In 2012, Armstrong teamed up with former Goldman Sachs trader Fred Ehrsam to launch Coinbase. Their mission was simple yet radical: make buying Bitcoin as easy as using PayPal. Backed by Y Combinator, Coinbase entered the scene just as most exchanges were clunky, shady, or collapsing under hacks.

From the beginning Coinbase positioned itself differently from the rough-and-ready exchanges of the time. It focused on a clean user experience, strong security practices, and — perhaps most importantly — compliance. Early venture funding arrived in 2013 (a $5M Series A led by Union Square Ventures helped fuel product development and customer onboarding), and Coinbase quickly became the easiest on-ramp to Bitcoin for many Americans.

A defining moment came in 2014, when Mt. Gox — then the world’s largest bitcoin exchange — collapsed after a massive loss of user funds. That crisis shook trust in crypto platforms and made security and regulatory trustworthiness core competitive advantages. Coinbase’s focus on compliance and security set it apart. While many startups faded during Bitcoin’s brutal crashes, Coinbase survived.

The real breakthrough came in 2017, when Bitcoin soared to $20,000 and Coinbase’s app shot to the top of the App Store. Millions of new users flooded in. Around that time Fred Ehrsam stepped back from day-to-day operations and left the company in early 2017 (he stayed on the board and later co-founded the investment firm Paradigm). Armstrong stayed on as the public face and CEO, steering Coinbase toward institutional products like custody and trading services for larger investors. Armstrong leads Coinbase into its next phase: courting institutions and regulators, aiming to be not just a crypto startup, but part of the global financial system.

That institutional push and attention to compliance set the stage for Coinbase’s milestone moment: the direct listing on Nasdaq in April 2021. The company’s public debut was symbolic — and massive. On its first day of trading Coinbase opened at a price that implied a roughly $100 billion valuation — a watershed for crypto companies seeking mainstream legitimacy.

Public life hasn’t been easy. Since the IPO, Coinbase has faced industry volatility, regulatory scrutiny, and the same boom–bust cycles that characterize crypto. Still, it remains one of the largest U.S.-based exchanges and a major institutional custodian — a bridge between retail users, institutions, and a fast-evolving regulatory landscape.

Today, Coinbase stands as both a pioneer and a survivor. It has weathered multiple crashes, faced regulators head-on, and remained the most trusted bridge between traditional finance and the world of crypto.

What started as Armstrong’s late-night coding project has become a cornerstone of the industry — and a reminder that sometimes the biggest revolutions begin with the simplest idea: make it easy enough for everyone to use.

2014 saw the team raise funds through one of the earliest Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), a chaotic yet successful endeavor that supplied the necessary resources to launch Ethereum on July 30, 2015. However, internal tensions loomed over communication and leadership, ultimately leading to Charles Hoskinson’s departure from the project.

By 2016, Ethereum reached a pivotal moment with the launch of The DAO, a decentralized venture fund that amassed over $150 million. This was monumental, especially considering the context; the entire crypto market cap at the time was only around $10 billion. Yet, the excitement was short-lived when a hacker exploited vulnerabilities in The DAO's ICO contract, draining millions and sparking intense community debates. The choice lay between adhering to the principle of 'code is law' or intervening to reverse the hack. The decision ultimately led to a hard fork, splitting Ethereum into two coins: Ethereum (ETH) and Ethereum Classic (ETC).

Despite these early setbacks, Ethereum solidified its place as the foundation for significant innovations — paving the way for smart contracts, fueling the ICO boom of 2017, and inspiring the rise of DeFi and NFTs on 2020 - 2021. It's essential to acknowledge the resilience of the Ethereum community that navigated these challenges.

Fast forward to September 15, 2022, Ethereum underwent The Merge — a transformative upgrade that transitioned the network from energy-intensive Proof-of-Work to environmentally friendly Proof-of-Stake, drastically reducing energy consumption. This moment positioned Ethereum as a leader in sustainable blockchain technology.

Ethereum's journey continues, facing scalability and fee challenges head-on through upgrades. The recent Dencun upgrade introduced proto-danksharding, promising to make transactions cheaper and faster. As we witness this evolving landscape, it is clear that Ethereum has transcended its origins — from a teenager’s ambitious idea to the world's most utilized blockchain for programmable money and applications. Its path has been marked by innovation, ideological disputes, and relentless community support, proving that it is not just a technology but a movement dedicated to decentralization and empowerment.

From a teenager’s vision to a global platform, Ethereum has evolved into the backbone of decentralized finance, NFTs, and countless blockchain applications. Its journey has been anything but smooth, marked by experiments, failures, ideological battles, and breakthroughs.

Yet through it all, Ethereum remains true to its purpose: to be a decentralized, permissionless platform for innovation. In just over a decade, it has grown from an idea in a white paper into the world’s most widely used blockchain for programmable money and applications.

People frequently ask how to effectively invest in crypto, and my unwavering advice has always been to DCA into Bitcoin each month. Yet, many overlook this strategy, only jumping in when prices are soaring, while shying away during bear markets. When they do invest, the allure of small-cap coins often distracts them, leading to underperformance compared to Bitcoin or even losing money entirely. The challenge with small-cap cryptocurrencies is not just about finding the right ones, but also understanding their intrinsic value—it's a daunting task for the average investor.

For the last decade, it's become glaringly evident that the easiest and most rewarding approach for crypto investors is investing systematically in Bitcoin or the top-performing coins. Sadly, many remain fixated on chasing 'the next big thing' instead of recognizing this straightforward path to wealth accumulation.

In traditional finance, the concept of DCA is well-established, with terms like VTSAX and VTI representing foundational strategies for consistent growth. In contrast, the crypto community seems to be lagging behind in adopting these principles.

Historical data supports the notion that those who consistently DCA into Bitcoin and other major markets significantly outperform those who don’t. My conclusion is simple: the best strategy for most investors is to consistently DCA into Bitcoin and the overall crypto market.

Looking forward, I believe this strategy will remain crucial. Aim to increase your savings rate to at least 50% and dedicate 70% of that savings to Bitcoin each month. The remaining 20% can be allocated to prominent altcoins like Ethereum, Solana, or Binance Coin, while the last 10% is for experimental play, finding those hidden gems.

While a true index fund equivalent to VTI may not exist in crypto at present, the landscape may evolve. If someone does create such an instrument, consider a 70/30 split between Bitcoin and that fund.

Implementing these strategies may seem tedious at times, but consistency is key. If you stay committed to this approach, you’ll pave your way toward accumulating significant crypto wealth without overcomplicating matters. Whether you opt for cryptocurrencies or traditional stocks, remember: the essence of successful investing lies in maintaining a disciplined, consistent strategy.