cryptoception
common macro misconceptions and false beliefs i encounter
I’ve frequently ran into many people who dislike crypto entirely, but… are intrigued by it immensely?
Marketing
The students in this photo are my age group, and I’m unsurprised at their distaste for crypto. These people should be into crypto… but they’re not, and that shows a complete failure of crypto marketing.
These students are:
Priced out of traditional assets (houses, stocks at all-time highs)
Watching their data get harvested by every app they use
Entering a job market where wages can’t match inflation
The narrative of being able to buy into Bitcoin with just one dollar is a great one, and something that many do not know. However, in 2025 these kind of ads are probably the least effective form of social media advertising.
People skip right past these ads, nothing grabs people’s attention.
These ads do nothing to dispel peoples held beliefs that:
“It’s all a casino.”
“It’s for tech bros and scammers, not for me.”
The ad below was written by a man, for sure.
“Buy Bitcoin with just $1” is actually a strong hook. It democratizes the idea.
But in 2025, this kind of ad is basically wallpaper. Generic, interchangeable, easy to scroll past. It still sells crypto like a scratch-off ticket: low minimum, big upside, that’s it.
What’s missing is the new angle people are subconsciously hungry for:
Less “get rich”
More “opt out” ~ especially in year end 2025 where people are receptive to that idea.
We see people hoping to opt out in many ways, but there’s no path. Crypto- everything, ideally, should be the path presented, because it is, and that’s why I believe crypto has far larger possibilities beyond prediction markets and speculation.
And this is where the current privacy narrative sneaks in, and its a signal.
My generation’s grown up feeding every detail of their lives to social media, and have watched platforms surveil them. Telling people that their money won’t snitch on them is a valuable signal, and people will want that given their concerns over data tracking of their Oura ring, browsers, and so forth.
The video featuring college students being asked about crypto eludes to why there is little talent entering the pool, and I believe it’s something we can change through better messaging, and privacy is a universal concern among all demographics.
As my pinned tweet states,
Journalists and crypto
This video features a line where the host asks, “Is crypto legit now?” and the Bloomberg journalist Zeke Faux states that it’s “medium legit”.
He also goes on to state,
“The one exception I would have made at the time is Bitcoin. It’s developed this huge cult around it. People who think that Bitcoin is the solution for every problem in the world, and who are just so committed to it that they kind of put a floor on the price…. These guys are Juggalos”
I had no clue what a Juggalo was, but I would say comparing people who believe in Bitcoin to this organization is…. possibly derogatory? But I think the layman and retail wouldn’t be that far off.
Fidelity adopting Bitcoin and, as of late, Solana into their accounts has broadened the legitimacy of crypto in a really great and important way though. I have housewives asking me about crypto and how well it’ll do. Furthering institutional adoption has garnered more retail adoption (somewhat) and it’s proving legitimacy through action, not words.
We have a generation that:
Understands digital value (grew up with in-game currencies)
Needs alternative wealth building (traditional paths broken)
Problems solved > ideology.
Not “decentralization” → “Nobody can freeze your account”
Not “blockchain technology” → “Instant, cheap, global payments”
Not “generational wealth” → “An asset institutions are buying”
Not “revolution” → “An option your bank doesn’t want you to know about”
Every person who “hates crypto but is intrigued” already knows the current system is broken. They just need permission to explore alternatives and know that their money is safe without the stigma of joining a cult.