Crypto was supposed to liberate people from the oppression of the traditional financial system, but this has not happened so far. Mostly because the world of cryptocurrencies is still dominated by ideas of crypto anarchism rather than crypto mutualism as it should be. What can be done to turn DeFi into a real financial empowerment tool, according to Camille Meulien, CEO of Yellow Capital. The emergence of decentralized finance (DeFi) and the surge of crypto markets heralded what many believed would be a groundbreaking financial revolution. Enthusiasts envisioned a future where individuals could emancipate themselves from the constraints of traditional banking systems, accessing financial services that were open, transparent, and verifiable by anyone. The promise was alluring: a democratized financial ecosystem free from the control of centralized institutions. However, as with many revolutionary concepts, the practical implementation has proven to be far more nuanced and complicated. The initial vision of crypto anarchy is in stark contrast with the present state of the cryptocurrency market, where issues such as power imbalances, market manipulation, and re-centralization present substantial obstacles to the original ideals. Let’s see what went wrong and how do we fight back to make DeFi what it is supposed to become. Camille Meulien The Promise of DeFi and Crypto Anarchism Crypto-anarchy: A vision of digital freedom Crypto-anarchy champions privacy and economic liberty. It uses cryptography to secure online communications. Tim May coined the term in 1988, well before Bitcoin's 2008 debut. May's manifesto was bold. He wrote: "Just as the technology of printing altered and reduced the power of medieval guilds and the social power structure, so too will cryptologic methods fundamentally alter the nature of corporations and of government interference in economic transactions." DeFi later emerged as a game-changer. It offered a way to dodge traditional banks. Anyone with the internet could access financial services. No middlemen needed. The pitch was simple. Lower fees. Faster transactions. Finance for all. Blockchain tech underpinned DeFi. It promised transparency and security. Every transaction was out in the open. You didn't need to trust anyone. This tech shift aimed to deliver on crypto-anarchy's dream. A free and fair financial system for everyone. The Harsh Reality: Market Manipulation and Centralization The Persistence of Traditional Finance Flaws Despite the revolutionary promise of Bitcoin and the subsequent rise of numerous other cryptocurrencies over the past 15 years, the crypto market and decentralized finance (DeFi) have not been immune to the same flaws that plague traditional finance and neo-capitalism. Whales and Market Manipulation Despite its egalitarian ideals, the crypto market has been susceptible to significant manipulation. Large holders, known as whales, wield the power to influence market prices drastically. By executing large trades, they can create volatility that smaller investors cannot withstand. These manipulations often lead to substantial losses for small investors, who lack the resources to respond swiftly to sudden market fluctuations. Consider Bitcoin, the flagship cryptocurrency. Documented instances of price manipulation by whales demonstrate how large-scale buy or sell orders can drastically impact market prices. The involvement of influential companies like MicroStrategy and Tesla in Bitcoin investments has highlighted how powerful entities can sway market sentiment and drive price movements, often leaving smaller investors in precarious positions. Elon Musk exemplifies how influential figures can impact the crypto market. His tweets have caused significant price swings in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Dogecoin. Initially playful interactions with the crypto community have evolved into demonstrations of how a single individual can manipulate market dynamics, raising concerns about the market's stability and fairness. Media Influence and Public Perception In the crypto world, as in traditional media, the concentration of power and money can distort public perception. Media outlets, influenced by their financiers, can shape narratives that serve specific interests. For instance, portraying certain cryptocurrencies as superior investments can drive herd behavior among retail investors, often leading to speculative bubbles. Institutional Involvement As cryptocurrencies gained mainstream attention, traditional financial institutions, banks, and governments began entering the market. This influx of institutional money brought both legitimacy and centralization. Drawing a parallel to the early days of the internet—initially seen as a free and open space—the control eventually shifted to major corporations like Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft (GAFAM). Similarly, the crypto market is witnessing a consolidation of power where large institutions exert significant influence, potentially undermining the original decentralized ethos. The Need for Regulation While regulations seem necessary to protect investors and users, there have been numerous instances where crypto companies have emptied accounts and disappeared. Mass adoption of crypto banking will not occur without increased security measures. On a larger scale, economies cannot rely and function with this level of risk. Recent regulations in the US and Europe aim to address these issues. For example, the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation seeks to create a harmonized regulatory framework to protect investors and ensure market integrity. While these regulations offer benefits such as increased security and investor protection, they also pose challenges, potentially stifling innovation and compromising the decentralized nature of the market. Short-Term Oriented Investment The market’s obsession with quick returns discourages investment in projects with long-term visions and real ambitions. This short-term orientation can hinder the development of transformative technologies and applications within the crypto space. Projects that require years to realize their full potential struggle to attract the necessary investment, potentially stifling innovation and progress in the industry. Balancing Freedom and Security The challenge lies in maintaining freedom and decentralization while limiting risks and fostering a thriving and dynamic market. Establishing a regulatory framework that protects investors without compromising the core principles of decentralization is crucial. By addressing these complexities and challenges, the crypto market can strive towards a balanced and equitable financial ecosystem, preserving its revolutionary potential while ensuring security and fairness for all participants. Fighting Back: Strategies for a Decentralized Future Independent Media and Information To counteract the influence of concentrated power in the crypto media, independent and unbiased information sources are crucial. Independent media can play a pivotal role in educating the public by providing objective analyses of the crypto market and promoting a deeper understanding of the technology and its potential. By presenting fact-based reporting and in-depth research, independent media can help investors make informed decisions and reduce the impact of sensationalism and market manipulation. There is a pressing need for independent researchers and journalists to conduct thorough analyses of crypto projects. By synthesizing complex information and presenting it in an intelligible form, they can make it easier for the public to understand and evaluate the true potential and risks of different projects. Detailed and unbiased research can expose scams and highlight promising innovations, guiding investors towards more responsible and informed investment decisions. Wise Investment Choices Investors need to adopt a discerning approach to their investment choices. Rather than chasing short-term gains, they should evaluate the long-term potential and vision of projects. Supporting companies and projects that adhere to the principles of decentralization, transparency, and inclusivity can help foster a more equitable crypto ecosystem. This involves looking beyond hype and marketing, focusing instead on the fundamental value and sustainability of projects. Creating New Narratives The vision of Tim May's crypto-capitalism, characterized by a free-market approach, is evident in today's crypto market. However, an alternative vision, crypto mutualism, offers a different path. Crypto mutualism is an ideological framework that envisions a decentralized economy built on the principles of mutualism. Mutualism advocates for a society where individuals and cooperative groups exchange products and services based on mutual benefit. For the crypto market to be widely adopted and beneficial to economies, it needs to be seen not just as a speculative stock market but as a real currency enabling the purchase of services and items, real-world assets. This shift requires a change in narrative and public perception. Crypto Mutualism Crypto mutualism is shaking up digital finance. It's mixing old-school mutualism with new blockchain tech. The idea? To change how we think about money and business. At its heart, crypto mutualism is all about working together without middlemen. Blockchain makes this possible. People can trade directly with each other, cutting out banks and other go-betweens. Shared ownership is a big deal here. Think of DAOs - they're like companies, but run by all the members. Everyone gets a say in decisions. It's a whole new way of doing business. This system puts communities first. It's not just about making money, but about helping everyone in the group. The goal is to share resources more fairly. One cool feature is mutual credit. It's like lending, but based on trust between people. Often, there's no interest charged. This could help folks who can't get loans from banks. Reframing the Purpose of Crypto Evading taxes and institutional control cannot be the sole aim of the crypto economy, as this would undermine societal structures and potentially accelerate societal collapse. Creating and supporting new narratives that challenge the status quo is essential. Instead of viewing crypto solely as a speculative investment, it should be seen as a tool for financial inclusion and empowerment. Promoting stories that highlight how crypto can address real-world problems, such as providing financial services to the unbanked or enabling transparent charitable donations, can shift the focus towards the positive impact of the technology. By fostering a more informed, equitable, and community-focused crypto ecosystem, the original ideals of decentralization and financial freedom can be more fully realized.

The cryptocurrency world often shines a spotlight on big names like Satoshi Nakamoto, Vitalik Buterin, and even Elon Musk. These are real legends, beyond any doubt. However, beneath this layer of renowned figures lies a group of underestimated geniuses whose contributions are equally transformative. You probably haven't heard of them, unless you are one of them, of course. These individuals have played pivotal roles in shaping the industry, yet their recognition remains disproportionately low. They have created some of the most popular products in the crypto world, probably including some that you use daily. Maybe their inventions even helped you earn some pretty decent profits. Maybe you can't even imagine your life without these products now. Let's try to figure out the top ten such individuals, exploring their backgrounds, impacts, and why they deserve more credit. Go with us, it is going to be a pretty exciting ride. Gavin Wood Who Is He? Ah, Gavin Wood. Probably no one deserves a place in this list more, than this British computer scientist and co-founder of Ethereum and Polkadot. These two projects play an unbelievably important role in the world of blockchain. And yet, you probably have no clue who Gavin Wood is. You might have never heard his name. Though, of course, you know who Vitalik Buterin is, don't you, huh? He earned his Ph.D. in computer science from the University of York. And then became one of the kings of the emerging blockchain world. His input is, though, underestimated as hell. Short Bio Wood developed Ethereum’s programming language, Solidity. This is quite a big deal. Ethereum has become one of the driving forces of the blockchain world not for nothing. You've probably heard of smart contracts. Solidity, a brain child of Gavin Wood, is essential for writing smart contracts. He also introduced the concept of Ethereum’s Virtual Machine (EVM). Input in Crypto Industry Wood’s work on Solidity and the EVM laid the foundation for decentralized applications (dApps). He later founded Polkadot, a multi-chain platform aimed at enhancing interoperability between different blockchains. A few individuals can boast such a list of achievements, you bet. Why Underestimated? Wood is a pretty humble and modest person. His foundational contributions to Ethereum and the blockchain world are priceless. But Wood is almost totally overshadowed by Ethereum’s more prominent co-founder, Vitalik Buterin. Young Buterin is a charismatic speaker and a walking examples of the modern day nerd culture, more that the infamous TV character Sheldon Cooper, if you remember who that was. Wood's innovations in blockchain interoperability and development of Polkadot have not received the recognition they deserve. Anatoly Yakovenko Who Is He? Anatoly Yakovenko is the founder of Solana. You can be a fan of Solana, or be a hater (sometimes that happens also), but no one can be as stupid as not to see that Solana has given blockchain a momentum it needed so desperately to be taken seriously in the world of traditional finance. The fastest blockchain with the lowest fees, that was a stark contrast to a heavyweight Bitcoin. And while Bitcoin may still be the 'new gold', it Solana who holds a promise for blockchain to beat traditional finances. Short Bio Yakovenko holds a degree in computer science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and worked at Qualcomm before venturing into blockchain. He has a background in distributed systems. Input in Crypto Industry Solana, under Yakovenko’s leadership, has introduced a high-performance blockchain capable of processing thousands of transactions per second, making it one of the fastest in the industry. Why Underestimated? While Solana has gained popularity, Yakovenko himself remains relatively unknown compared to founders of other major blockchains. His innovative approach to blockchain scalability deserves more acknowledgment. Stani Kulechov Who Is He? Stani Kulechov is the founder and CEO of Aave, a decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol. One of the revolutionary and crucially important elements of the DeFi world, that you are either using already or are going to be using sooner that you think. Short Bio Kulechov is a Finnish entrepreneur with a law background. He started Aave in 2017, initially as ETHLend, a peer-to-peer lending platform. Now look at how far has the project gone since that, aren't you impressed? Input in Crypto Industry Killing banks is what Kulechov does, in fact. Aave has revolutionized the DeFi space with features like flash loans and credit delegation. It is one of the most widely used DeFi platforms, offering various financial services without intermediaries. Why Underestimated? Despite Aave’s success, Kulechov’s role and vision in the DeFi revolution are often overlooked. That is why you haven't probably ever heard his name. His contributions to creating a robust and user-friendly DeFi ecosystem deserve more recognition. Hayden Adams Who Is He? Hayden Adams is the creator of Uniswap, a decentralized exchange (DEX) protocol on Ethereum. Uniswap is beyond any doubt one of the most recognized and widely adopted projects among those that have risen on the shoulders of Ethereum, and this is also the most popular DEX, as of now. Short Bio Adams, a mechanical engineer by training, turned to coding after losing his job. What a coincidence, right? He developed Uniswap with a grant from the Ethereum Foundation. Input in Crypto Industry Uniswap introduced the automated market maker (AMM) model, which changed the landscape of trading in the crypto space by allowing direct peer-to-peer transactions without intermediaries. That can also be dubbed 'killing banks'. You just do your financial deals directly, protected by smart contracts. Why Underestimated? Adams’ work on Uniswap has significantly impacted the DEX space, yet he remains a lesser-known figure compared to others in the industry. His innovative approach to decentralized trading deserves broader recognition. Elizabeth Stark Who Is She? Elizabeth Stark is the co-founder and CEO of Lightning Labs, which develops the Lightning Network for Bitcoin. Short Bio Stark is an educator, entrepreneur, and former lecturer at Stanford and Yale, with a strong background in technology and law. Input in Crypto Industry The Lightning Network, a second-layer solution for Bitcoin, aims to enable fast, low-cost transactions. Stark’s leadership in developing and promoting this technology has been crucial for Bitcoin’s scalability. Why Underestimated? Despite her significant contributions to Bitcoin’s scalability solutions, Stark is often overshadowed by more prominent Bitcoin figures. Her role in advancing the Lightning Network is critical and deserves more recognition. Sergey Nazarov Who Is He? Sergey Nazarov is the co-founder of Chainlink, a decentralized oracle network. You've probably heard something of this project, even if you are a newbie in the world of DeFi and know nothing of blockchain besides a vague understanding of how Bitcoin works, or even less. Short Bio Nazarov has a background in philosophy and business administration. That might came in handy when he co-founded Chainlink to solve the problem of bringing real-world data to smart contracts. Input in Crypto Industry Chainlink provides secure and reliable oracles. It simply means that the decentralized network enables smart contracts to interact with external data sources, an absolutely unique feature in the crypto world. This has been instrumental in the growth of DeFi and other blockchain applications. Why Underestimated? While Chainlink is well-known, Nazarov’s personal contributions and vision are often underappreciated. His work on decentralized oracles has been fundamental to the expansion of blockchain functionalities. Charles Hoskinson Who Is He? Charles Hoskinson is a co-founder of Ethereum and the founder of Cardano. See, the man touched two of the blockchain legends that shape the world of crypto. So he is to be considered a legend himself, isn't he? Short Bio Hoskinson is a mathematician and entrepreneur. That may have played a significant role in his enormous chain of successes in the blockchain world, a strong vision is clearly something you might want to posses in order to be a great achiever like Hoskinson himself. He was one of the original co-founders of Ethereum before quitting and founding IOHK, the company behind Cardano. Input in Crypto Industry Hoskinson’s work on Cardano focuses on creating a secure and scalable blockchain through peer-reviewed research and formal methods. Why Underestimated? Hoskinson’s influence in the crypto industry is significant, yet he often doesn’t receive the same level of recognition as other Ethereum co-founders. His academic approach to blockchain development is innovative and impactful. ##Jed McCaleb Who Is He? Jed McCaleb is a co-founder of Ripple and Stellar. Both projects are famous, respected and require no additional comments even if you are reading this article on your third day in the world of crypto. Short Bio McCaleb is a programmer and entrepreneur who founded the infamous Mt. Gox exchange before moving on to more secure and scalable blockchain projects. Input in Crypto Industry McCaleb’s work on Ripple and Stellar focuses on improving cross-border payments and creating more inclusive financial systems. Why Underestimated? Despite his pioneering efforts in blockchain technology and payments, McCaleb’s contributions are often overshadowed by controversies and the more prominent figures of Ripple and Stellar. Robert Leshner Who Is He? Robert Leshner is the founder of Compound, a leading DeFi protocol, a project that will probably be named by one of the most definitive in the dawn of crypto by our successors. Short Bio Leshner is an economist and former municipal bond trader. He founded Compound to enable decentralized money markets. Input in Crypto Industry Compound allows users to earn interest on their crypto holdings and borrow against them in a decentralized manner, significantly influencing the DeFi landscape. Why Underestimated? Leshner’s contributions to DeFi through Compound are substantial, yet he remains less recognized than other DeFi pioneers. His role in enabling decentralized finance deserves more attention. Silvio Micali Who Is He? Silvio Micali is the founder of Algorand, a high-performance blockchain. Geeks often dub Algorand 'a next generation blockchain'. And there is a reason for that. Short Bio Micali came into crypto world not out of the blue. He is a renowned computer scientist and Turing Award winner. Most of his accolades came from his work in cryptography. Input in Crypto Industry Algorand aims to solve the blockchain trilemma, offering scalability, security, and decentralization. Micali’s innovations in consensus algorithms have been pivotal. Algorand has already shown some impressive results, yet if we someday see Micali's revolution in all it's glory, it might outshine many of the well-established names in the industry. Why Underestimated? Despite his prestigious background and Algorand’s technological advancements, Micali’s contributions are not as widely recognized in the crypto community. His work is foundational and impactful. Conclusion The cryptocurrency industry is full of brilliant minds whose contributions often go unnoticed. Not surprising for such a big industry with such a quick turn of events. What seemed new and significant to you yesterday, might be completely obsolete and irrelevant today. From developing foundational technologies to pioneering new financial systems, these ten underestimated geniuses have significantly shaped the crypto landscape. Recognizing their work not only honors their achievements but also inspires the next generation of innovators in this dynamic field.

What would happen to cryptocurrencies if WW3 broke out? How could crypto exist during the nuclear war? Maybe it is better to invest in gold until it is too late? Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are often seen as the best long term investment. Crypto enthusiasts have no doubt about that. No matter what happens to the world economy, the US dollar or gold and silver, the cryptocurrency will be valuable because of all those digital technologies rising. Because of the Metaverse emerging as the new era of the global economy. That’s what crypto fans often say. And since the beginning of the Russian invasion to Ukraine crypto seems to be nothing but the savior of the economy. Crypto is used to finance the Ukrainian army. Crypto helps Russians to avoid Western sanctions. NFTs auctions gain enormous amounts of money for charity. Crypto is evidently rising as a way to transfer assets without borders and limitations. But what could happen to Bitcoin and other crypto if the most terrible nightmare of our time comes true? What if the Russian-Ukrainian conflict only precedes the infamous World War III? What if things go terribly wrong and NATO will be engaged in a full scale conflict with Russia including mutual nuclear attacks and mass destruction of entire cities and possibly countries? What assets would we rely on then? Previous global wars have shown that paper money emitted by the sides of the conflict become obsolete and depreciates rather quickly. Hm, is it the time for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to shine? Or will we get back to gold and silver as the most reliable assets? Is WW3 actually possible? Mad Vladimir Putin is holding his finger over the red button. That’s the only thing that makes him so terrifying. Otherwise his days would be over. The West is not ready to fully confront the bloody tyrant. It is easier and safer to fight with Putin somewhere in the steppes of the Ukrainian East. Just give those Ukrainians more and more weapons and hopefully they will withstand the invasion, the war will be over and that’s the end of the story. That’s what they think. It seems though that Putin has already crossed the line. Russia is in exile, cornered and hopeless. Things are never going to be the same again. Putin is to be overthrown by some forces inside the country. Or his bloody reign is going to be accompanied by all kinds of military conflicts till his last days. That’s all because Putin has built Russia around the ‘us vs them’ idea. No war, no Russia any more. It is that simple. So World War III is definitely on the table. Probably a nuclear war with massive devastation of both military and civilian infrastructure. What would be the fate of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies then? What would happen to Bitcoin in WW3? The question is rather complicated as it might be divided into a few separate questions. So it would be fair to answer them separately. How would Bitcoin and other crypto be treated during war depends on the overall economy situation. But technical issues might be a serious problem. Crypto requires electricity and mining to function properly. Both are rather questionable during hypothetical WW3 when nuclear weapons are presumably used left and right. So the big questions are: could crypto be still accessible during WW3 and if it was would it be able to compete with gold as the way to preserve your wealth? Let’s try to answer both questions. Would there be a need for crypto in WW3? We have already seen what happens to fiat money during war. Banks with all their ATMs and officts might stop functioning leaving you cashless and making your gold and platinum card useless. Governments can easily prevent banks from giving out cash, selling different currencies or accepting payments of different kinds. Government might simply block all the banks. If the territory is captured by another belligerent, your old money might become obsolete as well. It is a common practice for military regimes to implement temporary money or payment methods during war. Like, for example, grocery or fuel cards. Yes, there were cases when the population in the military zones had to ditch money at all being able to buy food and other commodities only with some kind of money surrogates. And even if we take a much less pessimistic scenario we could see great uncertainty rising and high inflation risks. Just look at what happened in Ukraine in the first few weeks of the Russian invasion. The prices for all kinds of commodities went skyrocketing, with fuel and even bread becoming a sort of luxury. Bitcoin is here to save Well, crypto seems to be a kind of savior in such a situation. If you are able to make peer-to-peer payments with no third party required, no state or military organization could prevent the crypto economy from existing. Bitcoin was born for this, to say the least. A decentralized payment method, secure and stable, could theoretically withstand any political regime. So it is fairly easy to conclude that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies could have their finest hour amidst the hypothetical WW3. The price of Bitcoin might rapidly increase as it appears to be the best way to transfer assets. Crypto might soon become the main financial instrument used by ordinary people. With no banks required and fiat money becoming useless the role of the government in the financial sector might degrade. That’s a great scenario for Bitcoin holders, right? And also Bitcoin seems a much more flexible and valuable asset than gold. Because you can’t use gold for everyday payments. Gold is a little hard to carry around. There is no way you can pay for a piece of bread or a gallon of fuel with a gold bar. What would you do, slice it a bit in a grocery store? With BTC you can easily ‘slice’ it even to a few satoshis and thus pay for something small and rather cheap. But what about long term savings? Let’s say you are trying to preserve your assets in light of the coming WW3. What should you invest in - Bitcoin or gold? Well, gold seems fairly good as a long-term asset. All you have to do is keep your gold somewhere safe. As soon as the war is over your precious metal will be there to help you get through hard times. Bitcoin and crypto is also a great asset to keep for a long time. It is even easier and somehow safer to keep in the times of uncertainty. Because all you need is a smartphone or a small hardware wallet (it is about the size of a flash drive). In some cases you don’t even have to own a smartphone, all you need is just a key phrase from your non-custodial wallet. Or a username and a password for your account on the crypto exchange. If you need to flee or cross the borders with your family and children carrying gold is not the best decision. You might be required to declare it, the customs might not let you bring it to the country, it might be taken from you or simply stolen. A smartphone or a small flash drive in your pocket gives you better chances to get away with all your crypto to a safe place. If your wealth is stored in the cloud, chances are you might successfully access it from any place in the world. Millions of those who escaped from war know how important that could be. What could happen to Bitcoin technology during WW3? Up to this point, everything has indicated that in 21 century Bitcoin is a more preferable way to store your wealth than gold. But here comes the most interesting part. All the advantages of Bitcoin disappear when it is time to discuss the potential technology issues during a full scale war. And we have to assume that WW3 might be terribly destructive. Massive missile hits from both sides, widespread use of means of jamming radio signals, cyberwar, hacking and presumably nuclear strikes. That’s a very probable scenario. And while it looks dreadful from any point of view, within the framework of this article, it is necessary to emphasize that crypto will be extremely vulnerable. Simply put, Bitcoin might be absolutely useless during WW3 simply because there would be no electricity to mine crypto and no internet to carry out transactions. Of course, huge data centers of the biggest cloud platforms like Amazon or Microsoft might survive even quite harsh times. But it is difficult to imagine how you would use Bitcoin for transactions while there is no network available and no mining is being done. And we must not neglect the worst scenario in which massive nuclear strikes destroy most parts of civilization and all the crucial infrastructure. Nuclear explosions are accompanied by electromagnetic waves of immense power. Those are able to interfere with electronic equipment just as solar flares often do. Terrible consequences of such events include power shortages, malfunctions of the miscellaneous equipment etc. If a nuclear explosion happens not far from a data center all its equipment might fail irrevocably. The data will be lost. Of course, multiple crypto network’s nodes might survive WW3. So the data on the blockchain will be restored once the war is over. But what would be the price of Bitcoin afterwards assuming it proved to be of no use in the times when people needed it the most? All of that tells us that cryptocurrency might not survive WW3 or become almost useless afterwards up until the internet and its infrastructure aren't recovered. Bitcoin vs Gold in WW3 To sum up, both Bitcoin and gold have their pros and cons in the hypothetical World War III. Bitcoin pros Bitcoin as well as other cryptos might fight inflation Bitcoin will allow for peer-to-peer payments in times of uncertainty Crypto can be stored in the cloud so that you don’t need to carry anything with you while crossing international borders etc. Crypto makes instant payments abroad very easy and invisible to governments, banks and other third-party structures Bitcoin cons All cryptos heavily rely on technologies (data centers, internet etc) that might be partially or fully unavailable during war In the worst-case scenario of the large-scale war the crypto infrastructure can be destroyed to such an extent that it will be impossible to restore it. All the crypto wealth will be lost forever. Gold pros Gold is gold, it has been the most valuable asset since ancient times, it will be such an asset forever. Even with the most terrible development of events, the fragments of civilization after the war will value gold. Everybody knows what gold is, it has traditional value, it known internationally No technology is needed to store gold or transfer it besides human hands, pockets or bags. Gold cons Gold is not suitable for small transactions and payments Gold is hard to carry and you need a safe place to store it Gold can be easily stolen or taken from you So if you are seriously thinking about preserving your wealth in the light of hypothetical WW3 take all the above into consideration. If you do not believe full scale nuclear war is possible - or if you just refuse to believe in the worst-case scenario - you might better stick to crypto. Bitcoin is easy to handle and reliable. It might become the mainstream payment means of the future. It’s a good investment in the light of an upcoming hypothetical war. If you tend to think that worse comes to worse and what we have now in Ukraine is something like Germany occupying Czech Republic in 1938 (the WW2 followed just after that) then you should consider investing in gold. Gold is a more troublesome tool. But chances are it will survive the nuclear holocaust better that cryptocurrencies. Gold requires nothing but simply a place for storage, while Bitcoin and other crypto is built on top of a complex digital industry that is very vulnerable to severe shocks that WW3 would inevitably bring.