July 13, 2025

Since chatting about this article with some pals, I’ve been wondering whether I ignore any of my idiosyncrasies in a professional setting.

To my surprise, I’m struggling to pinpoint any gaps — which makes me think that I should lean harder into what I know makes me unique over trying to uncover an attribute that I’m ignoring altogether.

But where my mind is actually wandering in terms of idiosyncrasies is media consumption.

Each of us - with our unique media diets - is constantly influenced by people who want to tell us what’s cool, or how the future will unfold, or how we should think about current events.

Why do we listen to them, especially when we know little to nothing about a topic?

One explanation that I like, especially for technology predictions, is that they’re describing a future coherently that sounds more fun, fair, and profitable than the status quo.

Which brings me to crypto.

One influencer who I enjoy is @punk6529, a pseudonymous influencer who derives their name from the CryptoPunk that they own.

In this Twitter thread …

… they describe their preference for bitcoin over fiat (e.g., $USD) because bitcoin has a set supply, its transactions are visible online, and and no central party can seize or manipulate it.

They also describe an analogous preference for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) over the tangible collectibles market.

The total global collectibles market - watches, art, creative output, etc. - is unquantifiable across museums and private collections … and authentication continues to be a huge issue.

With NFTs, though, collectors can be certain of origin, current ownership, and supply.

And pairing these attributes with other characteristics that make something culturally significant (narrative, market dynamics, and timing) produces an ability for NFTs to accrue value.

This sounds like a future that I want: individuals owning and profiting online in ways that were not previously possible.