Meet the Contest Winner: Eduardo Próspero on Rewriting 2013 and 2017 Bitcoin Forecasts

Welcome to Meet the Contest Winner—a HackerNoon interview series celebrating the writers behind our most memorable contest entries.

Let’s get started! Tell us who you are, and why you decided to participate in the HackerNoon Writing Contest in the first place.

My name is Eduardo Próspero, self-proclaimed Bitcoin ambassador to Hackernoon. Because of my position, I had to participate in the Bitcoin writing contest. It was my duty. I had to represent.

Tell us more about your winning piece.

I came third place twice, first with “In 2013, A Time Traveler Warned Us About Our Bitcoin Future. How Right Was He?” and then with “Daniel Jeffries Tried To Predict Bitcoin’s Future in 2017: How We Can Learn From It”. Curiously, both are commentaries on previous articles. My idea was to update the two texts and expose them to new audiences. I think I succeeded in that, if I can say so myself.

What was the most challenging part of drafting or revising this entry, and how was that challenge ultimately solved?

As Thomas Mann said, “A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” For me, writing is rewriting, and I always struggle to get my texts to where I want them to be. With these two, I could’ve invested countless more hours editing them. Luckily, there was a deadline.

Was there a pivotal change from first draft to final submission that made the work “click,” and what triggered it?

In the time traveler article, my focus was on the “Bitcoin citadels” concept. The eureka moment was when I found a lot of important cultural artifacts that referenced Bitcoin citadels in one way or another. Look for the bullet point list to know which ones. In the Daniel Jeffries predictions article, the eureka moment was when I realized he was using Bitcoin and crypto interchangeably. A common error at the time of writing, but an unforgivable one in the present.

Did specific research or lived experience shape key scenes or images, and how was that integrated into the narrative?

Everything came from research, as it happens with most of my work. Curiosity and doing the work lead me to the promised land every time.

How was the title chosen, and did its meaning evolve during revisions?

The phenomenal editors at Hackernoon usually help me with the titles, but I think in these two cases, they didn’t. Those are the original titles.

How was the entry tailored to this contest - brief, theme, length, or judging criteria - without compromising voice?

I wrote them specifically for the contest, so I was mindful of all the characteristics the whole time. To me, limits are a great source of inspiration, and clear instructions lead to glory.

What does this recognition change for current projects or near‑term publishing plans?

I’m working hard on a Bitcoin fiction novella called “The Citadel,” and I’m going to use this interview you’re reading as leverage in negotiations, LOL. But the fact of the matter is, the award-winning status hasn’t helped me yet. Hackernoon should publish my novel, now that I think about it. What do you say, Hackernoon?

What advice would you give anyone looking to participate in a HackerNoon Writing Contest?

This is in every writer’s handbook, but here it goes: write what you know. Bitcoin is my specialty, so this contest was made for me. I couldn’t compete with the great and many writers on this site if I wrote about a topic I didn’t dominate.