Not A Cartel

Cooper and David reunite fresh off a Spain trip and just in time for Base Day One in LA. This episode dives deep into the shifting tides of crypto culture, the launch of Coop Records’ songcoins, and why this moment might mark a new chapter for onchain music, apps, and community-building.

🎧 Key Topics & Timestamps

(00:00) Devid's Michelin-fueled recharge in Spain

(01:28) Base Day One kicks off: why this keynote feels different

(03:31) The evolving Base ecosystem and LA’s crypto energy

(06:34) Launching Coop Records mini app + Base’s go-to-market

(07:53) Social apps, tokens, and the WeChat-for-crypto vision

(11:23) Song coins vs. music NFTs: what's new, what’s real

(13:05) Early metrics, artist feedback & public skepticism

(17:08) Can Coop Records act like a label? Cooper’s stance

(20:46) What data would make song coins actually tradeable

(21:40) Pump.fun, ICOs, and where Cooper & Devid are betting

(24:56) Whop x Believe partnership: a real crypto use case?

In this special episode of Not A Cartel, Coop and Lucas hold it down while the rest of the crew’s MIA. What starts as a nostalgic riff on the CU Boulder Blockchain Club spirals into a razor-sharp rundown of the current onchain landscape—from controversial ICOs to the future of creator monetization.

No fluff, just signal.

Key Topics & Timestamps:

⏱️ 00:44 Pump.fun ICO deep dive

⏱️ 06:30 Whop x Believe partnership

⏱️ 08:30 Creator capital markets on Abstract

⏱️ 11:50 The coin fatigue dilemma – why big creators aren't aping in yet

⏱️ 15:50 OpenSea acquires Rally

⏱️ 18:30 Phantom wallet integrates Hyperliquid perps

⏱️ 22:30 The “dead chain” treasury alpha

⏱️ 28:00 The rise of song coins – Coop hints at the next chapter for Coop Records

⏱️ 30:30 Coinbase Wallet’s upcoming TBA launch

The trio returns while David’s on beach duty. Coop accidentally launches his creator coin, the fellas cover the state of onchain creation, what’s working, and what still feels broken.

🔟 Top Moments

(03:00) Daniel Allan laser show recap – nearly sold out, first show with full production.

(06:30) Coop's late-night Zora token launch – unintentionally launched his creator coin at 5:30am in a diner.

(08:20) Creator Coin strategies – posting videos, airdropping to top holders, experimenting with Noise.

(09:30) Are creator coins working? – discussion on upside, missing mechanics, and how activity drives value.

(12:20) Farcaster vs Coinbase Wallet – video wars heating up, platforms converging on short-form content.

(22:50) New Coop Records platform launch – email signups, coin sections, follow features, credits instead of ETH.

(25:50) Song coin economics – using mint fees to buy back tokens; focus on rewarding tastemakers.

(17:10) Onchain monetization still lacking – long tail can earn $500, but no breakout case for high-profile creators yet.

(35:00) Tokenized stocks on Arbitrum – Robinhood, Kraken, and maybe Coinbase exploring stock coins.

(42:00) Conferences vs Building – crypto events losing their edge; focus shifting to product and strategy.

Chevy calls in from Budapest as the crew breaks down the good, bad, and mid of recent onchain drops. From prediction markets to creator coins, it’s a full-spectrum tour of the onchain creator stack—plus a sneak peek at Pods’ new homepage and Hume’s cozy new AI artist, Lo-Fi Grandma.

Topics Covered:

(8:15) Waka Flocka’s “song token” flop — and why first impressions matter

(14:00) Creator coins: powerful primitive or retail trap?

(21:45) Kalshi vs. Polymarket — $2B rounds, regulatory edge, and A16Z’s absence

(26:30) Chevy’s bonding curve experiment: creator coin UX pain

(33:00) Pods 2.0 preview: trending feeds, email logins, global leaderboard

(36:10) Meet Lo-Fi Grandma: Hume’s cozy new AI artist

(42:30) Coop Records + Paperview updates: mobile-first, top 10, and new creator tools

Zora’s new Creator Coins drop sparks a round-table on the future of onchain creator economies.

Lucas, Coop, and Devid break down the launch mechanics, compare Base vs. Solana liquidity, debate token valuations, and riff on how listen-to-earn could reshape music and podcasts.

Plus: Circle stock goes meme-mode, and QR codes at concerts as growth hacks.

🎧 Mint the episode onchain: pods.media/not-a-cartel

Timestamps:

00:00 – Cold open: Celestia dip & crypto hot potato

01:07 – Zora Creator Coins explained: profile = ticker, 1% fee share, 5-year vest

02:30 – How Creator Coins work: routing, supply, and fee design

07:00 – Zora vs. Pump.fun: launch formats & liquidity wars

14:50 – Pump.fun’s $4B ICO vs. Zora’s sub-$100M FDV

23:18 – Circle’s stock pumps 200% & stablecoin bill alpha

27:10 – Coop Records update: song tokens & sniper bots

42:00 – QR-code airdrops at concerts & proof-of-attendance

46:45 – Wrap-up & onchain mint link

📱 Subscribe for more convos on the onchain creator economy.

🧠 Follow us on Farcaster: https://farcaster.xyz/~/channel/notacartel

💸 Support the show by collecting on pods.media/not-a-cartel

Coop turns 30, markets melt, and Farcaster mini apps take center stage. This episode dives into the future of crypto distribution and why devs are skipping Apple and shipping onchain instead.

Timestamps:

- [09:33] Paperview joins Base Incubator → Lucas preps for demo day

- [11:52] Farcaster mini app growth → what’s working, what’s broken

- [16:07] Coop Records goes mobile → iOS vs Farcaster tradeoffs

- [23:00] Louder token revival → buybacks, quests, and real utility

- [35:03] Daniel Allan’s rise → content discipline + fanbase building

- [44:25] Pump.fun + Circle IPO → market cycles and raising money

- [52:09] Building for real users in a post-meme coin market

Coop calls in glowing from the Japanese mountains as the crew dives into Farcaster’s $1.2M week, Doppler’s game-changing bonding curves, and the latest shifts across Base, Solana, and Ethereum. Plus: meme coin meta, miniapp ceilings, and why NFTs might actually be back.

🎧 Highlights & Timestamps:

00:00 – Coop in Japan: aura, monkeys, and Pasternak-fueled enlightenment

02:17 – Coinbase Wallet showcases Pods

02:44 – Paperview + Farcaster Pro unlocks new monetization

06:33 – 9dcc shuts down: reflections on crypto fashion

08:17 – Farcaster Pro hits $1.2M+ in subs (and airdrops pay for themselves)

17:00 – Why most miniapp tokens stall—and how one might break out

18:30 – Zora coins go DEX-native: the app vs protocol tension

21:40 – Doppler v4: dynamic bonding curves, sniping protection, creator sell logic

31:48 – EF vs Base vs Solana: who’s actually supporting app builders?

39:00 – NFT floors creeping up—are we early again?

40:48 – Loudio, Kato, and the meme-to-earn posting boom

44:52 – ETH/BTC flipping? Why the macro vibes are turning bullish

50:13 – Robinhood teases an onchain launch?

🎙 Mint this episode: pods.media/not-a-cartel

This week on NAC, the boys reunite post-EDC for a jam packed conversation on all things crypto, content, and culture. Topics include:

🏔 1Confirmation Summit – Behind the scenes of the Tahoe LP event: stablecoins, RWAs, onchain social, and why Pods got a shoutout.

🎶 Coop’s EDC Mission – EDC recap, new artist alpha, and how Kuprex is bridging music festivals and crypto Twitter.

📹 Whop Army Explained – David breaks down a content strategy that’s like Layer3 for TikTok.

💰 App Coins & LaunchCoin – The rise of app coins as a new way to bootstrap startups. Are we rerunning ICOs? Maybe—but with better UX.

👁 Worldcoin Store Visit – Adam and David test the LA location, question the eyeball-scan-for-crypto model, and explore mini app distribution.

⚡ Farcaster Mini Apps – Noice, Believe, and others are pushing tipping and engagement mechanics forward. Are we entering the appcoin era?

From EDC to eyeball scans, this one’s packed. Clip it.

🎧 Collect the episode onchain → pods.media/not-a-cartel

Coop reflects on hitting a ceiling with the current crypto music playbook. The cartel debates what it takes to reach real music fans, not just collectors chasing airdrops. Also: Skrillex at Red Rocks, coins vs. NFTs, mobile app plans, and the true cost of creator coins.

Key Moments:

(02:05) Why Coop is at every major show right now

(04:15) “Crypto music’s hit a ceiling” — what’s next?

(05:44) Have we underutilized the existing onchain audience?

(07:24) Are we building for fans or farmers?

(10:45) A new model: earn for listening, not just buying

(12:38) IRL shows, IYK pucks & why events don’t scale

(17:52) “Normies” vs. real users — reframing the narrative

(20:13) Coop’s new mobile onboarding flow debut

(26:05) Mini apps vs. iOS — what’s the right strategy?

(31:12) Is $60/week compelling… or is $10K better?

(35:28) Everyone’s copying Zora — the creator rev share moment

(37:03) The content coin dilemma: sell to earn, but at what cost?

(41:26) “Don’t sell crypto. Sell the outcome.”

(42:00) How long until onchain media really breaks out?

The boys are back from Farcon and diving into a crazy week in the crypto trenches. From launching a new app to fake deaths and billion-dollar blowups, this one has a lot.

Mint this episode at pods.media/not-a-cartel

🎙️ Highlights

📌 Paperview Launch (00:45)

📌 VCs Still Don’t Understand Crypto Media (10:33)

📌 The Clanker Doxxing at Farcon (30:52)

📌 Zerabro’s Fake Death and the Legacy Token Scam (34:16)

📌 Sound.xyz Shuts Down, USDC Collects Heat Up (38:17)