The Now Podcast

Much has changed since the nft now founding team last held a fireside chat back in December 2021 on the state of NFTs. Eight months into 2022, we’ve seen seismic changes in the NFT ecosystem as initial growth, promise, and schisms in the space contend with the reality of the bear market. 

However, despite this new reality, there’s plenty to be hopeful about. The founders review some of their favorite artists rising in the space, review common and stubborn vulnerabilities for budding projects, and imagine a brighter future as Web3 continues to unfold, stretching to unprecedented horizons.

In this episode we cover:

• The hidden blessings brought on by the bear market
• Keeping your mental health in check during the bear market
• The team’s favorite NFT artists and projects currently active in the space
• Sectors in the NFT space where progress is most likely

To listen to the audio version of this episode, go to http://smarturl.it/nftnow

To sign up for the nft now newsletter, where we break down the NFT market into actionable insights each week, go to: https://www.nftnow.com/newsletter 

To follow nft now on Twitter, go here: https://twitter.com/nftnow

To follow nft now on Instagram, go here: https://www.instagram.com/nftnow

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Claire Silver is a crypto artist who gives expression to her creative vision using the power of AI. Instead of creating new art by hand, Silver’s crypto art is the output of generative adversarial networks (GANs), which explore themes of “vulnerability, trauma, disability, social hierarchy, innocence, and divinity”. In doing so, her work questions “the role they will play in our transhumanist future.” Silver’s work also reflects a shifting paradigm into the broader art world: taste is the new skill. With AI tools that — in theory — can execute any artistic idea, all that’s left is the idea, which can only come from the artist themselves.

In this episode we cover:

• Whether artists should feel threatened by the emergence of AI
• The biggest misconceptions surrounding the role of AI in art
• Silver’s creative process and the various AI tools she uses
• How an artist’s taste is the deciding factor for the quality of their work

To listen to the audio version of this episode, go to http://smarturl.it/nftnow

To sign up for the nft now newsletter, where we break down the NFT market into actionable insights each week, go to: https://www.nftnow.com/newsletter

To follow Claire on Instagram, go here: https://www.instagram.com/clairesilveraiart

To follow Claire on Twitter, go here: https://twitter.com/ClaireSilver12

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At the State of NFTs IRL event, held in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, we sat down with three of the most prominent U.S. figures in the greater NFT landscape to discuss the unstable present, with an eye toward the promising future of NFTs.

Joining us is Nifty Gateway Co-Founder Duncan Cock Foster, “Mec;” a Web3 educator, MECXDAO founder and Aokiverse’s head of community, and the crypto and tattoo artist Gossamer Rozen, who’s also the founder of Tigerbob NFT. Together, the three brought vital questions to the current bear market, and what it holds for the future of NFTs — giving attendees a sneak peek into their future plans in Web3 and beyond.

In this episode we cover:

• Foster’s vision for refocusing the NFT space on artists
• Rozen’s future plans for Tigerbob NFT
• Why the NFT space should transition away from speculative markets
• The increasing regulation found in the NFT industry
• How the bear market is stripping the NFT space back to its bare essentials

To listen to the audio version of this episode, go to http://smarturl.it/nftnow

To sign up for the nft now newsletter where we break down the NFT market into actionable insights each week, go to: https://www.nftnow.com

To follow Duncan on Twitter, go here: https://twitter.com/dccockfoster

To follow Duncan on Instagram, go here: https://instagram.com/duncan_cockfoster

To follow Mec on Twitter, go here: https://twitter.com/mecdot

To follow Mec on Instagram, go here: https://instagram.com/mecyver

To follow Gossamer on Twitter, go here: https://twitter.com/grelysian

To follow Gossamer on Instagram, go here: https://instagram.com/grelysian

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For longtime NBA fans, Baron Davis — affectionately known as B-Diddy during his playing career — needs no introduction. Despite retirement, Davis remained in the spotlight by launching ventures in the media and entertainment industries.

Recently, Davis used his sizable platform to encourage professional athletes to invest in the NFT and Web3 ecosystems. Headlining this initiative is his “History of the Game” project aimed toward creating an enriched storytelling experience on the history of the sport he and millions of others hold so dear. He’s also slated to put his advocacy into action later this year with the upcoming Black Santa NFT drop, which will give the auction’s winners crucial roles (including a voiceover) in developing an upcoming animated series centered around the character.

In this episode we cover:

• Davis’ extensive involvement in the NFT landscape
• His upcoming NFT projects and crucial industry partnerships
• Davis’ mindset as a creator and businessman
• How NFTs are creating new ways for athletes and sports fans to connect and engage

To listen to the audio version of this episode, go to http://smarturl.it/nftnow

To sign up for the nft now newsletter where we break down the NFT market into actionable insights each week, go to: https://www.nftnow.com

To follow Baron on Twitter, go here: https://twitter.com/BaronDavis

To follow Baron on Instagram, go here: https://instagram.com/iambarondavis

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Frederic Duquette, known throughout the NFT art world as FVCKRENDER is a digital artist who has continually blurred the lines between the physical and virtual worlds through his ambitious experiential art experiences. Initially making a foray into the metaverse with 2021’s FVCKRENDERVERSE, the Canadian artist has recently doubled down on building worlds with FVCK PARK — a virtual NFT skatepark — and LVCIDIA, a full-on metaversal experience. And what do these virtual worlds hold? The purest representations of FVCKRENDER’s art.

In this episode we cover:

• FVCKRENDER’s plans for the future of LVCIDIA
• His gradual shift from digital-only experiences to physical art
• The value of presenting NFT art in formats beyond the screen
• Why NFT artists need to start building worlds
• The intrinsic value and utility of NFT art project

To listen to the audio version of this episode, go to http://smarturl.it/nftnow

To sign up for the nft now newsletter where we break down the NFT market into actionable insights each week, go to: https://www.nftnow.com

To follow FVCKRENDER on Twitter, go here: https://twitter.com/fvckrender

To follow FVCKRENDER on Instagram, go here: https://instagram.com/fvckrender

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Itzel Yard, known throughout the NFT space as IX Shells, is a generative artist and creative coder based in Panama working at the intersection between computer science and art. Dreaming at Dusk — her generative art piece derived from the cryptographic key of the very first Tor onion website — sold for $2 million to PleasrDAO in May 2021, making her the highest-selling female NFT artist ever. Since the record-breaking sale, she has continued to make waves in the NFT art sphere, with her most recent project Thalamic Pulse raising over $100 thousand for MAPS’ research on assisted therapy for trauma recovery.

In this episode we cover:

• Shells’ journey into the generative art world
• The story behind Dreaming at Dusk’s record-breaking sale
• How the NFT space can be more equitable towards NFT artists of all sexes and backgrounds
• The future of generative art

To listen to the audio version of this episode, go to http://smarturl.it/nftnow

To sign up for the nft now newsletter where we break down the NFT market into actionable insights each week, go to: https://www.nftnow.com

To follow IX Shells on Twitter, go here: https://twitter.com/ix_shells

To follow IX Shells on Instagram, go here: https://instagram.com/ix.shells

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Justin Blau — better known by his artist moniker, 3LAU — is a pioneer at the intersection of music and blockchain technology and perhaps one of the biggest proponents of music NFTs. With his Ultraviolet collection of 33 different NFTs netting him a reported $11.7 million in early 2021, 3LAU offered up a shining example of how NFTs have the power to disrupt the music industry, and has continued to help define the music NFT ecosystem through a multitude of endeavors, most notably his curated platform Royal. Through Royal, 3LAU has generated successful use cases of community ownership by giving artists the power to offer their holders a percentage of royalties from streaming services — which has incentivised musicians to create independent wealth on the blockchain while further democratizing the music industry. With influential collaboration with top talent like Nas, Diplo, and The Chainsmokers and backing from the likes of a16z and Paradigm, both 3LAU and Royal are establishing themselves as major players within the music NFT landscape.

In this episode we cover:

- What Royal is and how it functions

- The broken economics of traditional streaming platforms

- Web3 changing the fan experience

- The intersection of major labels and Royal NFTs

- How market forces changed to allow for companies to enter the NFT space

- And more

To listen to the audio version of this episode, go to http://smarturl.it/nftnow

To sign up for the nft now newsletter where we break down the NFT market into actionable insights each week, go to: https://www.nftnow.com

To follow 3LAU on Twitter, go here: https://twitter.com/3LAU

To follow 3LAU on Instagram, go here: https://www.instagram.com/3lau/

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Micah Dowbak, known professionally as Mad Dog Jones, is a Canadian digital artist who broke into the crypto art scene with the sale of his REPLICATOR NFT. That sale netted him a cool $4.1 million, making him the highest-grossing living Canadian artist in a single auction. The artist is also a massive F1 fan, working with motorsports legend Lewis Hamilton on a helmet, and collaborating with Formula One Racing on a collection timed with the Miami Grand Prix. Recently, Joles was able to raise over $1 million for the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies via his most recent project, Cartography of the Mind, which sold at Christie’s in a charity auction.

In this episode we cover:

• Jones’ massive F1 fandom and collaboration with motorsports legend Lewis Hamilton
• The creative process on his REPLICATOR project
• His upcoming charity auction at Christie’s
• How graffiti, comic books, and Akira shaped his creative journey

To listen to the audio version of this episode, go to http://smarturl.it/nftnow

To sign up for the nft now newsletter where we break down the NFT market into actionable insights each week, go to: https://www.nftnow.com

To follow Mad Dog Jones on Twitter, go here: https://twitter.com/Mad_Dog_Jones

To follow Mad Dog Jones on Instagram, go here: https://www.instagram.com/mad.dog.jones

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Without a doubt, Cooper Turley has been one of Web3’s biggest champions, and is a firm believer in how NFTs can revolutionize the music industry. He got his start in Web3 as blockchain-powered music streaming site Audius’ official crypto advisor. Since then, he’s assumed an advisory role at Web3 culture think tank Friends With Benefits, and has continued to invest heavily in this burgeoning creative ecosystem.

In this episode we cover:

• How NFTs can bring about the future of music fandom
• Turley’s advice for young aspiring artists
• Utility moving forward in the NFT space
• What it’s like championing a movement the general public doesn’t understand

To listen to the audio version of this episode, go to http://smarturl.it/nftnow

To sign up for the nft now newsletter where we break down the NFT market into actionable insights each week, go to: https://www.nftnow.com

To follow Cooper on Twitter, go here: https://twitter.com/Cooopahtroopa

To follow Cooper on Instagram, go here: https://www.instagram.com/coopahtroopa

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Avenged Sevenfold is a multiplatinum, chart topping heavy metal band fronted by Matt Sanders — AKA M. Shadows. Sanders and his band mates were early advocates for NFTs, and like most other people in the space, started out by collecting CryptoPunks and Bored Apes. In fall 2021 they launched their own NFT project, the Deathbats Club, which aims to bring more utility to their community. Holders get metaverse access, Web3 sneak peaks, first dibs on concert tickets, and much more.

In this episode we cover:

• Why rock and metal musicians have been slower to catch on to NFTs
• How technological shifts have driven massive changes in the music industry
• How NFTs can augment how artists engage with their communities
• The merchandising potential of NFTs for artists and musicians

To sign up for the nft now newsletter, where we break down the NFT market into actionable insights each week, go to: https://www.nftnow.com/newsletter

To follow Avenged Sevenfold on Twitter, go here: https://twitter.com/TheOfficialA7X

To follow Avenged Sevenfold on Instagram, go here: https://www.instagram.com/avengedsevenfold/

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