Helping Americans Make Sense of Crypto
By Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple
Over the last several years, the promise of crypto and the technology behind it has been overshadowed by disinformation and mistrust, a hostile regulatory environment in the U.S., a few self imposed wounds (e.g. FTX), and a general lack of understanding. We have seen this play out before with other nascent industries, whether its railroads in the 1800s, automobiles in the early 1900s, or the dot.com era in the 2000s - but it’s time to move onwards and upwards. Imagine a world without trains, cars, or the internet… in time we will marvel how we ever lived in a world without crypto and blockchain.
Just like we used to send letters and now we instantaneously send an email or a text, crypto is a faster way to exchange and store value. It allows you to more seamlessly manage your life in our increasingly connected and online world. More people will have greater control over their personal financial futures, and at lower costs, thanks to this technology, and that is the real story of crypto that people deserve to hear first-hand. Crypto offers these promises for future generations, but it’s already benefiting everyday Americans TODAY.
The United States has always been home to incredible technical innovation. As the CEO of one of the leading and “oldest” American born companies in the crypto space, the excitement around this technology is in the air - from those who have been here from the beginning, to those starting to dip their toes in the crypto waters, to those who are just curious to learn more. Regardless of personal politics, the new leadership in Washington is embracing this innovation and committed to making the United States the Crypto Capital of the World.
It is time to move forward together to demystify, to educate, and to make crypto accessible. So, let’s talk about what that looks like.
There are a lot of questions about what crypto is and what it's good for. How can we ensure that Americans from all walks of life understand where, when and how they can use crypto - and how to use it responsibly and safely? That is why Ripple has stepped forward to establish the National Cryptocurrency Association (NCA), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping consumers make sense of crypto.
I’m proud to announce that Ripple has committed $50 million to make NCA the one stop shop for crypto users and the crypto-curious to learn and share and evangelize these technologies in the United States.
This effort goes well beyond one company, one community, or one use case. We are making this commitment to make sure the voices of everyday American people and businesses holding and using crypto will always be heard. Their stories can serve to inspire and inform others who want to learn more.
NCA will provide educational resources to help people navigate the hype and confusion around crypto, sharing the facts (without the jargon) and explaining in simple terms how anyone can safely and effectively use it.
The NCA is not political and it is not beholden to any one crypto project. It is here to be a resource for anyone and everyone using, holding, or wanting to learn more about crypto. The crypto tent is big and I look forward to others joining the work of the NCA across all industries.
Join the crypto conversation, and let’s move forward together.