Blockchain attracts mostly men. Women represent about 4 to 6 percent of crypto investors. Yet women are building throughout the industry, and some believe they'll lead it forward. International Women
Blockchain attracts mostly men. Women represent about 4 to 6 percent of crypto investors. Yet women are building throughout the industry, and some believe they'll lead it forward.
International Women's Day arrived with renewed calls for change in cryptocurrency spaces. Jane Zhang, a marketing partner at Delphy (a blockchain-powered prediction market), sees an industry dragging on diversity. "Why are there so many stories from women who have attended cryptocurrency events only to be subjected to sexist and condescending remarks?" she asks. "An innovative and exciting new world is stuck in the dark ages." The problem isn't abstract. The North American Bitcoin Conference held its event at a Miami strip club earlier this year.
Rhian Lewis sees things differently. She co-built CountMyCrypto, a portfolio tracker for altcoins, and co-hosts London Women in Bitcoin. A software engineer by training, Lewis moved into crypto in 2013 when she bought her first coins. She launched CountMyCrypto a year later with a collaborator.
In Berlin, Lewis discovered Bitcoin Mädchenabend, a social and educational meetup for women exploring blockchain. The model stuck with her. When she returned to London, she found nothing similar, so she and Magda started London Women in Bitcoin. Neha Murarka, CEO of Smoogs (a crypto micropayment platform), later joined and reshaped the effort. "Since 2017, and particularly since Neha used her amazing energy to move the event to SkillsMatter and arrange proper talks and presentations, our attendance has rocketed and we are now sponsored by eToro," Lewis says.
The London group has 485 members. San Francisco's Women in Bitcoin has 429. Both are welcoming to men, though organizers ask male attendees to bring a woman (girlfriend, wife, sister, mother, close friend).
Women are working throughout the industry: Catheryne Nicholson at BlockCypher, Elizabeth Stark at Lightning, Jutta Steiner at Parity, Friedrike Ernst at Gnosis, Taylor Monahan at MyEtherWallet, Quynh Tran at CryptoCompare, Anita Schjøll Brede at Iris.ai.
Brede heads an AI platform that helps researchers find relevant research. "The state and availability of technology today is so exciting," she says.
The old saying applies. You can't be what you can't see. When women encounter other women writing code and building protocols, they grasp that this space belongs to them. Lewis explains it this way: "All types of individuals have to empower themselves by educating themselves about these technologies. If they see other women having a presence, they are less likely to feel intimidated."
