Since the turn of this decade, cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum have gained a lot of popularity. It is a form of digital decentralized currency that empowers you rapidly and cheaply to execute transactions across the world without a financial institution. It can disrupt finance and business with this disruptive technology.
The crypto and blockchain industry is driven by a global community of mankind that is behind innovation when it comes to cryptocurrency adoption and development. The members of this community are of different nationalities, languages, and cultures, but English has become the language that brings all of them together.
The Language of Technology
Technology and the Internet are dominated by English. This is why platforms like Promova, which focus on teaching Promova English, are in great demand: there are always new people who need to learn this language. English is deeply embedded in most programming languages (e.g., Python) and also in most of the tech giants (e.g., Google, Microsoft). The history of cryptocurrency and blockchain began in early 2008 when Satoshi Nakamoto published the widely infamous Bitcoin whitepaper. This foundational document laid out all of this in technical details and visions of decentralized digital currency in English.
English was also the predominant language for early online communities who rallied around Bitcoin. However, crypto pioneers from all over the world assembled online on platforms like BitcoinTalk.org. In other languages, discussions took place, but English made it possible to work together despite language barriers.
English was a universal language and practically the vocabulary of what to talk about when talking about distributed ledgers, consensus algorithms, and cryptographic hash functions. English words and phrases are the core terminology used in blockchain and crypto. These are technological mechanisms and terms such as “mining,” “wallet,” “gas,” and “sharding.” Their common English definitions were adapted to precise meanings in cryptocurrency contexts.
This linguistic foundation gave rise to the blossoming of English-based educational resources for blockchain. Online, there were crypto blogs, forums, courses, articles, books and videos. Written by tech experts or hobbyists, these free materials opened up a barrier of entry for newcomers everywhere. Despite the growing number of languages in which crypto education produces content, English remains the most common teaching language.
Thriving International Communities
Cryptocurrency communities exhibit great linguistic diversity while relying on English as the common tongue. These fast-growing communities exist both online and in the real world.
Prominent crypto subs on Reddit, like r/Bitcoin and r/CryptoCurrency, host discussions in a range of languages. Yet English makes up the majority of posts and comments. Twitter likewise contains vibrant multi-lingual crypto communities interacting through the hashtag #cryptotwitter. But again, English prevails as the lingua franca.
In physical gatherings, English enables collaboration between members of disparate native languages. Cryptocurrency conferences like Consensus and Web3 Summit attract diverse participants from finance, technology, governance, and beyond. Despite occurring in different countries each year, English remains the conference language.
The same goes for informal meetups. Crypto communities organize events in most major cities to discuss relevant issues and networks. Whether in New York, London, Seoul, or Zug, English allows locals and travelers to exchange ideas face-to-face freely.
Drivers of Mass Adoption
For cryptocurrencies to truly revolutionize finance, they need to appeal to non-techies beyond niche communities. The languages used in user interfaces and customer-facing materials shape mainstream perceptions and adoption. English dominates on both fronts.
Crypto user experiences are built primarily in English from the start. The leading digital currency services, including exchanges (Coinbase, Kraken), wallets (Metamask, TrustWallet), data tools (CoinMarketCap, CoinGecko) and networks (Bitcoin, Ethereum), first target English-speaking users. Their websites and apps provide information, instructions, support, and so on in English. This makes onboarding intuitive for the hundreds of millions of English-speaking internet users around the world.
Moreover, crypto thought leaders reach broad audiences by creating English content. Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, authors technology proposals, essays, and tweets in English. His writings garner wide attention and discussion within and outside of crypto circles. Business leaders also release news and interviews in English to maximize impact. For instance, Changpeng Zhao of Binance, the largest crypto exchange, uses English to announce new initiatives and services.
For example, when major outlets report on cryptocurrency, English-language media is the leader. English readers can read crypto explainers, market analysis and commentary from top publishers such as Bloomberg, Financial Times, Business Insider, and many others. Their reporting is credible, which means they make complex blockchain concepts more digestible for the investing public.
The Role of Other Languages
Today, English is the rule payer in global cryptocurrency, but other languages still have their role in local ecosystems. Countries with natural previous tech hubs or financial infrastructure have risen to crypto adoption in native languages.
For example, China boasts a thriving crypto community using Mandarin and local dialects. Tens of thousands of members in WeChat groups discuss trading strategies and ICO opportunities. Top exchanges like Huobi and OKCoin offer websites, apps, customer service, and more tailored to Chinese-speaking users. Their reach expands through homegrown crypto influencers on Weibo and other social platforms.
Places like South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Turkey, and Spain manifest similar localized engagement. Top global crypto apps offer interfaces, chat support, and coin listings in the native language. YouTube channels, blogs, forums, and meetups also facilitate grassroots education and discussion. Nevertheless, English remains the gateway to borderless global participation.
The Importance of Translation
As cryptocurrencies expand worldwide, translation helps introduce these innovations to non-English speakers. Both human translation and machine translation bridge linguistic gaps in crypto adoption.
Countless volunteer initiatives translate educational materials into other languages. For example, Bitcoin.org provides access to critical resources like the Bitcoin whitepaper in over two dozen languages. Other altruistic sites follow suit, whether translating the Ethereum yellow paper or a beginner’s guide to crypto wallets.
Commercial actors also translate. Companies localize websites, marketing content, product interfaces, etc., to spread indigenously to newly demarcated geographies. Professional translators and marketers are hired to deliver correct linguistic and cultural adaptation of products. Machine translation is also increasingly used by major companies to instantly localize content at scale.
Such translations are a prerequisite for mass crypto adoption, which will onboard the next billion crypto users. Yet English will probably continue to serve as the common tongue across borders. After all, the English ideas that form the basis of cryptocurrency are universal.
English Proficiency Rising Globally
Beyond translation, growing English skills worldwide directly enable more participation in crypto. Proficiency in English as a second language keeps rising due to globalization, education initiatives, and pop culture exports. Crypto stands to benefit greatly from this trend.
Nearly 1.5 billion people speak or understand some English globally. India alone has 125 million English speakers, making it the world’s second-largest English-speaking country. Countries recognize English competence as key to accessing science, technology, business, tourism, and more in our interconnected world. Many governments now prioritize English instruction starting in primary school.
At the same time, entertainment media immerses youth in English. American music, movies, and TV are consumed internationally at unprecedented rates through streaming platforms. Children pick up vocabulary and grammar from subtitle translations and lyrics translations. Such cultural exports indirectly feed growing English literacy.
This English boom coincides with increasing Internet penetration globally. Youth coming online through smartphones have the language skills to access information and communities built in English. As crypto goes mainstream over the next decade, these new users will likely engage first via English materials.
English for Global Participation
English is changing the common tongue as cryptocurrencies change the face of finance and society. It brings together people of different cultures in virtual communities and in the real world to deliver access to educational materials and thought leadership to the linguistic base for localized engagement in the form of communities around the world.
However, it is important to note that crypto also helps English language learners. There is much motivation to improve English skills through participating in decentralized finance and governance. It is a path to wealth creation, knowledge sharing and worldwide collaboration.
Of course, crypto should not be an English-only affair. In the coming years, other languages will accelerate adoption by providing more user interfaces and content. English will, however, remain a vital language in the context of blockchain and technology. English literacy unlocks crypto opportunities tomorrow, just as English literacy opens career opportunities today.
