Hello, there!
My name is Joe Bender, and for the last five years I’ve completely Alice-In-Wonderland-ed down the blockchain rabbit hole.
I finished my Masters in Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh in 2017. My interest in emerging technologies led me to discover Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies earlier than most. Being totally captivated by blockchain and its disruptive potential, I made the move to New York City and joined the team at ConsenSys.
Working at ConsenSys during 2017 was an extremely exciting time as the mainstream media and general public had just begun to take interest in cryptocurrencies. In the early stages, our company was a thriving blockchain-startup incubation studio. I gained an immense amount of experience in scaling a nascent organization, identifying target audiences, and strategizing in a volatile market.
The blockchain ecosystem is a rewarding place to explore. I’m intrigued by the ever-growing list of applications and use cases. Tinkering with DeFi apps like MakerDAO is far more fun than having your crypto sit in cold storage. ENS names will make crypto adoption significantly more accessible than hexadecimal addresses. Gods Unchained won’t ban a player for criticizing the Chinese government like Hearthstone. The obvious benefit to decentralization is slowly but surely becoming clear.
It’s been truly incredible to see a passionate community form out of nowhere. The edgy influencers, hilarious memes, trustworthy newsletters, enigmatic conferences, and twitter trends are all a testament to how committed and expressive crypto enthusiasts can be. In addition to technological advancements, blockchain has ushered in a social revolution.
In April 2023, I concluded my role in the Stacks Ecosystem, as a Developer Advocate & Community Manager. I spent three years equiping devs and founders with the tools they need to build powerful decentralized applications. I mentored hackathons, gave presentations at conferences and workshops around the country, wrote technical content for the blog, produced video demos & explainers, and launched a Campus Advocacy Program.
When I’m not trolling on CryptoTwitter, you can find me bouldering at the climbing gym, playing Ultimate Frisbee, fishing for the daily catch, snowboarding upstate, and other shenanigans.
Music and songwriting are huge passions of mine, and I am part of a gargage band in Brooklyn that plays at bars and clubs around the city
Thanks for stopping by my site! I currently live in Bushwick, Brooklyn with my girlfriend Emma and my cat Millie.
