Wishing everyone a peaceful New Year and good health.
The Year of the Snake, which just passed, could be described as a watershed moment for cryptocurrency gaining mainstream acceptance and becoming truly “usable.” Many people began their crypto journey last year; even those who haven’t yet jumped in have at least heard the news of governments, led by the US, gradually embracing Bitcoin, Ethereum, and stablecoins.
To me, the greatest significance of Web3 and cryptography lies in empowering citizens to autonomously choose, hold, trade, and even issue assets. Adding a million people to Bitcoin or Ethereum ETFs is far less meaningful than a single person opening a wallet and using cryptocurrency in their daily life. That is why, since entering this field in 2017, I have constantly looked for “excuses”—reasons—to give away money to encourage people to take that first step. These have included forwarding government handouts, Mid-Autumn Festival gifts, subscription rebates, and “Drifting Classroom” souvenirs. Among all these excuses, the most frequent and effective one remains the Lunar New Year Red Packet (Lai See).
As the saying goes, “an old trick is a good trick.” Taking the opportunity of the Spring Festival, DHK Weekly is sending out 188 stablecoin red packets. The amounts are randomized, ranging from a minimum of 1.11 USDC to a maximum of 21.11 USDC, with a total value of 228 USD.
Unlike previous years where I often paid out of my own pocket, this year’s red packets are sponsored by Fluidkey. Thank you, Fluidkey. By clicking the link below, even readers who do not have Fluidkey installed can easily complete the process in just a few steps.
>> 188 USDC Red Packets, while supplies last
If you are one of the 188 readers who claimed a packet, you’ve likely experienced how seamless the process is. You might not be surprised—after all, WeChat pioneered digital red packets over a decade ago with similar ease. However, achieving that same level of smoothness in an open, diverse, decentralized ecosystem compared to a closed, centralized one is exponentially more difficult. This year, I only needed to set a few parameters—amount, quantity, and a greeting—to send them out, and readers only needed a few clicks to receive them. Furthermore, the fact that both parties cannot easily track each other’s transaction history is not something to be taken for granted; it is the result of tireless efforts by countless developers, continuous community coordination, and years of cultivation.
I’d rather not make you read a long essay during the Lunar New Year. Let’s stop here for now. Later, we’ll chat about the sixteen-year journey of blockchain technology that made today’s seamless red packet experience possible.
P.S. Compared to “shopping” at malls, I prefer “marketing” at wet markets. Recently, while shopping for New Year goods at Fu Shin Street in Tai Po, I saw a dried seafood shop labeling conch as “Trump Conch.” Playing dumb, I asked the owner why. The lady boss replied, “It’s from America, so it’s Trump!” Call it over-interpretation or just being sentimental, but I felt a bit gloomy hearing that. Our culture remains so accustomed to personality cults, often expecting a “Great Leader” to appear and welcoming individuals who override the system.
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