Main Takeaways
In 2024, Binance honored Selçuk Aydin with the Social Advocate Award, acknowledging his dedication to making cryptocurrency accessible to the hearing-impaired and his role in bridging the gap between the deaf community and the crypto world.
Aydin has created the world's first crypto-specific YouTube and Telegram resources for Turkish deaf users, translating complex crypto concepts into Turkish Sign Language, allowing the hearing-impaired to navigate the Binance ecosystem and the wider crypto space with ease.
The work of Selçuk Aydın stands as an example that true progress is not measured by the breakneck speed of innovation, but by how many people, including those previously excluded, can we bring along on the journey toward the future.
On Selçuk Aydın’s Youtube channel, much like on countless other crypto educational resources, you will find scores of videos explaining cryptocurrency-related concepts and how to use different Binance’s tools and features. However, there is one thing that sets Selçuk’s channel apart: the videos use sign language to communicate these ideas. In the background of the video, there are often slides taken from Binance Academy in Turkish language, and superimposed in the foreground, Selçuk animating the video with sign language gestures. The channel represents a very niche content stream created for Turkish crypto users, who have hearing difficulties.
Aydın’s work is not limited to videos. On his Telegram group called BinanceTurkish Sign Language, which has close to 1,500 members, you can find people discussing cryptocurrency education for the hearing-impaired. They support each other and answer questions from deaf users who run into trouble using Binance platform or performing cryptocurrency transactions due to communication barriers. Aydın and his team often help translate users’ questions, needs, and requests to the Binance’s Customer Service team and assist them in resolving issues together.
A Social Advocate Among Angels
Selçuk Aydin, who is hearing-impaired himself, has run the world’s first crypto-specific YouTube and Telegram resources for Turkish deaf users for three years now. In recognition of his tireless dedication to championing the interests of his fellow users, in 2024, he was honored by Binance with a Social Advocate Award.
The award is given as part of the larger Binance Angels Award program. Harika Eldoğan, Marketing Director of Binance Turkey, noted that Binance annually honors the invaluable contributions of its volunteer community ambassadors, known as Binance Angels, and recognises outstanding individual efforts with special prizes. "This year, we proudly recognized 15 outstanding community ambassadors worldwide with special awards. Among them, Selçuk Aydın, who is one of Binance Angels, is doing very valuable and important work by creating content to explain the Binance ecosystem to the hearing-impaired in Turkey. We are very happy to reward Aydın for his successful work," she said.
Selçuk Aydın’s journey into the world of cryptocurrency began like many others, his curiosity piqued by conversations among friends around 2013 or 2014. As he delved deeper into the world of digital assets, he quickly realized that something was missing. While Binance had a wealth of informational resources, there was a glaring gap: support for the hearing-impaired.
For Selçuk, who was born hearing-impaired but can communicate thanks to hearing aids and his fluency in Turkish Sign Language, the digital world presented both opportunities and challenges. While the doors of crypto were wide open, the information was not as accessible as it should have been for those in the deaf community. Aydın set out on a mission to make the world of crypto not just accessible, but understandable and inclusive for others who are hard of hearing.
More Than a Place to Trade
On Binance, Aydin found in the platform something more than just a place to trade; he found a community. Three years ago, he decided to join the Binance Angels, a group of volunteers dedicated to supporting and educating Binance users around the world. As a Binance Angel, he took on the challenge of translating complex crypto concepts into Turkish Sign Language, making it possible for many hearing-impaired users to not only participate in the crypto world but to thrive in it. Binance’s 2024 recognition of Selçuk Aydın with the Social Advocate Award is a profound testament to his remarkable achievements. This accolade not only honors his dedication to making the crypto world more accessible but also highlights the impact one individual can have in bridging gaps and fostering inclusivity.
Selçuk’s work has set a new standard in the crypto community, showing everyone else that true innovation lies in creating spaces where everyone can participate and thrive. In the crypto ecosystem, accessibility is not just a feature; it is a necessity. It is the difference between exclusion and inclusion, between isolation and community.
If you are inspired to join the Binance Angel program and eager to make a positive contribution to your community, click here.