What’s It Take To Be a Crypto Journalist? with Coindesk's Eli Tan and Casey Craig | Layer Zero

Oct 4, 2022

Guest

Casey Craig

Guest

Eli Tan

Eli Tan, an NFT reporter at Coindesk known for breaking major NFT news, and Casey Craig, Coindesk's Global Head of Comms, dive into the fast-paced world of crypto journalism. They share their journeys into the crypto realm and the challenges of covering such a rapidly evolving field. The duo discusses Coindesk’s approach to balancing traditional journalism standards with the innovative nature of crypto reporting, including the fight against misinformation and the collaborative dynamics between seasoned and new journalists.

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ANECDOTE

Eli's Career Start

Eli Tan, NFT reporter at Coindesk, landed his first job there after graduating college.
He initially covered NFTs because few others wanted the beat in 2021.

ANECDOTE

First Public Appearance

Eli's first public speaking engagement was at FTX Arena in Miami, moderating a panel.
This event served as his "coming out" moment, despite initial nervousness.

INSIGHT

NFT Expertise

In the NFT space, expertise trumps credentials.
Authoritative figures can be anonymous with pseudonyms and profile pictures.

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On this episode of Layer Zero, David is joined by Eli Tan, NFT reporter, and Casey Craig, Global Head of Comms of Coindesk for an in-person Bankless Studio interview.

Crypto is evolving at mind-boggling rates and traditional media is having a tough time keeping up. Enter Coindesk. Reporters such as Eli and the rest of the Coindesk team are as much on the frontier as those building in crypto.

Hear how Eli and Casey fell down the crypto rabbit hole, how they got their roles at Coindesk, what challenges they face as a crypto journalism organization, and how media is keeping up with crypto.

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----- Topics Covered

0:00 Intro 5:26 Eli’s Background 7:57 Casey’s Role at Coindesk 9:13 How Eli Got Into Crypto 14:42 Challenges of Being a Crypto Journalist 16:55 Deciding What to Cover 17:51 The Crypto Journalism Balance 19:42 Coindesk’s Niche 20:33 Coindesk’s Journey 22:35 Hiring 23:44 Coindesk’s Disclosures 27:46 Due Diligence Process 30:32 Eli’s Proudest Scoop 30:50 Constitution DAO Story 33:00 Younger vs. Older Journalists 38:44 New Media Journalists 40:52 Where to Get Alpha 43:30 Do Kwon’s Coindesk Story 46:13 Anon Leads 47:22 Generational Connections 50:20 Average Future of Crypto Journalists 52:22 Going to Journalism School 53:16 The Future of Crypto Journalism 55:28 Coindesk’s Future 57:22 Poaching From TradMedia 59:33 Hierarchy & Flat Organizations 1:05:26 Closing

------ Resources:

Eli Tan https://twitter.com/elitanjourno

Casey Craig https://twitter.com/caseycraig_

----- Not financial or tax advice. This channel is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. This video is not tax advice. Talk to your accountant. Do your own research.