We ask the builders in the blockchain and cryptocurrency sectors for their thoughts on the industry … and we throw in a few random zingers to keep them busy!

This week our 6 questions go to Olga Kupchevskaya, Vice President Research and Development at MyEtherWallet.

Olga is Vice President Research and Development at MyEtherWallet. She has a strong passion for learning what brought her to blockchain technology and which led her to do a Masters in Computer Science with a research focus on Blockchain Scalability Solutions. In her role at MyEtherWallet, she oversees the research, development and production of software products ranging from Ethereum Blockchain Data Tools (EthVM) to wallet management.

1 – What kind of consolidation do you expect in the crypto industry in 2021?

As for the price, ether is (ETH) will of course fly to the moon. We’ve already seen the staking increase interest in the chain and bring the price higher than 2017. If the Ethereum Foundation keeps its promise to merge with the mainnet and beacon chains by the end of 2021, the value of ETH will be secured even higher.

In addition, we will see greater consolidation in the cross-chain functionality and bridging of decentralized finances. After the past DeFi boom years, more and more users are interested in participating in various DeFi projects. It is the next step for the projects to create maximum value for their users and gain an even higher market share.

2- What are the Top Five Crypto Twitter Feeds You Can’t Do Without and Why?

I have a twitter handle. However, I do not have a friendly relationship with Crypto Twitter. I usually spend several minutes a week just to see if something is worth it. Most of the time I just check our company’s partners or other large DeFi projects for interesting news or educational content. Often times I am overwhelmed by the amount of speculation and misinformation on other channels and how much manipulation is going on in the feeds.

We have all recently seen examples of Twitter activity where a large investor tweets speculation or threats regarding their investments. Then, right after that, we see people energetically start buying or selling. As a result, we get significant price changes. Aside from the fact that market manipulation is illegal in other industries – and that it is absurd that a tweet can significantly affect the crypto market and cause havoc in the community – there is a perspective on the ethical standards in the crypto twitter community.

Instead, I get most of my messages from some dedicated crypto media platforms like Cointelegraph, CoinDesk etc and random crypto podcasts where the content is of higher quality – and I don’t have to take the information in micro-blocks out of context.

3 – What’s more silly: $ 500,000 Bitcoin or $ 0 Bitcoin? Why?

I have a feeling that a bitcoin (BTC) the price at $ 0 is way more goofy than $ 500,000. At the end of the day, Bitcoin’s main purpose is to transfer value; although it is decentralized, it still has some similarities with centralized digital systems. Traditionally, in financial systems, you have had a middleman who, like a bank, helps store, manage, and secure your assets. And as with any business, the middleman has expenses, so you end up paying some fees if you want to use your assets.

With blockchain technology, you can do all of this yourself; However, there are still physical costs. Like any blockchain, Bitcoin is powered by nodes that are connected via a network. Bitcoin nodes perform computing to verify transactions and make the chain history accessible to other node peers. Each peer still needs to be motivated to do that Proof of work Cover equipment costs, electricity costs, etc. Even when Bitcoin started implementing it Proof of commitment As with Ethereum, there are still costs to be covered, such as ongoing node maintenance.

4 – Which two superpowers would you most like to have and how would you combine them for good … or for bad?

My first skill would definitely be to clone myself while keeping the clone’s memory once we’re back together. I feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything I want or even have to. For example, there is so much innovation all around us in the industry and I just don’t have enough time to dig deep into all the new concepts. Instead, I just have to choose certain things.

The second would be flying – getting anywhere without restrictions is very attractive. By combining these powers, I would have the unique opportunity to offer free multi-haul air taxi services to those in need as an alternative to regional airlines and their outrageous baggage fees. I would have to work out the details to be able to show in-flight movies, but hey, the idea is there!

5 – What talent do you lack and which one do you wish you had? How would you use it if you had it?

I definitely lack good public speaking skills. English is not my first language and, like most people, I tend to get very nervous. Sometimes when I had to give presentations in college, I would get lost in the middle of a sentence and forget some words halfway through speaking them out loud. Even if I haven’t felt extreme nervousness for a while, I still feel that I lack the qualities to deliver a speech in front of a large crowd that I’ve just met.

I’m lucky because I now work with great team members who respect and motivate one another. However, I’ve experienced my share of sexism and discrimination, and I know other people in the crypto and STEM industries are experiencing that now. If I were a great speaker, I would want to influence and motivate people to talk about what they are going through, highlight gender biases, and take action. Adding to the existing dialogue will help create more awareness and empower more women and surveillance cultures to get into and stay in the industry.

6 – List your favorite sports teams and pick the most memorable moment when you see them.

I grew up in Russia and of course we always watched ice hockey there. My friends were big fans of SKA Saint Petersburg and we often went to games because hockey tickets are an order of magnitude cheaper there. One of the most memorable moments was when they advance to the KHL Conference Finals for the first time and play their last game against HC Dynamo Moscow. I remember the last 30 seconds and how intense it was.

SKA lost and had to score twice to win. They pulled the goalkeeper off the ice to get an extra skater and focused on the dynamo net for the rest of the game. Again and again the SKA skaters attacked the net with all their skills. Nevertheless, the Dynamo goalkeeper kept making amazing saves, and in between you could feel the tension between the players and the stadium. SKA lost – the Dynamo goalkeeper proved unbeatable – but it was a great hockey game all round.

A wish to the blockchain community:

In any case, don’t be afraid to be a little crazy. Even if your idea seems too far out, there’s still a good chance it won’t. You can be the first to bring it to life! Do the research, reach out to the people in the industry, and you can find someone who shares your passion and helps you make it happen.