How To Talk About Cryptocurrency At The Holiday Dinner Table

By Voyager's Charlotte Siller, provided exclusively to Benzinga Cryptocurrency.

Picture this: it’s the holidays and your family is around the table. Your fork is halfway to your mouth when you hear your uncle mention DOGE (of course, pronouncing it with a hard “g”). “They’re sending a dog to the moon!” A lump rises in your throat as your cousin chimes in that you know a thing or two about crypto, so you brace yourself for the onslaught of questions. 

Suddenly, you’re on trial. Assumptions start flying. You provide answers, but the skeptics already seem set on their half-baked arguments. Your talking points fall on deaf ears despite your best intentions.

Well, not this year. This year you'll be armed with answers when Aunt Judy brings up Bitcoin and the black market. This year, you've got the crypto receipts.

How to answer your relative’s crypto hot takes

“Crypto is too complicated.”

Actually, it’s easier than ever to invest in crypto. 

So easy, you can open an account for grandpa right there at the table and buy him his first satoshi. Your family might think it’s complicated because, depending on their level of interaction in the space, it can get complicated. But it certainly doesn’t have to be. Download a crypto app, open an account, link your bank, and buy your first cryptocurrency in minutes. Done.

Receipts: Here’s Everything You Need To Know To Get Started With Crypto 

“It isn’t worth investing in it now, I missed my chance.”

You didn’t miss your chance, we’re still early in the game. Where crypto is today could be like the 1997 of the Internet. 

Mainstream adoption is sparking a new wave of interest in crypto. Think of 2021 as the crypto renaissance, and now there’s way more than just Bitcoin—think of NFTs, crypto apps, and ETFs. With a new market comes new opportunities, and it’s never been easier to get started.

Receipts: The Second Best Time to Buy Crypto

“Crypto is bad for the planet.”

In some ways that’s been true, but it’s changing. 

To put it simply, some networks, like the Bitcoin network, require mining. Without getting into the technical details, mining uses a lot of electricity. Some innovators are switching to green energy to power their mining, like hydro-powered mining that was used in China or the very cool volcano-powered mining that will happen in El Salvador.

Developers continue to build on existing green alternatives to mining that include staking (holding) assets on networks and time-stamping transactions. These new innovations require up to 99% less electricity to power the network. 

Receipts: Mining Migration, The Green Light

“Crypto is a scam.”

It’s new, so it might feel a little scary at first. 

For a lot of people, new technology takes some time to adjust to, particularly when it’s something that you cannot have delivered to your house or hold in your hand. The crypto market operates with a core mission of decentralization, creating a transparent financial market and giving you the accessibility, autonomy, and tools to ensure the safety of your financial future. 

Receipts: Here's How to Build a Crypto Portfolio Based on Your Risk Tolerance 

“But crypto isn’t safe.”

Crypto is safe, but just like any other financial account you use, it’s up to you to decide how protected you want it to be. 

Some users prefer full control over their crypto, like Stefan Thomas, who bought Bitcoin in 2011 and can’t access his fortune because he doesn’t know his password—P.S. it’s worth over $225 million today. Perhaps his crypto is a little too safe.

But you can choose your level of control and autonomy, and there are more tools you can use to protect your crypto than ever before. You can keep your crypto safe by using two-factor authentication, passphrases, and apps that make it easy to buy, sell and safely centralize your crypto holdings (hint: like Voyager).

Receipts: Keep Your Crypto Safe, 2-Step Verification, Best Privacy Practices 

“Criminals use crypto.”

Yep, and criminals use cash and credit cards, too.

Crypto is for everyone. Just as criminals use fiat currency (US dollars, etc.) to perform transactions, it is true that criminals have used and will continue to try and use crypto as a conduit for illegal activity. 

Crypto isn’t inherently criminal, and you are not a criminal for using it. The same benefits that make it so appealing to “h4ckerz” also make it a tool for good, whether it be blockchain anonymity in countries where oppression is rampant, or efficiency when sending funds to those you love. And, with more regulation, we are actively eradicating blockchain crime.

Receipts: Crypto Clarity

“Digital money isn’t worth anything.”

Are you out of your mind?

The best example is Bitcoin. There are only 21 million Bitcoin in existence, and no one can make more, making it appreciative in value. The US Dollar is currently not backed by anything and the government can (and does) print more money to balance out or bolster the economy when it’s fluctuating, creating inflation (6% this year so far, which I’m sure you’ve noticed). 

If this isn’t enough for you, there are stablecoins that are backed by fiat currencies, such as USD Coin which is pegged to the US Dollar and isn’t subject to varying market volatility.

Receipts: What Will 1 Bitcoin be Worth in 2031?

The defense rests

Read em’ and weep, Judy, the receipts are all here. Suddenly, you start getting new questions, ones your family has never asked before. Uncle Brian wants to know how much Ethereum he should buy. Your cousin Tim wants to know how to mint an NFT. And, what was that Aunt Judy? How do you open a Voyager account? Well, that’s easy. 

Happy holidays from the Voyager team, and don’t worry—you’ve got this.

About Voyager
Voyager Digital Ltd. (CSE:   VYGR;   OTCQX:   VYGVF;   FRA:   UCD2) and its subsidiaries (“Voyager”), is one of the fastest-growing, publicly-traded digital asset platforms in the United States. With over 60 digital assets, featuring a wide selection of altcoins, Voyager offers a secure way to trade using its easy-to-use mobile application. Voyager uniquely offers users the ability to earn annual rewards for maintaining a minimum balance in more than 30 different digital assets. Voyager was founded in 2018, to bring a more transparent and cost-efficient solution to trading in digital assets. Through its subsidiary Coinify ApS, Voyager provides digital asset payment solutions for both consumers and merchants around the globe. To learn more about the company, please visit https://www.investvoyager.com. Use code ZING during app sign-up and get $50 in BTC after depositing $100 and making your first trade.
Voyager Cryptocurrency Risk Disclosure
Investment Advice Disclosure: This content is not investment advice and should not be relied on for such advice or as a substitute for consultation with professional accounting, tax, legal or financial advisors. The observations of industry trends should not be read as recommendations for digital assets, sectors, or future price movement predictions.
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