Every now and then, a figure emerges who challenges the status quo, forever altering the landscape of their respective industry. In the digital finance and cryptocurrency space, that disruptor is Amanda Wick. As the Founder and CEO of the Association for Women in Cryptocurrency (AWIC), a professional association for women and male allies that seeks to build a global network that will advocate for the equal inclusion of women in the future of digital finance, Amanda leverages the transformative potential of blockchain technology to foster an inclusive future of digital finance. Her journey in the cryptocurrency realm has been marked by innovation, courage, and a relentless pursuit of equality.
Amanda served as a federal prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for nearly a decade, specializing in crypto money laundering and asset recovery. After doing a detail at FinCEN, she served as the Chief of Legal Affairs at Chainalysis. She returned to government service for a year, working for the U.S. House of Representatives as Senior Investigative Counsel before founding AWIC.
“What I’m most excited about for the future,” says Amanda, “are the male allies I meet daily who know we need better for our girls, their daughters, and their partners. In the past, it felt like women were fighting this battle alone. But the path to gender equality lies in men recognizing and supporting the need because it cannot be done alone. And every day, more and more men come forward to help and be real partners, both at work and home, which gets us closer to equality. If we could get closer to gender equality, that is the legacy I’d like to create.”
Shaping the Future of Digital Finance
“When I left DOJ to become the Chief of Legal Affairs at Chainalysis, I was confronted with how badly women are treated in tech, how exclusive it is, and how the industry was not nearly as inclusive to women as government had been,” Amanda recounts. “And I decided to change it. It started as a speaker series at Chainalysis. Now it’s a non-profit professional association with more than 200 members in 18 different countries, globally building a support network that will advocate for greater inclusion in crypto, blockchain, and web3.”
Facing Challenges Head-On
When asked about one of the most critical issues facing women in her industry today, Amanda identified a societally conditioned lack of assertiveness and discouragement of self-promotion as major challenges. She highlighted the reluctance many women have to promote themselves and their achievements. Her solution? “There are so many women who are substantively as or more qualified than their male counterpart, but we don’t know how to talk the talk and instill confidence in others that we can be the boss, which is a skill, like it or not. Humans respond to assertiveness, confidence, and surety – we’re sheep. You can rail at sheep for being sheep or learn how to herd them. It’s not becoming more ‘masculinized’ because there’s nothing inherently male or female about skills and traits. You can possess them or not, and you can build and hone them. But women need to fight what society conditions us to do and feel, and get better at acquiring the skills that society subconsciously discourages from the time we realize we’re girls: assertiveness, self-promotion, and the ability to confidently take credit for how amazing we are.”
Amanda’s AWIC serves as an inspiration of hope and empowerment for women and allies who seek to immerse themselves in digital finance. The association is building an accessible platform for learning and growth in the rapidly evolving sectors of cryptocurrency, blockchain, web3, and associated technologies. “The Association for Women in Cryptocurrency (AWIC) is a platform for women and supportive allies who seek to enhance their knowledge and education in the growing field of cryptocurrency and other digital assets, blockchain, web3, and related technology and services while advancing the opportunities for women and the role they will play in the future of digital finance,” Amanda shares. While some see technology as an amoral force, Amanda sees it as a tool that is shaped by its users. She argues that the outcome – positive or negative – lies in our hands. For her, people are the ones who have the power to shape the future. And this view forms the basis for her work at AWIC.
“We’re currently looking at ways to measure the metrics of ‘inclusion’ so that we can measure our impact in the future. One initiative we’re looking at is working with a company that creates Metaverse programming and using it to reduce unconscious bias and promote intentional inclusion in the workplace,” she explains one project at AWIC. “If we could get closer to gender equality, that is the legacy I’d like to create,” Amanda affirmed. For Amanda, the legacy she wishes to leave behind transcends financial and technological advancements. It’s about fostering a world that is fairer and more equal for all genders. The fight for gender equality is not a lone battle for women but a collective endeavor for all.
Amanda’s journey and accomplishments encapsulate the power of determination, inclusivity, and innovation. As the cryptocurrency space continues to evolve, we can expect her influence to play a pivotal role in shaping a more equitable future. Indeed, she is a beacon, illuminating the path toward gender equality in the crypto sphere and beyond.
The Revolution Starts Now
Amanda’s contribution to innovation in digital finance goes beyond the creation of AWIC. She has positioned herself as a catalyst for courageous conversations. From being the voice that dares to speak up to tackling pressing issues head-on, Amanda’s fearless approach brings fresh insights to the table. Amanda’s story is one of perseverance, adaptability, and a drive to create a better world. As we watch her journey unfold, there is no doubt that she will continue to inspire and empower women in digital finance and beyond. “I think at most, I contribute to new ideas, new ways of thinking, or possibly just being the only person in the room to say the hard thing that everyone is thinking, but no one wants to say,” Wick said. Amanda’s mission extends beyond promoting technology literacy. “As we’re building the future of finance, and what that will look like technologically, it’s imperative that we militantly advocate for intentional inclusion, or people will repeat the mistakes of the past, and it will be built as badly as TradFi was and ‘finance bro’ culture will become permanently baked in ‘crypto bro’ culture, which nobody wants,” she warns.
