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Tzvi Wiesel, CEO of Baxus (a liquid trading marketplace for fine wines and spirits), breaks down the trading card market through the lens of someone who understands both collectibles and asset markets at their core. From Panini's $25,000 Mahomes Dutch auction to Logan Paul's controversial $16.4M PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator, we explore what happens when grading companies have every incentive to inflate scores and celebrities become both the market makers and the exit liquidity.
This episode covers:
Important Disclosures
Prior to using any AI tools, please consult your compliance and legal departments to assess and mitigate potential risks associated with its application in your specific regulatory environment.
Please note that any content generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system has not been subject to a human review, and thus no assurance can be made as to its accuracy. Please exercise caution when using AI systems and verify the content produced through such systems wherever possible.
Elf J Trul, creator, artist, and writer of Forgotten Runes Wizards Cult, opens up about what happens when one of the most ambitious NFT projects in history meets a market that removes what's needed to succeed. From a TV show with Hodor's voice actor to a fully launched MMORPG, to a comic series where holders literally wrote the lore, Forgotten Runes built what decentralized world-building was always supposed to look like. Then royalties disappeared, Hollywood turned its back on crypto overnight, and the budget dried up.
This episode covers:
- The decentralized world building thesis: Why Forgotten Runes flipped the fan fiction model on its head by giving holders actual IP ownership of their characters, and why that idea still holds up even in an NFT winter
- The royalty crisis that broke the industry: How losing creator royalties misaligned every incentive that made NFTs worth building on, why new chains honoring royalties couldn't move the market, and what it would actually take for NFTs to recover
- Hollywood's 180 on crypto: The unnamed studio that wanted a deal and is now going under, how the writer's strike and crypto backlash made meetings impossible, and why the TV show still has a real shot with funding
- Runiverse MMORPG pause and what's next: Why pausing a fun, fully launched game isn't a rug and why the community never stopped building anyway, plus hints at active conversations happening right now to bring it back
- AI tools and the future of entertainment: Where AI video generation actually falls short for animated storytelling, why character consistency and cinematography remain unsolved, and what a brave new world looks like for NFT-adjacent content
- The community that wouldn't quit: Why Forgotten Runes may have the strongest NFT community still standing, still writing lore, still building experiences, and still holding the world together through the worst market conditions the space has seen
Important Disclosures
Prior to using any AI tools, please consult your compliance and legal departments to assess and mitigate potential risks associated with its application in your specific regulatory environment.
Please note that any content generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system has not been subject to a human review, and thus no assurance can be made as to its accuracy. Please exercise caution when using AI systems and verify the content produced through such systems wherever possible.
Bill Lee, founder and CEO of Dualmint, explains how he's building a platform that tokenizes the most boring machines on earth into cash-flow-generating assets. From laundromats that keep printing money while crypto markets crash ("people still need to wash their clothes") to arcade claw machines and EV charging stations, he's betting that when AI takes half the jobs in Silicon Valley, everyone's going to need a robot army earning them rent.
This episode covers:
- The "boring is beautiful" thesis: Why tokenizing laundromats, vending machines, and ATMs generates consistent cash flow while IP tokens crash with market sentiment, and why Dualmint's products sell out with zero marketing because mature investors finally found something that makes sense
- AI job displacement reality: Why Anthropic's CEO saying they'll replace engineers in 6-12 months creates a passive income tsunami, how owning cash-generating machines becomes survival strategy when traditional employment evaporates, and why Bill is positioning ahead of the curve
- The DePIN convergence: How Helium networks, Grass internet sharing, and Dualmint's tokenized machines are solving the same democratization problem, and why AI agents will soon be buying each other's services using tokens from the machines they operate
- From Hong Kong to global expansion: Building decentralized business validators to scale worldwide, why the "Boring Dollar" synthetic will attract DeFi liquidity, and how individual robot ownership becomes the new real estate investment model for a jobless future
Important Disclosures
Prior to using any AI tools, please consult your compliance and legal departments to assess and mitigate potential risks associated with its application in your specific regulatory environment.
Please note that any content generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system has not been subject to a human review, and thus no assurance can be made as to its accuracy. Please exercise caution when using AI systems and verify the content produced through such systems wherever possible.
Andrew Pelekis, co-CEO of Claynosaurz and Heeboo, explains how a former private equity investor managing $500M in emerging markets went down the blockchain rabbit hole in 2017, reluctantly helped friends with "clay dinosaur NFTs" in 2022, and ended up running two companies trying to solve media's "uninvestable asset class" problem. From partnering with Sherry Gunther Sugarman, who literally invented the production methodology still used for animated TV shows and discovered The Simpsons, Family Guy, and the top 8 Cartoon Network properties, to building an entertainment economy that can compete with Roblox's multi-billion dollar GDP, he breaks down why 99% of Web3 tokens fail and what makes collectibles emotionally sticky across generations.
This episode covers:
- The fan platform gap: Why YouTube, TikTok, and social media are "creator-forward" but offer fans nothing beyond likes and comments, how Logan Paul built a following where early supporters got zero equity in his $multi-million dollar empire
- Media as uninvestable asset class: Why traditional investors won't fund original properties ("your mom thinks everything is great" doesn't forecast returns), how studios only greenlight Marvel sequels with "baked in audiences" because new IP has unpredictable outcomes ranging from Star Wars to complete failure, and why Heeboo's fan-creator model with blockchain rails makes the category finally investable
- From skeptic to believer: Starting as "NFTs, come on guys, this is crazy, you're nuts" to realizing he was the one being helped by getting whitelist access to the mint, going down the rabbit hole on how blockchain solves trust problems
Important Disclosures
Prior to using any AI tools, please consult your compliance and legal departments to assess and mitigate potential risks associated with its application in your specific regulatory environment.
Please note that any content generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system has not been subject to a human review, and thus no assurance can be made as to its accuracy. Please exercise caution when using AI systems and verify the content produced through such systems wherever possible.
Doggtor, owner of Gutter Cat Gang, reveals how he rescued one of Web3's most culturally significant NFT projects after it changed hands multiple times through anonymous owners who "put the project down." From acquiring the brand in June 2025 as the largest holder to cross-chaining to Bitcoin and navigating the brand that got the interest of LaMelo Ball and Puma, he's rebuilding with a physician's precision while managing multiple medical clinics.
- The reality of Web3 partnerships: even the legendary LaMelo Ball/Puma collaboration didn't deliver expected sales during a down market
- Why the average person responds better to "Bitcoin" than "Ethereum"
- The physician's approach to project ownership: building a financial foundation first, then exploring risky ventures with secured income streams
- Community as foundation: working for holders, not the other way around, with kingpins providing feedback before promises
- The tokenization paradox: believing in the future while acknowledging we're "overselling ourselves" in the present
Important Disclosures
Prior to using any AI tools, please consult your compliance and legal departments to assess and mitigate potential risks associated with its application in your specific regulatory environment.
Please note that any content generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system has not been subject to a human review, and thus no assurance can be made as to its accuracy. Please exercise caution when using AI systems and verify the content produced through such systems wherever possible.
Henry, CEO of CyberKongz, explains how one of Web3's original degen communities survived five years of chaos, including a 27-month SEC investigation, the metaverse collapse, and the disappearance of 99% of 2021 NFT projects. From launching in March 2021 as a premier avatar collection to building Wall Street Kongs into crypto's most active alpha community, he's navigated partnerships with Adidas and Japanese toy manufacturer Nanoblocks while watching major Web2 brands like LaMelo Ball, Manchester United, and Mattel completely abandon their Web3 experiments.
This episode covers:
- Metaverse to ghost town: Investing heavily in Sandbox land, Arcade, and World Wide Web for interoperable avatars in 2021-2022, then watching the entire metaverse narrative evaporate by 2024 while projects pivoted to IP plays that also failed to move floor prices
- The 27-month SEC nightmare: Getting subpoenaed in January 2023 and operating with hands tied until March 2025, how it sucked all air out of the room during a critical bull market window, and why the rebrand after the investigation ended "didn't go so great."
- Why Web2 IP partnerships extract value: Watching Doodles announce McDonald's and Universal deals that tanked their floor price, attempting their own Adidas collab and Nanoblocks toy in Japan that sold out but "wasn't meaningful within the community," and realizing the IP play is "years and years off" for most projects
- Death threats and daily Discord: The biggest surprise about running a Web3 company is "how many death threats you get," but why 3,000+ community members showing up daily for almost five years in Wall Street Kongz Discord is the only reason CyberKongz still exists when contemporaries have rugged
- "Most Web3 games suck": Moving their Genkai collection and game to Ronin blockchain, watching Pixels' botted TGE kill momentum, and admitting you wouldn't play 99% of crypto games without financial incentive, whether the intersection of AI agents and gaming tokens on Virtuals/Base can save the category in 2026-2027
- Trench Bot and the community North Star: Building Discord tools to buy tokens across ETH, Solana, Base, BNB, and Ronin with one click because "that's what degens actually want," not corporate partnerships, and whether focusing on being the ultimate alpha group playground instead of chasing IP deals is the survival strategy other OG projects missed
Important Disclosures
Prior to using any AI tools, please consult your compliance and legal departments to assess and mitigate potential risks associated with its application in your specific regulatory environment.
Please note that any content generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system has not been subject to a human review, and thus no assurance can be made as to its accuracy. Please exercise caution when using AI systems and verify the content produced through such systems wherever possible.
Sylvain Horwood, founder of Puru Suisse and Pureternia, explains why he left Switzerland's first regulated crypto bank to make 100% natural skincare in his kitchen. Over six years, he's evolved from hand-mixing coconut oil and cocoa butter to launching a full skincare line, publishing five Captain Puru children's books, and preparing to test whether cute penguin IP can actually sell premium skincare on Amazon.
This episode covers:
- Kitchen chemistry to contract manufacturing: Why finding truly natural products in Switzerland in 2018 was harder than working in crypto banking, and whether that same playbook still works in 2026's crowded wellness market
- The inflatable penguin moment: Launching a 6-foot Captain Puru at a professional sailing race in France and watching kids sprint to hug it, the instant realization that Pudgy IP has "magical appeal" for physical products
- 1,000 applications for 2 bottles: How requesting just two penguin licenses via Overpass IP created a DM avalanche and taught him he massively underestimated holder demand to see their penguins on real-world cosmetics
- Traditional licensing hell vs. NFT efficiency: Why major IP deals require 6+ months of negotiations, upfront fees, and minimum sales quotas while Pudgy Penguins took "a few clicks" and holders emotionally onboard themselves
- The bathroom vibes thesis: Testing whether cute penguins smiling at you daily during skincare routines can beat "traditional boring style cosmetic bottles" from premium brands, and if billions of Pudgy Penguin views translate to Amazon conversions for natural sunscreen
Important Disclosures
Prior to using any AI tools, please consult your compliance and legal departments to assess and mitigate potential risks associated with its application in your specific regulatory environment.
Please note that any content generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system has not been subject to a human review, and thus no assurance can be made as to its accuracy. Please exercise caution when using AI systems and verify the content produced through such systems wherever possible.
Nicholas Cabana, co-founder of Claynosaurz, reveals why a team of Hollywood animation veterans (Game of Thrones, Paddington) quit their 80-100 hour studio weeks to mint dinosaur collectibles. For the past three years, they've built a transmedia brand now spanning Gameloft gaming partnerships, an upcoming TV series, and physical collectibles, all to help track fan journeys onchain.
This episode covers:
- Why animation supervisors running teams for major studios felt "there's more" and risked it all on digital-first collectibles
- Minting through chaos: Launching at 10 SOL ($130) two weeks post-FTX collapse
- How superfans account for 80% of spend and why catering to diehards creates flywheel effects vs. chasing viral growth
- Apple Store vs. on-chain reality: The legal nightmare of promising NFT utility in mobile games when app stores ban outside assets
- The over-financialization trap: Why treating digital collectibles like pure investments kills brands and how to build ecosystems across the demand curve
Important Disclosures
Prior to using any AI tools, please consult your compliance and legal departments to assess and mitigate potential risks associated with its application in your specific regulatory environment.
Please note that any content generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system has not been subject to a human review, and thus no assurance can be made as to its accuracy. Please exercise caution when using AI systems and verify the content produced through such systems wherever possible.
Tzvi Wiesel, CEO of Baxus, explains why watching grown adults stand over garbage cans at card shops, literally throwing out non-rare Pokémon cards as "worthless trash," reveals the fundamental transformation of collectibles from a passion-driven hobby to pure financialization.
This episode covers:
- The garbage can test: When collectibles become so financialized that "worthless" cards literally go in the trash during pack rips
- Supply paradox: How Pokemon's new printing facility threatens to repeat bourbon's capacity boom that crashed secondary markets
- Blockchain loyalty systems: QR codes and on-chain tracking that let brands reward collectors over flippers
- The vinyl display phenomenon: Why people buy records purely for wall art signals the investment mindset has won
- Tzvi's collector philosophy: The 1969 Seiko with London vs GMT time zones (worth $200 but priceless for its two-year historical anomaly)
Important Disclosures
Prior to using any AI tools, please consult your compliance and legal departments to assess and mitigate potential risks associated with its application in your specific regulatory environment.
Please note that any content generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system has not been subject to a human review, and thus no assurance can be made as to its accuracy. Please exercise caution when using AI systems and verify the content produced through such systems wherever possible.
Miguel Kudry, CEO of L1 Advisors, explains why the disconnect between retail sentiment and institutional adoption is accelerating tokenization faster than anyone expects. While gaming companies shut down and crypto Twitter panics, the DTCC has just received SEC approval to tokenize $100 trillion in assets, creating unprecedented access to collectibles markets. Miguel explains why financial advisors managing $70 trillion are starting to have crypto conversations with clients for the first time, that many hold double-digit percentages of net worth in held-away crypto assets, and how tokenization will transform collectibles from a niche hobby into an indexed asset class alongside stocks and bonds.
Host Steven Schill and Miguel discuss why physical collectibles are surging as tokenization infrastructure scales, how the four-year crypto cycle is dying, and why the "last mile" of AI-powered distribution will unlock access to collectibles for mainstream wealth management.
This episode covers:
- The "subway infrastructure" that will drive economic activity to collectibles protocols
- The advisor conversation shift: From zero crypto discussions to discovering clients hold tens/hundreds of millions in held-away crypto assets
- Athletes and younger demographics are driving collectibles as an asset class, according to conversations with wealth managers in 2025
- Miguel's timeline acceleration: From "5 years away" to "next year is the year" for institutional tokenization adoption
- Why advisors won't pick individual collectibles, they'll invest in themes, indices, and play-to-earn verticals like CryptoPunks indexes
- The last mile revolution: How AI agents will create custom portfolios and investment mandates, enabling solo advisors to compete with mega-firms
Important Disclosures
Prior to using any AI tools, please consult your compliance and legal departments to assess and mitigate potential risks associated with its application in your specific regulatory environment.
Please note that any content generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system has not been subject to a human review, and thus no assurance can be made as to its accuracy. Please exercise caution when using AI systems and verify the content produced through such systems wherever possible.
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