Zima Red

My audio is not great in this clip, so sorry and will be fixed going forward. 

My guest today is Dan Nissanoff who is the founder of Game of Silks, aka Silks. Silks is a fantasy thoroughbred horse racing game that allows you to buy, trade, breed and race virtual horses that mirror the actual performance of real horses.

Dan and I discuss:

Hope you enjoy this stellar conversation with Dan.

My guest today is Nick Kokonas. Nick is a modern day Renaissance man: formerly a successful trader, he is the founder of multiple Michelin star restaurants and also a tech founder, having recently sold his startup for $400m.

On this episode we discuss:

This is one you do not want to miss. Please enjoy my conversation with Nick

My guest today is Foobar. Foobar is a polymath and involved with all aspects of web3. Building, investing, learning, teaching, he has an incredible mind that has thoughtful views that we explore thoroughly on this episode.

We discuss:

Please enjoy this incredible conversation with Foobar.

My guest today is Jiran. Jiran is an active trader, investor and explorer of all things web3.

On this episode we chat:

And so much more

Pleas enjoy my conversation with Jiran

My guest today is Tim Schuermer who is a co-founder of Gallop. Gallop has created a set of developer tools that expand the utility of NFTs. These tools are built for all developers, creators and investors, active in the NFT space.

On this episode we discuss:

Please enjoy my conversation with Tim

My guests today are Charles & Zunk the co-founders of Nifty Island. Nifty Island is an open, social game world powered by web3.

On this episode we chat:

Please enjoy my conversation with Charles & Zunk

My guest today is Kevin Beauregard. Kevin is the founder of Atmos which an upcoming game universe that combines sports, lore, and crypto-economics to create engaging and competitive virtual experience

On this episode we chat:

I had a blast on this one so I hope you enjoy my conversation with Kevin

My guest today is Max Weber. Max is the founder of Chainmonsters which is a free-to-play monster taming MMO-RPG with a player-driven economy.

On this episode we discuss:

Please enjoy my conversation with Max

My guest today is Mack Flavelle. Mack is the founder of Big Head Club which is an NFT production studio. Mack was also on the Axiom Zen team which was the company that created CryptoKitties and the company that eventually became Dapper Labs.

Our conversation has it all, we discuss:

An awesome conversation with someone who is not afraid to speak their mind!

Please enjoy my conversation with Mack

My guests today are David & Chris who are the founders of Lit Protocol. Lit is a decentralized, identity-based encryption and access control protocol. What that means is that they are an access control protocol for the internet.

On this episode we chat:

Hope you enjoy this stellar conversation with David & Chris

My guests today are Ado and Yas who are building Galaxy Fight Club, which is a web3-native, cross-IP PvP game. You can think of it like Super Smash Bros for the metaverse.

We discuss:

And much more

Please enjoy my conversation with Ado and Yas

My guest today is Michael Sanders. Michael is a cofounder of Horizon which is the company behind the game Skyweaver. Skyweaver is free-to-play trading card game that is enhanced by web3

Michael and I chat:

Please enjoy my conversation with Michael

My guest today is Yury Liftshits. Yury is the founder of SuperDAO which is a platform for creating DAOs and DAO-related infrastructure. Essentially SuperDAO wants to become the one-stop-shop for all things launching, operating and expanding DAOs.

This episode is crash course in the present and future of DAOs. Yury and I discuss

Please enjoy my conversation with Yury

My guest today is Baek Kim. Baek is a general partner at the web3 investment firm, Hashed.

If you want a crash course in how to operate one of the top investment firms in web3, then you have to dive into this episode. We chat:

Please enjoy my conversation with Baek

My guest today is Paul Kohlhaas who is the founder of Molocule as well as a member of VitaDAO and PsyDAO. Molecule is a decentralized biotech protocol that is democratizing biopharma research and development

This one is going to blow your mind. We chat:

This episode offers a rare sneak peek into the future of medicine

Please enjoy my conversation with Paul

My guest today is Winston Robson who is the flounder of WeMeta. WeMeta is a virtual land marketplace that has a deep focus on data and analytics.

Winston and I chat about:

A deep dive into the virtual worlds we will soon be inhabiting. Please enjoy my conversation with Winston.

My guest today is Greg Isenberg who is the founder of Late Checkout which is a product studio, design agency and fund.

On this episode you hear us chat about:

An awesome conversation that spans multiple different categories & topics

Please enjoy my conversation with Greg

My guest today is Dillip Das who is a former high frequency trader who is now building something new in web3.

On this episode we chat about:

For all those that want to learn about market structure, alpha, HFT and more

Please enjoy my conversation with Dilip

My guest today is Eric Golden. Eric was at Fidelity for 16 years and has recently jumped full-time into web3 - Eric has a wealth of experience from Fidelity - starting as an intern, working up to portfolio manager, and even being able to launch his own busines within Fidelity which became a huge success. Eric is also the host of the amazing podcast web3 breakdowns which is part of Patrick O'Shaughnessy media network Colossus.

On this episode we dive into:

If you want to learn from an expert in asset management and how web3 will change the future of finance, then this is the episode for you

Please enjoy my conversation with Eric

My guest today are Conor and David from Metastreet

Metastreet is a liquidity routing and scaling protocol for NFT credit markets - said in plain english, Metastreet is the most active participant on all NFT lending markets by making the terms transparent & simple

On this episode we dive into:

Crash course in NFT lending coming at ya.

Hope you enjoy this conversation with Conor & David

My guests today are David and Jay from Hume.

Hume is metastar entertainment studio - which is a studio that creates virtual artists, influencers and celebrities.

On this episode we dive into

If you want to peer into the future of entertainment then you cant miss this one

Please enjoy my conversation with David and Jay

My guest today is Caygayn aka Cagy. Cagy is web3 gaming focused content creator, best known for his hot takes on Twitter and his awesome YouTube channel. What makes Cagy unique is his boundless energy, authenticity and ability to really understand and communicate the nuisances of the gaming ecosystem.

As expected, our conversation is filled with hot takes and alpha leaks. Cagy does not beat around the bush so better sit back and grab your popcorn for this episode

Another reason I loved speaking with Cagy is that I get to learn about his content creation strategies and figure out how to improve my own skills

At the end of the day, Cagy is a grinder. Someone who found something they are very passionate about and just works like crazy to achieve their goals.

And with that, I hope you enjoy my conversation with Cagy.

Peter Ing - Zima Red ep 108

My guest today is Peter Ing. Peter is the founder of Blockchain Space which is a platform and tool that allows play-to-earn guilds scale and operate efficiently. Do be more specific blockchain space is used by guilds to help with

And more. A true SaaS solution for the modern day web3 startup.

Hearing Peters background of Finance, Fintech and startups, its like he was born to build Blockchain Space.

Our conversation is not only a lesson in all things web3 gaming and play-to-earn but also a deep dive into all the painpoints that guilds face. Although many would consider web3 gaming a small market today, there is little doubt that this will become a multi-billion dollar market as gaming acts as the gateway into the wider crypto ecosystem.

Please enjoy my conversation with Peter

My guest today is Beryl Li. Beryl is a co-founder of Yield Guild Games, aka YGG. YGG was the very first play-to-earn gaming guild and has achieved huge success. Today, guilds are ubiquitous across the metaverse but hearing from Beryl how YGG started and where they are headed is extremely exciting.

It is also amazing to hear Beryl’s stellar background from working at the successful Philippines-based crypto startup coins.ph, to working with major banks and financial institutions like BlackRock.

It this type of background and experience that is needed to operate and scale YGG to be the number 1 leader in the P2E ecosystem.

Please enjoy my conversation with Beryl.

My guest today is Bernadine Brocker Wieder. Bernadine is the founder of Vastari & Vastari Labs.

Vastari is focused on helping the traditional art world showcase art globally via museums, exhibitions and more. Vastari Labs is the web3 focused arm that acts as the bridge between the traditional art world and the metaverse.

Bernadine has deep experience in the art world and has always been looking toward how to utilize technology to improve art since day 1.

During our conversation we cover Bernadine's impressive background, the current state of the global art market, how NFTs are impacting the art world and even topics like how art is valued.

For everyone that wants to learn about the intersection of art and technology, this is the episode for you.

Please enjoy my conversation with Bernadine

My guest today is Andy. Andy is the founder of Fractional which is a platform that allows users to buy, sell and mint, fractions of NFTs.

Andy is a part of the MakerDAO mafia and a total legend. He has been super active in the cryptosphere since his initial entry and has been nonstop building ever since

He is also considered someone that has great takes on twitter and gives it to ya straight. His authenticity combined with his crypto-knowledge is what makes this conversation such a a great one. If you are looking to learn about the markets, how to build a company or how to fractionalize your NFTs, then you have come to the right place

Please enjoy my conversation with Andy

My guest today is Alex Svaneik. Alex is the founder of Nansen which is a blockchain analytics platform that allows users to have deep insights into on-chain data.

We go through Alex’s impressive background and the reason he started Nansen. It is super interesting to hear Alex’s entrepreneurial journey from ideation to execution

What was also surprising is how important on-chain data really is - a fact that dawns on me during our conversation. There is an incredible amount of insight and analysis that can be performed on on-chain data in order to generate returns, something I know all of you are deeply interested in.

While speaking with Alex you can tell that Nansen is going to be a monster. Especially because they recently announced that they raised a huge $75m round and are quickly approaching unicorn status.

Please enjoy my conversation with Alex

My guests today are Josie, Ben and Chris. This is a special episode because not only is Josie my wife, but she is also creating a project called Cyberbrokers, which is a series of 10,001 fully on-chain art collectibles. CyberBrokers serve as the foundation for an entire ecosystem that is going to be part story, part game and part experience.

It is incredible to hear the team's story as not only are they all OGs, but they have created this elaborate backstory that explains the lore of the CyberBrokers universe and really brings the project to life. It is also exciting to see how they are pushing the technical boundaries of NFTs by putting assets with exceptionally high-level of detail, on-chain.

It is always amazing speaking with teams of this caliber and I look forward to watching what they build going forward

Also Josie wanted me to remind everyone that the last day to sign up for the CyberBroker allowlist is Feb 18, midnight. Its open to all and anyone can sign up

Please enjoy my conversation with Josie, Ben and Chris.

My guests today are Noah & Ian from Parcel. Parcel is the go-to platform for virtual real estate & experiences, think Zillow but for the metaverse.

I loved chatting with Noah & Ian, not only to hear about their story but also the manner in which they view virtual real estate.

We can think of virtual worlds not like cities, but more like experience platforms. Experiences can be built on every parcel of digital real estate and these platforms will eventually evolve into something like user-owned and governed social media. A much brighter vision than where social media sits today.

Hearing Noah & Ian’s entrepreneurial journey is exciting and inspiring - I hope it encourages more to jump in and start building as it is people like Noah & Ian, the builders, who keep driving the space forward.

Please enjoy my conversation with Noah & Ian.

My guest today is Ori Levi. Ori is the founder of NFTrade which is a decentralized multi-chain NFT marketplace, indexer, and platform.

I often call NFTrade the “Binance” of NFTs because they ship lighting fast and they offer a plethora of NFTs from every chain.

Hearing how Ori operates and builds NFTrade is inspiring to say the least. Launching mid-last year they have already become the most popular destination for certain chains like Avalanche and offer different products like NFT farming and staking.

Ori’s perspective on the market is super insightful and he is seeing the full market picture vs just focused on a singular chain - having insights like that can open some series alpha opportunities.

Please enjoy my conversation with Ori

My guest today is Sillytuna. Sillytuna has to be the OG-iest OGs out there. He is a game developer who got involved in bitcoin in 2012 and hasn't looked back since

He is the creator and founder of numerous different projects and has done some really exciting things. From starting an NFT card game back in 2016, to his new project called Soulcast, and in 2021 he even sold an alien Cryptopunk for $12m dollars.

This episode is like a masterclass in the history of crypto, NFTs, crypto gaming and what the future of this industry holds. It was an absolute pleasure speaking with Sillytuna because his past experiences can teach us a lot about what to expect going forward.

Before diving in, I will leave you with an exciting quote “We’ve got decades to go. We are the internet in 1994.”

With that, please enjoy my conversation with Sillytuna

My guest today is Will Weinraub. Will is the founder of On-Chain studios which is creating Cryptoys. Cryptoys is an exciting NFT toy platform, that is creating interactive NFTs, play-to-earn experiences and much more.

This was an amazing conversation, Will has deep experience as a founder, tinkerer and builder - having started and sold multiple businesses

His first foray as an entrepreneur was at 13 years old making a wrestling fan website for a solid $100 bucks. Fast forward some years, Will created another startup called LiveNinja which was then acquired by a telecom company

That is just a small sneak peek into our conversation but we dive into a ton of different topics like how to start your own business, the challenges that founders face, and of course Cryptoys which after hearing Will talk about it, I think is going to be huge.

If you want to hear some stories from a top founder and about some leaked alpha, then you cant miss this episode

Please enjoy my conversation with Will

My guest today is Alex Gausman. Alex is the founder and lead contributor to NFTX which is NFT liquidity protocol and decentralised NFT exchange

Alex dove deep into crypto in 2017 after discovering Ethereum and was attracted to it by the idea it could become this alternative financial system and economy.

It wasn't until the summer of 2020, after Alex was exploring and investing in the NFT ecosystem, that he decided to create NFTX because of the clear liquidity issues he was experiencing

Initially Created as a protocol to create cryptocurrency that was backed by NFTs, NFTX has evolved from offering NFT index funds to a full blown NFT DEX.

It is clear to me that Alex is an amazing builder who is identifying problems in the ecosystem and creating solutions for them. Something that we should all aspire to do

Please enjoy my conversation with Alex

My guest today is Jen Kim. Jen is the Head of Product at NFTBank which is an NFT finance and portfolio management platform.

Even though Jen says that she is very new to the crypto/NFT ecosystem she is obviously an insanely fast learner because she knows all about the social and financial ramifications NFTs will have on our future. During our conversation we dive into what NFTBank is capable of today and their future plans. Spoiler alert, NFTBank is just getting started. From creating extremely accurate NFT price prediction tools, to NFT portfolio management, to enabling a near limitless number of financial use-cases, NFTBank is a big deal.

If you want to learn about a product we will likely all be using in the near future, then you gotta check out this episode.

Please enjoy my conversation with Jen

My guest today is Rich. Rich is the lead at ReadyPlayerDAO which is a large and successful play-to-earn guild. If you want a masterclass in all things Play-to-Earn then you have come to the right episode.

Rich is an expert having managed his own Play-to-Earn guild before expanding it into ReadyPlayerDAO. On this episode you will learn all the different methods to generate returns from activities like breeding, battling and even future resource collection from digital land.

I expect the Play-to-Earn economy to far surpass the global market for gaming, which is something like $200 billion dollars per year, as Play-to-Earn attracts both gamers and people that want to earn extra income. If you believe in this thesis as well then you can get started on your Play-to-Earn education now

Please enjoy my conversation with Rich.

My guest today is Ian Lee. Warning this episode might blow your mind. Ian is a co-founder of Syndicate Protocol which is part investment protocol and part social network. You will hear multiple times on this episode as my brain attempts to compute what Ian and the syndicate team are building because it so mind bending and will literally change how investing is done forever

Ian and I don't just chat Syndicate protocol but also dive into his thoughts on the crypto & NFT markets, the evolution of web2 to web3, how DAOs are changing the investing world and Ian’s incredible background as a long-time investor and operator

If you want to learn all about DAOs and the future of investing, then you cant miss this episode

Please enjoy my conversation with Ian

My guest today is Harry Zhang. Harry is a co-founder and project lead of Galaxy which is a protocol that powers on-chain credentials through NFTs. Speaking to Harry was amazing, he is a true builder having previously started a few companies and even sold a web3 startup called DLive which was essentially like a decentralised YouTube. There is a very short list of people in the entire world who have started a web3 company and sold it so Harry is filled with knowledge that other founders will find very useful.

As we dive into Galaxy and the future of credentials, it is very clear that he has a deep understanding of the web3 ecosystem. From being involved from both a community and builder standpoint. If you are looking to learn about the future of work, credentials, and how to build in web3, then you cant miss this episode

Please enjoy my conversation with Harry

My guest today is Will Robinson. Will leads the accelerator program at the DeFi Alliance which is part incubator and part investment fund focused on the Defi and web3 gaming ecosystems.

This was an amazing conversation, Will has an incredible background with a PhD in game design and worked at a large accounting company as their in-house crypto expert before moving onto his current role at DeFi Alliance.

Will’s insight on gaming, user motivation, user behavior, storytelling, and so much more is unrivaled. Any and every one who wants to dive deep into the what makes a game great, has to check out you this episode.

Please enjoy my conversation with Will.

My guest today is Justin Trimble. Justin is creative that has a background in psychology but has been interested in music, art, culture, finance and tech since a very early age. Naturally when he discovered NFTs it was the perfect fit

Justin was diving deep into crypto when he discovered cryptopunks and was able to claim for free directly from their website when they first launched.

This was an awesome conversation, Justin is exceptionally thoughtful and he oozes authenticity for his love of our ecosystem. He has interesting thoughts on culture, AI and how memes and NFTs are impacting our society

Justin a great steward of our community and we are really lucky to have someone with his values, busy building in the metaverse

Please enjoy my conversation with Justin

My guest today is Jin. Jin is the metaverse OG.

He has been involved with creating and exploring metaverse related technologies like VR, AR, cryptography, hacker art, video game modding, and so much more. The coolest thing about all of this? He is actually the person who got me deep down the rabbithole of the metaverse back in February 2019 while at the NFT conference, NFT NYC. He was able to put all the pieces of the puzzle together for me and I vividly remember actually having an Ah Ha moment while listening to him speak.

I give so much credit to Jin and those who were early on building towards this world which has the open, fair and decentralized ethos as core components of the metaverse.

If you want to hear from the OG of OGs and to the person that inspired me, then you have to check out this episode.

Please enjoy my conversation with Jin.

My guest today is Jae Chung. Jae is a co-founder of Unicly and a founding member of Jenny DAO. Unicly is a protocol that allows you to combine, fractionalize, and trade NFTs all on a single platform. Jenny DAO is an entity that acquires rare and historically significant NFTs and then fractionalizes them on Unicly.

Jae is a crypto fanatic and has been diving deep into the ecosystem since 2017. From building, to investing to operating, Jae has been busy creating our web3 future.

Hearing Jae’s thoughts and seeing how he operates you can easily tell that Jae is working towards solving the issues that our ecosystem faces and it's awesome to speak with him and hear his story, as its people like Jae that are really pushing this whole space forward.

Please enjoy my conversation with Jae

My guest today is Chris. Chris is a crypto and NFT OG who is the founder of NFT Plazas, a news site that covers all the action in and around the NFT space.

I have known Chris for years and although we have never met in person, count him as a friend and someone who is trustworthy. It's funny how the metaverse can do that.

I bring this up because it is important to have trusted individuals leading organizations that cover the news in our emergent industry.

During our conversation with cover a lot, Chris’s background, how he get involved in the ecosystem, the creation of NFT Plazas and so much more. I always love speaking with those that are not only building in our space but also those that are doing it in a thoughtful manner with the ethos of the open metaverse in mind.

Please enjoy my conversation with Chris

My guest today is Julien Genestoux. Julien is the founder of Unlock Protocol which is a protocol for memberships built using blockchain technology. This enables memberships to not only be ultra secure but super easy to manage as its all done through a couple clicks through a wallet.

Julien was born for web3. He has been coding ever since he was a teen - constantly tinkering and building different software products but always thought there was better architecture for the internet. When he discovered web3 it was game over.

We discuss Juliens background, Unlock protocol and how the many of the problems with the internet stem from the fact that it currently has an ad-driven business model. Engagement means more money which means creating outrage is the most profitable strategy.

Julien is building a future that creates a new business model that will fix many of the deep rooted issues and create a better internet.

Please enjoy my conversation with Julien.

My guest today is John Crain. John is a co-founder and CEO of SuperRare Labs which is the entity that created SuperRare - One of the top NFT art platforms in the world.

John has an amazing background - he is a self taught coder, dove deep into bitcoin, discovered ethereum, found out about NFTs, had a passion for art and joined ALL of that together, to launch SuperRare in early 2018.

We go all throughout the history of SuperRare, the trials and tribulations of being a founder in an emergent industry and the almost absurd conviction it takes to build. It is really inspiring to hear Johns story and it makes you understand the amount of conviction and grit that is needed to create something as successful as SuperRare

We also discuss the team's pathway to decentralize the platform from SuperRare to the SuperRare DAO. I dont want to give too much away but hearing the vision where anyone can have input into the evolution of the platform is remarkable.

If you love art, NFTs and motivating stories well then you have to check out this episode

Please enjoy my conversation with John Crain.

My guest today is Pat Doyle. Pat is a co-founder of Pink Swan Trading which a crypto data analytics company - Us in the NFT space, know them as the creators of the DegenData which is a platform for tons of NFT data insights.

Pat has a super interesting story - Previously he was in the world of healthcare data science before making the dive into crypto. We also discuss some incredible stories about how data has helped him, and others, make great NFT investment decisions.

Another interesting part of our conversation revolves around crypto options. Pat is very knowledgeable about this arena because another one of their company’s products is Genesis Volatility which is an institutional crypto options analytics platform.

So if you want to learn how NFT data can impact investing, how crypto options work, and how these worlds are likely to collide, then you cant miss this one

Please enjoy my conversation with Pat Doyle

My guest today is Roshun Patel aka Ro. Ro is a Vice President at Genesis which is lending and trading desk fully dedicated to the crypto sector.

Ro joined Genesis in the very early days of its formation and has seen it grow from a tiny couple person operation into the behemoth that it is today

We dive deep into crypto lending markets, what they are, how they work and why they are needed.

It was incredible chatting with Ro because he is deep into market psychology, trading, lending and how the crypto markets are evolving from both a ground floor and institutional standpoint

If you want to dive deep into the inner workings of the crypto markets, then this is your episode for you

Please enjoy my conversation with Ro

My guest today is AG. AG is a full-time DAO member at the Index Co-op. Index Co-op is a decentralized autonomous asset manager. Anyone who has listened to my previous episode with Dark Forest will know the power of Index Co-Op but by speaking with AG it opened up even more doors on what is possible with DAOs. After speaking with both Dark Forest and AG I am even more convinced that DAOs will play a huge role in the future of work.

I feel like AG was born to be in a DAO, hearing his background from working and living in multiple countries, working in the finance industry and diving deep into crypto, it seems like the stars have aligned with his current work with DAOs.

If you want to learn about the future of online cooperation, coordination and work, then you can't miss this episode.

Please enjoy my conversation with AG

My guest today is Kijun Seo. Kijun is a co-founder of Planetarium which is the company behind the game Nine Chronicles. Nine Chronicles is wild. A completely open-source, decentralized RPG game built on their own blockchain and governed by the users.

Kijun has an incredible story and background ranging from a deep interest in art to being a game developer working on multiple types of projects. This unique background definitely had an impact on the formation of Nine Chronicles - because the entire ethos of the platform is to empower users and give them nearly unlimited creative freedom

I feel like this episode is a sneak peek into the future of gaming.

Not only encouraging users to create their own user-generated content but rewarding them for doing so and leaving it up to the community on whether or not to include that content into the actual gaming experience. An unbelievable concept that would have simply been impossible a few short years ago.

If you want a sneak peek in the future then you have to check out this episode

Please enjoy my conversation with Kijun

My guest today is Dark Forest.

DF is a full-time DAO member at Index Co-Op

The Index Co-Op is straight from science fiction as it is a decentralized autonomous asset manager that is governed, maintained and upgraded by its users.

DF is a methodologist focused on the Metaverse Index. This product, called MVI is squarely focused on metaverse-related projects in our ecosystem. He is constantly reviewing different projects and will bring them to the DAO so it can vote on whether to add it into the index or pass.

Having a financial entity like this that is owned and governed by its users is mindblowing, total departure from the current structure of the traditional financial system

Dark Forest also has an awesome newsletter and podcast called Metaportal which dives into a range of defi, NFT and metaverse related topics, highly suggest you check it out.

If you want to dive into the future of finance then this is the episode for you.

Please enjoy my conversation with Dark Forest.

My guest today is Aleksander aka Psycheout. Aleksander is a co-founder of Sky Mavis, which is the development studio that created Axie Infinity, and a former competitive esports gamer.

Aleksander story is incredible. He dropped out of one of the top business schools in Norway, did a quick stint working for the norwegian government and then became a full-time competitive gamer becoming one of the top ranked DOTA2 players in the world

Aleksander then started to dabble in crypto and that lead into his involvement in cryptokitties where he met his Axie Infinity co-founders on the cryptokitty discord. I swear this episode just writes itself

We of course also dive into Axie Infinity, Sky Mavis and the future plans for what they are doing and building. Let me tell you, it's exciting.

An amazing conversation and one that I hope  will inspire YOU to go out and create the next big thing

Please enjoy my conversation with Aleksander

My guest today is Donnie Dinch. Donnie was last on the podcast in April 2020 and A LOT has happened since our last chat.

For those who have not hear our previous episode, Donnie is the founder of Bitski which is a platform where anyone can easily create, buy and sell NFTs - think Shopfiy for NFTs. The big differentiator is that Bitski makes this process dead easy with all the incredible tech they have built over the years.

It is amazing to see the progress and traction Bitski has had since we last spoke. Over 100k signed up users, tons of volume and raised a new round of funding led by top funds

I love speaking to Donnie because he is a true builder that has a real passion for our ecosystem. While we dove into what he has been up to at Bitski, the main focus of our conversation was discussing where all this is all headed. He has a front row seat to the action and which allows him to discuss in detail on where we are going. Spoiler alert - we are just at the start and our small space is going to get BIG

Please enjoy my conversation with Donnie.

My guest today is Sarutobi Sasuke. Sarutobi is an Axie Infinity expert who leads partnerships at Yield Guild Games and is also an Axie manager at the NFT fund DAO Blackpool.

He takes me through a detailed guide on how to play Axie, the different classes, the different mechanics and everything you need to know in order to jump in and start playing.

We also discuss play-to-earn and how to operate and manage an Axie scholarship.

I loved our conversation because of how Sarutobi is able to take the sometimes confusing world of crypto gaming and explain it in a succinct manner that anyone can understand.

One thing that Sarutobi said to me that really stuck was how we are all a part of this RPG that is the NFT/crypto space. By participating on Twitter, OpenSea, Discords, different games and platforms, we are overcoming obstacles, gaining levels, making friends in this real world adventure that is the metaverse.

Please enjoy my conversation with Sarutobi Sasuke

My guest today is Jonathan Glick

Jonathan is an internet OG who experienced the dawn of the internet while at AOL, helped the New York Times go digital and spent time at an expert network advising people on the internet. Now he is focused on the next evolution of the internet which is as you can guess, the metaverse.

Because of his deep experience with internet technologies Jonathan is able to eloquently explain the opportunities, dangerous and details that come with the dawn of the metaverse

Jonathan has also been hard at work with the legendary metaverse thought leader, Matthew Ball, on how to create an investment vehicle that allows anyone to get access to the emergent metaverse.

If you want to dive deep into the history of the internet and have an edge in this new metaverse world, then this is one you do not want to miss.

Please enjoy my conversation with Jonathan Glick

My guest today is Aaron Wright. Aaron is a mega OG that has been deeply involved in crypto for years.

He is a man with many talents as he is a professor at a law school in New York, played a role in the launch of Ethereum, published a book, sold a company AND is behind many of the major DAOs that we know today including, the LAO, Flamingo, Neptune and many more.

Aaron gives us a masterclass on all the operational nuisances of running these new types of entities and tells us what the future holds for this emergent metaverse.

If you want to learn all about DAOs, the future of work and ownership, then this is the episode for you.

Please enjoy my conversation with Aaron Wright

My guest today is Conlan Rios who is the founder of the programmable art platform, Async Art.

Conlan and I first met each other inside the virtual world Cryptovoxels. I knew right when I met him that he was going to make big moves because of his intense passion for our space and the fact he was always building interesting things.

Async Art is not a pure art platform how we think of them today with images, GIFs and the like - they have recently expanded into another medium creation - music. Now users are able to have a direct impact over the composition of a song they, and everyone else, are listening to.

In this episode we dive head first in Async Art and how its a game changer, open vs closed ecosystems and we even discuss the controversial topic of NFTs and emissions (spolier - NFTs are great for the environment)

Conlan and the Async team took an extremely powerful idea turned into reality. These are the types of people building the future and I am excited to watch what Conlan the Async team do next.

Please enjoy my conversation with Conlan

My guest today is Cloudwhite

Its difficult to explain Cloudwhite’s background and activities in a simple one liner because he seemingly does it all.

He is known for creating incredible content around the NFT ecosystem and especially around the Axie community. He has even made some hilarious YouTube videos where he raps about Axie infinity - highly suggest you check it out.

Cloudwhite’s skills do not stop there, he was an early community member in Axie Infinity and has been a part of its meteoric rise. And to top all that off he has created a number of fun community lead projects like TextPunks, one where you have to actually get a real tattoo of an Axie, and even Thicc Pokemon which are, unsurprisingly, pokemon with big butts

We get weird and wonderful and this one so I suggest you dive in

Please enjoy my conversation with Cloudwhite

My guest today is AJ. He is a former Amazon data scientist who has turned his focus and skills towards NFTs, specifically the fantasy soccer game called Sorare.

AJ has dominated Sorare since his entry into the game roughly a year ago and has even joined Blackpool as a manager in the Sorare category. Blackpool is an extremely exciting project that is one of the most active NFT investment DAOs but with a focus on yield generation.

It is incredible to hear AJs story, from how he got involved in the NFT space, his investment strategies, his thoughts on Play To Earn and so much more.

Please enjoy my conversation with AJ

My guest today is Tom Sachs. Tom is a world renowned artist that has been experimenting with all forms of art and creation since he was young. Whether it be a painting, sculpture, drawing or NFT, his thirst for designing, destroying and creating never stops

Tom and I go deep on this one. We discuss his creative process, the incredible power of mimesis, his partnership with NFT Studios and of course Rockets.

Toms upcoming NFT project, Rocket Factory is a gamechanger. Users are able to collect 3 rocket pieces, combine them into a singular NFT and then decide to launch the rocket. Tom will literally go into his workshop, build a small rocket and launch it into the sky. The rocket that was launched will then reflect that it had been launched.

Really incredible dynamics combining NFT art with physical world interaction.

Always pushing the boundaries, Tom is someone I suggest you keep an eye on.

Please enjoy my conversation with Tom Sachs.

My guest today is Barthazian. A mechanical engineer by background with a deep interest in cognitive sciences - we get to some really intriguing concepts in this one.

We discussed things like:

Barthazian is a very unique individual with extremely interesting perspectives and really happy he let me pick his brain

Please enjoy my conversation with Barthazian

My guest today is Charles Smith. Charles is the founder of Nifty Island a new blockchain-based virtual world platform that allows everyone to participate immediately by giving them an island to start creating on.

We go deep on this episode - discussing Charles background at the stablecoin protocol  Reserve, how stories drive value, the concept of “Minting new NFT OGs” and how economic empowerment is the key to the metaverse.

We also dive into what it is like to be a founder in the most exciting industry in the world.

John just announced Nifty Island yesterday so be sure to follow their progress until launch

Please enjoy my conversation with Charles Smith

My guest today is John Egan. John is the CEO of the L'Atelier which is a foresight company focused on researching emergent technologies. I first had John on the podcast in June 2020 after L'Atelier released an incredible report on the virtual economy, which of course, heavily featured NFTs.

It is always a great time speaking with John because his knowledge on the metaverse is second to none and he thinks deeply about the societal and ethical ramifications of this new world.

During our conversation which hit upon the different NFT economic sectors, if you actually need blockchain for our future virtual lives and what even is the metaverse.

Another great one you do not want to miss

Please enjoy my conversation with John Egan.

My guest today is Aftab, also known as, DC Investor. Aftab is an investor, advisor and professional Ethereum community member.

Not only does he invest in a whole host of defi and NFT projects on Ethereum but he is also helping with the monumental task of moving Ethereum to ETH2.0.

Aftab has incredible foresight into the future of the crypto economy, how NFTs will evolve and grow and of course how this is all merging into what we call the metaverse.

An incredible conversation with one of the most respected individuals in the ecosystem.

Please enjoy my conversation with Aftab

My guest today is Jess Sloss. Jess is the founder of Seed Club which is a social token incubator. Seed Club is on the bleeding edge of the social token revolution and after speaking with Jess I understand the massive potential of combining creators with social tokens.

Jess is an incredible founder that is focused on the long-term. He knows that social tokens will be a massive market and industry but is openly discovering what are the best methods for creators and fans alike to unlock the full power of social tokens.

If you want to learn more about the future of creators, this is one you cant miss.

Please enjoy my conversation

My guest today is Nate Alex. Nate is the definition of an NFT OG having been around since the early days of CryptoKitties. Today he is the co-founder of the NFT development studio NFT42 which is incredible because he started out in the space with a mere .1 ETH.

Not only a founder, Nate has always been a voracious tinkerer and builder, having created NFT projects like ChainFaces, Squigly WTF and more.

It is incredible to hear Nates story as it shows that hard work and dedication really pays off in our rapidly growing industry

Please enjoy my conversation with Nate Alex.

My guest today is Brendan Cooper. Brendan is the Director of blockchain and NFTs at Panini America. Panini is one of the oldest collectible companies in the world and considered one of the top companies in the space with licenses from the NBA, NFL, FIFA, and more than 300 others.

Our conversations not only covers how Panini is thinking about the NFT space but also what their plans are. It is also amazing to hear insights from Brendan about the collectibles industry because much of the learnings from Panini, a 60 year old company, can be applied to our fast growing ecosystem.

Please enjoy my conversation with Brendan

My guest today is Arif Khan.

Arif is the founder of Alethea AI which is a platform to create, share and monetize synthetic media. They are creating this synthetic media with the help of AI and GPT3 - What this means is that we are now able to create totally artificial characters and we can have regular conversation with these virtual beings.

This conversation was amazing because Arif is able to effectively explain how AI will impact the metaverse and our future. Also it opened up my eyes to the multidimensional nature of NFTs. I generally thought of NFTs as static images, GIFs or video but by adding upgradable intelligence we are creating an entirely new layer of the metaverse.

Please enjoy my conversation with Arif

My guest today is Nick Emmons. Nick is the founder of the question and answer protocol UpShot.

UpShot incentivizes people to answer subjective questions. The implications of a product like this are incredibly profound.

UpShot can be used to receive answers on NFT valuations, determine if a piece of news is fake and even help solve issues around decentralized governance. The applications for this type of protocol are literally endless.

It was incredible to speak with Nick because he is not only extremely intelligent but looks at solving problems in novel ways. This becomes very apparent throughout the episode as we discuss UpShot and the elegant architecture that he has created.

This was an exciting conversation that just scratches the surface of total design space for this type of protocol.

Please enjoy my conversation with Nick Emmons.

My guest today is Nadia from Snark dot art

Snark dot art is part technology studio and part art gallery. They work with artists of all types and act as the bridge into the digital realm. With an amazing team stacked with people from the art and tech world, snark dot art is positioned to be an important player.

Nadia has incredible perspective on the art world as she has been immersed in the industry throughout most of her career. We discussed everything from what is the purpose of art, what makes art valuable and even what is art.

If you love art and NFTs, then this is one you do not want to miss.

Please enjoy my conversation with Nadia.

My guest today is Ben Lakoff. Ben is one of the founders of Charged Particles which is a protocol for creating interest-generating NFTs. Ben and I had an awesome and wide ranging conversation - discussing everything from Ben's experience overseas, his own podcast and  how configurable interest works within Charged Particles.

I can really tell that Ben is passionate about his work and Charged Particles seems to be a very innovative and exciting protocol.

Looking forward to a future where all NFTs can generate their owners income via defi protocols.

Please enjoy my conversation with Ben.

My guest today is Emma-Jane MacKinnon-Lee. Emma-jane is the founder of Digitalax, which is an NFT protocol focused on digital fashion. She is also the founder of Monaville which helps fashion designers create realistic looking digital clothing and materials. Combined she is creating the complete end-to-end infrastructure for the burgeoning digital fashion industry.

Emma-jane is extremely well versed in the technology stack that the digital fashion industry will encompass and also the macro picture on how large the digital fashion market will actually become (hint, it's going to be huge).

I really enjoyed our conversation because Emma-jane is a natural founder who loves the grind and is building towards our digital future. Keep on eye on Emma-jane as I know she is going to do big things.

Please enjoy my conversation with Emma-jane

My guest today is Brian O’Hagan, who leads growth at the football (or soccer for us Americans) collectible game Sorare.

I had a blast learning all about Brians background and his entrance into the cryptosphere but what was really exciting was learning all about Sorare.

If you are in the NFT ecosystem you know Sorare, they have been dominating the top sales charts on OpenSea for many months now and show no signs of slowing down.

I admit that I know next to nothing about football so having Brian explain how Sorare works in great detail was perfect. After our conversation I became convinced that Sorare has changed the fantasy sports and collectibles arena for good and I know Sorare is going to be huge.

Please enjoy my conversation with Brian.

My guest today is Metakovan. Metakovan is the largest NFT collector in the world and recently spent $2.2m dollars on acquiring twenty 1/1 Beeple art pieces. All of his NFT-related endeavors are through an entity called Metapurse which is half NFT fund and half production company.

We hit it all in our conversation, his background, his thesis, his goals, we could have talked for hours and hours. I loved how Metakovan discusses his acquisition of the Beeple pieces and his future plans with something called B20 which is going to change the way people experience art.

One thing I want people to know is how down to earth Metakovan is. I had the pleasure of meeting Metakovan in person at NFT NYC and we bonded over our shared love of the metaverse and of course, late night Taco Bell. I can honestly say he is one of the kindest people I have ever met.

I am really looking forward to the future with Metakovan because he is working hard to inspire many and build incredible things for the entire metaverse.

Please enjoy my conversation with Metakovan.

My guest today is Kayvon. Kayvon is the founder of the crypto creator platform Foundation.

Foundation is a platform for artists, animators, and creatives of all types to tokenize their work and a marketplace where collectors can see a curated selection of amazing NFTs.

It was a pleasure to have Kayvon come on the podcast because we have been friends for over half a year, which as you know in crypto terms is actually like 7 years or something. Our conversations are always inspiring and I always manage to feel like I have learned something after our chats.

Kayvon is building something really special with Foundation and truly believes we are in the midsts of a creative revolution.

Foundation has already been crushing it but they have a lot of exciting new stuff coming this year so I suggest everyone stay tuned.

Please enjoy my conversation with Kayvon.

My guest today is Swiss Crypto Cat.

Swiss is the creator of La Citadel VR which is a community of crypto enthusiasts that meet in a virtual environment that Swiss designed.

Swiss first learned about NFTs in the very early days of their creation. Discovering Rare Pepes on the counterparty blockchain which were around all the way back in late 2016.

What I loved about our conversation is that Swiss built La Citadel VR from the ground up and is motivated to spread the good word about bitcoin.

His objective is to gather like minded people who can bond over their shared love of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Now that is a goal I can get behind.

Please enjoy my conversation with Swiss Crypto Cat

My guest today is WhaleShark.

This is my second episode with WhaleShark, the first being a Hotseat episode which was where I grilled him with questions about his project.

He passed that episode with flying colors but we never had the chance to sit down and have a regular conversation.

This is that episode. We get to learn about WhaleSharks background, his business interests, thoughts and theses surrounding the NFT ecosystem and of course his social token $WHALE.

What I loved about our conversation is that WhaleShark speaks very directly and honestly about what he did to get to where he is today. He discusses the details, strategies and basically entire playbook on how to go from idea to successful project.

To sum it up, it's a lot of blood, sweat and tears but WhaleShark proves that anyone can make it if they put in work.

Please enjoy my conversation with WhaleShark

Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaleShark_Pro

My guest today is Colborn Bell.

Colborn is a cofounder of the Museum of crypto art, commonly called the MoCA. Colborn runs the MoCA with his business partner and friend Pablo. Together they have amassed an incredible collection of crypto art and show no signs of slowing down.

Speaking with Colborn really makes me understand the potential and power of blockchain for creators of all types. They are now able to control their own destiny and create with total freedom which is leading to a creators resonance.

As well as their investments in the crypto art scene, MoCA is also heavily involved with the virtual world of Somnium Space. Colborns passion for Somnium is contagious and he dives deep into what makes it such an incredible and immersive experience.

The MoCA has built an incredible galleries in-world, where people can see amazing pieces of crypto art in full virtual reality. I can't wait to see what creative experiences Colborn and the MoCA team comes up with next.

Please enjoy my conversation with Colborn

My guest today is Carlos Gomes.

Carlos is a man of many talents. He works as a software developer at the crypto exchange Huobi, is the founder of social of the token website ForeFront and even launched his own social token called $SWAGG.

His background and story is extremely interesting and took him from the Cape Verde islands all the way to China and Silicon Valley.

Our conversation focuses on social tokens as Carlos has built an incredible website called forefront which acts as the the one stop shop for all things social tokens. Part coinmarketcap, part news platform and there is even a resource section to learn everything there is about social tokens.

We discuss what social tokens are, how they enable creators and communities, and dive deep into his own social token called $SWAGG.

It was really great to learn all about this fast growing ecosystem from Carlos because he is not only building in it but also putting his money where his mouth is by launching his own token. Carlos is making big moves and definitely someone that everyone needs to follow.

Please enjoy my conversation with Carlos.

My guest today Piers Kicks.

Piers is a partner at the legendary Delphi Digital, which is part crypto research firm, part consulting firm and to top it all off they recently launched their venture capital arm.

If that is not impressive enough Piers also has his own incredible podcast focused solely on the metaverse called Metaverse Musings.

Piers and I hit it all in our conversation. His long history of gaming, thoughts on the crypto asset class, and what impacts the metaverse will have on our society.

What I loved about our conversation is Piers deep insight and knowledge and all things metaverse. He has been studying this idea for years and it truly shows as we go from speaking about NFTs to the societal ramifications of our digital future.

Please enjoy my conversation with Piers Kicks.

My guest today is Matty, also known as DCL Blogger.

Matty is one of the most successful NFT traders and earliest NFT content creators in the ecosystem. Our conversation touches upon all of Matty’s best techniques for NFT trading and we also discuss his process for creating NFT content.

Matty oozes experience and knows the space like the back of his hand. He knows who is who, what is trading where and the best method to get it. Even though his focus is virtual land, he is knowledgeable about pretty much every type of NFT

What I loved about our conversation is how Matty tells it like it is, no sugarcoating and just spitting straight truth. Many people, myself included, tend to hold back in certain instances. Not Matty, he's out here dropping knowledge. That's why he has connected so well with everyone in our community and why he will continue on his path as one of the most successful NFT traders and content creators in our space.

Please enjoy my conversation with Matty

Twitter - https://twitter.com/DCLBlogger

Website - https://dclblogger.com/

My guest today is Fanny Lakoubay

She is the COO of CADAF - Contemporary & Digital Art Fair, and a curator at the MoCDA: Museum of Contemporary Digital Art. She has involvement with Radical Exchange and ETHlocal.

Before going full crypto she worked at the intersection of art and tech for 10 years and also at the legendary art auction house Christies. Luckily for us, she caught the bug and has been in crypto ever since.

Fanny has the unique experience and perspective to realize that we are at an incredible moment in art history and throughout our conversation we hit upon all topics related to art, both crypto and traditional. We also discuss Fanny’s involvement with RadicalxChange which is an organization that aims to tackle hard problems that our politician system ignores.

I learned so much during our conversation and I am already looking forward to the next one.

Please enjoy my conversation with Fanny.

My guest today is Chris Chapman.

Chris is an advisor to Blockade Games and deeply involved in the crypto gaming ecosystem. He has an incredible background that starts in the early days of the web before the internet was the internet.

We discussed his journey through the pre.com era of the web, building platforms for virtual worlds, the blockchain game movement and the metaverse.

What I loved about our conversation was hearing about Chris’s amazing experience with internet native technologies and how he has deeply thought about the ramifications of our digital future.

Please enjoy my conversation with Chris.

My guests today are Stephen and Mads.

Stephen is the founder of the newly launched NFT loan platform, NFTfi. Mads is the founder of a tech startup called Bibblio but his nights and weekends are spent in the NFT ecosystem. He is an advisor to NFTfi and has been involved since its inception.

We discuss it all, from their backgrounds, to cyber physical systems, token engineering, and bringing DeFi into the NFT space. I loved our conversation because of the diverse topics we touched upon and also because of Stephen and Mads differing skill sets. Stephen has the magical combination of technical and creative while Mads has deep expertise with operating startups and marketing.

What I find really exciting is their ultimate objective which is “to bring more liquidity to the NFT markets” NFTfi is starting with loans but I could see it becoming something much bigger.

Please enjoy my conversion with Stephen and Mads.

My guest today is Aleks Larsen, a senior associate at the $300m dollar venture fund, Blockchain Capital. Blockchain Capital is one of the oldest, most reputable and largest venture funds in the crypto space.

It was a blast getting to speak with Aleks, thoughtful, eloquent and insatiably curious, Aleks and I touched upon all parts of the NFT ecosystem. I peppered him with questions ranging from his thoughts on the metaverse, the ethos of crypto, and what advice he would give a team pitching Blockchain Capital. Anyone who is looking to form a startup and raise venture capital, I highly suggest you listen to this insightful conversation.

Please enjoy my conversation with Aleks.

My guests today are Nate and Carolin. They are the founders of the NFT minting platform, Mintbase.

Mintbase allows anyone to set up a shop and start minting all types of NFTs, from tickets, to art, game items and now, even music!

We discuss everything. Nate's tech background, Carolin’s experience working in the German parliament and of course we dive really deep into Mintbase.

What I really loved about our conversion was Nate and Carolin’s sincerity. Just straight facts and without all the hype.

Nate and Carolin are really building something special with a core focus on the users. Constant communication and user feedback acts as their north star and guides them on what gets built. They say the single goal of your startup should be to build a product users love and it looks like Mintbase is doing exactly that.

Please enjoy my conversation with Nate and Carolin.

My guest today is John Egan. John is the CEO of the foresight company L’atelier. L’atelier, meaning “workshop” in French, is a subsidiary of the French banking giant, BNP Paribas. L’atelier’s job is to identify future market opportunities and conduct deep analysis of these emergent opportunities. And oh boy, do they deliver.

The market opportunity that they have identified and decided to dive deepest on, is the virtual economy. They recently produced an incredible research report, which I am not afraid to say is some of the best in the world on this topic.

John’s depth of knowledge is staggering. During our conversation, we touched upon almost everything metaverse. Virtual worlds, economics, artificial intelligence, bioaugmentation, and the pros and cons of our inevitable digital reality.

Our conversation could have lasted days but alas we had to get back to the metaverse. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

My guest today is Jason Bailey. Jason is the founder of Artnome which started out as a database that tracks extremely high-value artworks but has since expanded into a multifaceted business, ranging from art curation, art consultation and even a thriving blog focused on the intersection of art and technology.

Jason’s background is perfectly suited for our conversation which is centered around the convergence of art and tech that we are all currently experiencing. He went from a successful machine learning startup to launching Artnome and is now widely known within the traditional art world for his technological expertise.

During our conversation, we discuss everything art and tech. Generative art, ai art, crypto art, how to value art, and much more. Jason has an incredible ability to explain difficult concepts even to art newbie like myself.

I am so fortunate to be able to speak with Jason. Having someone of his caliber interested in the crypto art space is a signal to us all, that we are onto something big.

Please enjoy my conversation with Jason.

My guest today is Edward Thomson. Edward has an incredibly interesting background that ranges from traditional finance, to crypto, to even being a Persian rug salesman.

This diverse background helped him build multiple skill sets which come in handy for his current job, which is Grants Manager for the Web3 Foundation.

The Web3 Foundation is best known for being the group behind the newly launched, Polkadot blockchain.

Edwards's interests don't stop there, he has dived deep into decentralized gaming, going so far as to suggest different architectures that could facilitate fully on-chain games today.

Falling further down the metaverse rabbit hole we look at esports DAOs and how they will eventually evolve into fully-fledged companies and how the line between what is reality and what is a game will soon become blurred.

All in all, an awesome and wide-ranging conversation that I hope you will enjoy as much as I did.

My guest today is Brett Shear, or for those in the NFT community, BlockchainBrett. Brett is a co-founder and COO of Fleek, which is a platform for building websites and applications on IPFS.

Our conversations starts with his introduction to crypto, which involves a random encounter with some classmates, his time at Ethereum incubator Consensys, the startup he was a part of while there and of course, Fleek.

Along with building crypto products, Brett has an intense passion for the arts, specifically crypto kind of art. Although a huge fan of the artist Coldie, he collects all types of work and NFTs.

I love Brett's views on the crypto and NFT ecosystem and I also love that he is not just an enthusiast admiring from the sidelines but he is heads down, busy building a product to further the goals of decentralization.

Please enjoy my conversation with Brett.

My guest today is Anorak. Anorak is an investor, user, and all-round believer in the metaverse. Although Anorak's passion is mainly focused on the Decentraland Metaverse he supports the entire NFT ecosystem and is an especially big fan of the game Axie Infinity.

We discuss everything from virtual casinos and museums to even token economics and the sociable nature of NFTs.

What I loved about our conversation is that Anorak is a true NFT and metaverse die hard, this is not simply a hobby for him but a passion that he looks forward to every day.

Be sure to keep watch on Anorak because he is making moves and will continue to be a force for good in the metaverse.

Please enjoy my conversation with Anorak.

My guest today is Max. Max is the founder of Cent which is an Ethereum-powered social network that enables users to earn income from their creativity. Talk about shattering the status quo.

Max has that rare trait of philosophical vision mixed with technical expertise. He is able to think about what is wrong with the world and then go out and build a solution to fix it.

We go deep on this one, discussing the banality of the modern job and the restructuring of society to allow people to do what they do best: create.

I also really loved Max’s way of thinking, from taking me through the amazing amount of detail that goes into a seemingly simple design decision, to his idea that you really are not saying anything if nobody disagrees with you.

Overall an amazing conversation that I hope will inspire listeners to take action and go out and build.

Please enjoy my conversation with Max

My guest today is Chris Bell. A real estate investor and virtual reality devotee who has dived deep into the NFT space.

Chris and I discuss everything from physical and virtual real estate, to how to build wealth and even how virtual worlds are naturally evolving into social networks.

Chris has a clear passion for the blockchain-based virtual world Somnium Space and I have to say it's quite infectious. His intense excitement for the metaverse is logical considering the incredible capabilities of these platforms today.

If we are already on a level where you can easily socialize, trade with them and even do things like watch a virtual sunrise, well then I can't wait for the future potential of these platforms.

Please enjoy my conversation with Chris.

My guest today is Jake. Jake is a man of many talents, from art to tech he seems to be exercising both the creative and analytical sides of his brain with regularity.

Jake is probably most well known for being the founder and managing partner of CoinFund, an investment firm focused on the blockchain sector.

Having been involved with crypto since the early days Jake is exceptionally well versed in all things traditional crypto and he is extremely knowledgeable about the niche of non-fungible tokens. This expertise allows our conversation to dive deep into mainstream crypto-specific subjects and then into the more esoteric NFTs topics.

We also talk about Jake’s keen interest in crypto art and how it's democratizing access to both artists and collectors. And of course we chat about the metaverse and how blockchain provides the value, identity, and data layer for the future virtual worlds we will inhabit.

It was really great speaking with Jake and I can't wait to see his continued involvement within the NFT space.

Please enjoy my conversation with Jake.

Today I have a very special episode with the legend himself, Whaleshark. This episode is structured differently than most because instead of asking big picture questions about the metaverse or NFTs, I focus solely on asking hard questions about his specific project, the $whale social token.

I am calling this the “Hotseat series.” and I am super thankful Whaleshark was willing to let me interrogate him. I hope to turn these types of “hotseat” episodes into an entire series where I can ask founders the tough questions.

Again, big thanks to Whaleshark for being such a great sport.

Now, please enjoy The Hotseat with Whaleshark.

My guest today is Brian Flynn. Formerly at Dapper Labs Brian is now focusing his attention on building his own product for the crypto ecosystem.

Brian has an interesting background that involves professional Esports, a startup that incentives real-world activity with reward points, and a newsletter, called NFTY News.

We hit a ton of topics during our conversation, like Brian's journey through crypto and how he got his job at Dapper Labs, the issues with the NFT ecosystem, using crypto to evolve the concept of the marketplace and, of course, we dove deep into how we will achieve a true metaverse.

I loved Brian’s point of view because he has such a diverse set of experiences that involve theory through his writings and actual boots on the ground experience building at Dapper Labs. This skillset makes Brian’s opinion very valuable for our ecosystem and I can't wait to see what he builds next.

Please enjoy my conversation with Brian.

My guest today is Avaer.

Avaer is working on bleeding edge technology called the Webaverse. The Webaverse is essentially infrastructure that enables the metaverse to be experienced everywhere online and using any technology. Think of it like - how you can access websites from your desktop or phone and still have a similar experience.

Our conversation is heavily focused on the metaverse but we also discuss different funding methods, from DAOs to venture capital, launching a metaverse technology while literally in the metaverse, and how through collaboration when can expedite the emergence of this technology.

Speaking with Avaer, you quickly understand that he is driven by his mission - to aid in the construction of an open and inclusive metaverse. He is always thinking and acting in a collaborative fashion to reach this goal. I know if we can get behind Avaer’s vision then we will be fully immersed in the virtual in no time.

Please enjoy my conversation with Avaer.

My guest today is Donnie, a co-founder of Bitski. Bitski is creating a developer-focused wallet that does all the heavy lifting. It allows devs to focus on building and not have to worry about any of the “crypto” stuff.

I, admittedly, often overlook the infrastructure that powers the NFT ecosystem and really enables all of this to happen but after speaking with Donnie I quickly understood the power and potential of Bitski. In order to get the next million users we not only need better user experiences but the developers need better tools, and that's exactly what Donnie is building.

We didn't just talk wallets the whole time but also discussed how gaming is evolving towards open-ended structures, why now is the time to build and how we will be able to earn money from the games we play and the assets that we hold.

All in all, I loved our conversation and if you are building a game or Dapp that utilizes crypto then Donnie is the guy to talk to.

Please enjoy my conversation with Donnie

My guest today is ToxSam, the founder of Polygonal Mind. Polygonal Mind is a creative development studio that focuses on designing structures in virtual worlds. Although his firm has made creations for all types of games from mobile to VR, his passion lies in the metaverse. He is a fierce proponent of the metaverse and his team takes every opportunity they can to build in virtual worlds like Decentraland.

We discussed NFTs, design, and creativity. We also dived into how a chance meeting led him down the rabbit hole of non-fungible tokens and how he immediately understood their implications for the broader metaverse ecosystem. I am really looking forward to Polygonal Mind’s continued progress in architecting the virtual worlds that we will soon inhabit.

Please enjoy my conversation with ToxSam.

My guests today are brothers, Duncan and Griffin, the co-founders of Nifty Gateway. Nifty Gateway is the world's first centralized NFT exchange that allows people to buy nifties using fiat currency.

Started in 2018 and acquired by the Winklevoss twins crypto exchange, Gemini, it's safe to say that Duncan and Griffin are onto something big. They are trying to reduce the barriers to entry so the next million and, eventually billion, people can get onboarded into the nifty ecosystem.

It was great speaking with Duncan and Griffin and getting to know everything from their unique go-to-market approach to how they pitch nifties to non-crypto natives. Also, we dive deep into how narrative and proof-of-work impacts the art world. Keep on an eye on these two because they are making big moves and pushing our space forward.

Please enjoy my conversation with Duncan and Griffin

My guest today is n0shot, co-founder of Async Art. 

n0shot and his other co-founders are transforming the art world by enabling artists to create programmable artwork. The artwork launched on their platform can change in real-time and actually react to outside events. Talk about the next evolution of the art game.

Speaking with n0shot I got the sense that he is the perfect person to help lead this endeavor. Programmable art requires both analytical and creative skills working in unison and he seems to have them both locked down.

Our conversation does not only touch upon the traditional art world but also how digitization is unlocking the boundless creativity of artists to create more immersive experiences.

Please enjoy my conversation with n0shot.

My guest today is Joel, co-founder of Metalith and NIFTEX. Joel is building products that are expanding the economic capabilities of NFTs.

By focusing on foundational financial infrastructure, Joel intends to set up the NFT market to be larger than the traditional crypto market.

Speaking with Joel reminds me a lot of reading Fred Ehrsam’s early blogs. For those who don't know, Fred is the former co-founder of Coinbase. Fred’s blogs from 2016 and 2017 were so far ahead of their time, reading them will make you feel like he had access to a time machine. Joel seems to have that same foresight when it comes to NFTs.

Per usual, what I admire most about Joel is that he is a builder, not just thinking of the future and how it will play out but actively shaping it.

Please enjoy my conversation with Joel.

My guests today are Sebastien and Nathan. They are building the blockchain-based metaverse called The Sandbox.

The approach that they are taking towards constructing a fun and fair metaverse is exceptionally well thought out. They are not only focused on today but thinking years down the line, everything from how the users will move around the world to creating free design software for easy content creation. Each step meant to create the best experience for a well-functioning metaverse.

With Sebastien’s vast knowledge of the traditional gaming industry and Nathan's crypto-specific expertise, they make a formidable portion of the 30 plus team at The Sandbox. They deeply understand how blockchain changes the dynamic between users and game developers. When users have real skin in the game they become true citizens of the metaverse. With both of them at the helm of The Sandbox, their corner of the metaverse is in good hands.

My guest today is Trilist.

Trilist is so deeply involved with the NFT space I don't think a one-line description does him justice.

Trislit is like a dictionary on all things non-fungible token. Not only is he one of the kindest and wholesome characters in our ecosystem, he seemingly knows everyone and everything happening within our ever-evolving space. Which as you know, is no easy task.

Besides having immense knowledge of the NFTs he is also filled to the absolute gills with different ideas on gameplay, lore, design, community and essentially all aspects on what makes a great game.

Speaking with Trilist made me appreciate the detail and nuisance of gaming. He made me realize that having a game or metaverse with the core basics figured out is not enough, to truly have engrossing virtual experiences we need to dive deep on the narrative. For its always the story that really brings experiences to life.

Please enjoy my conversation with Trislit.

My guest today is James, a multi-district leader in Decentraland.

James is intensely focused on bringing the metaverse to life by leading the festival, university and vegas districts in the virtual world of Decentraland. We dive into different metaverse-native business models and why blockchain-based virtual worlds are more akin to platforms than games. James is filled with different ideas on how to accelerate the emergence of the metaverse and he has the technical chops to back it up. We even discuss the future of the ecosystem and what the Google of NFTs would look like.

My guest today is Baus, the founder of Decentral Games.  

Baus is building The Flamingos, a casino in the virtual world of Decentraland, but if you think that is cool, it gets better.  

Not only is he creating a revenue-generating business within the Decentraland metaverse, but while on his mission to create the best user experience for those in his casino, he is actually streamlining interactions with the blockchain so they become almost effortless.  

The technologies and techniques that he is developing can radically simplify blockchain applications for the wider world. And that can't come soon enough.  

My guest today is Artur, the founder of Somnium Space.

Artur is building a virtual reality enabled metaverse with Ethereum-based asset ownership. I loved our conversation because Instead of NFTs, we mainly focused on what our virtual future will look like.

Artur is a metaverse maximalist that believes that our society and the entire world will be radically transformed by virtual reality and its associated environments. And that is why he is so focused on building Somnium Space. Like most guests we have on the podcast, Artur is a doer and willing the metaverse into life with his team. I am so fortunate that I am in the right place at the right time, to be able to watch the metaverse form before my eyes.

Please enjoy my conversation with Artur.

My guest today is Dan, a co-founder of Nonfungible.com. Dan is building a platform that focuses on the data surrounding the NFT ecosystem but has plans to turn it into much much more.

What I loved about our conversation was Dan's focus on the core fundamental values of the crypto ecosystem: Transparency, security, and self-sovereignty.   

For Dan, this is not just another industry he wants to be apart of because of its massive growth potential, this is not even an industry at all for him. This is a movement, this is a revolution to create a more transparent and freer society. 

Now that is something I want to be apart of.

Please enjoy my conversation with Dan. 

My guest today is Devil. An Artist, creative and community builder., A leading authority on all things NFT, Devil is a jack of all trades. If you need an incredible structure built in the metaverse, a beautiful piece of voxel art or someone to shepherd your growing NFT community, Devil is your guy.

What I loved about our conversation was the focus on how the NFT space fosters an amazing community of creatives. It seems everywhere we look, new experiments are happening with passionate people who are ushering in the digital renaissance.

Please enjoy my conversation with Devil.

My guest today is Jiho. The co-founder and head of growth at Axie Infinity. Not one to follow the well-trodden path, Jiho blazes his own trail.

Whether he's creating a successful NFT project or integrating DeFi into gameplay mechanics, Jiho sets a furious pace of constant innovation.

We covered a multitude of topics during our conversation but the recurring theme was to focus on the fundamentals: Listen to the community, always innovate and create a great experience for the users.

Please enjoy my conversation with Jiho.