The Anti-Cryptocurrency: Masculinity Coin
Only those living under a rock will have missed the increasing number of stories in the media referring to cryptocurrencies. Once the preserve of geeks and those purchasing dubious items from the dark Web, cryptocurrencies are now garnering mainstream attention thanks to the incredible rising price of Bitcoin, which has in turn pulled up the price of other cryptocurrencies.
So there is no better time for those with an interest in tech a.k.a. masculinity to introduce Masculinity Coin (MASC), the cryptocurrency for men.
Much has been said about the insane flood of ICOs (initial coin offerings). Much money will be lost. Some people are sold by a white paper. The cryptocurrency boom is also a boom of the charlatans. But here’s an exception: a digital coin offering that’s mocking the whole testosterone-driven crypto boom.
That’s right: testosterone-driven. Most actors in the industry are male. That’s why some ingenious weirdo created the Masculinity Coin — or the illusion of it:
Masculinity Coin can be considered as a useful thinking exercise, a giant act of trolling, or even a scam: all three of which can — and should — be applied to masculinity itself.
Ingenious, isn’t it. A cryptocurrency for men. A cryptocurrency that’s creating a “masculine coin” to philosophically ridicule the wave of ICOs — or put differently: to highlight the masculine drive behind of it all.
The creator of the coin, Dr. Joseph Gelfer, goes on:
Holding and trading of Masculinity Coin can be interpreted as either a celebration or critique of traditional masculinity.
It gets more practical and at the same time even weirder:
MASC is both a tradable coin and a catalyst for exploring personal identity. Masculinity Coin aims to decentralize masculinity as part of a more sustainable future.
In the longer term, Masculinity Coin has the potential to become a crowdfunding mechanism: batches of Masculinity Coin can be released for sale and the proceeds used to fund specific masculinity-focused research and initiatives.
Why not get your own MASC. The coin is initially pegged to the US dollar (1 MASC = US$1) and will remain as such until it is included on an open exchange or some other secondary market develops…
Says the creator, Dr. Gelfer:
By helping us think about the cost of masculinity, Masculinity Coin highlights the fact that it is one of the greatest costs in existence, yet it appears on few — if any — budgets. There does not even appear to have ever been a single comprehensive quantitative study undertaken of the cost of masculinity, despite decades of gender studies.
Read the whole “white paper” over at Masculinity Research.
Face it: there’s no “correct” interpretation of this coin. Just like masculinity, people can view it however they want.
Personally?
I’d favor a Chicks Coin.