Blockchain and cryptocurrencies have been the focus of the latest tech boom for quite some time. Although this brand new field has a large gender gap, women are quickly rising to the forefront of the blockchain field and making big names for themselves. Since the blockchain movement is all about decentralization and leveling the playing field, it is the perfect opportunity for women who want to make a big impact to shine. Even though women have been a part of the blockchain movement since the beginning, there are still many myths about women in blockchain.
Here are three of the most common myths about women in blockchain that you need to forget right now.
Myth#1: Most women are not interested in blockchain technology and cryptocurrency.
Women are estimated to own only 5% of the $550 billion market cap for the cryptocurrency industry. A study by Quartz showed that over the span of 6 years looking into hundreds of blockchain companies, only 8.5% of people on the founding team were women. According to Google Analytics data, as of June 2018, 91% of people engaged in the bitcoin community were recorded to be men. It is also no mystery that in industry events women are still often a minority, both in the audience and presenting on stage.
However, does this gender imbalance mean that that aren’t women interested in blockchain technology and cryptocurrency? Of course not.
There are many women passionate about blockchain and cryptocurrency. And that number is increasing every day.
For example in the United Arab Emirates, women are leading the crypto space. Dr. Aisha Bint Butti bin Bishr is the director of the Smart Dubai project, which amongst other things, plans to implement blockchain technology in the public sector of the emirate by 2020, involving authorities such as police, water, and electricity networks, and human development programs. Perhaps this is because, according to a UNESCO survey, women graduating in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) in Arab countries make up 34–57%, which is significantly higher than in the West. If women are encouraged to study in the field of technology, they are more likely to feel at home in leadership and innovation. What we can learn from this is that the problem is not inherent to the blockchain space, but to a culture in which women may feel discouraged from participating in certain sectors.
Myth #2: Blockchain companies aren’t women-friendly.
It’s already generally known that women are few in tech and finance. And with cryptocurrency and blockchain a child of those two, it’s no surprise that the disparity is more pronounced. However, there are industry organizations dedicated to supporting women in blockchain.
Women in Blockchain hosts hackathons, conferences, and networking events all across the globe!
Crypto Chicks is a blockchain and AI educational hub for women. This women’s community is headquartered in Canada, but has chapters all over the world from Shanghai to Bulgaria!
Global Women in Blockchain s the first international nonprofit organization designed to activate and accelerate the powerful partnerships of women to lead in the education, development, and promotion of blockchain technologies.
Women 4 Blockchain is a group dedicated to building and empowering pioneers in the world of blockchain technology. No previous blockchain experience is necessary and the group focuses on mentorship and nurturing the next wave of women in the industry. Founded by Anna Vladi, the powerful group welcomes people of all races, sexual identities, and religions to participate in the new wave of the internet revolution.
Myth#3: Women Don’t Occupy Top Positions in Blockchain
There are plenty of women making waves in the crypto space. Here are a few headlines garnering women of the latest blockchain achievements.
Elizabeth Stark, Blockchain Architect and Innovator
Ms. Stark is a graduate of Harvard Business School and co-founder of Lightning Labs. The talented Ms. Stark has a knack for building tools to layer new capabilities and transaction channels on the top of the basic Blockchain Technology. She initiated a method of adding functions which can enhance the types of transactions and a variety of customers.
Amber Baldet, Blockchain and Fintech Exec
Ms. Baldet was the Blockchain Executive at J. P. Morgan who led the project to create the Blockchain version of Ethereum that could be used in banks. She had made tremendous efforts to make maximum use of Blockchain Technology for the banking and fintech sector. She recently cofounded Clovyr and is a Board member of @ZcashFoundation.
Laura Shin, Blockchain Journalist and Influencer
She is a Crypto/Blockchain Journalist and currently the host of Unchainedpodcast.co and unconfirmedpodcast.co . She is the author of the Forbes eBook, The Millennial Game Plan: Career and Money Secrets To Succeed In Today’s World.
Preethi Kasireddy, Blockchain Engineer
Preethi Kasireddy is the founder and CEO of TruStory. She is a Blockchain engineer and studied Systems Engineering at the University of Southern California and a self-proclaimed blockchain enthusiast.
Rachel Wolfson, Board Advisor, Journalist, Entrepreneur
Rachel Wolfson is a staff writer for Bitcoin Magazine and a regular contributor to Forbes. She writes about crypto and blockchain, championing for women in crypto.
Every day in blockchain, notable women contribute to shaping this young industry. These women in blockchain prove that although there are many myths about women in blockchain — the truth of the matter is that in this tech subculture there are plenty of inspiration women powerhouses to go around.
By: Katelynn Billings
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