Five Things Messari Got Wrong In Their Prodigious 2023 Crypto Theses

On Dec. 26, I published “10 Highlights From Messari’s Prodigious ‘Crypto Theses for 2023,’” because, as I wrote, the 157-page report is simply “the industry’s most impressive overview of the crypto ecosystem, and a must-read for any crypto enthusiast.” That said, I have glaring differences with some of the views Ryan shared. Those differences don’t detract from of the awesomeness of Messari’s theses. In fact, part of the awesomeness is all the conversation the report engenders.

Below are the five major differences I have with the 2023 theses:

#1 Selkis’ Biggest Focus Remains On Regulations

While a favorable regulatory environment would be helpful, if crypto can be crippled by regulations, then it’s not the decentralized game changer we all think it is. And if it can’t be crippled by regulations, then why is the regulatory section, at 23 pages, the longest section in the theses by 20%? The word “regulations” and variations appear on 51 pages, vs. 31 for “Bitcoin” and 27 for “Community”.

While I applaud and support the work of Coin Center and others trying to shape a favorable regulatory environment for Web3, it’s happening regardless of what the regulators do. And the more the U.S. regulators and politicians try and stop…