An Ethereum Whale (Interview)
This person randomly found $60K in one of their old wallets
Peace. I am excited to share a 10-question interview with an Ethereum whale. The views expressed in this newsletter by the interviewee are personal opinions and may not reflect the views of TwentyOneSociety. For security of identity, no amount of digital assets held has been specified.
It’s wild for me, a Bitcoin-preferred person, to speak about anything other than Bitcoin or Bitcoin layers, right? Well, it’s a multichain world, and we are blessed with freewill. I find that looking across various Web3 ecosystems is good to see what’s happening and it reminds me that there is good tech out there beyond token talk. Ethereum is interesting, as it spawned out of Bitcoin due to wanting to innovate. Smart contracts were born from Ethereum, but Ethereum was born from Bitcoin, as Bitcoin was the payment method for the initial coin offering, also known as the ICO era.
You had to be there to see the entry prices back then. Ethereum is a classic example.
1 Bitcoin would have gotten you 2000 Ethereum. The average price of 1 Bitcoin during Ethereum’s ICO was between roughly $450 - $590 for 1 Bitcoin. Let that sink in.
1 Bitcoin, currently over $100K, would have gotten you 2000 Ethereum, which currently tallies up to over $5M if held from 2014 to present day. Wild, right?
Bitcoin and Ethereum’s relationship is deep; without Bitcoin, Ethereum doesn’t exist.
Now, let’s jump into the interview with our mysterious Ethereum whale. Ready?
How did you first get into Ethereum?
Back in the early days of crypto, I was already deep into Bitcoin but curious about what could come after it. Ethereum hit my radar when I started hearing whispers about smart contracts—code that could execute trustlessly without a middleman. That idea alone made me stop everything I was doing and dig deeper.
What allowed for you to see it as viable back then?
It was the programmability. Ethereum wasn’t just digital money—it was digital infrastructure. I saw Bitcoin as the first domino, but Ethereum looked like the beginning of programmable value. Also, the whitepaper had that “Internet moment” feeling. It clicked.
Who first told you about Ethereum?
It wasn’t a person—it was the Internet. Crypto Twitter and a few OG forums like Bitcointalk. But I’d say Vitalik’s early talks and the Ethereum Foundation releases did most of the convincing. Once I saw developers getting excited, I followed the energy.
When did you start acquiring and holding Ethereum?
My first buy was at $20—I had been tracking it for a while, but that was my first entry point. The moment that really cemented my position was when I took a big position at $49. That wasn’t just a trade—it was a commitment. I saw where this was going and decided to go long.
Where were you when Ethereum hit its first ATH?
Probably in front of a dozen charts with five tabs open and a cold brew in hand. It was euphoric but also validating—like the world finally caught up to what I had already seen years before.
If you could give advice to anyone about Ethereum, what would it be?
Learn the tech, not just the ticker. Ethereum rewards patience, conviction, and education. Don’t just chase gains—chase the ecosystem. You’ll stick around longer and earn more because of it.
If a person wanted to acquire more than 1 Ethereum, what are ways or strategies that could help them with Ethereum acquisitions?
Start with dollar-cost averaging. Use DeFi to earn while you wait—staking, lending, or LPing. If you’ve got skills, earn ETH directly via freelance, DAO contributions, or running infrastructure. Ethereum isn’t just bought—it can be earned.
Let’s talk security: how important is security for long-term Ethereum holding?
It’s non-negotiable. Treat your keys like they’re your passport to generational wealth—because they are. Cold wallets. Multi-sig. Redundancy. And never let convenience compromise security.
Where do you think Ethereum will be in the next 10 years?
It’ll be the base layer for global finance, identity, and possibly even governance. I don’t think it replaces everything—but it’ll touch everything. If Bitcoin is digital gold, Ethereum is digital civilization.
Last question: Why Ethereum?
Because it represents potential. Not just wealth potential—but coordination potential, trustless systems, permissionless creativity. Ethereum is the closest thing we’ve seen to a digital nation-state, and it’s still early.
Fin
Thank you to the whales out there. And to everybody else, we still have time to swim in the deep if we dollar cost average, do our own research, and just keep swimming.
Peace & love.
— Christopher Perceptions, founder of TwentyOneSociety.com