We’re bringing back one of our most compelling series of interviews, People of Cryptocurrency. There’s no shortage of fascinating and intrepid professionals in the Crypto space these days, and we’re checking in with some of the best and brightest to get their takes on the state of digital coins like Litecoin.
First up, we’re chatting with serial entrepreneur and innovator, Shan Belew. Let’s dig in!
Hi Shan! Can you share a bit of your personal backstory and how you came to/discovered cryptocurrency and Litecoin specifically?
I was an engineer at a DOE national lab, and a co-worker of mine was telling me about this new internet money. It was like 2011 or 2012. He was telling me about Bitcoin and also this new one called Litecoin. I was super skeptical at first. How could you have money that couldn’t be copied on the internet? Well fast forward to 2017, when I saw Bitcoin was still around. I immediately spent the next two weeks trying to understand it. Over time as I really studied the space, I realized that Litecoin is also as special as Bitcoin, and in many ways it’s better.
Can you tell us about the challenges of working in this space as well as any recent developments in the Litecoin universe.
The adoption waves of crypto can be challenging, because many friends, family, and customers all seem to come into the space near the tops of the market and they seem to vanish during the bear market, only to return on the next wave of adoption. This is why building during bear markets is important, most recently we are seeing new companies and new upgrades to Litecoin. I am looking forward to mass support of Litecoin MWEB.
As someone who is living and breathing Litecoin on the daily, can you tell us what other devotees are fired up about these days? What are the areas of innovation we should be tuned into?
Most recently with the popularity of Bitcoin ordinals, several developers and marketplaces are adding Litecoin ordinals. The great thing about Litecoin is that all Bitcoin development can be added to Litecoin fairly easily. In addition, Litecoin has more capacity, is 4x faster, and has the lowest fees so it makes sense to build and use Litecoin as digital money.
What challenges do you see ahead for Litecoin specifically or cryptocurrency in general? Do you still believe it will become a revolutionary force across the world, or are your ambitions more modest?
The biggest challenge for Litecoin is getting recognized in the nearly 24k cryptocurrencies and tokens. However, as time goes on Litecoin’s dominance as one of the most decentralized and used networks is becoming more and more apparent. With new features such as Litecoin MWEB adding privacy, along with new wallets supporting Litecoin NFTs the future is bright for Litecoin. The network stats are a testament to Litecoin’s use as digital money. The rise in adoption is undeniable and Litecoin is here to stay.
Can you tell us what you’re working on today and where we can find you?
In 2019, I started crypto-keys, an easy way to backup your seed words on metal. We provide a low-cost, tested way to keep store your words and help customers make sure they don’t lose them to fire or flood.
Liteverse.io is a company that was built in the bear market. This is the first Litecoin NFT marketplace and will launch support for Litecoin Ordinals and ltc20 tokens in early June. I’m currently CFO for the company. It’s exciting to see the infrastructure being built around Litecoin.
In addition to this, I started lookintolitecoin.com where we write news articles and information on all things Litecoin. Come check us out!
Aside from Litecoin and digital currencies, what are some of your personal passions?
Being a dad is number one. It’s truly amazing being able to spend time with my children. We have fun going on new adventures together and I love supporting them as they grow.
What do you do to unplug, relax, etc.?
I enjoy spending time in the mountains, with a bow in my hands hunting elk, deer, bear, and cougar. The steeper and more remote the country the better.
Thank you Shan for joining CheapAir.com to share your story! Remember you can book flights with Litecoin and learn more about Litecoin travel here.
