A Message from Alexander Höptner, CEO of BitMEX

What’s more powerful - a meme, or a thousand words? Maybe that’s not the best thing to ask recipients of Crypto Trader Digest, which is famous for being long-form. But surprisingly, I think the author would say that memes win out - at least when it comes to influencing the masses. 

This Crypto Trader Digest spins a tale of travel, meme culture, and social sorting. It gives us an overview of the Mount Rushmore of Crypto Memes, how they became part of the crypto community’s zeitgeist, and why their staying power is so great. But it also serves as a warning to many of us to not prioritise a clubby crypto culture over inclusiveness. 

Our way of communicating needs to welcome newcomers while also differentiating crypto from limitations - and lexicon - of legacy institutions. During this holiday season, we hope you take away some lessons from this piece. I recommend pairing this Crypto Trader Digest with eggnog, a roaring fire, and some family and friends. 

- Alex (@AlexHoeptner)

From the Desk of Arthur Hayes

We landed in Mandalay, departed the airport, and began our Myanmar adventure. It was December 2012, and apart from a few wide-eyed tourists, the airport and immediate vicinity felt empty – like a perfect Alfred Hitchcock movie setup.

After clearing immigration, we left a gleaming but empty airport, jumped into a vehicle from the 1980’s, and drove along a deserted highway. The taxi reminded me of my father’s car, which my brother and I used to refer to as the “bye-bye” car (because it might break down at any moment). It was a certified hooptie. We shared the four-lane expressway with a dude driving an ox-cart. Other than that, it was mid-day during the workweek and there wasn’t a soul to be seen as we entered the city.

I was with my bestie – my wannabe K-pop star / NBA player hedge fund bro friend. The last time he drove to the hoop, he was steering his SUV to the Staples Centre. He decided to spend his mandatory two-week leave on a South-East Asia adventure with me. During the first two weeks of December 2012, we hit Jakarta, Bali, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Myanmar (Mandalay, Inle Lake, Bagan, and Yangon), and finished the trip driving across Sri Lanka.

My boy is real good with the internet, and did a lot of research on how to travel within Myanmar. A decade ago, many things we consider almost basic human rights did not exist. There was no mobile phone service, barely any internet connectivity, and no ATMs. They only accepted physical USD, but one had to be careful - as there were certain serial numbers that were not accepted. Wrinkled or torn notes weren’t accepted either – so we smushed all of our cash inside books so that the bills were flat and crisp. 

Latest Commentary from BitMEX

A message from Alexander Höptner, CEO of BitMEX
I couldn’t be more excited to announce that we’re launching BMEX, our token, in 2022. This is a token for true believers, and there are many reasons to believe in its potential. 
As we transform BitMEX into a full crypto exchange ecosystem, the launch of BMEX marks a rebirth. The BitMEX user experience will never be the same, and the products and services we offer will continuously expand and grow as we do. 
We wanted to do things a little differently when it came to the launch of our much-awaited token. We’re bypassing the usual practice of having an initial private investor round in order to reward those we think are most deserving. Active BitMEX users (new and existing) will be the first to receive BMEX in a series of free airdrops starting on 1 February.

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