Lets talk coin for a second....

The idea of it and its application. The word coin is both a literal and a metaphor, used in jest and in solemn tones by both erudite and simpleton to symbolize whatever it can mean in their minds and hearts. Unlike most other terms or words or phrases that share a similar robustness to their utility, this one is not seemingly diminished by anyone or anything to which it is tied to. Indeed, the more it is used -like the idea that theres no bad press-, the more power it appears to gain both as a concept and as a form of measure for wealth or its lack. So when a word can make so much in the world go round, I decided to take the week to throw my skullie in this ring, and learn what I can from mistakes research and first hand experience.

DeFi, otherwise known as decentralized finance, is the concept of using a public blockchain such as Ethereum. This of course is not to be confused with trading or finance based applications such as coinbase a decentralized excahange (or dex), which is a wallet that buys currencies on that exchange. I'm much more versed with the latter as the fees tend to hurt less, and have taken more losses on it learning the ins and outs of the markets than I have in Overwatch, Destiny, and Call of Duty combined. DeFi on the other hand, is not a market so much as a network where you access services and offer the coin they require in exchange not only for access to those services but for the service and products themselves. This where terms like gas, slippage and others we will get into at a later time through a more specialized article, come in. I've also in the past engaged in activity over the Ethereum network using my Metamask wallet not only to grant me entry to purchase certain coins(omg I said the word of the day! Wait, this isn't that kind of segment... or is it?), but non fungible tokens(another topic that will require its own article, and it'll get one).

Liquid staking (as opposed to the idea of staking itself), which I briefly touched on in last weeks journal entry, is another term that I heard in the middle of a group talk I had engaged in. While speaking with someone who has quickly embraced me as family in the NEAR ecosystem, I heard the term and immediately popped a blank tab open on my browser and saved it for future reference. It's a concept in which instead of throwing your currency into a staking platform and then it remains out of touch, you are gifted another tokenized asset such as a wrapped coin or a separate form of consideration that can be used toward other applications. Thus, you are rewarded by allowing for the potential to grow not only for the holder of the new token but as well as promoting the wrapped token among other established and emerging markets.

Metapool was another tab I ended up opening, because it's not the first time I heard that name dropped among more well versed NEAR acolytes. Little did I know they were not only related, but that Metapool endeavors to make themselves so user friendly as to have a Chrome extension for all you Google loving techies out there like myself by making a wallet on the store! How much more secure can you feel in a naturally cryptic market, pun intended. Through liquid staking, Metapool allows you not only to receive the same staked near you'd get through other more traditional means, but you'd generate another coin... theres that word again! This token, called Meta, is seen as their thank you which allows you access to things in their decentralized autonomous organization(DAO.... oh trust me that is DEFINITELY getting its own article!)

Moonpay was a concept I only touched during the last days of the work week for entirely selfish reasons. I'd heard about it but didn't know many specifics, all I did know for certain was that it allowed for NEAR users to buy NEAR through a seemingly in-house exchange, which was available from the very site in which the wallet could be accessed. In my desperation to acquire a certain NFT that comes in a beautiful shade of neon, I found most my apps due to a recent move being either unable or too slowly responding to my needs. So there on my wallets page, staring at the lack of coinage I required to obtain this piece of art I assured myself I must have, I saw the word "Moonpay" and thought what better time to take a risk than when I have no other choice and nothing to lose? After being taken to another page and filling out the usual information youd be tasked with giving, just about everywhere on the internet these days. After a few moments load time between pages and BOOM, no more waiting between apps, just top up and take off... which I did. Right to paras.id I went to grab those neon colored pieces of art. (good luck, Cavanaghi!)

ReFi is the final but least expert topic im going to go over in this entry, and that's because I can say with no ego over the course of this weeks travels, is absolutely the future of many facets of technology and nature hybridizing for the mutual benefit of both. I can't say much because I refuse to divulge more than I know and am given liberty to spill, but I assure the imaginary thousands of you reading this in my delusions(cause no one is actually reading this drivel let's be honest haha) that there will be many articles and paragraphs regarding the concept of regenerative finance. I can attest you'll absolutely want to know about how we can employ incentivized tokenomics to allow people to be compensated not only for their natural assets such as trees, but to seek out and gain even further incentives and rewards from furthuring the advancement of reforestation and environmental enrichment. These will also be coupled with implementing measuring reporting and verification solutions to ensure transparency and validity to both the projects and their stakeholders. Believe me when I say that in ReFi... you're going to learn you're recession proof!

All my life, I've had a sort of greedy and disdainful attitude towards currency. Knowing what it can do made me hunger for its ease of solutions; understanding what historically others have done to get it made me disgusted with the side of me that sought it. This double edged sword made me very cautious with just how much power I chose to give this artificial, yet omnipotent omnipresent construct we all choose to bow to even unwillingly, well cognizant of where it'll lead me if I allow it to. But lately I have seen what an engine it can be for positivity in the micro and macro spectrum of things and for that I feel enlightened. With that comes optimism, that the future along with the birth of ReFi will help not only shift how we perceive the concept of coin, but what its power can do and more importantly.... where its power and come from or go to....

Money can talk I guess....