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Crypto is a new frontier, and before taking steps, regulators need to learn its nuances, not just rely on historic precedents. What may be coming in terms of industry regulation is a common concern and area of speculation among crypto insiders. As regulators steadily prepare for crypto’s growth, they may be struggling with confusion around its new and varied assets, or they may be wondering if there are aspects of the underlying technology that must also be addressed. As the people who best understand the industry, its technology and its unique assets, crypto leaders need to ensure their input is heard by global regulatory agencies. Here, 13 members of Cointelegraph Innovation Circle share important things regulators should keep in mind when reviewing crypto as an asset class.

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The crypto industry might gain traction and win consumer confidence more quickly by learning some do’s (and don’ts)  from traditional markets. There’s an old saying that many of us live by, whether consciously or not: better the devil you know than the devil you don’t. While the stock market and traditional investment tools carry many of the same risks as cryptocurrency and decentralized finance, they’re familiar to investors, there are thousands of industry experts and financial firms, and there are uncounted digital media and print resources to help guide both newcomers and seasoned traders. While leaning into the unique benefits and potential of crypto, it may be wise for cryptocurrency exchanges and platforms to look to traditional markets to gain insights on managing risk and boosting investor confidence. Below, 11 members of Cointelegraph Innovation Circle share lessons crypto exchanges can learn from traditional markets and finance.

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As a member of a Web3 community, it's important to be aware of the risks and take steps to protect yourself and others. Here are seven tips to help keep your Web3 community safe.

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The inroads crypto has already made as not only an acceptable, but a desirable, form of payment are likely to continue to expand. In July 2022, digital asset firm Bakkt published the results of a survey on gig workers and crypto. The firm found that 38% of the freelancers who responded were open to receiving full payment for services in crypto, and 50% were willing to receive partial payment in crypto. Further, 20% of respondents have already received crypto payments for services.  Today’s gig workers are highly likely to be tech-savvy, so it’s not surprising that many are already familiar and comfortable with crypto. As more full- and part-time workers learn about crypto’s ease of use and profitability potential, the push for receiving some or all salary payments in crypto may begin to quickly grow. In a competitive marketplace, companies should at least be willing to research the idea of paying workers in crypto. Below, 11 members of Cointelegraph Innovation Circle share important things companies should know about paying their workers with crypto.

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In July 2022, the Law Commission of England and Wales published a set of proposals aimed at protecting purchasers of digital assets like nonfungible tokens and cryptocurrencies. Citing the rapid growth in ownership and trading of NFTs and cryptocurrencies, the commission worked with legal experts, technologists and crypto users to develop a set of recommendations that includes the creation of a new, unique category of personal property for digital assets and clarifications to existing laws around ownership, control and transfer of digital assets. The goal, the commission says, is to “deliver wider recognition and legal protections for digital assets, allowing a more diverse range of people, groups and companies to interact online and benefit from them.”  Most crypto leaders agree that the industry needs more regulatory oversight to grow, and many view this move by the U.K. as a step in the right direction. However, it’s wise for participants in the crypto community to educate themselves not only on the new proposals but also on being responsible crypto owners, because it may be some time before digital assets enjoy full de facto legal protection. Here, eight members of Cointelegraph Innovation Circle share important things the crypto community needs to keep in mind, even as the U.K. starts to turn attention toward better protecting consumers’ crypto assets.

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Web3 companies searching for data analysts may need to rethink traditional hiring channels and strategies.  There are multiple industries on a constant hunt for skilled data analysts, including information technology, healthcare, finance, insurance and, of course, Web3 companies. Further, Web3 companies are looking for the select few in the finite group of available data analysts who have the additional skills this unique and emerging industry requires.  With the rising demand for data analysts generally and Web3-savvy data analysts in particular, it can be extremely challenging for Web3 companies to find and hire the right analytical talent for their teams. Just as they’re hoping to revolutionize the internet, Web3 companies may need to revolutionize traditional hiring methods to bring on and retain the talented individuals they need. Here, six members of Cointelegraph Innovation Circle share tips to help Web3 companies succeed in their search for top data analysts.

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To share the benefits of DeFi in general and their organization’s work in particular, crypto marketers must do their homework. With the ultimate goal of expanding and simplifying access to essential financial services, decentralized finance is a central pillar of the crypto industry. While it’s easy to grasp why DeFi can be a force for good in the global community, explaining how it can and will do so — and how it is doing so right now — can be a bit more complicated.  For those tasked with marketing the benefits of DeFi in general and their organization’s work in particular, it’s essential to not only follow daily developments in this rapidly evolving industry but to also understand its “nuts and bolts.” Here, seven members of Cointelegraph Innovation Circle share their suggestions for smart ways crypto marketers can stay in the know about DeFi to make sure their organization is a success.

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Ignoring the concerns of crypto skeptics isn’t an option, but educating them requires careful thought and smart strategies. No matter how enthusiastic crypto pioneers are about the industry and its potential, there’s no denying that crypto has something of an image problem. Skeptics point to a variety of factors — the current lack of regulation, the historic volatility of crypto coins, the environmental impact of the industry’s heavy use of technology and more — as reasons newcomers should steer clear of crypto (at least for now). Crypto leaders acknowledge the industry’s growing pains, and they regularly assert their commitment to addressing issues such as regulation and environmental impact. And they realize that, even though they may be frustrating, skeptics’ concerns are worth addressing directly, because as they learn more, skeptics often become converts. Here, nine members of Cointelegraph Innovation Circle discuss persuasive ways to address the questions and misconceptions of crypto’s naysayers.

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To grow the industry and achieve intended goals, crypto industry players must openly discuss the risks of DAO manipulation and pursue real solutions. The crypto industry is clear on the benefits of decentralized autonomous organizations; they’re democratized, transparent and governed by agreed-upon protocols. Rather than operating at the whims of a leadership group, they’re shaped and directed by the participants themselves. However, they’re not without inherent weakness. In addition to the vulnerability any tech-based process has to hackers, one of a DAO’s strengths — democratization — could be used against it. Democracy has famously been described as “two wolves and a sheep deciding what’s for dinner” — that is, stronger, larger parties can end up co-opting what’s meant to be a fair process. DAOs can suffer a similar weakness when “whales” — those with the most keys — end up having an outsized influence. It’s a vulnerability that may allow those who feel threatened by a DAO in particular or the system in general to manipulate the system through heavy, focused investment.  Finding ways to address inherent manipulation risks in DAOs must be a focus of crypto leaders and enthusiasts for the industry to grow. Here, five members of Cointelegraph Innovation Circle discuss ways the crypto industry can come together to better secure DAOs from manipulation.

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NFT integration will allow individuals to express themselves or even show off their irrefutably owned blockchain assets. 

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Pioneering a new way of doing business always comes with both risks and rewards, and adopting crypto payments is no different.  Business owners who are crypto enthusiasts or who simply have an innovative mindset may be considering allowing their customers to pay for their goods or services in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. While in some ways this could simplify transactions (particularly international ones), crypto transactions are still very new to most consumers, and they come with unique benefits and risks. Before jumping into crypto transactions with your business, it’s essential to think through all the ramifications first so your decision nets the results you’re hoping for. Below, 12 members of Cointelegraph Innovation Circle share advice for businesses considering accepting crypto for payments.

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There’s no rulebook governing white papers, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t precedent.

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To fully realize the potential of blockchain technology, it’s important to understand possible limitations — and how to address them. Blockchain technology’s potential is one of the most exciting facets of the crypto industry for both insiders and the crypto-curious. A shared, immutable, verifiable method to store and track data has clear possibilities outside cryptocurrency for industries ranging from stock trading to healthcare. As with any technology, though, there are potential stumbling blocks. Blockchain scalability is an important concept for consideration for both existing and new blockchains, which must be able to manage and process ever-increasing amounts of data.  While experts in crypto agree that it’s important to grasp the fundamentals of blockchain scalability, many assert that it’s not an insurmountable obstacle to crypto’s growth. Below, members of Cointelegraph Innovation Circle share details about blockchain scalability that they think are important for less-experienced players to understand, and why.

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Both newcomers and industry experts need to be aware of the presence of bad actors in crypto and be cautious in extending trust. The crypto industry is sometimes decried as being a haven for fraud, but since the dawn of business and industry, there have always been those who are willing to take advantage of others to get ahead. The difference in crypto may be the sophisticated methods available to and regularly leveraged by tech-savvy fraudsters. A strength of crypto over earlier industries is its enthusiastic digital community. This makes it possible for both newcomers to crypto and those with expertise in the industry to steer clear of fraud — but it requires a blend of healthy skepticism with careful research. Here, eight members of Cointelegraph Innovation Circle share strategies everyone who is or is becoming active in crypto should leverage to avoid fraud.

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Crypto’s tools and methods can improve many business functions, from tightening transactions to building a loyal community. It’s easy for outsiders looking at the crypto industry to get all tied up in the tech lingo, but crypto pioneers will tell you there’s much more to the industry than its cutting-edge tech tools. For industry leaders, crypto’s central goal of building communities is as (or more) important as the innovations tech tools like blockchain bring. Crypto leaders are not only enthusiastic about the ways industry technology can smooth and tighten business transactions, but they’re also proud of the intrinsic ways that not only they, but also their followers, can be rewarded. Below, 13 members of Cointelegraph Innovation Circle share some of the significant strategic advantages business leaders can realize through crypto.

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The first thing on any aspiring crypto marketer’s to-do list is getting up to speed on DeFi as a whole.