Valis is a science fiction novel that was written by Phillip K. Dick and published in 1981, almost fifty years ago. I first read Valis in 9th grade and it stuck with me as one of the most interesting stories ever put to paper, but also one that revitalized my love for reading and writing, somehow bringing me to where I am today. 

I started publishing crypto posts on Substack back in 2021, almost four years ago today. 

My writing style has undergone a lot of changes since then, eventually morphing into what it is now: very digestible research that tends to be a bit longer than it should, but overall informative and generally well-received by over 7,000 free subscribers on Substack.

Unfortunately, crypto research has always been considered a meme by those who read it and those who spend their time writing it. Compared to traditional sellside research covering equities, commodities, and other asset classes, the task of analyzing cryptocurrency has always fallen short of the reality that great returns often come from holding majors for extended timeframes or being early to memecoins. 

The writing has always been supplementary: useful to analysts working within the industry, the more technically inclined, and those of us left that still enjoy reading in their spare time, but it’s yet to be seen as an essential part of every crypto investor’s toolkit. 

As I’ve slowly introduced the idea of Valis Research to a handful of close friends across the industry, I’ve realized that what we’re lacking isn’t mass adoption, but credibility. Technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and even social media have their fair share of skeptics, but none of these industries have faced nearly as much backlash as crypto manages to.

Crypto isn’t treated equally and is often used as a scapegoat or catch-all for things like financial crime, scamming, and otherwise unsavory behaviors that just happened to be conducted on blockchain rails. 

But as I’m sure you know, crypto is much more than that. 

I decided to take the leap and create Valis Research because I believe coverage of our industry can be better than it has been, and anyone who spends their time here deserves to have a publication that’s just as sound as the blockchain technology we’ve all come to appreciate. 

Crypto exists thanks to the efforts of highly dedicated researchers, computer scientists, and economists that truly believed in the work they do. As the industry has grown and matured, the bar for research has fallen lower and lower, existing now in a sort of lull that's uninspiring and void of passion.

Valis Research will change this.

We will not have sponsors. We will not write commissioned reports. We will not play favorites. We will not write slop. 

We will make our money through monthly (or annual) subscriptions and publish two reports a month. This is the only method of monetization that makes sense to me after significant thought, and it won't be an outrageous price. When it comes to value provided, I believe there is nothing better than a well researched, passionate piece of writing that comes from someone who cares deeply about the subject.

This is what Valis will be - excellent research meant to inform, entertain, and keep you aware of what's happening and what's on the horizon for crypto.

It’s impossible for anyone to write without some level of bias, though Valis will be as close as it gets to pure research written for the singular purpose of informing readers and keeping them knowledgeable on this growing industry. Valis Research will start out very small, written and managed as a one-person team, but it won’t be like this forever. 

Valis is different from any other research firm or blog. It's a completely separate thing and exists outside of any bubble I might have found myself in before. Substack's customization always felt limiting, and I knew that this would never make sense as an idea if it wasn't created with the standards and vision I held in my head. I wanted to create my own website and brand that feels just as vibrant as the content offering, and this was the only path that felt right to me.

The ideal end state for something like Valis Research is a publication you can recommend to friends or family, one that analysts at a family office can share to their boss, or one that a firefighter might read on their day off to catch up on the industry. I fully believe there is an opportunity here to reinvent what research looks like and who it's marketed to, especially the idea that crypto research has to be something that only people who care about crypto read. Many of the future reports on Valis will cover a wide range of industries and subject matter that isn't limited to the scope of digital assets.

It’s written for everyone, regardless of your technical expertise, created by someone that cares deeply about every single word that appears on your screen. 

It’ll be a couple months until this is ready and there is a lot more work to be done. I am looking forward to bringing this to the public and can’t wait for everyone to see what’s in store.

-Knower