How To Get Started on Crypto Twitter

How To Get Started on Crypto Twitter

By Oliver Carding - min read
Updated 22 May 2020

If you’re new to cryptocurrencies, there’s no better place to be than on Crypto Twitter. Crypto Twitter is where the burgeoning crypto community comes together to communicate, collide and commiserate on everything happening in the world of cryptocurrency. It’s where follower counts can jump from zero to tens of thousands in a matter of months, where masked heroes shill their crypto “bags” while trash-talking “shitcoins”, and where crypto “FUD” and “FOMO” have an equal home amongst the “HODLers.”  It’s where a crypto “noob” can quickly go from zero to hero in their understanding of cryptocurrencies. It’s by far my favorite place online.

When I first joined Crypto Twitter, I was admittedly a bonafide “nocoiner” – that is, one without any crypto assets. I chose to follow all of the accounts that one of my good friends, who claimed to be a “Bitcoin maximalist,” was following. Observing the accounts of Jimmy Song, Tone Vays, Saifedean Ammous, and Anton Antonopolous, I soon came to appreciate and become a fervent believer in Bitcoin. I learned about its mysterious founder, Satoshi Nakamoto, and its roots in Austrian economics and the cypherpunk movement. I gained a cursory understanding of Bitcoin’s Proof of Work, Lightning Network and SegWit.  I also learned about the Mt Gox exchange debacle, the heavily debated Bitcoin Cash hard fork and many of crypto’s least-loved characters, like Roger Ver and Craig Wright. I was hooked.

However, as I spent more time researching the crypto landscape and filling my wallet with apparent highly prospective altcoins, I quickly learned that there was a much wider world of cryptocurrencies and token projects beyond Bitcoin, all touting superior processing capabilities or use cases. Along with these coins, came their enthusiastic supporters and disillusioned haters, each who spent their days shilling their “bags” (coins they owned) or disparaging competing coins. There was also a vibrant community of chartists who spent their days and nights discussing coin trading charts, most of which ended with straight green line projections “to the moon” (1,000%+ gains in rocketship-like trajectories).

Two years into Crypto Twitter, I’ve refined my tastes, narrowed my personal filter, and unfollowed some of the shills, maximalists, and non-believers. I’ve blocked a few bots, bullies, and plain annoying people. I’ve also been blocked by a few naysayers. In refining my follow list, I’ve come to maximize what I add to my personal crypto knowledge base while ignoring the noise and still following accounts that inspire or make me laugh. Whether you’re a beginner or crypto-veteran, hopefully, you can save some time while learning something along the way by following my 15 favorite accounts:

  1. Vitalik Buterin: The benevolent founder of Ethereum provides a wealth of intellectual firepower while arguing politely and technocratically for the cause.

  2. Tone Vays: This self-proclaimed maximalist is one of Bitcoin’s most vocal supporters, and while he directs a lot of angst at altcoins, his technical analysis is usually on point.

  3. John McAfee: If for nothing other than shock and awe, former cybersecurity founder McAfee is a follow for his massive shills, outlandish comments and unfiltered opinions.

  4. CZ: The illustrious leader of top crypto exchange Binance retains his down-to-earth persona despite being one of crypto’s most successful founders and billionaires.

  5. Pomp: This fiery fund manager took time off CT after receiving backlash about his post on “the most successful people”. Now back online, he’s as inspirational and fiery as ever.

  6. Michael Novogratz: A former blue-chip investment banker and hedge fund manager, Novo commands respect for his tier 1 relationships and insights into financial services.

  7. Katherine Wu: Lawyer turned crypto analyst at Messari, Wu is known for her insanely detailed research on tough topics that she succinctly condenses into a couple of tweets.

  8. Ari Paul: This intellectually curious CEO of Blocktower Capital never stops short at 280 characters, often proselytizing in multi-tweet essays on various crypto topics.

  9. Craig Wright: One of crypto’s most unloved personalities, Craig Wright retains his airplay for having likely played a role in Bitcoin’s earliest days  – and he’s also a fellow Aussie.

  10. Balaji Srinivasan: The CTO of Coinbase and part-time Stanford professor unleashes his technical acumen while still engaging in everyday crypto politics with us mere mortals.

  11. Dum: Tapping the new generation at the intersection of fun, crypto savvy and easily relatable with his show Shitcointalk, Dum also entertains with his reality show lifestyle.

  12. Crypto Shill Nye: Part-inspiration, part-intrigue, Nye gained a following with his powerful quotes and signature black mask. He’s since been peeling back the layers of mystery.

  13. Senor Lupe: Lupe is quickly scaling up the crypto ranks with his signature witty and hilarious observations in broken Spanglish while promising not to scam you.

  14. Vlad Zamfir: Researcher and Ethereum evangelist Zamfir recently took to CT to argue against political domineering by core developers, which garnered lots of attention.

  15. Crypto Cobain: The Crypto Twitter OG is a natural at sharing his views on everything from trading to altcoins, politics, dogs, cats, life and everything that brings CT together.