The Founders of https://twitter.com/lasso_labs

https://twitter.com/nnhafrey

and Karthik Thiyagarajan

talk about the NFT search engine they built.

Summary

How did you get into NFTs?

0:00

Combining NFT data silos seamlessly to power new use cases.

4:26

Non-speculative use cases of NFTs.

9:39

Crypto-native games.

15:07

How Lassolabs index NFT data.

19:27

Learnings from early product feedback from users.

25:24

Utility as a proxy for NFT community health.

30:08

Timestamps;

How Spencer got involved with Crypto Kitties in Asia?

2:27

What’s unique about the asian market in the NFT space?

5:00

The current landscape of the NFT trading market.

11:22

What does the future of NFT trading marketplaces look like?

20:49

How are NFT AMMs superior to regular NFT marketplaces.

23:41

New usecases for NFT AMMs specifically for NFT projects in bootstrapping liquidity.

27:04

Collection.xyz how does it work?

33:44

Links

https://twitter.com/spenceryang

https://twitter.com/collectionweb3

Boffin talks about how NFTs is an emotionally loaded term, and that many people would buy NFTs if they were not called that.

Boffin talks his theory of why reddit NFTs will accrue value, and the longer the collectible lasts, the more people get on board, the oldest ones will be worth the most.

Boffin says the earliest people have the best handles on twitter, and that they can use flex to stand out.

Boffin says that Reddit NFTs is a pretty big bet personally for him on the long term future of them.

Boffin talks about how the product decisions of the Reddit team have an impact on the future value of Reddit NFTs and how much they want to support the project.

Boffin says owning the collectible avatars makes owners financially invested in reddit making good product decisions going forward. Boffin mentions the governance stack they’ve built on Arbitrum.

Boffin talks about how he evaluates projects in general and talks about how to predict if a narrative will take off. Boffin talks about various narratives that he thought would take off but hasn't including Cool Cats. It has been directionless and the floor of the cool cats community has dropped.

Boffin discusses the narrative of Squiggles as another example of a narrative that didn't take off like he thought.

Boffin discusses his favourite nfts and says he like buying from small artists.

Timestamps

How he got into crypto in 2013. 1:33

The amount of capital he’s spent on reddit NFTs. 7:41

How to stand out in a digital world. 16:58

How much does reddit want to continue to support NFTs? 22:50

How traits work in Reddit NFTs - 25:56

NFT thesis that didn’t work out. 32:46

Coolcats, an example of a narrative that didn’t take off. 39:09

What is your favourite NTFT and why? - 43:30

Links;

https://twitter.com/NinjaBoffin/status/1585626484731174912

https://twitter.com/NinjaBoffin/

Episode Show Notes

Conor Moore discusses the two schools of thought on NFT lending markets, the peer to peer market vs the peer to pool market. And the various pros and cons of each approach. Conor Moore talks about how the inspiration for Metastreet vaults was to take the benefits of peer to pool and overlay that behind the peer to peer market.

David Choi discusses Powersweep, an integration to increase captive use case for the vaults. David Choi notes that early on, users of the vaults were doing a positive carry trade because of the low cost of capital. That use case disappeared with the bear market onset. Now, they are pioneering use cases around leveraged NFT trading.

Conor Moore talks about the how the leveraged purchase of NFTs is similar to real world examples of leveraged purchases such as real estate. David Choi notes that he didn't like the trad art lending markets because it’s slimy, fascinated by cash flow generating NFTs. David Choi talks about his vision for what Metastreet is building.

David Choi discusses the Metaverse Economic Forum (MEF) and notes that their goal is to bring builders together into a more cohesive community to create the capital markets of the metaverse.

David Choi and Conor Moore talk about what their favourite NFTs are.

Timestamps

The bad and the good of peer-to-peer lending markets. 6:06

What is the use case for NFT lending? 11:17

What are the differences between how people use borrowed funds in the art lending market vs. NFT lending? 16:12

What is the non-recourse art lending industry?

19:43

Do you think that a completely different demographic of people needs to come in order for NFTs to go "mainstream"?

25:15

What’s the future of capital markets in the metaverse?

29:34

Liquidity and price discovery in the metaverse.

37:41

Links

https://metastreet.xyz/

https://mobile.twitter.com/_conormoore

https://twitter.com/ktkzergs

If you’re interested in the Web3 gaming space then today’s episode is for you! We’ll be unpacking where Web3 gaming is currently at, the trends we’ve been noticing, and what developments we expect to see from this field going forward. Here to help us unpack this topic is special guest, Kepler, a builder, and writer who specializes in crypto and the Web3 gaming space. Tuning in you’ll hear us discuss the state of Web3 gaming, the role that speculation plays in feeding this ecosystem, and how these games are succeeding (and failing) at creating new genres and formats. Our conversation covers some of the challenges that Web3 gaming is currently facing, including how to support both investors and gamers, and what it means to create an infrastructure that accommodates a range of risk profiles. We also discuss the concept of social innovation in gaming, how Web3 is facilitating it, and what some of our favourite Web3 games.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know today’s guest, Kepler, and how he got into the Web3 gaming space.
• Top takeaways from the recent article that Kepler wrote on Web3 gaming.
• Kepler’s thoughts on the future of Web3 gaming and how to limit speculation.
• The potential for people to play Web3 games for fun, and not just with an earning mindset.
• An overview of battle royale games and how they are significant to Web3 gaming.
• The potential role that esports and streamers could play in Web3 gaming.
• A breakdown of the analogy that compares Web3 games to nightclubs.
• How to create a Web3 game that accommodates a range of players.
• Why Web3 games should have the option of playing with different risk profiles.
• The concept of permadeath and how it affects your gaming experience.
• The difficult decision many Web3 games are facing when it comes to prioritizing their investors or their gamers.
• The new genres and functionalities that crypto and Web3 gaming could potentially offer.
• How Web3 gameplay is paving the way for social innovation.
• Why developers need to understand what different players are motivated by.
• The benefits of giving people the opportunity to explore all your gaming features.
• The real reasons why NFT and Web3 gaming has grown so quickly.
• Learn what Kepler’s favourite Web3 game of the moment is!

Tweetables:

“When you open the economy to everyone, even players that are not inside the game, and you allow for trading, you also open it up to speculation. And that can basically destroy your whole game.” — Kepler

“You probably shouldn't make every asset into an NFT. Because it just becomes way harder for you to control the economy.”

“Crypto is basically risky. So what you could do is have players self-select a risk profile. So when you're looking at an esports game, some people just want to play the game, and others want to play wager matches. So that's much higher risk.”

“At one point, mobile games got a template and then everyone did it. There's nothing like that in Web3 gaming, for now. But I think that's also the interesting part of it because we're in the exploration phase and not the exploitation phase of ideas.” 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Floor Is Rising

Ever wondered how different the world of NFTs is in Japan? Well, today we are lucky enough to be joined by two great guests, Takuya Kitagawa and AT, to give us some real, first-hand insight into the overlaps and contrasts that are happening with regard to the burgeoning scene. We have a great conversation unpacking some basics about our guests' entry into the NFT space, and what initially drew them in. From there we look at the major hallmarks of what is popular right now in Japan, and how this compares to the rest of the world, before talking about important aspects of the field such as influencer and celebrity marketing. Takuya and AT then spend some time illuminating the inner workings of Nannda, and some more general thoughts on game design, and we finish off our chat by considering which types of games appeal to different Japanese demographics and why. Join us to hear it all!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Our guests' paths into working in the NFT space, and their initial excitement about it.
• Insight into the state of the Japanese scene right now. 
• Thoughts on the current NFT projects that are having success in Japan. 
• Contextualising differences in the Japanese market and some reasons for popularity.
• Influencer marketing of NFTs and the main drives for demand.  
• The culture of big celebrity endorsement for brands and how this figures into the NFT landscape. 
• Barriers to entry that are influencing the Japanese market right now. 
• Comparing the mechanism at Nannda to other examples of play-to-earn. 
• Risk and reward in the two different approaches to game design.  
• The importance of the social dimension to games to increase engagement and difficulty. 
• Japanese audiences' attitudes towards different types of games.  
• Favourite NFT picks from Takuya and AT! 

Tweetables:

“Influencer marketing itself is big in Japan, YouTubers are big, TikTokers are big. But this actually hasn't come to the NFT world yet.”

“Japanese audiences play any kind of game, individual oriented game or a social game. Either way works. If it is a more individual game, you typically have to do more campaigns.”

“When I see the Nouns community evolving really well, I get really excited, seeing that maybe that is the future of NFTs.” 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

AT

Takuya Kitagawa on Twitter

Floor Is Rising

This week we continue with our NFT awards. Today’s category is people’s favourite NFT games. Joining us in conversation is one of the most influential voices in the NFT space today, Mete Gultekin aka Vader Research! Tune in to hear about the games that ranked in the top three, the strategy of game-makers, and why liquidity is essential within the NFT marketplace. You’ll also hear our thoughts on whether compelling NFT gaming is possible, how our game that ranked first brought people into the world of NFTs, NFT gaming, and crypto. Our guest also reveals the unexpected similarities between the gaming and nightclub promotional models and touches on the sociological implications of the changing gaming space. Tune in today to hear more from this expert in all things NFT gaming! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Today’s topic, continuing in our conversation on NFT awards: your favourite NFT games.
• Gods Unchained, how it works, and why it ranked third place in the NFT game awards.
• How blockchain-based games strategise monetarily.
• What Web3 games will change about their approach going forwards.
• Why trading mechanisms depend on a healthy secondary market and a friction-free marketplace.
• The importance of liquidity and balance within the NFT marketplace. 
• Second place: Forgotten Runes.
• The crossover between art, metaverse, NFTs, and gaming.
• Answering the question of whether compelling gaming is possible.
• Our game that ranked first and how it brought people into NFTs, NFT gaming, and crypto. 
• What has driven growth for Axie Infinity, and why the number of game players has dropped even though the quality has improved.
• How the NFT gaming space can be approached in the same way as the nightclub model.
• The expectations for Axie that have not been met and why it is increasingly difficult to get gamers’ attention.
• Game design and the different roles one can have, from pure enjoyment to monetary gain.
• Our guest’s thoughts on what makes for compelling gameplay.
• Answering the question of whether it’s truly possible to make game play fun in NFT gaming.
• The sociological implications of the changing gaming space.

Tweetables:

“Having liquidity is definitely important; otherwise, it’s going to be a very frustrating experience for the players.” — @DeFiVader 

“Forgotten Runes is not a typical NFT game in that it appeals to a different crowd. There is a pretty strong delineation between people who are interested in PFPs, people who are interested in art, [and] people who are interested in NFT gaming. There’s some crossover but not a lot.” @SabretoothSG

“One of the things that could create a compelling gameplay, and not just in terms of being fun and enjoyable, where you want to spend ten hours on it, but rather that it is open enough that it is welcoming to anyone who wants to engage.” — @DeFiVader 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Vader Research on Twitter

Night Clubs and Web3 Games

Floor Is Rising

Floor Is Rising on Twitter

Today, we will discuss the results of the top metaverse projects with a special guest, Ogar. He originally worked in design and production in the video game and the esports industry for 10 years until he found his true calling in NFTs, blockchains, and the metaverse. Ogar launched his company in 2019, Ogar Production, to pursue his passion for alternative art that embraces the voxel atheistic. His work focuses on creating buildings and assets within the metaverse space, one block at a time! In this episode, we go through the various winners and discuss what makes them stand out, as well as the future potential and challenges for the metaverse space. We learn details about the winners, what Ogar thinks about the various projects, aspects that make each project special, the role of big corporations in the space, the value of indie projects, and much more! Tune in to hear from a leader and respected figure within this cutting-edge industry, Ogar!

Key Points From This Episode:

• We learn how Ogar first started in the NFT space and what he is currently working on.
• Background about Sandbox and why he thinks it is an interesting project. 
• What Ogar sees as the competitive advantage of Sandbox compared to similar projects.
• How he thinks Sandbox can strike a balance between people and technology.
• He shares what he thinks about the future potential and challenges are for Sandbox.
• What the new OM project is and how Ogar would characterize it.
• Whether OM will be able to meet the promises of users and be sustainable. 
• Discussion about the narrative of OM and how it is beneficial to scaling the project.
• Learn about Cryptovoxels and what makes it different to other metaverses.
• Aspects that he enjoys the most about Cryptovoxels and why he values it the most.
• The vision that the developers of Cryptovoxels have in common with Ogar.
• Some of the problems and challenges that Cryptovoxels may have in future.
• Comparison of Cryptovoxels to other metaverses.
• The characteristics of Cryptovoxels that makes it appealing to people.
• How Ogar feels about Cryptovoxels’ focus on art within the digital space.
• An overview of the winner of the vote: Decentraland.
• Why Ogar thinks Decentraland won and what is the mass appeal.
• Ogar gives us his opinion on the role of Facebook in popularising metaverse.
• We end the show by finding out what Ogar’s favorite metaverse project is.

Tweetables:

“Whatever you deliver, you deliver it in a better world.” — @Dat_Ogar [0:12:56]

“I believe that the metaverse will be the one to clear the path and act like a laboratory of metaverse societies that will function under the development of decentralized contracts.” — @Dat_Ogar [0:24:22]

“In Cryptovoxels, I feel like there is more life and also feel that they did more to include people that didn’t have a lot of money or a lot of crypto, in order to push them to build.” — @Dat_Ogar [0:37:53]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Ogar on Twitter

Floor Is Rising

In 2017, Jason Bailey immersed himself in the world of NFTs, with the hope of slowly shaping a better art world. Four years later, the industry exploded into the mainstream, and although it looks different from what Jason had imagined, the increased levels of access and democratization keep him passionate about, and inspired by, the space. Even before becoming involved with NFTs, Jason lived his life at the intersection of art and technology, with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in art and 20 years of experience working for tech startups. For these reasons, we thought he would be the perfect guest to join us for a deep dive into the work of the winners of this year’s FIR Awards! Listen in as Jason shares his thoughts on artists Cath Simard, Deafbeef, Beeple, and XCOPY, and why the legacy of the NFT revolution will be the social change that it has brought about.

Key Points From This Episode:

• An overview of Jason’s journey navigating the intersection between art and technology.
• Jason’s entry into the world of NFTs in 2017, and how things have changed since then.
• Motivation behind the founding of ClubNFT.
• An introduction to the work of NFT artist Cath Simard.
• The original crypto art collectors and what that bulk of new NFT collectors are buying. 
• Factors that make the work of Deafbeef unusual in the NFT space.
• Thoughts on the accessibility of Deafbeef’s work.
• How most of the traditional art world views NFTs, and why Jason disagrees. 
• Changes to the art world brought about by the NFT revolution.
• Jason’s love/hate relationship with Beeple’s $69 million sale. 
• Exploring the work of XCOPY, the winner of the FIR Awards!

Tweetables:

“In NFTs, it’s not just that the art stands alone, but there’s also a sense that you can follow along with the artist, look up to the artist, or at least admire them for their principles and their approach.” — Jason Bailey

“[NFTs] really did, to some degree, democratize who gets to make art and ways of selling art and who feels comfortable collecting art. We probably have more art collectors today than we’ve ever had in history, and maybe more artists selling work than we’ve ever had in history.” — Jason Bailey

Jason Bailey

Floor Is Rising

For today's show we welcome back Brandon Buchanan, to discuss the intriguing results of our 2022 NFT Awards where we surveyed friends of the show and look at the top four PFPs.

This category of the awards was by far the most popular, receiving more votes than any other. And we have to be honest, there were some surprises! We get to hear some really interesting perspectives from Brandon on our top four projects, Doodles, Nouns, Bored Ape Yacht Club, and CryptoPunks. We discuss Pharrell Williams' involvement with Doodles, how Bored Ape Yacht Club rewrote the playbook for NFTs, the unusual roadmap that Nouns have created for themselves, and why CryptoPunks are still the most important player in the history of the game.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Building a brand beyond the world of NFTs; Brandon's thoughts on funding and investment. 
• Weighing Pharrell Williams' decision to come on board with Doodles and what this means. 
• Nouns' daily options and the implications of this relating to pricing and demand. 
• Looking at the Nouns trajectory and the long horizon they have laid out. 
• Board Ape Yacht Club's serious impact on the PFP sphere, and their polarising status.
• Misunderstandings about the way that Bored Ape flipped the crypto playbook. 
• Considering the influence of fashion, memes, and more general rules of branding. 
• Why CryptoPunks are the Michael Jordan of the NFT PFP space! 
• Thoughts on the role of the CryptoPunks founders and why they broke the mould. 

Tweetables:

“I like that we are moving away from this idea that PFPs are just there to flex. I like this idea that NFTs can be a gateway to community, a gateway to participating in governance.” — Brandon Buchanan [0:07:14]

“I think Bored Ape's contribution to the NFT space, particularly with the the PFPs has to be revered, they have done so much across the board.” — Brandon Buchanan [0:33:51]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:s

Brandon Buchanan

Brandon Buchanan on LinkedIn 

Doodles

Pharrell Williams

Nina Chanel Abney

Meek Mill

Jeff Koons 

Nouns

Moonbirds

Bored Ape Yacht Club

Larva Labs

CryptoPunks

CrypToadz

Supreme

Yuga Labs