Giving Up on Wall Street or How I Kissed Manipulation Goodbye!

Last December, I had an epiphany about bitcoin and the entire cryptocurrency complex. For years, I've been a "silent proponent" of digital currencies. I witnessed firsthand their enormous investment potential, having dabbled in both trading and transacting. I took it for granted as a "thing" that I do, and never appreciated it for the groundbreaking revolution that it is.

So yes, I am very slow to the cryptocurrency party, but as they say -- better late than never! But what first opened my eyes was not the benefit of digital currencies like bitcoin, ethereum, or my personal favorite -- STEEM!. Instead, it was the sense of betrayal that what I once thought was an investing platform has long since become antiquated.

Again, I'm very slow to this realization, but I wanted to share some personal insights. Perhaps they can help others that are still stuck in the "Wall Street mentality."

Virtually all industries have undergone a dramatic paradigm shift thanks to advancing technologies. We no longer transport ourselves by horse and buggy. We can travel anywhere in the world in under 24 hours. Written communication now takes seconds, not weeks or months.

But as new technology revolutionizes procedures, obsolete methodologies must necessarily be abandoned. For many, that's a plus. However, those with a vested interest -- such as factory workers facing obsolescence -- are on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Eventually, even these technologically displaced workers receive training and find new opportunities. But the one industry that has ardently kept technology at bay is the Wall Street machinery.

It's funny that the investment market displays a pretense of advancing -- high-frequency trading, internet brokerages, etc. But the same archaic traditions and rules apply -- open at 9:30am EST, close at 4:00pm EST. And if you want to do afterhours trading, forget it if you don't have the proper credentials. In other words, it's the same old machinery but with a technological facelift.

More importantly, we don't live in a world defined by a singular hegemony. The markets are global, and the rules of investing need to reflect that. Does a Chinese person care that we're celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day? Or some other holiday that only government workers -- and hello, hello...bankers -- receive?

This is a joke. Business operates 24/7, 365. We don't play by New York's rules. We play by the true free market. And free markets don't have holidays.