In the ever-evolving landscape of cryptocurrency, Cointelegraph’s The Agenda Podcast has been a guiding light, delving into a wide array of topics. Launched in December 2022, the podcast has explored issues ranging from the empowerment of sex workers to the utilization of blockchain in the fight against climate change and combating misinformation in artificial intelligence.

On October 4th, The Agenda marked a significant milestone with its 20th episode. To celebrate this occasion, co-hosts Jonathan DeYoung and Ray Salmond took the opportunity to turn the spotlight on themselves, sharing their experiences in hosting the podcast, their personal blockchain journeys, and their predictions for the future of Bitcoin.

Learning from The Agenda Podcast

Kicking off the conversation, DeYoung probed Salmond about the lessons he had learned from hosting The Agenda. Salmond emphasized a crucial takeaway for crypto enthusiasts: the significance of focusing on a project’s long-term fundamentals rather than fixating on short-term token prices. In his words, it’s about “adjusting one’s horizons.”

Salmond elaborated, “I think what a lot of these builders and founders and projects demonstrate to us on the podcast is that their primary concern is not the token price. And for people that support the project, perhaps they should look beyond the token price too and see what sort of progress the project is making in its mission statement.”

This insight sheds light on the importance of looking beyond the daily price fluctuations and appreciating the larger mission behind each blockchain project.

Blockchain Epiphany: A Journey with Jonathan DeYoung

In return, Salmond inquired about DeYoung’s initial fascination with blockchain technology. DeYoung’s journey into the world of blockchain began during his tenure at Cointelegraph. He discovered that the principles of decentralization within crypto were an extension of what he had learned while working in community disaster resilience.

DeYoung explained, “When you bring control to the community level and communities organize locally, people are more prepared for disasters, more resilient for disasters, and are able to respond and recover better from disasters.”

His realization was that the ethos of crypto represented a broader application of these principles, albeit on a much larger scale and in different contexts. It was a moment of epiphany, linking the concepts of decentralization and community resilience.

Envisioning the Crypto Future

Both Salmond and DeYoung were eager to share their visions of the future for the world of cryptocurrency. DeYoung expressed his belief that mass adoption of crypto is an inevitable outcome, given the ongoing signs pointing in that direction. However, he cautioned against the risk of crypto being co-opted by powerful interests, a common occurrence with new technologies.

He envisaged a future where crypto operates similarly to today’s internet, with a few centralized infrastructure providers. Many people would use crypto without fully comprehending the underlying technology. DeYoung predicted, “I think there will always be radical implementations of blockchain, just as there is of the internet, but I feel like it might get sort of sanitized as time goes on.”

Salmond echoed the sentiment of crypto’s mainstream future but challenged the idea of an imminent “crypto bubble” burst. He argued, “We are not in a bubble in crypto right now, not even close. The wand has not even been dipped into the soapy solution that someone would then hold and blow in to create a bubble.”

Looking Ahead: The Future of Crypto

As we peer into the future of cryptocurrency, it becomes evident that the journey has just begun. Cointelegraph’s The Agenda Podcast continues to be a vital platform for exploring the multifaceted world of blockchain technology, providing valuable insights that transcend the realm of token prices and delve into the heart of long-term blockchain fundamentals.

In the grand tapestry of blockchain’s future, mass adoption beckons on the horizon, but the path may not be without its twists and turns. Whether it takes a route akin to the internet’s evolution or carves its unique journey, one thing remains certain: blockchain and cryptocurrency are here to stay, transforming the way we perceive and interact with the digital world.