I originally wrote this article way back in November 2017, just before the big retail bull market and before XRP really started getting the attention it now has. Some of the imagery and analogies used no longer quite hold true as a result, although my sentiment remains steadfast. I have decided not to edit and update it, instead leaving it as it was so that is becomes funnier as time passes as the crypto market changes ….!
Cryptocurrencies are ingenious, logical things using exact mathematics and cryptography to make transactions or record data in a way that is free from the failings of humans. Unfortunately, their tokens and coins are traded on the open market by those same failing humans, who are subject to greed, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), ridiculous over excitement, misplaced belief and all the other shortcomings we have to deal with on a day to day basis. And that means a volatile, crazy cryptomarket, with unbelievable price swings and a myriad of supportive and dismissive comments about the future in equal quantities from equal numbers of experts and amateurs alike. It’s noisy out there, and trawling the net looking for answers often leads to more confusion.