Article by: John "JAYEL"

The year of 2022 has been a wild ride. The past several years have been a real trip. When you look forward, it’s hard to imagine things getting any less weird–don’t you agree?

I think that’s something everyone should look at and say, “I should probably just get on this train and get going.”

Meaning, the world is not slowing down for anyone and we are all stuck in it. Put on your shoes, buckle your belt, and lets ride!

Don’t be afraid to learn and think for yourself.

In this letter, I wanted to share my vision for the next phase of this Counter Nature project (this is where the free NFTs will come from). And, of course, my brief opinion and perspective on this ugly crypto downturn that has led us to the Terra and LUNA “stablecoin” crash. A brief introduction to my perspective on the Terra stablecoin: I think its use of the word stablecoin was wrongful.

I’ll save that for later, though. Let's discuss what’s next for Counter Nature.

🔮 The brand of Counter Nature & free NFTs

Creator brand. These are the two words that best describe Counter Nature moving forward. The world is changing and the biggest brands are struggling to find their footing in these evolving times. As consumers of the internet, we are forced to filter so much nonsense and inauthenticity every day and hour. Why is this the case when this is the biggest moment in history for creation, connection and authenticity? Now is the time for revolution. Our plan is to seize this moment and be a pillar for what brands should strive to be.

What should brands strive to be and what does Counter Nature stand for? Another way I’ve described this next phase of Counter Nature is as a future generation brand. There is so much for us to learn right now, but at the same time, there is so much for us to enjoy. We can do both. Counter Nature has always given back to its community with content that both enlightens and educates, and it’s our plan to continue doing that.

Lots of brands and businesses spam our timelines with copy-and-paste trends and blabber. They pay hefty sums to young influencers because they are more authentic than the brand themselves. The world demands authenticity and originality right now. Few brands can offer it at face value. Counter Nature can and will, and we are going to do it in a way that no one else has ever done before.

Let us be the brand that grows, teaches and learns with you through these times. We are always going to be honest with you, and share insight that is meaningful and open-minded. While we do that, we are also showcasing art, music and culture. And, while we are doing that, we are bridging the gap between the professional and unprofessional. The artists who are masked by their profession, or the kid who is trying to learn how to be a professional. Connecting all of the dots for this modern age is possible, and we plan to do it. How does that sound?

In the next month or two, Counter Nature will be launching its online store. We are doing a merch drop that will really open the door to our planned future. We can’t wait for everyone to see our creativity come to life in the physical world. While we are building our physical presence, we are also building our digital one (did someone say, NFTs?).

I am creating 25 original one-of-a-kind digital art pieces for the Counter Nature Genesis Collection. These 25 NFTs will be free! I want people who are engaged with the brand to have the opportunity to receive a piece of its history for absolutely no cost. As I mentioned earlier, we’re trying to do something new that is both innovative and genuine. There is no better way to expand and build brand loyalty than to give something historic and unique to the earliest and most loyal of the community.

This also goes back to Counter Nature being a creator brand. I am an artist at heart, and I have things to share and teach on top of that. I’m excited to create these NFTs and offer utility with them over time. The plan is not to stop at 25 NFTs, but continue creating them–however, these first 25 will likely be the only ones that will ever be free. As I continue to create and grow the brand, holders of the original 25 NFTs should hopefully be able to find financial value in them (via resale).

So, how do you get one of these 25 NFTs? I have created a points system, and the top 25 points holders will receive an original piece. The contest is running until June and has already been going on since the end of April. Don’t worry, though, you have a head start since subscribing to this newsletter (10 points)! Following each of our social media accounts grants you 5 points each (Instagram, Twitter, Twitch, TikTok) and liking a post from any of our social platforms is 1 point each. These are the basics, but there are some more details that can be found at our website below:

https://counternature.net/nft

Check it out and get involved! I would love to be able to give a NFT to some of my close friends who are subscribed to this newsletter.

P.S. The 25 NFT holders will be the first people available to purchase some of our initial merch. It will be an exclusive drop, with only about 40 available pieces.

Thanks for reading this and I hope to see everyone following our different accounts–especially Instagram! It is my goal to post daily content that is artistic, educational, and enables a positive growth mindset. I promise you, it’s an account that you will enjoy seeing content from!

📉 The crypto downturn and Terra:LUNA crash

As I said back in February in a letter of mine, I’ve been conscious of this market downturn and its longevity for a number of reasons.

I did not have an event like this Terra (UST) and LUNA crash being a reason, but it does make sense. I will do my best to give a brief overview of what happened and my opinion on it.

UST (Terra) is a cryptocurrency that declared itself to be a stablecoin. A stablecoin is a cryptocurrency that maintains its value at $1. These stablecoins exist so that holders can navigate the crypto world without always being subject to the extreme volatility that ecosystems like Bitcoin and Ethereum provide. If Ethereum is worth $2000, I could transfer my 1 ETH into 2000 UST and it will always be 2000 UST = $2000.

Well, that changed drastically this past week, when UST dropped its value from $1 to $0.183 over the course of six days. Billions of dollars have been lost in this death spiral and it’s only the tip of the iceberg for what is to come from it.

So, why did this happen if it’s supposed to be a stablecoin? Well, as I said in the beginning of this letter–it’s not really a stablecoin (in my opinion, and if you disagree with that, please let me know why).

Why is it not a stablecoin? Because it is not actually backed by a dollar. 1 UST does NOT equal 1 USD. The Terra ecosystem is run by an algorithm that stabilizes itself with a partner coin, called LUNA. There are many technical details in this statement, but they are completely unnecessary for anyone to know. All you need to know, is that 1 UST NEVER equaled 1 USD, because there was NEVER any USD to back a UST.

Why does this matter? Because people are expecting a man-made software algorithm from 2018 to be able to handle the volatility and uncertainty of financial markets at a perfect balance of 1.00. That is impossible. Anyone who has experience in the markets can tell you that it is impossible to predict the markets and understand all the effects that particular events can have. So why would anyone think that a random algorithm on the internet could balance and hold billions of dollars? Fun fact: It didn’t.

A real stablecoin is backed by a real US dollar. Even these stablecoins have risk, as Coinbase pointed out recently. USDC is a stablecoin backed by real dollars and is intellectual property of Coinbase. However, Coinbase just announced in some public filings, that if they go bankrupt, all holders that have money with them are going down as well. So, is that really a stablecoin? In short, yes it is still a stablecoin but, you are at risk of a public company going bankrupt and losing with them. Considering the volatility and uincertainty of the crypto markets, that risk should be evaluated very carefully. On the flip side, I think we have gotten to the point (or will soon arrive) to where the government can look at businesses like Coinbase and say they are similar to banks and require bailouts. However, I thought this was supposed to be a decentralized revolution!? Yea, well, you can probably throw that idea out the window as well.

Long story short, software is man made and man is imperfect. Therefore, all software is imperfect. If you have never worked in technology, let me be the first person to tell you: There are lots of problems and issues that arise every day on every app in the world. Crypto is no different, and it is not a god particle. Understand risk and do your research.

☮️ One more thing...

In regards to the Counter Nature brand, I also must mention that we are a gaming organization. Much like the sports brands we know and love, like the New York Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys, my hope is that Counter Nature can do all that I said earlier and more in this space. We have been competing in esports tournaments and leagues since our creation in 2020. The goal is to keep pushing those boundaries and becoming a brand that creates, competes, teaches and revolutionizes the world.

Let's do it.

👉 https://counternature.net/nft

You can follow my other accounts for Counter Nature at the below places:

📸 https://instagram.com/CounterNature

🐦 https://twitter.com/CounterNature

🕺 https://www.tiktok.com/@johncit0

PΞ/\CΞ
John, JAYEL