Awhile back, I was editing three different niche online publications. Two of them had to do with crypto. When one of those gigs came to an end, I had a reader write to me and ask where else I was writing. I dropped a little nugget to see if he would bite, letting him know I was thinking about starting my own (Hey, why get paid cheese to milk the cow when you can own the dairy farm?).

This former reader of mine got excited. Not only did he say he'd read my publication, but he said he'd pay $5 a month to do so if I wrote it the same way as the last one. That was all I needed to hear.

So last month, I kicked of Cryptocracy, the newsletter that highlights the best content from the crazy world of crypto. But I do not charge $5 for it. Not yet.

Rather, I'm keeping it free until I get to 100 subscribers, then I'll start publishing premium content. Today's issue is chock full of awesome content featuring interesting news, the future, and Taylor freaking Swift. Here's a sampling.

Today's Top News

Don't touch that! You don't know where your email has been! But you'll soon know where it's going.

Coinbase patents crypto-sending email technology

Coinbase is about to get bigger. On Tuesday, the crypto exchange secured a grant for technology that will allow cryptocurrency users to send their favorite cryptocurrency via email. The sending email address is linked to a wallet, and if the wallet has the minimum balance required to honor the transaction, the receiver will see the crypto appear in their own wallet within 48 hours. This has the potential to benefit XRP, the fifth most favored coin on Coinbase, because of its ability to pay cross-border remittances. It could also allow generous crypto holders to give to charity, though not in time for this Christmas. — COINDESK

Bitcoin's Wealth Inequality Drops

Unlike the wealth equality of Litecoin, which could cause the next bull run, according to one analyst, and Ethereum, Bitcoin’s distance between the whales and the minnows has declined this year from what it was in 2018. Ethereum’s Gini coefficient, a measure economists use to determine wealth inequality within a specific economic system, went from 0.69 to 0.78. Bitcoin Cash went from 0.73 to 0.75. Bitcoin’s dropped from 0.66 to 0.64. Clovr cautions traders to avoid anything with less than a $100 million market cap, such as Huobi Pool Token, where 70 percent of tokens are owned by a single address. — COIN TELEGRAPH

[](https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-wealth-inequality-drops-in-2019-unlike-ether-litecoin-report)

Please, Don't Click Taylor Swift

As Binance Singapore moves to block Wasabi Wallet withdrawals, some other ne’er-do-well is using images of Taylor Swift to hide malicious malware with a crypto-mining botnet. The MyKings botnet uses a process called steganography, which is not the study of the Stegasaurus. If you’re a Taylor Swift fan, think before you click. — THE NEXT WEB

[](https://thenextweb.com/hardfork/2019/12/19/cryptocurrency-mining-botnet-taylor-swift-photos/)

Interesting Reads and Deeds

This is when crypto heads back to the future.

What Is The Staying Power of Crypto?

Six prominent crypto enthusiasts weigh in on the future of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. One prominent analyst says it will transform banking. Another says it’s an excellent long-term investment. One expert calls it “the future.” A crypto firm CEO says it will “beat the critics.” And another says 2020 will be a historic year. See who says what. This is an awesome read. — ENTREPRENEUR

[](https://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/343984)

This Man Knows The Future of The Blockchain

Given that there isn’t just one blockchain, there is a lot happening in the world of crypto today. Orchid pumped 22 percent after listing on Coinbase. Justin Sun donated $1 million to Greta Thunberg. Forbes partnered with Unlock to give readers ad-free reading. And Venezuela plans to airdrop Petro to its citizens. All of that looks promising. So, what’s the future of blockchain technology? Sebastian Markowsky, the man who predicted the 2018 bubble-bursting, has his say on that. — VALUEWALK

[](https://www.valuewalk.com/2019/12/crypto-bubble/)

Bonus: Ledger Technology Can Secure Your Email Account

Using two-factor authentication, Ledger has taken its hard wallet security technology and developed it to apply to Facebook, Gmail, Dropbox, and Github. Break open the Champagne — DECRYPT

Read the full issue

Images:

First image: From Clovr.

Second image: From Hard Fork.

Third image: From a YouTube video.

Editorial note: As a former newspaper editor, I feel a sense of duty in reporting the news without bias, though I might get snarky.