In an unexpected twist of events, Icar found himself entering the intriguing world of Bastia. The corporate setting he had envisioned was nowhere to be found; instead, modern luxury intertwined with ancient mystery within Bastia’s office. From the floor to the ceiling, glass walls unveiled a panorama of the city skyline. The room was adorned with artifacts and symbols, each seemingly harboring a tale of its own.
A statue of the ancient Egyptian goddess, Bastet¹, particularly caught Icar’s attention. “An interesting choice for an investment strategist,” he mused out loud.
Bastia, noticing his curiosity, responded, “Bastet is known to safeguard and bring prosperity – relevant to our field, wouldn’t you say?”
Icar could only nod, an aura of tranquility radiating from the artifact and subtly eroding his trepidation. He then found himself studying Bastia, her air of experience, and wisdom. Her eyes held a spark, hinting at a realm of understanding Icar had yet to uncover.
As they sat down to discuss, Bastia was direct and to the point. “The market isn’t what it seems,” she started, her tone serious. She talked about market manipulation² and power games³ playing out behind well-constructed facades. It was not an equal playing field he once believed it to be, but a stage set for the privileged, the powerful, and the ruthless.
“I’m not spinning conjectures or conspiracy theories,” Bastia asserted, noticing his skepticism. “I’m presenting my encounters, my battles with a skewed system, and the experiences I amassed over the years.”
Icar, left in awe of her resilience, asked, “And how did you survive, knowing all this?”
“With a fair bit of grit,” she said, a spark of determination in her eyes. “And the belief that things can change.”
Their meeting concluded on a hopeful note. Icar, once a lone participant in a massive investment plan, now found himself part of a larger narrative, standing against adversity and advocating for a fair game.
Back in his office, Icar found himself staring at the charts and figures, his views on the market, his strategies, everything was about to change. His journey into this new realm of understanding had just begun.
Into the Cryptic Cryptocurrency Abyss
As Bastia delved deeper into the intricate underpinnings of the cryptocurrency⁴ market, Icar’s initial disbelief gradually gave way to a sober realization. He was introduced to a multitude of concepts and practices that he had never encountered in his previous investments: algorithmic trading⁵, darknet markets⁶, cryptocurrency mining⁷ – the list was endless and overwhelming.
Despite the complexity and risks involved, Icar felt a strange sense of liberation. He realized that he was no longer confined to the traditional financial systems, but now had the ability to navigate through a new, virtually unlimited realm of opportunities.
Footnotes:
¹ Bastet: An ancient Egyptian goddess worshipped as the lioness warrior goddess of the sun, and later, after the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, as the cat goddess and the patroness of home, fertility, and childbirth. She was also the goddess of dance, music, love, joy, and protector of women.
² Market Manipulation: Activities that deceive investors or disrupt the financial market for personal gain. It can involve spreading false or misleading information about a stock or directly affecting the price or volume of a security.
³ Power Games: Activities where people use their power, either legitimate or illegitimate, to achieve personal or organizational objectives.
⁴ Cryptocurrency: A type of digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security. It operates independently of a central bank.
⁵ Algorithmic Trading: A method of executing orders using automated pre-programmed trading instructions accounting for variables such as time, price, and volume. This type of trading attempts to leverage the speed and computational resources of computers relative to human traders.
⁶ Darknet Markets: Commercial websites on the web that operate via darknets such as Tor or I2P. They function primarily as black markets, selling or brokering transactions involving drugs, cyber-arms, weapons, counterfeit currency, stolen credit card details, forged documents, unlicensed pharmaceuticals, and other illicit goods.
⁷ Cryptocurrency Mining: The process by which new coins are entered into circulation, but it also is a critical component of the maintenance and development of the blockchain ledger. Cryptocurrency mining is painstaking, costly and only sporadically rewarding.