Welcome to Blocksplain, a blog dedicated to profiling new blockchain and cryptocurrency startups, and explaining how they fit into the emerging blockchain ecosystem.
Blocksplain is a portmanteau, a made-up word coined from a combination of the words blockchain and explain. I chose it because it’s a fun name, but my intention with this site is a serious one. My goal is to make blockchain technology understandable, and to track this new wave of cryptoasset startups.
I want to state upfront that this is a tech blog, not a trading one. My focus here is on the technology of blockchain and cryptocurrencies. If you just want to know how to buy cryptocurrency, there are plenty of bitcoin and trading blogs out there. Blocksplain is different. This blog will help you get to grips with the technology behind the coins. Are the companies or projects you’re investing in the real deal? I’ll try to provide those answers on Blocksplain.
In case you don’t know me, my name is Richard MacManus and I was the founder of one of the first Web 2.0 blogs, ReadWriteWeb, back in 2003. ReadWriteWeb (RWW) went on to be ranked among the top 10 blogs in the world according to Technorati, and was syndicated by The New York Times between 2008-2011. RWW was acquired by SAY Media in December 2011 and I left the site in October 2012.
Blocksplain is my latest new media venture and, like the beginnings of RWW, I’m bootstrapping it. Over time Blocksplain may have other bloggers join it, but for now it’s just me and my particular brand of tech analysis. If you read RWW in its heyday, you’ll know my style: clear, insightful analysis of what’s next in technology and what it means for society.
So why am I starting a new tech blog? Because I’m excited about the potential of blockchain and cryptocurrency, and I see parallels to when I started RWW. As with Web 2.0 in 2004 (when that term was coined), it’s still early days for blockchain. But I believe we’re seeing a new and significant Internet platform develop.
Indeed, some are calling blockchain “Web 3.” I’m not concerned about marketing buzzwords though. What most fascinates me about blockchain technology is its potential to bring decentralization back to the fore on the Internet. The Web started out as an open system, but unfortunately it has lost its way in the past few years. Power on the Internet is now consolidated amongst four technology companies: Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google. Blockchain represents a ray of hope for escaping that digital oligarchy.
A note on my own involvement in buying and selling cryptocurrencies. Like many of you, I’m actively dabbling in the market. I currently hold small positions in Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin and Ripple. At any time you can check the About page to see my disclosures. But I will also mention my holdings at the bottom of any post where relevant (e.g. if the post is about Ripple, I’ll mention that I hold some XRP).
A final note about my approach to tracking blockchain and cryptocurrency startups. As you’ll be aware, these technologies have attracted both a lot of hype and a lot of cynicism so far. My aim is to write balanced posts that weigh up the potential and the risks. I must tell you though, by nature I’m a techno-optimist. I believe in the transformative power of Internet technology. That’s what prompted me to start ReadWriteWeb in 2003, before Web 2.0 even existed, and likewise today I’m fascinated by the huge potential in blockchain protocols.
What I’m trying to say is that Blocksplain will be pro-blockchain and pro-cryptocurrency, but I’m also keenly aware of the scams and risks. So I promise to call those out, so that we can discover and focus on the real value in these technologies.
If you’re curious about blockchain, or simply want to track where Internet technology is heading, I encourage you to subscribe to this blog. You can do so via RSS, or the email subscription form in the sidebar.
Comments on the latest blog posts are always open, so I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback. I’ve also set up a Twitter account and Facebook page, so you can join in the discussion there too.
Right, now it’s time to begin blocksplaining! My first two proper posts are up: Blockchain in 2018: pros and cons (an example of a trends post); and Betting on Augur (an example of a blockchain startup profile). Let me know what you think…