In CoinDesk

How Is Being in Crypto Like Playing a Sport?

I was a nationally ranked epéeist, recruited by the best NCAA Division I Fencing programs. This achievement followed 12 years of hard work, often seemingly divorced from the thrill of a well-executed attack. But to play a dangerous, physical game of chess against an armed opponent and win required instincts, forbearance, stamina and agility.

This meant preparation.

My footwork needed to be swift and sure. My fingers needed dexterity to direct the point of a blade with a flick. I cultivated instincts: How long or short to lunge; which parry to use for different attacks; when and how to riposte (to righties and lefties) and when to trust intuition. Coaches taught me self-possession and patience. I learned to read opponents and develop strategies to win fast five-point bouts and more grueling 15 point bouts. Conditions and opponents were unknown. The skills needed to succeed in fencing are the same as in the ever-transforming crypto landscape.

Crypto requires swift and sure software development, dextrous cryptography, strategic game theory, advanced mathematics, intuitive automation, elegant economics and instincts for navigating the unknown. The industry evolves before internal and external conditions are fully understood. What started with [bitcoin] grew into [initial coin offerings], [decentralized finance] and [non-fungible tokens]. New markets, services, regulatory bodies, professions, skills, products and infrastructure have emerged. What made a successful ecosystem in [proof-of-work] will shift with the Merge. Who will survive? Who will win? Crypto is not for the cautious nor, despite what some would have you believe, for instant gratification.