In a sign to show that cryptocurrencies have crossed the chasm to become mainstream, the national daily, The Straits Times, published a beginner’s guide to cryptocurrencies the other day. It featured the top ten cryptocurrencies that believers like you and me are infatuated with and also gave an account of the blockchain technology that governs these digital assets. 

I saved a photo of it on my phone as I wanted to use it as an authentic resource to broaden my students’ knowledge about cryptocurrencies. They may only be 12 or 13 years old, but this shouldn’t preclude them from enhancing their financial literacy, especially in regards to a revolution that will shape the way they have to handle money.

Although my intentions are well-meaning, I have to strategise about how I should broach the topic of crypto to them. They finished their nationwide examination about a month ago, so they are now like burst dams, having released their repertoire of knowledge to the gods of examinations in a flood of relief. They come to school every day, not particularly in the mood to receive knowledge! In addition, children live in the here and now, so even if I were to preach about how crypto would help them secure financial freedom, I’m sure my gems of wisdom would fall on deaf ears. 

I thought long and hard about it and decided that sharing my story on the impetus behind my dabbling in crypto could possibly intrigue some of them. What I can do is to help them establish a personal connection to this foreign world of crypto - and what better person than me.

So I came out with this Circle The Right Answer exercise. Hopefully, my personal account would sow some seeds in some of them.

Why Mr Heng Ventured Into Cryptocurrencies 

Mr Heng was (eventually / initially) not interested in cryptocurrencies. But he received an email from a Hodlnaut staff one day. The staff had asked him to set up an account with Hodlnaut and blog about it on his personal blog. 

Mr Heng subsequently researched Hodlnaut on Google. He learnt that it was a cryptolending company that enabled investors to earn commission interest on crypto.

Eager to (stick to the plan / venture out of his comfort zone), Mr Heng converted his Brave BAT tokens to Ethereum. He then used the Ethereum to open a Hodlnaut account. Jumping with joy, he was ecstatic about how he had used his BAT tokens (recklessly / wisely). After all, he did not have to fork out a single cent from his wallet when he opened the Hodlnaut account.  

Mr Heng wrote an article about Hodlnaut on his blog and reposted it on a personal finance website called Seedly. To his delight, his article went viral. Some people used his referral link to set up their own Hodlnaut account. This meant that Mr Heng received some commission income every week!

Since then, Mr Heng become (apathetic / passionate) about cryptocurrencies because he was excited about how they would transform his life. He (continued / avoided) blogging about Hodlnaut, hoping to get more successful referees. 

Currently now, Mr Heng sees himself as an (experimenter / entrepreneur) as he wants to explore the world of Decentralised Finance (DeFi) and try out some DeFi platforms for fun. He thinks that the path towards financial freedom is a (circular / linear) one because you just need to be brave enough to take the first step. As you grow as an investor, other steps will appear before you, so you can advance to higher levels of financial wizardry, one step at a time. 

I hope you enjoyed reading my story!