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

The Net Society crew dives into the headline-grabbing showdown between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, unpacking what it reveals about power, influence, and the shifting relationship between Silicon Valley and Washington. They explore whether tech leaders are now more powerful than governments and what a “Valley-backed” political realignment could look like. From there, the conversation shifts to ADIN, Tribute Labs new AI-powered investment tool, and how it represents the dawn of algorithmic venture capital. They break down the architecture behind ADIN’s autonomous agents, why Moneyball is the perfect analogy for the future of private markets, and how AI might soon outperform traditional investors. The episode closes with a look at the Circle IPO, the ETH finance landscape, PolyMarket’s deal with X, and a final sidestep into coaching changes and playoff narratives from the world of sports.

Mentioned in the episode

Elon tweets about Trump in Epstein files https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1930703865801810022

Tired of attention economy tweet https://x.com/BoonaETH/status/1930834503917813830

ADIN https://x.com/ADINonline

Circle IPO https://x.com/circle/status/1930595433220386997

X and Polymarket partnership https://x.com/X/status/1931001329129844987

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) - Elon vs Trump and the Political Power Games

The Net Society crew returns for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of crypto, AI, and digital culture. They explore the installation phase of crypto, the role of blockchain in gaming, and whether asset ownership is the real unlock. The conversation shifts to Worldcoin’s user growth and the broader question of identity in an AI-driven world, before zooming out to examine how Web2 giants like Meta and OpenAI could reshape crypto’s future. They close by debating the post-iPhone landscape, new interaction models, and the promise of AI as the next layer of infrastructure.

Mentioned in the episode

Worldcoin https://x.com/worldcoin

Sam Altman and Jony Ive introduce io https://openai.com/sam-and-jony/

World model https://odyssey.world/

Show & Hosts

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

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

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

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

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

Production & Marketing

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

Social: https://x.com/v_kirra

• (00:00) - The Installation Phase and Crypto’s Business Logic

The Net Society crew does some subscriber appreciation before getting down to the business of NFTs and metaverse viability. From there, the crew gives a tour of top signals of the past and present in the context of mainstream adoption. The conversation shifts to Crypto Twitter, analyzing its decline in engagement and what that says about attention dynamics and the fragmentation of online communities. From there, the group outlines how crypto might reframe its cultural and social ambitions going forward, focusing less on speculative energy and more on infrastructure and transaction layers. They revisit the role of AI agents in shaping both tech and culture, then close with a discussion of Moodeng’s unexpected reappearance via Robinhood, and what it signals about longevity and narrative in crypto.

Mentioned in the episode

Meebits https://x.com/MeebitsNFTs
Genius Act https://x.com/SenatorHagerty/status/1924643607899685205
$MOODENG on Robinhood https://x.com/RobinhoodApp/status/1925651095503675611

Jony Ive x Open AI https://x.com/OpenAI/status/1925235156157440438
Mark Zuckerberg interview https://x.com/collision/status/1920579882976723284
DX Terminal + DXRG https://x.com/DXRGai/status/1919784428521529592

Show & Hosts

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

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

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

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

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

Production & Marketing

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

Social: https://x.com/v_kirra

The Net Society crew dives into the limits of economic theory, kicking things off with a sharp critique of rational market assumptions and the myth of the economist as a neutral observer. From there, they explore the shifting role of the U.S. dollar, imagining a world of FX swaps and decentralized monetary systems. The conversation pivots to big news in NFTs as Yuga Labs transfers CryptoPunks IP to Node Foundation, sparking a broader discussion on cultural stewardship, scarcity, and the future of digital art. Celebrity conviction enters the chat as Jay-Z’s punk loyalty leads to speculation on long-term holders. The gang explores value across enduring, ephemeral, and emergent networked economies, from meme tokens to programmable incentives. They unpack the Grok system prompt leak and question transparency and control in AI systems before closing with a deep dive on Bittensor, where incentive design becomes a new frontier for organizing intelligence.

Mentioned in the episode

NODE acquires CryptoPunks https://x.com/nodefnd/status/1922291376533995555

JayZ still has CryptoPunk pfp https://x.com/sc

Grok system prompt hack https://x.com/xai/status/1923183620606619649

Believe Token Launch https://www.coingecko.com/learn/what-is-believe-token-launchpad

Blackbird rewards program https://x.com/blackbird_xyz/status/1909600973510652119

Bittensor TAO https://x.com/bittensor_

Show & Hosts

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

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

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

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

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

Production & Marketing

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

Social: https://x.com/v_kirra

• (00:00) - The Economics Roast

Derek is out this week, so the Net Society crew is joined by special guest Poof for a mind-bending journey into simulations, AI, and the future of media. The episode opens with the origin story behind Poof’s name and career pivot into crypto, before diving into his latest project: a large-scale, multi-agent simulation “DX Terminal.” From there, the crew explores strange emergent behaviors from synthetic agents, including scam coin schemes and binary-only communication. A wide-ranging discussion follows on simulation theory, self-reinforcing media loops, and the coming age of customizable digital realities. They close with a candid look at the stagnation of traditional media, the tyranny of algorithms, and what it might take to break the internet open again.

Mentioned in the episode

Special guest Poof joins this week https://x.com/poof_eth

DX Research Group https://x.com/dxrgai

Tweet from Mat Dryhurst https://x.com/matdryhurst/status/1920130715129131161

Show & Hosts

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

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

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

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

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

Production & Marketing

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

Social: https://x.com/v_kirra

• (00:00) - Origin of Poof and Entry into Crypto

Pri is out this week, so the Net Society crew is joined by special guest VonMises for a deep dive into the shifting terrain of NFTs, crypto art, and AI. The conversation opens with a look at Grant Yun’s recent Fellowship drop and what it signals about the use of AI in contemporary art. From there, they explore the generative art landscape, asking whether the early hand-coded era is entering its golden age in hindsight. A spirited debate unfolds around ETH versus NFTs as long-term stores of value, before turning to which collections belong in the NFT canon. Squiggles take center stage with a wide-ranging discussion on their historical and technical significance. The crew then zooms out to the future of programmable media and dynamic art, closing with VonMises’ take on trade policy, global markets, and why the best may still be ahead.

Mentioned in the episode

Special Guest VonMises joins this week https://x.com/VonMises14

Grant Yun ‘Spaces’ Fellowship release https://x.com/fellowshiptrust/status/1917959157128523973

Provenance pod https://x.com/provenanceart

Chromie Squiggles https://opensea.io/collection/chromie-squiggle-by-snowfro

Show & Hosts

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

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

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

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

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

Production & Marketing

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

Social: https://x.com/v_kirra

• (00:00) - Grant’s AI Drop and the Artist’s Role