Women in crypto: Meet Lavinia D. Osbourne, a web3 specialist on a mission to create a more inclusive future 

by Team Luno
· 3 minute read

Luno’s mission is to upgrade the world to a better financial system and ensure that nobody gets left behind. By sharing the stories of #WomenInBlockchain we want to help first-time investors see their own financial futures as valuable investments and do our part to #EmbraceEquity.

Luno does not offer financial advice, investment profits, manage assets or provide set returns. 

Meet Lavinia D Osbourne, a web3 specialist and thought leader in the blockchain space. Lavinia is the host and founder of the award-winning educational platform Women in Blockchain Talks. She was one of CogX’s Gender Equality Leaders in 2022 and the winner of the Women in Tech 100 Award in 2021. 

“It’s so important that we as women, invest in ourselves and that we take the time to learn. This blockchain, crypto, decentralization, it’s not going away… this is an opportunity for us to be part of the building blocks.”

Cryptocurrency for all

Lavinia wants to promote a space that is inclusive for all, “because we don’t exclude, for me it makes no sense to talk about diversity and inclusion and then exclude men for example”. 

First-time investors and English second-language speakers are a main point of focus for the web3 specialist. Due to the technical jargon in the Blockchain space, it can seem “overwhelming and convoluted.” “And when you don’t speak English, it really is a barrier to entry,” she explained.  

Lavinia’s mission is to decrease the gender gap and promote diversity in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. She is currently running a campaign to get 50k Women into Blockchain by 2023. 

“The data shows that most women will retire in poverty simply because they take on the burden of childcare, and raising the family. Then there’s the gender pay gap… So all of these factors have an impact on where women stand in regards to their finances and wealth creation, decentralized or not.”

– Lavinia D Osbourne

She is revolutionising the way we host conferences too; there will be creche facilities available at her three-day Women in Blockchain Summit in March to celebrate International Women’s day. 

Changing money habits 

Lavinia explained that she first became interested in Bitcoin during her work as a financial wellness consultant. 

“When you talk to people about their relationship with money, you need to be able to talk about the past, the present and the future. What is the future of money? And that is where Bitcoin came into my existence.”

The decentralised nature of cryptocurrency and the opportunities it could provide excited her. She sees its potential as a new financial system to lean on in the wake of unstable local currencies and rising inflation rates, and as a way to send remittances.

When investing, Lavinia makes use of dollar-cost averaging (DCA) to hedge against volatile market conditions. She also finds DCA useful to help her clients warm up to the idea of investing in small monthly increments. 

“You feel like you don’t earn enough, not realizing that with crypto you can put £5 in a month if you wanted to, right? £5 a month. How many times do we spend £5 on, I don’t know, just whatever, a month.”

Not giving in to fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) 

Lavinia has been in the Blockchain industry since 2016, and has seen her fair share of market movements. She stays calm when the crypto market fluctuates by tuning out the noise. She focuses rather on what banks and financial institutions are doing.  

“These legacy banks are taking on crypto. … So I always say to people, when you are looking at this space, don’t listen to what you hear. Watch what the banks and the financial institutions are doing. Don’t listen to what they say, watch what they do. ” 

Highlighting the importance of community and sharing the stories of first-time investors, she explains,

“You see someone like you doing it, you start to believe in them. And you think, if they’re doing it, then I can do it too. The community will speak into your future, into your ability to be the powerful person that we all are but sometimes we forget.” 

– Lavinia D Osbourne

As a Blockchain pioneer, Lavinia leaves us with some advice for beginners starting out in the crypto space. 

Be the change 

“As women and first-time investors, we have the opportunity to add, build, to lead in the blockchain space. And in doing so, become an example for our family members and community.”

And invest time in your education:

“We are taught at school how to earn money, but we’re not taught how to invest and how to grow our money. Be intentional, take the time to learn about investing and the future of money.”

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