“It’s Kind of Like…” Crypto Analogy Illustrations

Crypto Narratives

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Two weeks back, @sndbox hosted a challenge asking Steemians to put forth their best crypto/blockchain analogies. Explaining this new (and sometimes overwhelming) technology to friends, families, coworkers, and whoever else will listen can be quite the challenge. So, we thought it would be exciting to crowdsource some interesting visuals and analogies! The topic and process actually led to an entire Blockchain & Bourbon livestream on Rize which you can watch on our Facebook Page.

The illustrations in this post were produced by artist @zsolt.vidak specifically for this article. Zsolt also took the descriptions of a handful of analogies to represent them visually. Here are the results, below. Let us know what you think!

Cryptocurrency Sparks Flying

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Crypto is like a box of firecrackers, you never know which one will be a dud, a stud or or one that gets stuck in the mud! We’ve all learned that every crypto might get some fud but we hodl on coins like Steem in anticipation of the next Big Bang!

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@yonny’s analogy is a stellar weaving of crypto’s core elements and ethos, topped off with an artful rhyme! Being in the blockchain space is indeed volatile - not only in price but also in future confidence, community, technological prospects, and so many other factors that may flip on you at a moment’s notice.

Decentralized = Healthier

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Crypto is like a millennial's avant-garde veggie-based diet... like a cucumber burger! Yes! You are going to pursue it because it is going to change the world... and your life. But truly... you will never be able to fully get it till you reallyyy get it. And... it is painful because you know that meat consumption is so tasty. No matter how great the crypto is... you will never be able to leave Sir. Benjamin for good...

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@mintvilla gets our tummies rumbling with a connection between cryptocurrency and sustainable diets. You know deep down that it’s a much healthier alternative that will have vast implications on your overall life… BUT… it can be tremendously difficult to transition from the red meat burger (the banks) we grew up with.

Unexterminable

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Cryptocurrency is kind of like bacteria spreading around the world with so many sources that nobody can kill it around the globe. This bacteria can be mutated into good which like Steemit providing platform to reward content curator and building up an awesome community or mutated into bad like various type of scam, abuser and phishing activities going around trying to get more!

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@aaronleang’s analogy may seem icky at first, but really speaks to the resiliency of a decentralized information system. You can’t hack an information system that spreads like a nasty little bug and it only gets stronger as more “infected” users come about.

Blockchain is Forever

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The Crypto, it's kind of like the love, we never want a third party in love, even though it's just an intermediary of our love. We want that love to be conveyed directly from "I" to "You", it's called peer to peer. That's how crypto works peer to peer like love, and our closest people serve as witnesses of our love (crypto).

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@karmachela is a romantic user of blockchain, understanding that there are no middle-men (or women) when it comes to love and crypto. It’s all about 1-on-1 and unadulterated interactions and nothing getting in the way of a true blockchain… we mean relationship.

Sup? Hello? Hi! Delete... Uh Oh.

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It's kind of like sending a group text that you can't edit or delete. When you send it, everyone gets a copy and regardless of who sends the message everyone has the same record of the conversation. So it would basically be impossible to get rid of that history if it were a group text with millions of recipients.

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@midlet hits the nail on the head for how immutable information works on the blockchain. Once a transaction or piece of information is out there, there’s no hampering with others’ access to that data. Better be careful what you send from now on...

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Let us know what you think! We’re always open to hearing more stories and metaphors for future reference and representation. When it comes to cryptocurrency, it’s a constant and collective effort to make things more approachable and less cryptic!