4 rules to explain Blockchain at a party

If you know anything about blockchain and cryptocurrencies you must have had the experience of explaining it at a dinner party. Not an easy task because people will just interrupt any explanation that takes more than 30 seconds.

So, I have boiled it down to 4 rules/key steps that will make it easier next time:

1) Perspective

Put yourself in their shoes - they probably don't care that you are pissed that Segwit2x might open Pandora's box.

Ask what they already know about bitcoin/blockchain and what caught their interest in the first place.

If they go with: Oh, I heard that one bitcoin is now worth more than $6k USD, crazy right???

You can take it from there.

2) Talk about the advantages, not the features

People want to know what's in it for them. So, explain to them how this technology will improve their lives in aspects they are familiar with.

As you know, the applications are endless and if they just want to make money out of it then, tell them where they can find all the upcoming ICOs and how to participate in one.

3) Get ready for trust-related questions

"That seems really weird! Why would anyone use a payment network based on an imaginary currency?"

"I am sure the Government can close it down if they want to, and then what?"

"It's a way for drug and arms dealers to laundry money"

The thing is that most people have only heard about bitcoin/blockchain through mass media sources. So, nobody ever explained to them how cryptography actually works, what time-stamped transactions are or what consensus means. Introducing the tech side at this stage makes sense because they are ready to listen to it.

4) Use great metaphors to explain the tech

This is the part where you actually need to have read, listen or watched the best guys in the industry explaining it. In order to put it simply, you first need to know a lot about it.

The way that Andreas Antonopoulos explains proof-of-work is just brilliant: "Solving a Sudoku puzzle can be difficult and time-consuming right? But, if I show you a Sudoku that's already done, you can verify it in a matter of seconds, just at a glance [...] That is what miners do when they compete to validate (blocks of) transactions."

Do you have any other party tricks you care to share? Write them in the comments box