An Interview with Jared Devloo About the Future of Cryptocurrency and the Ethics of Trading
Jared Devloo is a rising force in the cryptocurrency markets. Based out of Calgary, Alberta, in Canada, Jared has forged his own path as an expert in cutting-edge digital technology, specializing in crypto and blockchain tech, all the while making himself wealthy from trading.
Jared Devloo’s first job was as an entry-level computer coder for a large software firm, where he stayed for two years. After that, he accepted a position with a different company in cyber security. Neither of these positions gave him fulfillment, though. As luck would have it, during one fateful night in the mid 2000s spent researching on the internet, Jared stumbled upon an article outlining the brand-new concept of cryptocurrency, as well as blockchain; the technology used to safeguard and authenticate crypto. He became immediately fascinated by them, and after conducting some more thorough research, decided to quit his job and pursue these futuristic concepts wherever they might take him.
Ever since then, Jared Devloo has been a professional investor, dealing mostly in cryptocurrencies. He is also a widely-recognized expert on the subject, as well as that of blockchain technology—having adopted the tech even before the emergence of Bitcoin. Even though his efforts in this realm have made him wealthy, Jared has no intention of retiring at an early age. He is a staunch believer that crypto and blockchain are the wave of the future, and he enjoys working in the industry far too much to stop. To this day, he continues to display a knack for discovering undervalued assets within the digital space.
Why did you decide to create your own business?
After about a year and a half of investing in cryptocurrency as a private individual, I thought it might be wise to create a company as a separate legal entity with which to conduct my trades. At this point, I’m the only person who works for the business, but I plan to bring in an employee or two to help with accounting and such over the next few months, or perhaps a year, at most.
What do you love most about the industry you are in?
Simply put, crypto is the future of finance, and blockchain is the future of digital authentication and security. I love watching that unfold in real time before my eyes. It’s incredibly exciting.
What would you tell others looking to get into your industry?
I would tell them that now is the time to do it. Well, to be honest, five or six years ago was really the time to jump into cryptocurrency, but the field is still somewhat open—at least, for now. That being said, the quicker someone starts purchasing digital coins, the more they stand to gain.
What is the biggest lesson you have learned during your career?
There are lots of people engaged in crypto trading that practice a strategy called ‘pump and dump.’ Basically, it’s when a big-time investor artificially inflates the price of a given currency by buying a lot of it, only to sell it off just before it peaks in order to generate maximum personal profit. I know it’s terrible, but people actually do that. What’s more, there are other smaller investors who try to tag along on a ‘pump and dump’ should they get wind of it. Mind you, they are not in control of the situation, and sometimes get burned as a result. Regardless, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that this is no way to conduct yourself as an investor. It is reckless and irresponsible, and it gives all cryptocurrency traders a bad reputation. It is much better to make your purchases and hold on to them for a long period of time. Besides being better form, I believe you make more in terms of returns that way.
If you could change one thing you did in the beginning of your career, what would it be?
I would have totally bypassed my flirtations with holding down a regular job. I spent a few years as a coder, and then another year and a half in cyber security before I got into the crypto markets. I received very little in terms of fulfillment or remuneration from those jobs. Frankly, I view that period of my life as something of a waste, with the benefit of hindsight.
What is one piece of advice that you have never forgotten?
I had a mentor in high school. He was a teacher—a department head, in fact. At that point in my life, he was the most knowledgeable person with computers and programming that I had ever met. I was lucky that he saw something special in me and decided to give me some outside tutoring in the field. Anyhow, he gave me a piece of advice in the mid-1990s, once. “Computers will be integrated into every single aspect of human activity within thirty years,” he said. “The smartest thing you can do is to study them, learn their language, learn how to make them perform new tasks. If you do that, you can basically write your own ticket for the rest of your life.” He was right. I think about that all the time.
What is one thing you would change in your industry today if you could?
Although I’m not a great proponent of financial regulation, I would like to see the authorities crack down on ‘pump and dump’ traders. It’s just plain immoral to trade that way.
Explain the proudest day of your professional life.
The day my net worth went over a million dollars was a pretty big deal to me at the time. I was still fairly new to trading cryptocurrency when that happened, and I remember taking it as a sign that I was doing the right thing with my life.