From Electronic Warfare Inside the US Navy To Crypto Startup

From Electronic Warfare Inside the US Navy to Crypto Startup

🔥Crypto Fireside #18 — Interviews with crypto people.

🔥Hello! Who are you, and what do you do?

LN: I am LeviNathan owner of Block Depot, and if you had asked me this question even a few months ago I may have fumbled with the answer. I am a person who has been through a lot in my life which all added up equals to the sum of who I am today.

You see in my vision we are all the culmination of our experiences and then how we chose to accept these experiences. Please allow me to explain. If something happens to you, there is always a choice in the perception of those events. Be it good or bad how we perceive the events will factor into who we will become. By remaining positive we vibrate at a higher frequency and thus we grow. If we allow ourselves to perceive events in a negative light the events can have devastating impacts on our future.

So in short, I am the sum of the events which have transpired, the actions that I have taken to overcome these events, and the corresponding challenges. Does this answer your question?

James Allen

I love technology. I enjoy reading all of the time and there is not a topic that I am not willing to jump headfirst into. I like consuming all information, discerning facts from fiction, truths-from-lies, and then having fun in discourse or debate in discussions regarding these findings.

I love family, friends, all things blockchain, computers, driving fast cars (supercars mostly), and playing sports. Even at the youthful age of 46, I work out nearly every day and I eat only healthy clean fresh, organic foods and drink pure water (that I clean myself). Health is vitally important to me.

I was a service member in the United States Navy for over 20 years. Now, I love to read, learn and study the latest Blockchain technologies and I enjoy teaching my findings to others. I do this by sharing in different Telegram groups, writing on Twitter and Medium.com, under both LeviNathan and Block Depot conducting “Block Talk”.

Block Depot is a project that has huge aspirations and is currently in development. At full development Block Depot will be involved in every aspect of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology from portfolio management, mining operations, and written reports providing analysis of blockchain projects.

I see Cryptocurrency as being more than just a simple investment instrument or vehicle like many people. This is the unlock that society has needed for decades. The current monetary system is plagued with corruption seemingly by default and the same small group of families and individuals benefit at the peril of the masses.

These few families are leeches that drain the energies of the majority. Blockchain remove the need for these so-called rulers and the decaying Old World archaic systems that only serve themselves.

Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin Whitepaper

By creating a blockchain that offers a decentralized medium of exchange where every party has a vote, people can live freely and can come and go as they wish without affecting the whole. I see this as a critical part of the cryptocurrency and blockchain infrastructure(s) design which is in line with Satoshi Nakamoto’s vision as depicted in the Bitcoin Whitepaper.

🔥What’s your backstory?

LN: I served a 20-year Naval career and, am now a veteran, I am qualified and certified in so many different career fields that it gets hard to explain to people how I know so many varying things.

• Welder: TIG, MIG, and in oxy acetylene welding, concrete and brick mason, plumber, electrician, carpenter, roofer, aluminum recycling plant furnace operator, and qualified class 3 licensed wastewater treatment plant operator.
• Surface warfare specialist, advanced warfare electronics technician, Electronic warfare operations specialist, national operation intelligence analyst, information warfare specialist, intelligence analyst, small arms specialist, anti-submarine warfare qualified, and RSO or range safety officer.
• Anti-Terrorism specialist with 20+ years of experience in special operations and electronic warfare monitor, track, detect and capture events, Certified FEMA emergency manager, LCAC radar navigator & operator, and RHIB boat coxswain
• Qualified to shoot SM2, SM3, and SM3 ER (extended range), Harpoon missile system, RAM or rolling frame missile system, and CIWS Close-in weapon system — remote site operator the Phalanx CIWS Gatling guns on the US navy ships.
• Certified (MTS) Master Training Specialist
• Hollywood film producer
• Writer
• Qualified Ethical hacker, Certified in Bitcoin development, theory, protocol, national operation ELINT analyst, and blockchain analyst.

What does this have to do with blockchains?

I spent 16+ years teaching the most complex cryptographic and electronic warfare systems converting mnemonics into digital code to be dissected and translated into predictable data sets.

I taught cryptos to sailors and Marines back when it was still on paper and we had to learn to code manual inputs into digital formatting.

I worked on a piece of equipment that even by today’s standards, is ahead of most technologies. Electronic Warfare was a cool job and I loved it! I had to learn every weapon system in the world and understand its capabilities and vulnerabilities or limitations.

I was entrusted with maintaining captured frequencies from thin air and collated the analog signals or captured frequencies, turning them into a series of digital numerical formats which I could decrypt. How it does that is classified. I held a top-secret, sci security clearance for the duration of the time that I served. So, I know what I can and cannot say. An 84-year NDA the government forced me to sign keeps my lips sealed.

I worked on Admirals staffs where I was in charge of the battle watch station, and I have dealt with just about any situation that could happen including dealing with a ship running aground, fighters dropping bombs on the Great Barrier Reef, which got my admiral fired. They made it a joke, but nothing was funny about his performance. In spite of all of this, I had so much fun.

I was charged with running both the cyber “red” and “blue” teams for a time where we would conduct network intrusion and detection tests on the top-secret, secret, and unclassified communications cryptography equipment and networks to find faults before an adversary could.

🔥How did Block Depot come about?

LN: When I retired in 2016. I did not know what to do. I interviewed for a lot of jobs, but people could not see my value — as I see it. I took a few jobs, one as a West Coast Regional Manager for a dental company called BENCO Dental. Then I worked at BAE in an executive role to report on Aegis weapons where I wrote reports that were briefed weekly to the president of the United States on all Aegis class ships' equipment status, but none of these jobs valued my experiences, nor adequately paid for my value and worth, so I moved on.

I finally gave up on looking for a job, trimmed my budget to the bare minimum, and started spending my time researching and studying. I spent time working on myself. I studied philosophy, poetry, history, biology, ancient studies, esoterics, religions, and everything under the sun including spirituality.

At a certain point, I met with a spiritual leader Santos Bonnacci and a few others and became friends. During this time, I met a few gentlemen, who are Hollywood Film Directors one being David Leidy, and for 8–12 months. I worked with David on his planned Trilogy Indigo Child. I helped David with actors and actress selections, and procuring film equipment — it was tremendous fun. But then COVID-19 became a thing and the film industry was shut down. That and Hollywood have some serious ethical issues that I cannot resolve in my mind, nor can I be a part of, so I walked away.

I attempted to start up a computer business knowing that some of the current popular brands have major security flaws/violations built into the hardware and software by default. This startup did not work and I learned a lot about trusting people and not paying in advance especially large sums of money. The people I hired to create branding and commercials took a vacation to Hawaii, and started a printable housing village or community out somewhere in the Arizona desert, on me, (LOL, Not joking either).

I interacted in numerous online communities and met lots of interesting people. I was a bit frustrated for not finding a place where I fit for a while. That is when I came upon the thriving blockchain and crypto community. My background has uniquely provided me with a set of skills that translate perfectly into this new era of blockchain and associated technologies.

And so here we are today.

🔥Describe the process of launching Block Depot.

LN: I am putting the final touches on a pitch deck and we have a meeting with numerous potential investors. To be clear, I have not launched yet. I have been taking this slow and enjoying the process. But the overwhelming outreach of support by fellow community members with the writers and the blockchain community as a whole, has completely motivated me to stand this business model up and structure it for long-term success. We are receiving numerous offers for fund injection and are proceeding carefully to avoid any potential conflicts of interest moving forward.

Right now, we are working on our website development, collaborations, large-scale mining operations, business-to-business and business-to-customer services, and integration strategies. Some details are better left unsaid until fully developed, or else the business idea(s) can be taken by larger corporations.

🔥Tell us specifics about your strategy and execution.

LN: I have written and published numerous articles on privacy blockchain projects that are thriving in the industry. I have also recently started collaborations with publishers like “Crypto Stars”, among others. The crypto projects that I write about are the projects that stand to gain tremendous market share moving forward as a result of their utility and design which is superior to many well—known brands such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, Ripple, and more.

The first phase of building Block Depot into my fully-fledged vision; is the R&D portion. With that said these articles are the foundational principles that will propel us forward. Block Depot scours through the 14,000+ cryptocurrency projects which are currently active to discern the legitimate and healthy projects, from the others. In this way, our portfolio services will only offer projects that we have gone through with a fine-tooth comb.

Block Depot will be offering:

• high-quality crypto investor training.
• financial services with a simple onboarding process, providing a stock/bond market-like experience for portfolio selections of the best projects that BD has personally evaluated down to their “genesis blocks”.
• providing mining services; including equipment rental and options for buying miners which we will house in our facilities to provide investors with a hands-off mining experience, only being charged for the electricity and maintenance fees (proceeds forwarded to owner’s wallet address).
• customer call and chat services where clients can call/chat in to ask for assistance with transfers from wallets to exchanges or any of the myriad of nuances.
• providing media functions where Block Depot will create articles on the hottest blockchains, technical analysis, and complete reports describing the literal “ins” and “outs” of these amazing projects. Even offering a paid service for weekly reports on each blockchain to keep track of development and market indicators.
• Block Depot will create moderated online communities for a community experience in Discord, Telegram, and more.
• Providing services to build out laptops, desktops, and cell phones with advanced security protocols built-in.

🔥What kind of technologies and platforms will Block Depot focuses on?

LN: Block Depot will utilize all facets of Blockchain technology we are starting off in collaboration and creating Bitcoin mining warehouses. We are literally in talks right now. Where we will offer the rental or purchasing of equipment and we will provide a completely hands-off experience. Additionally, To reduce the barriers to entry we are in talks to create a TD Ameritrade-like experience where we will offer any crypto portfolio anyone wants. We will even preload wallets and cryptos onto secure computers that we will provide and then send them to their physical location.

We also have plans to create a media arm. But initially, we are starting with mining farms and investment services.

🔥Which kind of technology will you focus your mining efforts on?

LN: Bitcoin. Many other projects, including my favorite private coins.

🔥How long was it before you started seeing users, subscribers, and customers?

LN: I started seeing users/subscribers and getting great feedback right away. The industry is in dire need of the services listed above which Block Depot will be offering from a 100% legal and authorized business platform; to protect our clients from things that they cannot see.

Additionally, the market is in need of technical blockchain writers to simplify and cut through the myriad of challenging topics to get to the points that matter for an investor or business looking to create and build off of the blockchain industry's infrastructure. Simply, right after starting my Twitter page, I saw growth very quickly and received an outpouring of supportive responses from both blockchains and their communities.

🔥How are you financing Block Depot?

LN: The financing has been completely out of pocket to date. Budgets are being created to fulfill our aspirations and we are in contact with enough investors that Block Depot will easily fund all of these projects propelling Block Depot and our collaborative partnerships into success in short order.

We will be fully funded for all of these initiatives and more in our phased build-out in 2022/23.

🔥Biggest lessons learned?

LN: Put in the work, but don’t work too hard. Have fun and be original. Enjoy the process, and take roadblocks or failures as so many stepping stones along your journey. Failure may seem terrible at that moment, but it is just the universe showing you that you are on the wrong path, that you made a wrong selection or that a critical lesson is needed to be learned in order to proceed for guaranteed future success.

―Earl Nightingale

Pick up the pieces, dust yourself off and keep it moving. Like the story of the Chinese farmer nothing is good or bad, it just is. One thing may seem bad at that moment, but later, you are grateful for the lessons and that it may have saved you from a greater disaster down the line.

Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich

🔥Where do you see the blockchain, cryptocurrency and the decentralization space going in the next 5 to 10 years?

LN: I see it as the future.

I think that these projects will be the new phone companies, the internet, & banks. I believe that the old systems are dying. In the future, blockchains will be the systems that tie everything together. But blockchains are better because they are established by a code of ethics which removes manipulative human interventions. So in 5–10 years, blockchains will be the governance.

No need for corrupt governments anymore.

🔥Where can we go to learn more?

LN: The website is in development at this time. I am currently operating from Telegram exclusively.

Block Depot Telegram Announcements: https://t.me/blockdepot

And of course please follow and read along on Medium: https://blockdepot.medium.com/

🔥Thank you, LeviNathan!

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