A 19-year-old East Carolina University junior has quickly gained national attention as a leading analyst of bitcoin.
>> I’M TRACKING >>> YOU’RE LIKELY HEARD OF CRYPTOCURRENCY LIKE BIT COIN. BUT A LOCAL COMEJ COLLEGE STUDENT IS MAKING THIS HIS WORK. HE IS STUDYING FINANCE AT E.C.U. >> HE IS ALSO CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT ANALYSTS OF BIT COIN IN THE COUNTRY. AND KEENAN WILLARD ON HOW THE TEENAGER IS BLAZING A NEW TRAIL. >> SO. YOU KNOW, PART OF ME IS LIKE KIND OF IN DISBELIEF. SOMETIMES WHEN I LOOK AT IT AND I TRY TO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY NOW I FEEL MORE RESPONSIBLE. BECAUSE MORE PEOPLE ARE WATCHING ME. >> WHEN ECU JUNIOR WILL CLEMENTE WAS SENT HOME AT THE START OF THE PANDEMIC. HE WAS LOOKING FOR A HOBBY. THAT’S WHEN HE STARTED READING UP ON BIT COIN FOR THE FIRST TIME. >> FROM THERE, I REALLY WENT DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE OF POD CASTING BIT COIN. ALL OF THIS CONTENT ON TWITTER, YOUTUBE. YOU NAME IT. >> Reporter: CLEMENTE WAS INTRIGGED BY THE BIT COIN WHICH HAS EXPLODED IN RECENT YEARS. UNLIKE OTHER FINANCIAL SECURITY, EVERY DOLLAR CAN BE TRACKED ON A WORLD RIDE LEDGER, CALLED THE BLOCK CHAIN. >> TRACKING WOULD MOVEMENT OF THE INVESTORS ON THE BLOCK CHAIN IS USEFUL. YOU CAN’T DO THAT WITH STOCKS OR BONDS OR ANYTHING ELSE. IT KIND OF LEAD LED ME TO THIS HOLE WHOLE ASPECT OF DATA. >> HE STARTED TRACKING THE UPS AND DOWNS AND POSTING HIS WORK ON SOCIAL MEDIA. MONTHS LATER, HE NOW HAS CLOSE TO 200,000 FOLLOWERS ON TWITTER. AND JUST YESTERDAY, HE GOT A SHOUT OUT ON CNBC AS A LEADING EXPERT ON BIT COIN. >> IT’S KIND OF SURREAL. PART OF ME IS TRYING TO STAY LEVEL HEADED AND NOT LET IT GET TO ME. WHEN YOU START TO GET COMPLACENT, YOU RUN INTO TROUBLE. HE SAID SOME PEOPLE ARE STILL QUICK TO DISMISS HIS WORK BECAUSE OF HIS AGE. >> I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND IT. I HAVE TAKEN TWO FINANCE CLASSES AND I DON’T HAVE ANY HAIR ON MY FACE. SO I SEE THAT. >> BUT HE’S TO CULSED ON HOW WELL CRYPTOCURRENCY CAN TAKE HIM. >> I CAN’T JUST POST MEMES AND STUFF ON O TWITTER ANYMORE. BECAUSE I HAVE A MORE PROFESSIONAL AUDIENCE, I GUESS,