Making of the Book

I spent much of my career as a newspaper reporter and sometimes editor for daily and weekly newspapers in my home state of Mississippi. In December 2006, I made the move to Germany where I teach English/ Business English and do freelance writing and editing. 

In September. 2021, I was contacted by Sherif Abushadi with NEAR Foundation, which provides funding for NEAR University which develops and builds protocols on top of the Ethereum blockchain. He found me on Upwork where I am listed as a freelance writer, asking me if I was interested in writing about blockchain. I had no idea what it was but accepted his invitation for an interview. We had a video conference whereupon he sent me some materials to watch, listen to, and read. I was given four weeks to digest the information, then we would meet again.

His goal was to enlist journalists and artists to talk about this technology which, up to that point was a conversation confined to a specific technology sector. He wanted to take it outside the tech bubble and introduce it to the mainstream through a series of e-books.

As a former journalist who spent a career breaking down complex topics into understandable prose, I jumped at the opportunity. I digested white papers, research papers, articles, and videos, laying down the foundation for what would become this book. 

I was given a three-month fellowship in exchange for my work. The e-book idea collapsed but I kept working after finding a publisher interested in the topic. And here we are.

Sylvain Metz