Nearly two decades ago, long before social media dominated modern life, a friend in his early 20s urged me to check out a small campus-focused website called Facebook. I was in my mid-30s at the time, writing about cultural movements for a national Canadian newspaper, and his suggestion turned into one of the first articles about the platform published in the country. A PR representative from the company even added me as one of my earliest Facebook connections.
My editors — well-meaning but firmly rooted in the traditional media mindset — praised the exclusive at first. But when I proposed a follow-up story a few weeks later, their enthusiasm evaporated. “We covered it already,” they told me. That single moment revealed something I’ve seen repeated throughout my career: legacy institutions tend to notice change only after everyone else has already adapted to it.
That experience shaped the way I view emerging technology today. It also taught me that the distance between what the public is being told and what’s actually happening is often where the biggest opportunities live. By the time mainstream coverage floods the airwaves, the early movers have usually already taken their positions.
Fast-forward to now. I write the Crypto Chronicles column for the Khaleej Times, and at 55, I’m more convinced than ever that blockchain technology is not a trend — it is the new infrastructure of the world. Whether or not people fully understand it yet doesn’t change its trajectory. Governments, global corporations, financial institutions, and major industries are gradually building on blockchain rails. This shift isn’t speculative; it’s structural.
Michael Saylor, co-founder of MicroStrategy and one of Bitcoin’s earliest institutional champions, often advises people to “find something everyone needs, no one can stop, and few understand.” His focus was Bitcoin — the digital asset that introduced the world to decentralized value. But the larger opportunity today extends beyond a single coin. It’s the entire ecosystem of blockchain technology that is quietly rewriting how digital ownership, identity, and global finance will function.
Crypto educator and Queen of Millions CEO Whitney Woodcock calls this transformation “the new world.” In a recent message to her community, she warned against delaying involvement, saying that those waiting for more “time” or “space” will ultimately fall behind. Her message is blunt but accurate: technology does not pause for personal readiness.
Fear, of course, is the natural reaction. Susan Jeffers’ classic book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway highlights how humans instinctively imagine the worst-case scenario before considering the benefits. Yet the upside of blockchain adoption — financial empowerment, ownership over one’s assets, access to global digital markets — is far greater than most people currently realize.
The solution isn’t reckless investment or blind risk-taking. The path forward is education and incremental action. Start with ten minutes a day: read, watch tutorials, explore trusted platforms, and follow reputable analysts. Set a simple beginner’s goal — such as purchasing a small amount of Bitcoin weekly through a dollar-cost averaging strategy. This consistent, disciplined method reduces emotional decision-making and builds confidence over time.
Stick with that commitment for six months to a year. You’ll not only become more knowledgeable, but you may also find yourself naturally wanting to explore more of the blockchain universe — from decentralized finance to digital identity solutions and beyond.
What matters most is beginning. Waiting for mainstream media, traditional institutions, or late adopters to validate the technology means stepping in after the easy opportunities have passed. That’s exactly what happened with social media, smartphones, and e-commerce. Those who understood early — even casually — benefitted the most.
This moment mirrors that pivotal era. Blockchain isn’t asking for permission. It’s moving forward with or without personal consensus. The question is whether you’ll move with it or watch from the sidelines as history’s largest transfer of value unfolds.
If you’re ready to take your first step into crypto, explore our Beginner’s Guide to Bitcoin, learn how blockchain works in our Blockchain Explained resource, or review trusted strategies in the Crypto Education Hub.
The revolution has already started — and the smartest thing you can do is simply choose to begin.
