Aaron and Derek are both out this week, leaving Chris and Pri to hold down the fort for Net Society’s first ever two-person episode. Things get a little unhinged as they wander into the woods of digital culture, comparing fairy tales and existential plays to the state of crypto. The conversation turns to Kanye’s short-lived token and the meme coin churn, then drifts through waterparks, slang, and the curious emergence of “clanker” as an AI slur. From there they unpack the world of AI boyfriends and what it says about loneliness in 2025, before diving into Jerome Powell’s latest remarks and the Fed’s shifting policy stance. The back half of the episode revisits radicalizing moments from the Iraq war to the 2008 bailouts, connecting them to Bitcoin’s origins, and closes with a hopeful turn as the pair find themselves excited again about generative art.

Mentioned in the episode

Kanye launches $YZY memecoin https://x.com/WatcherGuru/status/1958708989576806714

American Dream Mall Waterpark https://www.americandream.com/venue/dreamworks-water-park

My Boyfriend is AI Subreddit https://www.reddit.com/r/MyBoyfriendIsAI/

Fed Chair Jerome Powell announcement https://x.com/WatcherGuru/status/1958893683299717477

Quantizer by Harm van den Dorpel https://verse.works/series/quantizer-by-harm-van-den-dorpel

Scribbs by Fingacode https://verse.works/series/scribbs-by-fingacode

Dominoes in Fluxus by Ivona Tau https://braindrops.cloud/projects/24

Zach Lieberman https://x.com/zachlieberman

Show & Hosts

Net Society: https://x.com/net__society

Aaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01

Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0x

Derek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedws

Priyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesai

Production & Marketing

Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl

Social: https://x.com/v_kirra

• (00:00) - Hansel & Gretel Opener

The Net Society crew returns without Derek this week, diving into a caffeine-fueled opener that spirals into musings on Ayn Rand, Objectivism, and strange hotel lobby encounters. From there, they pivot to Moonbirds’ unexpected resurgence, the shifting middle tier of the NFT market, and how squiggles and character IP are competing for cultural relevance. The conversation widens to explore NFT IP as Hollywood’s new frontier, from Pudgy Penguin backpacks to hypothetical Pete Davidson cameos. A detour into Washington’s mixed signals on Bitcoin reserves morphs into satirical pitches for a Milady movie, before the group digs into the risks of LLM overuse, school phone bans, and how AI could reshape education. They close with thoughts on the SEC’s sudden pro-crypto tone, Solana’s place in the market cycle, and a timeline takeover of Howard Stern-era media nostalgia.

Mentioned in the episode

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fountainhead

Moonbirds https://x.com/moonbirds

Milady Maker https://x.com/MiladyMaker333

WSJ Autism and LLMs article https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-autism-risks-openai-chatgpt-2311254d

Show & Hosts

Net Society: https://x.com/net__society

Aaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01

Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0x

Derek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedws

Priyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesai

Production & Marketing

Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl

Social: https://x.com/v_kirra

The Net Society crew is back with a packed conversation spanning immersive tech, AI breakthroughs, and the evolving art market. They open with the latest in metaverse development, exploring how new world models could reshape interfaces, AR adoption, and virtual environments. From there, the discussion shifts to robotics, asking how close we are to shaking hands with machines and the societal quirks that might come with it. The release of GPT-5 takes center stage next, with early impressions on its programming capabilities and what it means for the future of software creation. A spirited debate follows on the role of Figma and other design tools in an AI-driven workflow, before turning to the announcement of the Art Blocks 500 and what it signals for generative art’s legacy. The crew closes with thoughts on renewed NFT market energy, the missing middle in on-chain culture, and how future communities might thrive without falling into old tokenized traps.

Mentioned in the episode

Genie 3 AI model release https://x.com/GoogleDeepMind/status/1952732150928724043

GPT-5 release from OpenAI https://x.com/OpenAI/status/1953504357821165774

Art Blocks 500 https://x.com/artblocks_io/status/1953120356945842542

Show & Hosts

Net Society: https://x.com/net__society

Aaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01

Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0x

Derek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedws

Priyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesai

Production & Marketing

Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl

Social: https://x.com/v_kirra

• (00:00) - Is the Metaverse Back?

The Net Society crew returns with a wide-ranging conversation on digital art, crypto markets, and shifting policy winds. They kick things off with market sentiment and recent activity in the Art Blocks Discord, then dive into a discussion about what’s due for a comeback in the space. The group unpacks the consumer crypto playbook and shares thoughts on the potential of projects like Rekt. A deep dive into the SEC’s evolving stance on tokens and a new White House crypto report sparks a thoughtful look at tokenized equity, ICOs, and regulatory timelines. The episode closes with a celebration of artist conviction, spotlighting the work of Eric De Giuli, Kim Asendorf, and others.

Mentioned in the episode

Art Blocks acquires Trame Paris https://x.com/artblocks_io/status/1950239952773795963

Digital Assets White House market report https://x.com/derekedws/status/1950629069189771398

Eric De Giuli (EDG) https://x.com/eeedg__

Kim Asendorf https://x.com/kimasendorf

Andreas Gysin https://x.com/andreasgysin

Noper https://x.com/bagdelete

INFINITEYAY https://x.com/infiniteyay

Claire Silver https://x.com/ClaireSilver12

Show & Hosts

Net Society: https://x.com/net__society

Aaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01

Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0x

Derek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedws

Priyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesai

Production & Marketing

Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl

Social: https://x.com/v_kirra

• (00:00) - Off-Chain Summer and Market Sentiment

The crew dives into shifting market vibes, from meme stock rallies to the resurgence of NFTs, and unpacks how institutional vehicles are shaping digital asset exposure. They debate the risks of NFT treasury structures, liquidity challenges, and what it means for collectors when markets heat up. From the alien vs. ape punk showdown to reflections on “off-chain summer,” the conversation explores where digital culture, finance, and community are headed next.

Mentioned in the episode

Gamesquare acquires Ape Punk https://x.com/GSQHoldings/status/1948368197473677664

Only jobs left meme https://www.linkedin.com/posts/blockchainheadhunter_blockchainheadhunter-activity-7336748981680513024-zRJr

Sonso + alien punk tweet https://x.com/saintsonso/status/1948387453855035867

Show & Hosts

Net Society: https://x.com/net__society

Aaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01

Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0x

Derek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedws

Priyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesai

Production & Marketing

Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl

Social: https://x.com/v_kirra

• (00:00) - Market Vibes and Meme Stocks

Derek is out this week, but Aaron, Chris, and Pri dive into a wide-ranging conversation that starts with GM energy and WAGMI nostalgia before moving into market momentum, off-chain activity, and the forces driving renewed optimism in digital assets. They debate Coinbase’s cultural identity and the broader phenomenon of corporations acting like modern religions through brand world-building, then pivot to the challenges of tokenized media, the state of consumer crypto, and the tension between speculation and real innovation. The discussion zooms out to examine neoliberalism, network states, and shifting global dynamics, before closing with thoughts on AI’s inward turn, the evolution of curation, and how information platforms might transform the way we engage with content.

Mentioned in the episode

Get your BASE juice https://x.com/base/status/1945883117698593093

Chris loves Ryan Reynolds https://x.com/Mintmobile/status/1932879714479206600

Backyard missiles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWlOZa3Yfyc

Deepnewz https://deepnewz.com/

Show & Hosts

Net Society: https://x.com/net__society

Aaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01

Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0x

Derek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedws

Priyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesai

Production & Marketing

Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl

Social: https://x.com/v_kirra

• (00:00) - GM Energy and WAGMI Nostalgia

In this episode of Net Society, the crew reflects on the Toledo Museum show and what it signals for digital art’s place in contemporary culture. They discuss how institutional interest is rising just as public sentiment cools, explore the macro drivers behind recent crypto market momentum, and consider what Gary Vee’s renewed NFT talk means for broader adoption. The conversation moves into questions of scale, conviction, and why generative art isn’t dead, despite what the timeline says. Finally, they unpack the shifting landscape of building in public, solo dev workflows, and how AI is redrawing the boundaries of collaboration.

Mentioned in the episode

Toledo Museum of Art https://x.com/toledomuseum

VeeFriends https://x.com/veefriends

Show & Hosts

Net Society: https://x.com/net__society

Aaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01

Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0x

Derek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedws

Priyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesai

Production & Marketing

Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl

Social: https://x.com/v_kirra

• (00:00) - Toledo Museum Show and Full Circle Reflections

The Net Society crew is together in person this week during NFT NYC with special guest Erick Calderon, aka Snowfro, founder of Art Blocks and creator of the Chromie Squiggle. What starts as a reflection on the energy of NFT NYC and the evolution of NFT culture opens up into a wide-ranging discussion. The group digs into the maturation of the space, the idea of homeostasis versus equilibrium, and why digital art’s native display might just be your phone screen. From there, they explore the tension between abundance and scarcity in collectibles, the blurred lines between art, product, and entertainment, and what it will take to bring collecting to a global scale without tipping into cringe. Along the way, they wrestle with the role of physical galleries, the memory of the speculative mania of 2021, and how to stay at the forefront of the next wave of innovation.

Mentioned in the episode

Special guest Snowfro https://x.com/ArtOnBlockchain

Glitch x Snowfro https://x.com/glitchmarfa/status/1938206917001613430

Joe Pease https://x.com/joepease

Die With The Most Likes https://x.com/toadswiback

Show & Hosts

Net Society: https://x.com/net__society

Aaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01

Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0x

Derek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedws

Priyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesai

Production & Marketing

Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl

Social: https://x.com/v_kirra

• (00:00) - NFT NYC Week and First Reflections

The Net Society crew goes fully freeform this week in an episode aptly titled The Podcast About Nothing. What starts as a conversation about die with the most likes's Gristle Buddeez quickly unravels into reflections on novelty in NFT art, the implications of the Genius stablecoin bill for DeFi, and how AI models are getting a little too chatty. From there, it spirals into heatwaves in New York, NBA playoff drama, and the Telegram founder’s 100-child inheritance plan. The gang rounds it out with thoughts on brand-driven advertising, the $10B Lakers valuation, and whether private equity is the new Steve Aoki of sports franchise buyers.

Mentioned in the episode

Genius stablecoin bill https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/17/genius-stablecoin-bill-crypto.html

NFT NYC https://x.com/NFT_NYC

Telegram founder says his 100+ children will get a share of his estate https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/20/tech/durov-100-children-inheritance-scli-intl

Show & Hosts

Net Society: https://x.com/net__society

Aaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01

Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0x

Derek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedws

Priyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesai

Production & Marketing

Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl

Social: https://x.com/v_kirra

• (00:00) - Winging It and Gristle Buddies

Derek is out this week, so the Net Society crew is joined by special guest Colby Mugrabi, founder of mmERCH, for a deep dive into the intersection of fashion, fandom, and crypto infrastructure. The episode opens with the gang dissecting Stripe’s acquisition of Privy and a wave of stablecoin developments, before zooming out to examine what these signals mean for digital assets and institutional adoption. They explore the evolving role of NFTs, drawing parallels between fashion houses and iconic collections like Meebits. Colby shares the vision behind mmERCH 2.0, a new layer of networked experience powered by wearable tech and gamified incentives. The conversation moves toward the future of on-chain consumer behavior, the limits of app fatigue, and how tokens might become the new links of the internet. The crew closes with a speculative look at hardware breakthroughs, AR glasses, and whether the post-phone era is already here.

Mentioned in the episode

Special guest Colby Mugrabi https://x.com/MinnieMuse_eth

Shopify accepting USDC https://x.com/base/status/1933236681836282171

mmERCH https://x.com/mmERCH

Life After Lifestyle by Toby Shorin https://subpixel.space/entries/life-after-lifestyle/

New Snapchat Spectacles https://www.spectacles.com/spectacles-24

Show & Hosts

Net Society: https://x.com/net__society

Aaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01

Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0x

Derek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedws

Priyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesai

Production & Marketing

Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl

Social: https://x.com/v_kirra

• (00:00) - Stablecoins and Stripe’s Crypto Play