My Web3 Journey

Once upon a time, during my childhood, I dreamed of becoming someone who could use words to create stories and build magical worlds. I knew writers were the ones who did all that, weaving emotions and ideas into something beautiful. But somehow, I never dared to give it a shot. Back then, writers seemed like super smart people, had a rich vocabulary, and possessed a special talent for drawing people in. Those qualities felt far beyond my reach, but deep inside my mind; there was a quiet longing to be a writer.

My love for stories and words kept growing as I got older, but the courage to pursue something related to writing never seemed to catch up. The social setting I grew up in viewed writing as a career that was nothing short of a gamble, where only a lucky few succeeded, while the rest ended up struggling in poverty, burdened by debt, or trapped in other miseries. This fear of failure and uncertainty held me back, making the dream feel even more distant.

The only way forward was to let go of my childhood dream and follow the crowd because it felt like the safer choice. It meant I wouldn't be judged or looked down upon by society. Growing up, stepping away from what everyone else did, taking risks, or trying to be different was seen as foolish. People who dared to do things differently were often insulted, ignored, mocked, or left out.

So I took the safer option, satisfying everyone around me except myself, and completed engineering studies, which was the most trending career option. Four years of studying things that I didn't choose drained my enthusiasm, and working a few years in the same field made me feel completely lifeless. It was as if I was going through life without any real sense of purpose or fulfilment.

Finally, there was a point at which I had to take the most important call in my life, or else I would have to witness my life slowly fade away hopelessly, stuck in a loop of unfulfilled potential and regret. I started to observe senior engineers and began asking myself questions like, "Is that what you really want to be in the next few years?" "Will you feel excited once you get in their positions?" I kept asking myself these questions over and over, and every time, the answers were big, resounding "No's."

Even though I got clarity on what not to do, I never had a clear idea of what I should do. But following my gut feeling, I decided to leave my engineering career with the savings I had and explore other options. After a few months, the lockdown during the pandemic gave me a lot of free time to research and look for new opportunities. However, figuring things out wasn't easy, and the confusing phase of my life seemed to go on forever.

The social pressure kept increasing, forcing me to leave my hometown and move to another city in search of a new direction. After some months, the old dream of becoming a writer came back to life, and I thought this was the best time in my life to give it a real chance. Applied to the role of content writer to all available job posts, but all were rejected due to the lack of writing experience or portfolio. Finally, one day, one agency asked me to write a sample for a fresher freelance writer, and that sample was my first form of independent writing; even though it took a lot of time, it felt so good.

The editor of the agency reached back and pointed out the mistakes, which were all over the place, but they were willing to give me training and see what happens. The training went well, and I was given the first article to write, and I felt like I was finally on the right path. I was excited to put my ideas into words. In the first month, I was given to write 500-word articles on a wide range of topics. I didn't care about the topics and was focused on making my writing better.

One fine day, I started getting Web3 topics along with others. While writing those topics, it felt like something clicked as they were also related to technology, which I was passionate about. After a point, I requested to be provided only Web3 topics, which they gladly agreed to. That's when I transformed from someone who writes about every random topic to a writer specializing in only Web3-based content.

I didn't find Web3; Web3 found me!

Along with completing my Web3 articles, I also started to learn about various concepts such as blockchain technology, cryptocurrency, DeFi, and many others. I felt like being a kid again while learning how to buy and sell crypto assets, working on dApps, NFT marketplaces, exchanges, and more. I still remember the moment of excitement and happiness when I first gained access to my Binance account after the KYC verification process.

I can still feel the initial excitement that I had when I purchased my first cryptos, and I could feel that this could be the beginning of something truly transformative. During the NFT craze, learning about those non-fungible tokens, creating new digital art by myself, and using it to mint NFTs on OpenSea brought my inner child to life. Exploring the metaverse on the platform Decentraland was another similar incident that I could only describe as awe-inspiring.

My curiosity about this space also pushed me to explore it in depth, such as learning the technical analysis of crypto assets and how to trade them. This knowledge was useful and put to benefit during the memecoin supercycle, where Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB) rallied. The next trend that I could capitalize on was the surge of Metaverse-based tokens, led by Decentraland (MANA) and The Sandbox (SAND). This wave showcased the growing interest in virtual worlds and digital ownership, offering a glimpse into the future of decentralized economies. I never imagined that Web3 could have such a huge positive impact on my life.

However, there were also phases in my writing career when there was less work, impacted by events like the crypto winter following the FTX collapse in November 2022. There was widespread chaos around the Web3 space, with reduced activities and a sudden drop in cryptocurrency prices, leaving the crypto market in a state of bloodbath.

At the beginning of 2023, the AI trend also started to pick up, and I personally observed many Web3 writers switching to AI writing to stay relevant in the tech landscape. But I never thought of things like that, as I believe in blockchain technology and its immense potential in the coming years. Instead, I focused on continuing to learn and develop my writing skills, even when there was little to no work.

Making mistakes is also a part of the journey, and in my initial Web3 days, I created a MetaMask wallet to store some of my crypto assets. I then left that wallet idle for a few months, and when I wanted to add more tokens, I couldn't remember my password. However, I wasn't worried because I had saved my recovery phrase offline. Unfortunately, what all crypto users fear most came to reality as I couldn't find the paper where I had written down the phrase, leading to the painful realization that I had lost those assets forever. But now, with smart wallets, we don't need to keep worrying about losing the recovery phrase and wallet usages are very convenient like never before.

Some of my best personal memories associated with Web3 include helping my brother and friends buy their first cryptocurrencies, teaching them how to transfer assets to another wallet address, swap or stake tokens, and many other basic tasks that seemed like a wonder to them. A memory that still brings a smile to my face is gifting my friend crypto tokens on his wedding day using a Binance gift card, which he said was a unique gift that he will cherish forever.

The most underrated advantage of being a Web3 writer is that it helps to identify scams quickly. As we read about lots of different scams happening around the industry, it becomes easier to detect red flags, stay away from them, and inform others so that they can avoid falling into the same traps. By staying informed and sharing knowledge, Web3 writers play a crucial role in fostering a safer and more aware community, helping others navigate the space with confidence and caution.

More than promoting new projects, tokens, and profit potentials, I strongly believe that creating awareness to avoid falling into scammers' traps is a primary responsibility for Web3 writers and educators. In the end, in most cases, the lack of knowledge and due diligence is the key that fraudsters exploit to deceive users. From a new person's perspective, getting scammed might leave a long-term negative impact on their trust and perception of the Web3 space as a whole.

Among all the articles that I have published to date, those related to detecting and exposing scams stay close to my heart as they directly contribute to protecting users and building a more trustworthy ecosystem. Writing such pieces feels like making a meaningful impact and empowering others to navigate the Web3 space safely and with confidence. At least if a person can safeguard their hard-earned money after reading one such article, then that means the world to me.

So, long story short, I'm still navigating my way on Web3, making mistakes, learning new things, experimenting with different new verticles, meeting amazing communities, learning to write better, and exploring the potential of different platforms with a long-term vision like t2.world. Simply put, I'm living the Web3 journey.