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Ask HN: Crash course on current crypto ecosystem?

I've stayed away from crypto for years because I never really understood the hype and because other things seemed more pressing. But I've recently started digging into it and the more I see, the more confused I am. There are so many opaque terms, memes, get rich quick courses. Not to mention that some of the fundamentals of markets and trading seem not to exist in the world of crypto trading. I've bought and held some BTC in the past via Coinbase for shits and giggles but I really want to understand the world of crypto as it is today. Are there any good resources (preferably video-based) that provide a high-level overview of the crypto ecosystem? The more technical the better but I want to clarify that I'm not looking for a "how does a blockchain work" course - there are plenty of those. Instead, I want to understand how all of the different pieces fit together (various blockchains, coins/tokens, NTFs, DeFi, wallets). Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

talldayo 3y ago
Real talk, I just wouldn't bother. If you want to make money, learning cryptocurrency today is like studying the Titanic post-iceberg. If you're interested in distributed technology, you should research the sort of stuff that lands you jobs. Learn how to write MySQL schemas, set up a simple Kubernetes training cluster, research message queues, that sorta thing.
- mysteriousBag 3y ago
  Appreciate it! Although there is something to be said about studying the Titanic post-iceberg :) I won't say I'm not interested in making money from crypto but my primary goal is to get more familiar with a multi-trillion dollar market. I have my fair share of cynicism about crypto but there's no denying that a lot of money is changing hands each day in that world. I just want to speak its language.
  - talldayo 3y ago
    Knock yourself out. The only other thing I'll say is that you're looking in the wrong place if trading volume excites you. The market cap of all digital currency is circus peanuts compared to the IMF's lingua franca. But you do you. I'm sure you're well acquainted with the nay-sayers.
    - arbol 3y ago
      Way easier for a novice to arbitrage crypto than fiat though.
janandonly 3y ago
You could study bitcoin fundamentals in Q&A form here: https://chat.bitcoinsearch.xyz/ https://chat.bitcoinsearch.xyz/

talldayo 3y ago

Real talk, I just wouldn't bother. If you want to make money, learning cryptocurrency today is like studying the Titanic post-iceberg. If you're interested in distributed technology, you should research the sort of stuff that lands you jobs. Learn how to write MySQL schemas, set up a simple Kubernetes training cluster, research message queues, that sorta thing.

mysteriousBag 3y ago
Appreciate it! Although there is something to be said about studying the Titanic post-iceberg :) I won't say I'm not interested in making money from crypto but my primary goal is to get more familiar with a multi-trillion dollar market. I have my fair share of cynicism about crypto but there's no denying that a lot of money is changing hands each day in that world. I just want to speak its language.
- talldayo 3y ago
  Knock yourself out. The only other thing I'll say is that you're looking in the wrong place if trading volume excites you. The market cap of all digital currency is circus peanuts compared to the IMF's lingua franca. But you do you. I'm sure you're well acquainted with the nay-sayers.
  - arbol 3y ago
    Way easier for a novice to arbitrage crypto than fiat though.

janandonly 3y ago

You could study bitcoin fundamentals in Q&A form here: https://chat.bitcoinsearch.xyz/ https://chat.bitcoinsearch.xyz/