Henry A. “Hank” Truslow died July 10th, 2025 at 86 years of age. His death is indeed the passing of a remarkable American, and perhaps even the passing of an era in the American textile industry. While his obituary details a life well-lived – from his early days at Deering Milliken to his leadership roles at Sunbury Textile Mills and Woolrich Inc. – it's the underlying principles of his success that offer a particularly poignant lesson for today's world, especially for those of us navigating the turbulent waters of blockchain and decentralized finance (DeFi).

Real Value Versus Fleeting Trends?

We all know that we live in an age of instant gratification. Millions can be made and lost overnight in meme coins, NFTs and other speculative digital assets. The seduction of disruptive innovation is powerful, and the chase for easy, offshore currency is almost irresistible. Truslow’s career, reflective of decades of commitment to a once “legacy” industry, provides an equally important counterpoint. He didn’t go for the shiny object; he created a foundation.

Think about it. During that career, Truslow successfully managed the intricacies of the supply chain, responded to changing consumer preferences, and withstood the pressures of a global marketplace. These are ever-present real-world challenges that require creativity, flexibility and a strong sense of what true value is. How many crypto projects can confidently claim the same? How many are based on sustainable foundations, and not just hype?

Textiles, Blockchain, Same Challenges?

It might seem like a stretch to compare the textile industry to blockchain, but consider this: both operate in complex, globalized environments. To do so, Truslow not only had to negotiate trade agreements and increasing raw material costs, but unpredictable fashion trends. Today, blockchain projects face the challenges of regulatory uncertainty, a bear market in cryptocurrency prices, and the never-ending tide of needing to keep innovating.

The key difference? Truslow focused on creating tangible value. He knew what it meant to focus on quality, reliability, and cultivating long-term relationships with customers and suppliers. Within the blockchain ecosystem, we love to focus on the technology itself. We can’t lose sight of the fact that those things don’t matter if we’re not solving concrete problems and driving long-term user value.

  • Truslow's Textile World: Focused on tangible goods, physical supply chains, and established markets.
  • The Blockchain World: Often focused on digital assets, decentralized networks, and nascent markets.

The takeaway here is not that one is better than the other on their face, but that key ingredients to success don’t change. Whatever the industry, the true value comes from the blood, sweat, and tears of actually working to create and deliver something tangible.

Hype Cycles Or Enduring Legacies?

Let’s face it, the blockchain ecosystem is full of hype. Real innovation gets lost behind clever marketing campaigns and celebrity endorsements. We hear about all these projects that are going to change the world from finance to healthcare, but how many of them ever do anything? How many fade away just as quickly as they came on the scene, leaving investors stuck holding the bag.

Truslow’s storied career should be a touching reminder that real value is not something that can be suddenly conjured up overnight by creative PR or marketing. The textile industry, as with any industry, is ripe for disruption. It adapts, evolves, and endures. The trick is going back to basics, not following the latest fad or shiny object. Dreaming of a better world Sometimes I think about how many of the bitcoin millionaires will even still be alive in 20 years. Did their so-called “innovations” actually make the world better? Or were they fortunate enough to be the ones in the right place at the right time?

Personally, I always vote center-right, trusting that hard work and long-term investment are the true drivers of a strong economy. I find myself growing pretty cynical of a lot of the “get rich quick” schemes that permeate the tech world. Truslow’s legacy is physical proof of what happens when you take the time to build something truly sustainable, something that stands the test of time.

As we remember Hank Truslow, let's remember the principles that built his success: dedication, hard work, and a focus on delivering tangible value. These are valuable lessons for any sector, especially for the fast-paced blockchain ecosystem. The real challenge now is to steer our attention away from temporary buzz and toward lasting impact, away from hype and toward true legacy.