From Queens Apartment to Crypto Staple: Brandon Chez Shares How Early Crypto Lessons Shape Smart Decision-Making

The Accidental Pioneer Behind CoinMarketCap

Brandon Chez might not be a household name in crypto circles, yet his fingerprints are all over the industry. Back in May 2013, the then-unknown tech enthusiast launched CoinMarketCap from his Queens apartment—a side project that would eventually become the go-to reference for tracking thousands of digital assets. Today, CMC stands as the most trusted price-tracking source in the space, a testament to what began as a simple solution to an everyday problem.

How a Hacker News Article Changed Everything

Chez’s journey into cryptocurrency wasn’t born from FOMO or get-rich-quick dreams. In 2011, while taking a lunch break at his day job, he stumbled upon a Hacker News article proclaiming “Bitcoin reaches parity with the U.S. dollar.” His initial reaction was skeptical—the classic suspect-a-scam response. But curiosity won out. The technology fascinated him, particularly Bitcoin’s open-source nature.

After consulting tech minds he trusted and conducting his own research, Chez decided to test the waters. Using Mt. Gox as his entry point, he began trading casually, keeping the stakes low enough that potential losses wouldn’t devastate his finances.

The Mt. Gox Wake-Up Call and Beyond

While Chez himself escaped Mt. Gox unscathed, he witnessed countless others suffer significant losses when the exchange collapsed. This experience reinforced a principle that would define his entire approach to crypto: if you don’t control the private keys, you don’t truly own the crypto.

The lesson runs deeper than just exchange safety. Major disasters like Mt. Gox and Bitconnect became inflection points for the industry. When Mt. Gox held 80-90% of all Bitcoin trading volume and subsequently collapsed, the ecosystem was forced to decentralize. Competition emerged, and users learned harsh lessons about concentration risk. Bitconnect’s collapse similarly taught the market to scrutinize unrealistic return promises.

The Risk Tolerance Question: Should New Users Keep Crypto on Exchanges?

Chez acknowledges the genuine dilemma: newer users often lack the technical sophistication to self-custody private keys safely. His pragmatic stance? It’s acceptable to hold crypto on exchanges—but only within personal risk tolerance boundaries.

The framework is straightforward: understand the risks explicitly, accept personal responsibility, and never deposit more than you can afford to lose completely. For those uncomfortable managing their own keys, the solution isn’t to avoid crypto entirely, but to resist the temptation of investing life savings on centralized platforms.

Building Generational Wealth Through Crypto Knowledge

When asked what advice he’d offer newcomers entering crypto—whether as investors or career-builders—Chez emphasizes something counterintuitive: the best investment isn’t in any particular token or trading strategy.

Instead, he advocates for investing in yourself. Dive deep into the technology, contribute to projects that genuinely interest you, and develop real expertise. When crypto eventually achieves mainstream adoption, this accumulated knowledge becomes invaluable. Early builders and informed participants will command premium compensation and opportunity.

He’s equally direct about what to avoid: anything promising quick riches. The pattern repeats endlessly—schemes emerge, collapse, and get replaced by new ones. Skepticism isn’t cynicism; it’s wisdom.

The Evolution Narrative

Brandon Chez views crypto’s stumbles not as fundamental failures but as necessary evolutionary steps. Each disaster creates stronger institutions, more cautious participants, and better-designed systems. The industry didn’t mature despite Mt. Gox and Bitconnect—it matured because of them.

His perspective on CMC and CoinMarketCap’s role reflects this philosophy: creating transparent, reliable infrastructure that helps users make informed decisions, reducing information asymmetries, and contributing to a more resilient ecosystem overall.