someone disagrees with you, a proponent of crypto, then you must explain why you think they are wrong, because if the only response you can muster is that it's FUD, then you have failed to meet your burden of proof.

Leave a Comment