LOUD Cringe

Happy new year.

2024.

Today (well I wrote this last week on January 24th), I sit here just having gone through the first 6 stages of grief of 7 stages, in the past 48 hours.

Shock.

Denial.

Anger.

Bargaining.

Depression.

Testing.

Back to depression and testing, bargaining to testing, over and over again. I'm caught in a repetitive loop in stages four through six right now. My teeth and fists clenched. Knots in my stomach and throat. I can't move or feel.

Stuck in a loop of depression.

Why?

I can't share all the details of everything, yet.

Here's the conceptual ideological view.

While there are so many amazing good people out there, especially in this emerging technology space, there are too many scammers for my comfort, in this space too. It's disgusting. They walk away with even MORE power, influence, and money AFTER their scam. And maybe a handful of folks know the real story of what happened, the scammer goes on with their life acting as if they are vindicated and in the right.

That is not right.

We all have to get comfortable, ASAFP, with the LOUD cringe of calling out the scammer. And hammering them down onto their hands and knees. We need folks like Jason Williams, wearing a machete on each arm going hand to hand combat with these dirty rats slashing off the arms and limbs of these soul sucking, humanity dirtying, apathetic, egotistical psychopathic garbage (reflecting how I feel).

Also note, how the system is currently handling the Celsius debacle is LEGALIZED ROBBERY. We don't have regulatory clarity. Celsius clearly was a bad actor. And, yet, PEOPLE/CONSUMERS are left holding the bag paying for THE bad actions by Celsius. IT MAKES NO SENSE. If we had regulatory clarity, Celsius (and FTX) would NOT have been able to get as far as they did.

Let me name a few of the known bad actors:

• Sam Bankman-Fried.
• Alex Mashinky
• Do Kwan

There are many others, some posing as seemingly honorable professors. Some posing as fighters for the cause wearing hats like advisor, consultant, lawyer, accountant, and even OG. I feel it. I'm saying call out these scammers, and yet, even I have trouble doing it. I see it everywhere. I hear about it, too. There's a lot of vulnerability, social and reputation risk attached to this. What if I'm wrong? What if we're actually "friends" with that person? What if we lose access to something, information, or funding if we call the scammer out - even if they REALLY are a scammer? Is it worth it? Is it worth it to a person individually? Is it worth it to the community? The incentives do not appear to be there to do the right thing, on behalf of the community.

That is the crazy part.

What if you get sued for defamation? We live in the Litigious States of America where anyone can sue anyone for any reason. The legal system in America can be weaponized by those with money and power to go after anyone. I've seen it first hand over the many years (Did you hear about the story of Amy Nelson, her husband and 4 daughters?)

That's even crazier.

The incentives to do the right thing, to call out bad actors to help keep others in the community safe, are just NOT THERE. It's extremely expensive to do the right thing. What's the point?

And so, here we are.

How do we solve this? Do we solve this? Is this where the role of government and regulator role comes in to play? Isn't "sunlight the best disinfectant"?

WHY DON'T WE HAVE REGULATORY CLARITY YET?

That is what is on my mind as we start 2024. Yes, I've been hurt, multiple times, and it's really, really, really hurting right now.

Please share your thoughts.

I am in need of some group therapy.

Maybe just a hug too.

Wallowing in depression and despair,

Arry