The Messari Report Explained

Intro

Messari is a blockchain-based data and research company that provides information and analysis on the cryptocurrency market. The company's mission is to promote transparency and integrity in the crypto industry by providing accurate and reliable data to investors, traders, and other market participants.

One of Messari's key offerings is its crypto asset database, which contains detailed information on over 1,000 digital assets, including historical trading data, developer activity, and community metrics. The database is designed to be a comprehensive resource for investors and traders, helping them to make informed decisions about which assets to buy and sell.

In addition to its database, Messari also produces various research reports and analyses on the crypto market. These reports cover different topics, including market trends, regulatory developments, and industry news. The company's analysts and researchers are experts in the crypto field and have profound market knowledge.

Messari also offers a range of data and research tools, such as its OnChainFX, which provides real-time market data and analytics on digital assets, and its CryptoIndex, which tracks the performance of the top crypto assets.

The company is founded by Ryan Selkis, also known as “Two-Bit Idiot” in the crypto community. Messari is based in New York and has raised more than $5 million in funding from investors, including CoinFund, Coin Center, and Digital Currency Group.

In summary, Messari is a leading provider of data and research on the cryptocurrency market, offering investors, traders, and other market participants accurate and reliable information on digital assets and crypto industry trends to help them make informed decisions.

The writer

The writer, Ryan (aka TBI), of Messari, presents the sixth annual report, “The Messari Theses for the year ahead.” He highlights the work done by the Messari team throughout the year and provides updates on his mental models of the crypto industry. He mentions that the report is free, but not investment advice. Furthermore, he notes that the report is shorter than previous years and focuses on the most critical and existential themes in the crypto market.

He believes in crypto, that Bitcoin and Ethereum are on long-term stable ground, and that DeFi will take significant strides forward in the coming year. He also mentions that privacy tech will be promoted as an essential part of the future of public blockchains.

Not only that, but he also elaborates on his company, Messari, and how they have grown in the past year and are still hiring. Finally, he states that he wrote the report out of a labor of love and a certain amount of rage towards the bad actors in the industry who have set back the progress made by the good actors.

Retire the term “web3”

Messari suggests retiring the term “Web3” as it encompasses various aspects of cryptocurrency, smart contract computing, decentralized infrastructure networks, non-fungible tokens, decentralized finance, the metaverse, and community governance constructs. They believe that the term has led to the industry-wide decline and propose that the focus should be on “Back to Crypto” in 2023. They recommend more personal wallets, privacy, and permissionless financial and social applications, and recommend that newcomers check out Bloomberg reporter Matt Levine's recent Crypto 101 masterpiece.

The author also provides a recap of last year's introductory “Narratives & Investment Themes” chapter and offers predictions for 2022 and 2023. They believe that crypto can be great or abused, depending on the specific product, the builders' ethos, and the rollout strategy.

If you would like to learn a bit more about Messari and Ryan Selkis, you can check the interview below.

Closing thoughts:

Ryan, who wrote the report, believes in the potential of crypto, with Bitcoin and Ethereum as long-term stable assets and DeFi and privacy tech as significant growth areas. However, he also acknowledges that there are bad actors in the industry who have received a lot of attention and setback to the progress made by good actors. The author hopes this report will shift the focus away from the frauds and tourists and back to the pioneers. Therefore, he wrote this report as a defense of the pioneers.

You can find the full report here: Messari Crypto Thesis 2023

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