Humans of Crypto #3: Interview with Xiaona
Primer: In Humans of Crypto #3, we interviewed Xiaona aka Degen Girl/Latingirl from China. She is a fellow creator in CRE8R DAO and we’ve collaborated a few times in the past. We are curious to know more about her as a person and how she views the Crypto scene from a non-Western perspective, so here we go!
Background
Share with us your background. What did you do before this?
Seriously? It will be a long story. Long story short, my experience has nothing to do with crypto. Shortly before entering the crypto world, I became a Zumba instructor. Cheers.
Why is your profile picture a llama? Any reasons behind this?
I was one of the early farmers of Curve and was airdropped this “Curve OG Llama” NFT, which I used as a profile pic.
How did you find out about crypto? What made you take the leap into it? Did you go all degen and put most of your savings in?
I heard about crypto from a friend, who has zero investment in crypto so far. Lol
I was curious and in order to learn more about it, I purchased some Bitcoin. It’s DeFi that really got me hooked with crypto. I don’t know whether I went all degen or not, but I had a nickname, called “Degen Girl”. Lol
We know you're very good with Yoga. How did you get started with Yoga and why do you like it so much?
Tbh, I am best at dancing, I got started with Yoga because there was no dance studio nearby when I moved and I had to find a substitute. Then I fell in love with Yoga, it helps me a lot, both physically and mentally.
What is the Chinese crypto scene like? Can you give us one example of how the Chinese crypto space differs from the Western world?
As many have known, China is not so friendly with crypto. Many Chinese crypto communities moved from WeChat to Telegram. I previously published content on WeChat but now I only use YouTube and Twitter. I might be biased, but IMO most Chinese crypto ppl focus on speculation while the West pays more attention to the fundamental stuff.
Are there any lessons that you have learnt in the real world that can apply to the digital world and vice versa?
Whether in the real world or the digital world, you need to strike a balance in your life. Life is about balancing between mental & body, as well as work & entertainment. It’s important to figure out a way to get your balance.
Which sector resonates more with you, DeFi or NFTs? Any reason why?
DeFi and it’s because I got to know DeFi first? I’m not sure, I don’t have as much interest in NFTs as I have in DeFi.
Projects
Which projects are you most involved in currently? How did you get started with it?
Dopex. I am always paying attention to derivative projects in DeFi. Dopex is one of them and the most special one to me. I wrote a tweet thread about Dopex SSOV (Single Staking Options Vault) and had a great discussion with the Dopex team about it. Now I’m one of the contributors of Dopex.
Among all the projects you've been involved in, which one impresses you the most? And why?
Does tandonglunxi (談東論西) count? It’s the project that I’m most involved in. Tandonglunxi is a podcast co-hosted by Bee and me. We share our knowledge about Crypto/DeFi and hopefully, bridge the gap between the East and West. The target audience is Chinese-speaking people.
On DAOs
What are your best and worst experiences in a DAO?
I am a newbie to DAOs. Compared with real-life jobs, working for a DAO is quite different. I always have a choice. I can choose which work I like to do and the people I want to work with. Colleagues are from all over the world. Most of them are anonymous. It’s a very special experience. Very crypto - Don’t trust, verify.
In your view, are there any ways to improve the DAO experience?
As I’m a newbie to DAOs, I really don’t have many things to say on this. Lol.. Ask me next time in the future?
Trivia
What’s the most controversial thought you have on crypto?
No controversial thoughts. Crypto is the future.
Share one piece of alpha with readers
The Merge is coming within 2022.
What is your greatest mistake in crypto and what have you learned from it?
A lot. I didn’t sell on the top, didn’t buy the dip etc. lol. I’m not a trader so it’s fair. And it seems that I'm destined to HODL until…
When was the last time you did something for the first time? What did you do?
I’m always trying something for the first time. The last time? Oh, yeah, I learned how to add timecodes on YouTube yesterday.
What is one thing that you know that most people don’t?
The lockdown life is not so good.
Conclusion
Is there anyone whom you admire very much in the crypto space, like an idol or a model for you to emulate? Why?
There was but there isn’t anyone now.
You trust AC (Andre Cronje), AC failed you. You trust 3AC (Three Arrows Capital), 3AC failed you too.
For sure there are many trustworthy people in the crypto space, but “don’t trust, verify”. We talked a lot about this topic in our latest episode: