Exploring the Blockchain

Blockchain is the new craze. In April, during my visit to a respected VC firm, I learned about its new emphasis on blockchain startups and about blockchain technology. After the visit, I started to notice the technology everywhere. My friends bragged about their Bitcoin trading profits; Google Now suggested cryptocurrency articles; ICO advertisements plagued my Gmail; my digital life was covered by blockchain related content. My curiosity was piqued. Why the hype? What do these terms mean? How does this technology work?

I started to dig around for information and resources on the blockchain. As a college kid with no income, I was captivated by how I could make money (of course) trading currencies based on the blockchain. I was a complete noob. I had zero trading experience, a limited understanding of the technology, and nobody to guide me. Yet, despite not understanding the technology, I threw in all of my savings based on the naive reason of “I have faith in the technology”. Thankfully, my beginner’s luck prevented me from losing too much money. Eventually, after a few months of amateur trading and research, I took a step back from cryptocurrencies and asked myself the key question: why is the blockchain important?
As I started in-depth research, I began to find concrete reasons to have faith in the technology. I learned about its role as the enabler of the “internet of value”; I discovered that blockchain technology has the potential to transform the financial industry by decentralizing it and eliminating the third party; I found out it has applications in all aspects of our life, be it in voting, supply chain management, or Internet of Things. Blockchain technology has immense potential.

I have decided to dive deeper into the subject.

For the next year, I will dedicate myself to seriously learning about the blockchain. I hope to learn about the ideologies that inspired the creation of cryptocurrencies, about the code and cryptography behind blockchain technology, about the everyday life applications of the blockchain, about mining hardware and software, about how blockchain technology influences global economics and politics, and most importantly, how to build meaningful projects with blockchain technology. My goal is to become a blockchain evangelist and to build my dream startup with the technology.
I will be sharing my discoveries on this Medium account as I learn. During my journey, I hope I can bring awareness and understanding of blockchain technology to others so everyone understands how to take advantage of this technology. After all, decentralization is the core spirit of the blockchain!

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You can learn more about me at www.spenserhuang.com
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