CoinDesk Confidential: Meltem Demirors

Coinshare's chief strategy officer has fun taking our version of the Proust Questionnaire ahead of Consensus.

AccessTimeIconJun 7, 2022 at 4:34 p.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 5:17 p.m. UTC
AccessTimeIconJun 7, 2022 at 4:34 p.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 5:17 p.m. UTC
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Meltem Demirors – renegade crypto advocate and chief strategy officer at the $4 billion digital asset investment firm CoinShares – just wants to have fun. No clearer example: She ditched the oil industry to work full time on bitcoin. Today, she answers CoinDesk Confidential, a revamped version of the Proust Question for the crypto age. The survey is designed to show a side of a person rarely seen, by asking for what spills out when presented with a question like "what is society's greatest hope?" Let's hope Demirors, a Consensus speaker, has fun while pondering how to save the world.

This article is part of Road to Consensus.

Do you own bitcoin?

Yes

Do you own dogecoin?

Possibly

What about SHIB?

No

Where are you from?

N/A

Greatest fear?

Being boring

Greatest joy?

Sharing amazing moments with loved ones

What is the quality you most like in a man/woman/person?

Curiosity

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Agreeability

Do you often remember your dreams?

Yes

Do you like lemons?

Love

Is crypto still blossoming?

Just getting started

Is crypto an ugly duck?

Never

Should Elon Musk run Twitter?

Irrelevant; he'll delegate to someone.

Should countries be run as companies?

No, most companies are poorly run.

In 100 years, will there be more or fewer monies?

More

Is the U.S. dollar a Ponzi scheme?

Probably

Who is your favorite politician? Why?

Retired ones because we don't have to hear from them anymore

Is Bitcoin forever?

Until the heat death of the universe, baby

Which living person do you most admire?

Lisa Su; she's a baddie and turned AMD into a global powerhouse in the semiconductor industry

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Having lots of complex, interesting problems to solve

Ću vi parolas esperanton?

No

Do what you want or do what you must?

Do what you want

Would you choose a green thumb or the absolute guarantee you will never get gangrene?

Green thumb

What is your best characteristic?

My penchant for mischief

What characteristic do you most deplore in yourself?

I like myself; perhaps that's most deplorable of all.

Do you use a hardware wallet?

Yes

Greatest extravagance?

Daily baths

Your worst regret?

Wasting years of my life trying to please others

What TV show are you watching now?

Just finished reading the "First Law Trilogy"

Any words of wisdom?

There are many gates to the house of wisdom.

You can have one historical figure over for coffee, who do you choose?

Harun al-Rashid

Jack Dorsey wanted a “Blue Sky” for Twitter; should the web only be built on open protocols?

Yes

Approximate size – depth and width – of the largest hole you’ve dug?

6 feet deep by 4 feet wide

What is your greatest achievement?

Being happy and content

AI. To be pursued?

Absolutely, I welcome my robot overlords

Your current state of mind?

Hydrated. Moisturized. Relaxed. In my lane. Thriving.

Would you choose to live forever? Why or why not?

Yes, because imagine what we could build if a human consciousness was expanded over the span of centuries and millennia

Do cars look like faces to you?

No

Dogs or cats?

Dogs

Can dogs smile?

Absolutely

Who is your favorite singer?

James Blake

Napkins: for or against them?

For

Do you have a library card?

Yes

How is the weather today?

Perfect

On what occasion do you lie?

When necessary or when I'm bored

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

One eyebrow is never quite the same angle as the other

Which living person do you most despise?

Don't have the energy for that

Do you write a list before grocery shopping?

Sometimes

If you could be safely catapulted somewhere, would you prefer to walk?

Load me into the cannon!

Do you own an article of clothing that could be called indigo?

Yes

Bees see ultraviolet; do you see the same world (or most of it)?

bzzz

New York or San Francisco bagels?

NYC

How many glasses of water do you drink per day?

Too many

Are birds real?

The science is inconclusive

What drives you?

I want to know things

Would you ever drive a red convertible regularly?

I did in the past

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

I worship only the sun

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Pardon me

What’s your strongest-held belief that would get you "canceled?"

Nice try

What’s the funniest/smartest tweet you’ve seen that can recall off the top of your head?

Your size is not size

Single favorite meme?

My body is ready (vibrating intensifies)

If you could be granted one superpower, what would it be?

Teleport anywhere instantly

How would you like to die?

In a spectacular blaze of glory

In three words or fewer, what is currently the largest detriment to society?

Woke capitalism

In three words or fewer, what is currently the greatest hope for society?

Bitcoin citadels

Disclosure

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CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.


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