Thread by @Cooopahtroopa

To celebrate a historic next chapter, let's take a trip down memory lane 🔮

It's with great pleasure that I can say I owe my professional career to Ethereum.

As someone with no technical background, let this serve as a reminder that there is a home for you in web3 🔽

Back in 2017, I was a junior in college struggling to understand how my passion for music would develop into a sustainable career.

Thankfully, I was introduced to Ethereum and the ability for smart contracts to expedite the way artists get paid.

I was immediately hooked 🤯

As anyone does, I did a deep dive on Bitcoin, Ethereum and everything that follows.

I started attending local meetups looking for hot tips on the next best shitcoin on Bittrex.

The term ICO was starting to gain some steam, so I researched how and why they worked.

I read hundreds of whitepapers and made it a priority to be up on the tactics, sites and accounts that mattered.

Once I had a solid understanding of the playbook, I took to AngelList to find work as a glorified community manager 🤒

When the bear market hit, I kept the dream alive by attending blockchain conferences under the guide of 'networking'.

I vividly remember being in Thailand with @0x_Lucas when prices tanked -40% overnight.

I wondered if I had made a huge mistake betting my career on crypto.

But, we kept moving. There was a new term called 'DeFi' and it showed promise.

I saw products like @MakerDAO, @UniswapProtocol and @compoundfinance and recognized there was something here.

I starting learning everything there was to know, writing for a blog called @DeFiRate 🤓

I started attending Ethereum hackathons IRL. First it was DevCon V in Osaka, followed by SF Blockchain Week.

It was here that I met @AlexMasmej and @BlockchainJames who kindly welcomed me into the amazing community that is @Meta_Cartel 🌶️

I started exploring what makes community tick through the lens of a DAO, fostering strong relationships with those building for a better future, rather than to make money.

This ethos has significantly impacted the way I think of what 'community' is really about.

h/t @pet3rpan_

Then, things started to really fall into place.

Whether it was the growing success of DeFi or the positive spirit at ETHDenver, ETHLondon or ETHCC, there was a clear tipping point where I could feel confident in my work environment, excited and motivated to learn and build.

When COVID hit, it was easy to get bogged down.

I doubled down on my writing, spending sleepless nights researching yield farming and all that followed.

I was lucky enough to contribute to outlets like @DefiantNews and @BanklessHQ - giving me a stage through trusted brands 🙏

Through @RaidGuild, I teamed up with @BlockchainJames @gladstonecallum and @0x_Lucas to start 🔥_🔥 - a collective focused on governance and token design with community at heart.

If you would have told me I'd be working with the teams we are today, I would have said you're crazy

As if by fate, I connected with @roneilr as @AudiusProject geared up to launch $AUDIO 🎧

The opportunity to tie my two passions together was a no brainer.

The amount I've learned in two months gives me confidence that this is 110% the way I help Ethereum cross the chasm.

All this compounded by the growing narrative of 'social tokens'.

For the first time, I felt like crypto wasn't a pipe dream and that tokens could scale to the mainstream.

Big ups to @Flynnjamm @coin_artist @RAC and @whatdotcd for letting me play a small role in your community.

There are so many other amazing friends and partners I've met along that way that it's impossible to list them all by name.

The key takeaway is that a career in crypto is no longer a risky bet, it's a pivotal role in the evolution of technology 💪

Ethereum is the reason I'm able to wake up with a smile.

Ethereum is what allows all these stories to exist, and the base layer to prove out a boundless digital future.

It's not about the price of $ETH - it's about the possibilities that $ETH enables.

Let's show everyone why.