There is a paradox throughout the cryptocurrency industry: although women account for the majority of the daily economic activity in America, they are still underrepresented in cryptocurrency as a whole. While this is changing, it’s not changing fast enough.
Think of it this way: if you truly believe that cryptocurrency is the future of finance and is the key to economic freedom, then wouldn’t you want to see more representation of everyone in this field?
In recognition of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, we wanted to shine a spotlight on this issue and discuss steps that we can take to make cryptocurrency a model for all other industries to follow.
We started by listening to the women at Metal. We asked what they do, why they came to this industry, and what they think could help balance the scales in cryptocurrency for both retail investors and working professionals. You can hear some of their answers in the video below.
Here’s our takeaways:
Representation matters
“There is a lack of women in the crypto industry as well as in the tech field. We can change this slowly by giving young women more exposure to STEM subjects. On top of that, having more women in leadership roles and mentorship positions can provide others with the support they need and inspire them to enter the field.” – Cindy Sun, Lead Web Engineer at Metal
If you’re someone who has always seen people who look like you, sound like you, or have a similar background to you in a leadership position, this might be hard to imagine. But for those of you who have struggled to find representation at the highest levels of your industry, this probably sounds familiar.
Representation matters. Seeing someone similar to you blaze a trail and enter a field proves to you that you can do so as well. When it comes to an industry as dynamic and complex as cryptocurrency, we need to make entering this space easier and safer. That means a diverse range of leaders, role models, and employees bringing their unique perspectives to the table and showing the world that everyone is welcome in crypto.
Diversify more than just your investments
Every savvy investor knows that diversifying your portfolio is the best way to hedge against loss, increase your upside exposure, and have peace of mind. We think that this same principle should apply to who we hire and who we elevate.
“We have a very strong focus on diversity, both in gender and in opinions – and we have a lot of opinions at the company – which makes us much stronger and a lot better leaders in the industry.” – Irina Berkon, Chief Financial Officer at Metal
Every ecosystem thrives when there is diversity present within it, and the cryptocurrency industry is no different. By hiring and elevating more women, we can ensure that our weaknesses are covered, our strengths are amplified, and our industry grows more rapidly.
DYOR – Do your own research
“Get yourself out there. Sit down and read. That’s the way you learn something new; sitting down, taking the time and effort, don’t believe all the hype. This is really an exciting field to get involved in.” – Laura Kyriazis, General Counsel at Metal
Cryptocurrency is a hard industry to enter. There’s a seemingly never ending stream of jargon to learn, new developments every day, and thousands of cryptocurrency projects to choose from. When you’re presented with an onslaught of information, the only way through it is to start doing your own research.
Read articles. Ask questions. Listen to interviews. Watch videos. Do whatever it takes to gradually understand this industry; every question you answer will undoubtedly lead to more questions, but this is the beginning of a lifelong pursuit of knowledge that everyone in crypto is part of. We’ve made Metal University as an excellent source of information, and we’re sure that you can find other great sources as well.
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On behalf of everyone at Metal, we want to wish you a happy Women’s History Month! We know that cryptocurrency is better because of the people that are in it, and we’re excited to see this industry continue to outpace traditional finance in every way – especially when it comes to increased diversity and representation at all levels.
