新的一年對許多人來說是一個新的開始，他們認為這是改善生活的最佳時機。 最受歡迎的新年決心往往每年都會重演，其中實現財務目標或遵循更健康的生活方式在 2024 年仍然位居榜首。
美國 2024 年最重要的新年決心。資料來源：Statista
Cointelegraph 提出了加密貨幣倡導者在 2024 年可以為了個人利益或為社區做出貢獻而採取的八項措施。
我可以用加密貨幣付款嗎？
提高人們對加密貨幣認識的一種實用且免費的方法是詢問在商店、餐廳、超市等場所使用比特幣 (BTC) 或任何其他加密貨幣付款的可能性。
乍看之下這可能很愚蠢，但這是讓一般大眾接觸加密貨幣的最有效行為之一。 這是一個很好的社交溫度計，可以確定人們對加密貨幣的基本知識。 人們的反應可能有所不同，有些人從未聽說過它，而另一些人則聲稱它只針對犯罪分子，而許多人可能是意外的持有者。
如果商店收到足夠的建議來添加加密支付選項，它可能會這樣做。 根據 Forrester Consulting 的一項研究，商店受益於採用加密付款。
BitPay 研究中商家採用加密支付的三年效益。 資料來源：Cointelegraph
這種低調行動 的主要目標是提高意識。 一旦對話開始，人們肯定會產生疑問和/或想要辯論。 現在是嘗試給他們橙色藥丸或簡單地與他們分享加密貨幣可以為世界帶來的好處的理想時刻。
要了解更多信息，請閱讀 Cointelegraph 關於如何使用比特幣購物的指南。
透過運行節點來增強比特幣網絡
中本聰建構的比特幣網路基礎設施的根源始於一小群人的自願行為。 他們的角色使比特幣成為世界上最強大的軟體網路之一。 啟動比特幣節點對於比特幣網路以及加密貨幣社群來說有很多優勢。 作為加密貨幣倡導者，也許是時候幫助加強網路了。
運行節點有助於網路的去中心化。 節點越多，網路就越分散、越穩健。 這有助於防止中心故障，並使網路更能抵抗審查或攻擊。 網路的整體安全性得到提高，因為節點獨立驗證交易和區塊，確保它們遵守共識規則。
擁有更多節點可以帶來更健康、更可靠的網路。 它有助於跨網路有效傳播交易和區塊，減少延遲並提高整體效能。
過去七年中可到達的比特幣節點的增加。 資料來源：比特節點
Running a node not only provides advantages for the community at large but also enables the preservation of transaction data privacy, eliminating the need to depend on external entities for information. Additionally, node users have a higher level of self-sovereignty, as they don’t rely on external entities for transaction verification or information about the state of the network.
Another great advantage of setting up a Bitcoin node is that it provides a better understanding of the protocol’s inner workings, helping users grasp the technical aspects of blockchain technology.
Earn passive income with Bitcoin Lightning nodes
Running a Bitcoin node on its layer 1 may have certain benefits, but there are no monetary rewards. However, running a Bitcoin Lightning node is not only positive for the BTC community but also economically profitable, if used appropriately.
The Lightning Network (LN) is a layer-2 (L2) scaling solution for the Bitcoin blockchain. It is designed to enable faster, more cost-effective transactions by conducting off-chain micropayments. Its proponents see it as the best solution to bring Bitcoin toward its original intent, a digital peer-to-peer currency.
Given that Bitcoin is not particularly practical for everyday transactions like buying coffee, L2 solutions like LN fill this need.
Recent: Bitcoin Lightning Network growth jumps 1,200% in 2 years
Running a Bitcoin Lightning node aids the overall health and efficiency of the LN, while Lightning transactions can increase privacy for the user. LN nodes also offer the possibility of participating in innovative use cases within the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem.
Economically, a Bitcoin Lightning node is a way to earn passive income. Revenue can be gathered through routing fee payments through the node’s channels. For example, if the node processes a Lightning payment worth 100,000 sats, it might charge 0.05% as a fee, resulting in 50 sats of profit. One person could create hundreds of channels, connect to multiple other nodes and eventually route thousands of monthly payments, potentially leading to decent returns.
Vote and participate with governance tokens
Governance tokens empower the community to directly impact a project’s strategic management, giving holders voting powers.
Many tokens with governance capabilities — such as Aave (AAVE), Uniswap’s UNI (UNI) and PancakeSwap’s CAKE — have also benefited from strong rallies, leading buyers to invest in search of delicious profits.
One New Year resolution could be to use these tokens for their original purpose. Engaging in governance proposals and voting provides valuable knowledge of how decentralized crypto ecosystems are built. In parallel, voting can contribute to a protocol’s growth as more human interaction and diversity are injected into it, helping avoid one of the biggest problems for DAOs: voter apathy.
Stake ETH to support the PoS Ethereum blockchain
The Ethereum Merge drastically changed the mechanics of the blockchain, transitioning it from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-stake (PoS). Staking Ether (ETH) has become one of its security measures against malicious attacks.
The greater the number of stakers, the more decentralized the network becomes, making it harder for 51% attacks to succeed. According to a JPMorgan Chase report from October 2023, Ethereum has become more centralized as staking has grown, since there has not been a great diversity of stakers.
Top five liquid staking providers on the Ethereum network. Source: Dune Analytics/JPMorgan
The ideal option for staking is to run an independent Ethereum node, which requires locking 32 ETH as collateral. There are other options as well, but they do not help to decentralize the network.
Be active in pursuit of clear regulatory guidelines
In 2023, many in the crypto community, especially in the U.S., felt attacked by the Securities and Exchange Commission, which went after several leading cryptocurrency exchanges, including Binance and FTX. The tension eventually reached a boiling point, leading to a cascade of reactions against SEC Chair Gary Gensler.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong decided to confront the SEC’s allegations in court when Coinbase was accused. He also called for action with the launch of Coinbase’s “Stand With Crypto” movement in an attempt to lobby for a transparent crypto regulatory environment in the United States. The campaign featured many pathways for activism, from actively contacting congresspeople to donating crypto or even minting nonfungible tokens (NFTs).
1/ The community is clearly fired up about sensible crypto policy. Here’s how to continue the support 1️⃣: Mint a Stand With Crypto commemorative NFT2️⃣: Add a shield emoji next to your Twitter display name ️ https://t.co/yCGNEt8Zcn pic.twitter.com/xd3ZDKrNSB
— Coinbase ️ (@coinbase) April 24, 2023
As a crypto advocate, especially for U.S. residents, there are not always many circumstances in which the crypto industry unites to counterattack the SEC’s regulatory approach or push back against the political waves led by anti-crypto politicians like Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Who could be so brazen as to write legislation that would effectively ban #crypto?Senator @RogerMarshallMD, the GOP frontman of the crypto ban bill, revealed the American Bankers Association wrote it. #StopCryptoBan pic.twitter.com/dHufIaXB7i
— Chamber of Digital Commerce (@DigitalChamber) December 19, 2023
Lock down the security of cryptocurrency portfolios
Many users still keep their crypto holdings on exchanges. Over the years, cryptocurrency exchanges have reinforced their security, but hacks still occur — though they are declining. Hackers have concentrated their efforts on the DeFi ecosystem, finding and exploiting protocols with weak security.
Top 10 crypto hacks in 2023. Source: Immunefi
Crypto exchanges, both centralized and decentralized, are essential for the crypto markets to work properly. However, many users still fail to understand the dangers of using them as a custody service. Self-custody in cold wallets has always been an answer to this constant threat.
A new year is an excellent opportunity to assess the security of one’s crypto portfolio. Here are some tips:
Have several copies of seed phrases in different safe locations. For example, keep one copy somewhere fireproof.
Use multisignature wallets, which require the confirmation of several people and may help save crypto holdings during a $5 wrench attack.
Update all passwords and use multifactor authentication from an independent device rather than a smartphone, if possible.
Be sure cold wallet hardware devices are still functional, especially for long-term holders. Also, review whether the company behind the device has a reliable safety record.
Avoid the spotlight, and never post about crypto holdings or successful trades online.
Donate crypto to charities and nonprofits
The crypto community has a history of being philanthropic and responding to emergencies accordingly. At the same time, donating cryptocurrencies helps boost crypto adoption indirectly.
According to crypto donation platform The Giving Block’s “2023 Annual Report on Crypto Philanthropy”:
“In the three years [2020, 2021 and 2021] we’ve studied CPAI [Crypto Philanthropy Adoption Index] data, we’ve seen the crypto philanthropy growth rate outperform the broader crypto market. [...] Several indicators showed that crypto philanthropy has strengthened its position as a reliable vehicle for charitable giving.”
Many organizations have discovered how effective it can be to accept cryptocurrencies for donations. For example, the Ukrainian government had received over $225 million in crypto donations by the summer of 2023, initially launching the fundraising initiative in February 2022.
Stand with the people of Ukraine. Now accepting cryptocurrency donations. Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDT.BTC - 357a3So9CbsNfBBgFYACGvxxS6tMaDoa1PETH and USDT (ERC-20) - 0x165CD37b4C644C2921454429E7F9358d18A45e14
— Ukraine / Україна (@Ukraine) February 26, 2022
Following Ukraine’s initial success with BTC, ETH and Tether (USDT), donors were eventually allowed to make contributions in other cryptocurrencies.
Ukraine donations by cryptocurrency as of July 2023. Source: Crystal Blockchain
Ukraine’s success stands out as one of the most notable positive representations of crypto in the mainstream media. Accepting crypto for donations can raise awareness of a campaign’s existence and offer an opportunity to explain its purpose.
These days, it’s easy to donate crypto, and there is a wide range of organizations that accept it, including:
BitGive Foundation: a Bitcoin and blockchain nonprofit fighting to close the gap between innovative technology and its practical applications for nonprofits and humanitarian work in the developing world.
救助兒童會：一個擁有 100 年歷史的非政府組織，致力於爭取健康、受教育和受保護的權利。 它在加薩等衝突地區開展工作，並已收到超過 700 萬美元的加密貨幣捐贈。
Children of Heroes：一個非營利組織，幫助受俄羅斯入侵影響的最年輕的烏克蘭人。
Water Aid：一個國際非政府組織，旨在為全世界的每個人提供乾淨的水、像樣的廁所和良好的衛生習慣。
發展非洲：促進非洲教育的非營利組織。
為什麼不以善行開始新的一年呢？ 畢竟，不要忘記中本聰將比特幣免費贈送給社會。
雜誌： 2023 年關於加密貨幣的 10 篇最佳長讀物
