today on beyond six seconds.

There's a lot of noise about crypto, a lot of noise that ice here, and it's very easy to believe the hype grows in the media on then we have the vast majority of off. Any mentions of any creature project are going to be paid for and on a reliable source for advice, so that more people can educate themselves on what to look out for them. The Last White Peter Foreign

Me off the gams Welcome to Beyond Six Seconds, the podcast that goes beyond the six second first impression to share the extraordinary stories and achievements of everyday people. I'm your host, Caroline Keel. On today's episode, I'm speaking with Erica Stanford. Erica graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2009 with the master of arts in economics and politics. After working in sales and marketing strategy for eight years, she got into the field of crypto currency as an investor in early 2017. She is now the co founder of Crypto Currency, simplified dot com ah project, aiming to make crypto and Blockchain be better understood and adopted by the mainstream public. She's also working on several other Blockchain and distributed ledger technology projects that are focused on disruptive technologies and how they're changing society. She spoken internationally on crypto initial coin offerings and Blockchain, and she's been featured by the BBC and other mainstream media as the crypto Lady Erica. Welcome to the podcast pinky. For those of our listeners who aren't familiar with crypto currency, can you give us a brief overview of what it is and kind of how

it works? Sure. Well, Cryptocurrency to keep it really simplified is it's a digital currency. It's a way of sending anything or value cash, restore value digitally so it doesn't have a physical counterparts on one of the most important features. It means it's secured by cryptography, so Cryptocurrency is built on blocks. Shane. It's it's effectively a way off a recording information securely so every user gets their own private key, which is like a password. But it's It's a way of storing and keeping anything of value without needing 1/3 party. So currently we've all finance systems were reliant on banks over emissions companies as ways of storing money. You're sending money. The problems with those are they charge five feet, often very high fees, especially to the two and 1/2 1,000,000,000 people around the world to aren't able to access banking facilities,

some remissions companies are charging up to 30% to the poorest people in the world to send money. And Cryptocurrency, they're they're built on blocks in which is a technology that stores information securely and by keeping the cryptocurrencies on the block shade. Not having to trust 1/3 party but still being up to see that the information of any transactions, or of any crypto money that you have on your account or anything that you send that information can be seen publicly on the block chain. It's a way of looking at it. It's a little bit like a database over looking at information online. So anyone, if they wanted to conceive that information, so it allows you as a user to be a big send money, probably without needing to pay any fees for 1/3 party without having to wait three days for your bank to send that money. You can just send that money almost instantly and almost for free using secure Blockchain technologies or it's a way of giving autonomy back to people that uses encryption, which it's a very secure way of keeping everything safe. It's arguably a lot safer than keeping money in a bank

account. I can see. Yeah, I can totally see how how it has a really safety and security aspect as well as a true social application as well to, ah, democratize or just increase access to currency overall is a concept, right? Yeah. You got into crypto currency in early 2017. So not that long ago. And before that, you have been working for several years in sales and marketing. So what inspired you to make this

tell your change? It was a friend who got me into critter, actually an ex. And we had a thing for a while. He's pretty successful in London and wanted somebody to research it if you'd heard about it. And apparently it was the biggest geek routine. You So he thought I would be the ideal research Patty took to partner with and get into attorney called me up a few times and they said I had to look into it. And eventually, after months, I did. And then I couldn't look at anything else. I was totally just fascinated by the potentials for Blockchain technology potentials for what it could do you, how it was already transforming society and how it inevitably is. It's, um, in every major company and government is now holding their own or being based on Blockchain and that that trend is only going to continue. It's totally disrupting how society how logistics,

how outmanned, how illegals, how finance works and empowering individuals. So sorry much. It's effectively cutting out the middleman in in all my several industry worldwide so I could already see that happening. And then I when I really looked into the potential for cryptocurrencies, I wasn't even initially looking. And from an investment perspective, I was just really interested in potential what they can do, just the idea of being send money instantly. 21 worldwide. Bina in was in Guatemala one time got Marshall. I don't need a fair time and have my last credit card stolen from me. Andi had to go to the local Western Union, which was several miles walk away. I had no money or anything toe pay together,

so I had to walk through some pretty dodgy areas to go to the Western Union to call my dad to get him to send me money from England and then had to go back in a few days time. So I had to wait several days and pay 40% of the money because that was the only way of getting money to be sent to me back then and the ceremony and uses effect that I could just really see the real potential for this. And I just went into Total Research Overdrive just read about all of the different projects. I got introduced to John, who's now my business partner for the project. He gave me a couple of trips on acorns to to invest in. I put a couple 100 quid in one of them and it went away after 20 grand or so. And then I didn't set out to crash right back down, but I could see how one could make money from it as well.

Yeah, I was tourist about how you had done all that research and you started mentioning that you read, You know, you read a lot. And did you also talk to other people who were very close in the industry? You're already working in it or since such a new area. How do you even know where to start? To find all that information? Well,

that was one of the biggest problems, cause even just early last year there there was no real legitimate information about it. So I was lucky. I got introduced to drawing who'd be no successful investor in in various stocks and Brooke tears and futures and slow for four years. And he'd gotten into crypto just a little bit earlier than I had. Sorry. Initially flew out to Bulgaria to spend a few days just picking his brain. And then I was just looking everywhere on on Google, reading all the white papers for the projects, trying to find the information I could and how we started the website. Cryptocurrency simplified. It was initial agents because there was no riel reliable resource to poetry. To find the information to find how to guides on howto by. Bitcoin will get involved in crypt or use. It will spend it will store it or anything. We were both learning by trial and error, and it made a lot of very stupid and very expensive mistakes and all the way just by working it out and you send your first Bitcoin transaction.

It was earlier than it took about 40 minutes, and you send a bit when it suddenly disappears and you don't know where it's going, and suddenly it really cares 40 or so minutes later. But there was nothing telling me how to do that other than just working it out by trial and error and so worried maintenance. So, um, and people just kept asking us how to do these things were just the 1st 1 So I guess about friendship groups to get involved from them. Which is what we'll build a work about how to get started howto buy Bitcoin how to use crypto how to store it have send it where to spend it alone about the tech. But just translating in this one full English because that there still isn't really a reliable resource. Probably 95% off impatient Alba is it's effectively paid for a lot of the Cryptocurrency 90 years, cause it's not regulated. They they have what they call bounties. It's tokens that they give out to reward people to do their marketing. For them, be it by posts or blocks Are you tree arm or tweets? Or so forth? So the majority, if the information out there isn't neutral unbiased, that's

very much paid for. So then how do you vet the information that's on crypto currency simplified dot com Is it from your own experience, or do you have more reliable Resource is in addition to your experience that you put on there. So we we've bean

during all the content ourselves. We had a team of researchers and freelancers, but they were guys who knew who knew their stuff about the industry on then everything that they've done. It gets red and edited and checked by us. But that was the only way that we found that we could actually be 100 central, that that is reliable and no bias just being very, very intensive.

Oh, absolutely. If you're really building something that didn't exist before and it sounds like a really great resource, I would imagine Blockchain and crypto and I CEOs are all very buzzy popular things right now, But I would imagine, you know, like any investment, and especially for something so new it you know, you really have to do your research, and you really have to know you are try to know as much about what you're getting into. And, uh, you know, I think it's helpful to have an unbiased resource toe. Educate yourself.

Yeah, wife. And the problem is specially encrypt her. It's not regulated, yes, and I mean, we're all hoping that regulation kicks in sensibly soon, but because it isn't regulated, there's so many scams. That's so much more manipulation going on when there's been so many projects that have cost investors money again because it's not regulated. There's enough effectively separating whole distinguishing the good projects from the money bad ones, which has been a really tar on the industry because and now, especially this scene, so many bad or often scam me by zeros that have cost investors money. It has affected the whole reputation of the industry, which is a real shame. Yeah,

a ll the hype around it all. The people want him to basically try and get rich quick. It's for me taking away a little, actually the potential what it can do in terms of really changing the second the financial system. But a lot of the industry's around

the world. Yeah. Is there any way that you can protect yourself as an investor against dams? Or I mean besides trial and ever, which I'm sure, is a big part of this as well? But are there any things to watch out for people or how to navigate this thing with no regulation right now and you know, to something so new?

There's a lot. One candle, for sure. I mean practically, I personally believe no computer should be without a VPN or good security software. There's a lot of cyber fraud going on now. A lot of very clever guys are able to hack into computers very easily. Anyone using any public wife or anything that's not just for crypto. There's be no hold off. A lot of hacks enter people's prepped her accounts fire unsecured WiFi networks. But that doesn't just apply to crypto. Hackers are getting smarter than computer makers now and can act. Russo Yeah, practice their VPN set up having good security software setup during all your private keys for any wallets worker Wallace, You'd story or crypto coins in a secure private place. I do not know easily accessible on your laptop or your answer that anyone you see on that some practical measures, but also it's it's really just a question of informant oneself.

There's a lot off friends one can see in the industry fanciful account for and if one really wants to do a lot of research, there's ways or finding the really good projects. I think the problem unseen is that no everyone's willing to do the math. Research necessarily required that certainly been lot of trends device euros, using fake names as part of their team or advisors to make themselves look better when they actually have no affiliation with that pass in the hall, they've literally just paid that person to put their name on their site. And the person isn't actually helping and in some cases, not even not even telling the person both that the photos our names are on the site. There was a nice CEO last year that used to start trouble, the actual Ryan Gosling, and pretended that he was one of their staff. They were actually being serious. Thought they could get away with Wow, So yeah, is that it has been some crazy scans that people do fall for, and it's it's where foreign,

any project, looking up for social proof for every member of the team involved and really saying that there is a little social proof for them. That's one off the main checks at one condo, practically one of the main friends to do is read. We hid the white paper, read what the projects are going to do. Google it researcher. Not just for him, I guess paid reports that people find on social media really look into the tech it for if a project that saying it's going to do something, look into that. Whatever it says. It's going to do this in a lot of projects that say they're going to do the amazing futuristic things related to be our data storage drawer. Aye, aye, or a new technology. And in reality,

when you really look into the possibilities and where those technologies are today, it's simply not possible assembly no feasible. It's very, very nice ideas that they've obviously conjured up and want to raise money for. But the reality is when looking at the industry and when looking at those fields, and there's no way that those technologies right at our possible so often just doing a lot more research into what they claim to do is really worth living and and in reality now, where the crypt below market is, A lot of people made a lot of money, and I serious, especially last year. Many were turning over 100 times this of the initial buying. But in reality, that has now changed. 93% of ice heroes don't even exchange is now, so that means that you might buy in for a nice year. An initial queen offering on GIT has a 93% chance if you never could be being up to get your money back on DDE.

Even the ones that drew get onto exchanges is often so long a gap because he exchanges, they get their money from the transactions, and they're not really going to be willing to take on lots of small, icy projects onto their exchanges if they don't think they're going to get the transaction volume that they need to make it worth their while to take that project. So the exchange are now effectively running the game and aren't really willing to take on a lot of new projects unless they've jumped through a lot of hoops or it's hard for new points now listed on exchanges. So my feeling now how the market has changed, how the industry is changing and just because it's been so many bad, worthless I cr is that even though there are some really, really good projects out there stolen, two really good new technology is being built and for sure would have you arrested. Nice years. You're getting in super early. You're taking the highest amount of risk so you can forget the highest amount of reward. But at the moon, with the statistics the way they are, I wouldn't even really advise anyone to look at,

like serious unless they really, really know what they're during. There's way true many me that will be investors money on dhe if anyone is looking into it. If your project is already on next year, Engine has a high trading volume than that is some indication that serious or larger institutional investors already taking that project seriously and at least you know you can cash out of it at some point. So that was the last risky strategy.

Wow. And I'm guessing this is our some of the things that you talk about on your website. Cryptocurrency simplified dot com and try to help people understand what the difference is between I CEOs and more established projects and maybe even other types of Blockchain projects that they can learn about and become involved about,

Right? Yeah, there's a there's a loyal guy in for we've written. Well, they haven't Bean uploaded or looking yet, but there will be a load of guides on there literally listing with pictures or how to guides all the scams to avoid how to spot a scam. Howto read a white paper. What to look out for? So, yeah, there's a lot of information for people to be able to educate themselves on DSO. We're not ever going to tell people what to buy or where exactly we're not gonna give financial advice. It's more about informing people what to look out for on how to make decisions and wrote 44 scams, because there's a lot of lawyers about crypto a lot of noise about ice here, and it's very easy to believe the hype that grows in the media. Andi up the vast majority off any mentions of any creature project are going to be paid for on a reliable source for advice, so that more people can entertain themselves in what to look out for them. The last likely toe fall for any of the gams that often have very good marketing. There's been a few multi $1,000,000,000 Ponzi scam sort of

Wow. Yeah, that's great. It sounds like a great resource, and one that's really very much needed in this new area. So while you were building this website, where you still working in sales and marketing and kind of at what point did you make that change and just say you're going all in with investing and learning about crypto and blocked ain't technology?

I quit the job fairly early on. It was 11 of my initial trades that even though it went right down and I didn't cash out, will realize any perfect from it all, I realized the potential was there to make more money. It was in a drop on, although so focused on researching it, I was I've been desperate to get out of the job, to be honest, and I was so focused on researching it and reading everything about it and just spending 16 hours ahead. And after reading up for well every year that I'm I just didn't have the time to do the job. I just I took that gamble

and, you know, you talked to a little bit about the website that you have and what that does. And also, you know, we mentioned in your bio that you're also working on other types of Blockchain and dlt or gets distributed ledger technology projects that look a disruptive technologies. So in terms of that work, what does that look like? That

project said, I got put into fruit ends and three people freak Richter block train and ones. They're building a new sort off. It's not a member's club, but it's it. Bring people physically together to learn about Krypton or block trade and having visual platform. It's hold time. NASA is a really exciting project. I got put into that for a really good friend of mine, who he was working there and I met the team and I just love the energy, left the project what it would be a load of fun, really, really grateful. Objections. Yeah, really happy I'm learning a lot, and it is just great to be part of that humor during amazing,

amazing things in space. On a couple of checks again, just two people have got tomorrow just for a crypto fruit Blockchain. I mean, I'm probably being presented about 100 projects that they is asking me that be part of it and vice. Really, I'm not being interested in a tour because either they didn't have the potential, the people so forth. And there's a couple of words that on our A part of again that they're just incredible people behind them who will try to use Blockchain technology toe get mass market adoptions of them is is effectively taking on uber eats and restaurant deliveries on the block chain, which will cut out a huge, a huge margin, meaning that restaurants will get a lot more margin cheap before and users. So it's just putting NGOs is direct toe to the restaurant's cutting up middleman.

So what do you see as the future of Cryptocurrency? I

absolutely believe that Cryptocurrency will be the mainstream effort of payment within five years, in the sense that the way we now use apple pay or pay contactless I think you will replace frankly and a lot of places. Now it's surprising that cases are now accepting that you can already pay a Bitcoin and a lot of sources on the Internet. You can book slides, pay for hotels, and it's internationally. There's a lot of stores and businesses are starting to accept it, and the technology is now already being built and coming out in the next year. Also refer it to the viable mainstream prepayment. And I believe that people actually just gravitate to what is cheapest and best banks anti overheads. And they charge relatively large amounts that is not always viable for businesses even to accept card payments. PayPal payments Ads on the margin on for infuses if there's a way that they can, for just normal people to send money abroad off takes days and cost nuclear, I think it's £25 had to send money borders on a local holiday or some money to a friend with critical. You can do so instantly and free, and you can track the transaction yourself. So I just think it's the obvious thing to dominate,

and the technology is just being built now, already to make it so easy to use. But there's no hurry for anyone. Still pay one on 3% for any transaction or to beat any amount of time to send a payment when they can do it themselves. Take charge of it themselves. Realistically, the two and 1/2 1,000,000,000 people in the world who don't have access to banks aren't going to suddenly go get a bank account back. Sure, and no interest in going to those countries isn't financially worth their while. They're really not making the effort. And then you've got countries all around the world that are embracing cryptocurrencies of digital currencies. A block change falls faster than we are. Oh, you've got Kenya lived about their own, basically sending robot minutes. But it's a way of sending money digitally that instead of having to center of high Remittance payments,

they can send Mobile foreign Bennett's to any of a smartphone. And then anyone go to a knish reading those mobile for in minutes or cash. So because what often happens that the husband might work away, the wife is in the heart of the house and every day once and the wife money into pay for dinner or whatever. So then they could just send the mobile 40 minutes from that day's work chic and hash out by food. It's just become a very practical means there, and we're seeing a lot of these advanced that's happening. So I'm very, very sure that in in five years time we will be, at least if not more popular than the likes of hope, a or contactless

payment. Wow, that's amazing that you're seeing it even five years, which isn't that long off from now. To see it be much more mainstream. That's really exciting.

Yeah, and I think, Well, happiness people won't even know that they're paying incorrectly. They were even know that they're using brought train. It would just be the cheapest, easiest method of paying

and in terms of people now in present day who may be thinking about investing in crypto or getting more involved in Blockchain projects and learning more about that. Do you need a certain type of still or risk appetite to go into that now? Or do you think really crypto is potentially for everyone and anyone who just wants to put in the time in the research to learn more about

it. I really do. You think people, if they're thinking about investing in anything, you want to know what you're getting into, its really volatile. It's really high risk. More than probably any other industry in the world, it's you, Jubal atone for everyone that's made money. That's probably Tunnel. I don't know. 100 feels lost money by not knowing what they do, and so I would absolutely recommend people to read about it. I don't understand it, not just from an investment point of view, but also it's It's the technology that is going to be running,

how things work within our lifetimes. Oh, I think for anybody to get ahead, it's worth researching this and lining how these concepts will work. It's like learning how the Internet works in the tents off the Internet. I believe it's as big a change to society, and there are practical things that one can do mean that those websites as resources queen market cap is one. It's it's Queen market capital comets, probably the biggest list of all off the Cryptocurrencies. That's all of them by by market captain. You consort through and go for the different projects and get the links, the websites and one of the first things I recommend doing. It's just going to that site to getting familiar with it and reading up, reading the websites, reading out the main projects and seeing what they do and how the technology works.

Yeah, I mean that that's really great advice for anyone you know who's looking to invest their money in anything, even if it's an established, you know, an established thing that's been around for decades or something new, like Blockchain and crypto. Well, thank you so much for sharing information about this new area. It sounds like a really exciting area toe learn about and to potentially become more involved in. How can people get in touch either with you or learn more about your work? What are the best ways for them to find you on your work online?

Sure, the website is Cryptocurrency. Simplify sport calm. It's being built, but it's not finished yet. Behave, it will be soon. Never ways. My email is Erica Cryptocurrency. Simplify it dot com, and I do try and get back to people relatively quickly on that.

Okay, great. Perfect. Well again. Thank you so much for being my guest on the show today. I really appreciate you teaching us more about this is citing new technology. And I think you have a great resource with crypto currency simplified dot com and encourage everybody to go check it out. Right. Thanks. Okay. Thanks for listening to beyond six seconds. Please help us spread the word about this podcast. Share it with the friend. Give us a shout out on your social media or write a review on apple podcasts or your favorite pod test player. You confined all of our episodes on our website www dot beyond six seconds dot com until next time.