Women Unchained: A Woman’s Path To Freedom

Time Stamp: March 8, 2022 7:33 AM
Source Node: 1205599

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The crypto space has become an entirely different community since it first started roughly 14 years ago. During its initial years, it was only composed of individuals who were either IT geeks or those who had less confidence in their respective governments.

Fast forward to 2022, and the community is now a cornucopia of personalities: crypto traders who made (or lost) a lot of money, powerful people looking to expand their influence even further, and digital artists who have found another avenue to make money, all thanks to the dawning of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

On the other hand, only 5% of the total leadership in crypto is composed of women. Another survey found out that 9.9% of Bitcoin users who are aged between 18 to 45 are women.  Given the fact that many industries have been dominated by males, this appears to be a dismal figure and an unwelcoming sight for those who aim for greater inclusivity.

Surprisingly, women in blockchain are not subscribing to the same old narrative – not anymore. In celebration of International Women’s Day, CoinQuora has taken the opportunity to put some of the boldest and most brilliant women from the crypto space into the limelight.

Randi’s Advice: Dip Your Toe in NFTs

NFTs have become a medium for people to monetize their content, including artworks and music. But this is only the tip of the iceberg: women like Randi Zuckerberg believe this is the best way to earn their stake in the crypto community.

“For anyone out there, who’s a newcomer into crypto, NFTs are a great way to dip your toe in and really learn about the industry in a deeper way”, she said during an interview with Yahoo! Finance.

Randi is Mark Zuckerberg’s sister. Some would think that Randi is only known because she shares the same blood as the one who created Facebook, but this cannot be further from the truth.

An investor, writer, award-winning producer, and CEO of Zuckerberg Media, Randi has gained a reputation for being bold and energetic. She has been proactive in her stake in the crypto space and has helped onboard women to blockchain. In fact, her Twitter handle is randizuckerberg.eth.

Randi is also affiliated with crypto exchange Okcoin, Web 3.0 community HUG, and NFT brands Boss Beauties, Women and Weapons, BFF, and Women Rise.

Of course, Randi understands that the crypto space can be daunting. She cited that most women are known to ‘play safe’ instead of going ‘all in’ compared to men, which is why buying crypto is not a popular option for them. But given the access to NFTs, women will be able to explore the world of blockchain through a gateway that is more suited to their interests.

Aguilera, Witherspoon, and Hilton Going Digital

Randi is not the only woman leading the charge here. Huge celebrities such as Christina Aguilera, Reese Witherspoon, and Paris Hilton are already at the vanguard.

Recently, music media giant Billboard collaborated with NFT collective World of Women to create a digital persona of Christina Aguilera. The image became the magazine cover of Billboard for its celebration of the most iconic women in music this 2022.

Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon is also known for her vocal support of women empowerment-themed NFTs. Aside from having her own NFT, she has partnered with World of Women through her media organization Hello Sunshine to create movies and TV shows featuring NFTs.

Last, but definitely not the least, is socialite Paris Hilton. While Aguilera and Witherspoon are only invested in NFTs at the moment, Hilton has taken it one step further – she has entered the realm of the Metaverse. She set up her Paris World shop in Roblox and late last year, she also graced events in Decentraland as a DJ.

From Hodlers to Prosecutors: Haun, Seiche, and Alden

To look beyond the horizon, there are so many notable women who are known for their impact on the industry way beyond the realm of NFTs. One of them is Katie Haun, the former FED and SEC prosecutor who joined Silicon Valley investment firm Andreessen Horowitz as its first General Partner.

Haun is famously known for creating the US government’s first-ever cryptocurrency task force and probed into the infamous Mt. Gox hack. Recently, she decided to leave Andreessen Horowitz to launch her own crypto fund focused on Web 3.0. She is also retaining her board seat at Coinbase and OpenSea.

For those familiar with the iconic The Little Hodler, here’s a revelation: the artist behind the popular comics and plush toy is a woman named Lina Seiche. The Little Hodler’s comic series has been all over social media, and thanks to Seiche, many people have been inspired to buy Bitcoin (or castigated for not doing so).

For those who are looking for sheer brilliance, Lyn Alden is the lady to go to. Alden is a genius investment strategist who regularly provides her deep insight into various financial markets on social media. A crypto OG, Alden’s opinions have been sought after by various crypto news outlets through the years.

The Metaverse: A Gender Equality Reset?

On February 22, CoinQuora had the exclusive opportunity to participate at the Superverse ME conference in Dubai. The conference was graced by notable persons like Nuseir Yussein of Nas Daily and Ivan Liljeqvist of Moralis.

Interestingly, a lot of panel discussions were led by women. In fact, there was even a special segment in which panelists discussed the under-representation of women in the blockchain space. The exchange happened between NFT rapper BIA and Swan Sit, an influencer dubbed by Forbes as the Queen of Clubhouse.

During the conversation, both speakers discussed the challenges faced by women today. BIA mentioned her difficulties in making it big as an indie artist in the music industry. But with NFTs? It’s a walk in the park for her. She also cited the Metaverse as an avenue for artists like her to enjoy more freedom and assert their rights, ultimately escaping from the suffocating grip of corporate middlemen – pun not intended.

By the end of the session, participants were able to feel the fresh wind in their sails, especially visual artists, singers, content creators, and more. After all, what better inspiration than to hear stories of victory from female gladiators who have been scarred and battle-tested, right?

They also mentioned how hard it is to support women in these two industries, how these industries are male-dominated and how less than 5% of the NFT community and only 20% of the blockchain community, in general, are women.

Digital Future: A New Way To Break Old Chains

Of course, BIA and Swan Sit conceded to the fact that the fight for equal gender representation is far from over. This is still an uphill battle, and they believe that despite having been fighting for this cause for many decades, they will still have to fight more.

Swan said during the conference:

In both our jobs, as you know, I do social media and Web 3.0 advisory. There are not a lot of women and when you make it, there is only one or two seats at the table. While you want to be ‘a girl’s girl’, it is really hard because a male-dominated community makes the situation competitive.

On the bright side, the blockchain space is one of the most inclusive environments today. In fact, in almost every sub-sector of blockchain, there is at least one female who is showing the world that this space is a level playing field.

For those who want to code with blockchain, there is Tezos Co-Founder Kathleen Breitman. Meanwhile, for those interested in building world-changing companies, there is Lightning Labs CEO Elizabeth Stark. Likewise, for those who want to chart the treacherous water that is crypto legislation, there is SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce. The list could go on.

As women in the industry continue to climb, much like all the powerful women who fought for women’s rights and recognition throughout history, the women of today will work, discover, inspire, create chances, and fight as well. As it is a part of their mission, the women of today aim to teach the next generation about paving a path to true equality by respecting one another as humans and as women.

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