This week we sat down with seasoned advisor Eli Scheinman to discuss his new role at Art Basel, what’s driving the market’s fresh momentum, how today’s collectors are maturing and how to frame emerging work for a more traditional crowd.

00:50 - Welcome Eli Scheinman 

02:39 - Why the market's moving 

04:30 - The trickle-down effect of big sales 

07:07 - New entrants into the space 

09:48 - The flow from collectibles and PFPs into art 

14:37 - Eli's role with Art Basel 

21:30 - Evolving in the face of a challenging market 

23:00 - How to create excitement and understanding among new audiences 

24:30 - Context is key 

28:49 - World-building, narrative and sponsorship 

33:04 - Collections as an identity layer and a discovery tool 

34:50 - Friction points when onboarding from the traditional space 

40:20 - How things have changed across cycles 

46:00 - Lower barriers to participation in the digital space and their effects

49:00 - The maturation of the core collector base 

51:10 - Kim Asendorf's PXL DEX, private sales and new points of discovery 

56:45 - Artist highlights 

01:02:40 - Social media's impact on an artists career 

Eli Scheinman: https://x.com/eli_schein

Karyn Nakamura: https://www.instagram.com/frog_spit_simulation 

Canek Zapata: https://x.com/canekzapata 

Agoston Nagy: https://x.com/_stc 

Li Yi-Fan: https://www.instagram.com/liyifanyifanli

This week Leyla sits down with artist and filmmaker Nikita Diakur to explore his journey in the art and film worlds, spotlighting his acclaimed short film 'Ugly'. They dive into the film's themes and the creative process behind it, as well as his artistic identity, experiences with NFTs, and his upcoming exhibition on Verse with SOLOS. 

00:40 - Welcome Nikita Diakur 

02:20 - Identity and a multi faceted creative path

03:15 - Finding inspiration

06:04 - Exploring the themes in Ugly 

10:40 - Unpacking the creative process and the role of simulation

17:08 - The expansion of the Ugly world 

18:40 - Opening the treasure box, unfinished works and future exhibitions 

21:05 - The role of lived experience in Nikita's work 

23:50 - Art, politics and the message behind Ugly 

26:02 - Finding NFTs and the web3 space 

29:49 - Working with Colección Solo 

32:28 - A glimpse into Nikita's upcoming SOLOS show on Verse

38:02 - Balancing parallel creative practices 

On this week's episode we dive into Leyla's recent thread asking people what frustrates them about our space. Replies included the constant pivots at the expense of the culture, an over emphasis on institutional recognition, the insane operational speed and of course the constant bag shilling. 

There were unsurprisingly too many comments to go into every single one, but the entire thread is linked bellow. Welcome to the first Verse therapy session.  

00:44 - Addressing community concerns  

01:42 - Platforms pivoting to oblivion 

04:30 - A pivot or an evolution 

09:00 - Understanding the technical infrastructure

11:44 - Responsibility for preservation and the loss of individual control 

12:44 - The cultural implications of fragile storage 

13:46 - Pandering to the traditional art world at the expense of our own culture 

16:45 - How institutions engage with and understand web3 culture 

19:05 - Digital art for a digital world 

20:20 - Artist responsibility and the weight of maintaining collector relationships 

25:50 - Overly safe curation and the reality of sales 

30:45 - Leveraging the network effects of the space 

32:08 - The power of the cabal 

33:45 - Building legacy level art at TikTok level speeds 

37:55 - We're still building, we're still learning 

38:54 - Verse rundown 

41:35 - Artist highlights 

Mika Ben Amar: https://x.com/100o111

Erik Swahn: https://x.com/erikswahn 

Parker Ito: https://x.com/creamydreamy

Mother Louisiane: https://x.com/motherlouisiane 

Leyla's art therapy thread: https://x.com/verse_leyla/status/1939098021058560393

This week we sat down with former General Manager of CryptoPunks and founder of StoneWork Natalie Stone, and artist, gallerist and broker Shane Lavalette. We unpack Stone's journey into NFTs, Node’s Punks acquisition, and the enduring passion of the community as well as the evolution of curation and collector identity, Shane's thought process when looking at an artist's body of work and the value of transparency and provenance.

00:30 - Welcoming Natalie Stone and Shane Lavalette 

02:44 - Stone's path into NFTs and her work with CryptoPunks 

06:40 - The significance of Node's Punks acquisition 

09:50 - The future of CryptoPunks under Node 

12:40 - The resilience and passion of the Punks community 

16:30 - Will there be another project as significant for the space

18:13 - First order of business for Node 

20:05 - How time has shaped community dynamics 

21:38 - The maturation of the space and collector curation 

24:00 - Curating as an expression of identity 

29:00 - Developing taste, the role of education and exposure 

32:40 - Notable collections and collectors 

34:55 - Shane's background in the arts and introduction to NFTs  

37:32 - The importance of brokering and advisory services 

43:24 - Creating space for emerging voices 

44:44 - Diving deep and collecting against the trend 

51:10 - Dream collecting, "if money were no object" 

52:28 - Shane's list in GrailersDAO 

55:05 - Balancing transparency with a simplified marketplace experience 

59:28 - The importance of provenance  

01:01:48 - Artist highlights 

01:07:37 - Verse Rundown 

Shane Lavalette: https://x.com/shanelavalette 

Stone: https://x.com/naughtaliestone 

bhare: https://x.com/bhareboy

0009: https://x.com/0009ine

Klea McKenna: https://x.com/klea_mckenna

Noah Kalina: https://noahkalina.com/chickencamera

Molly Soda: https://mollysoda.exposed

Ralph Lemon: https://www.momaps1.org/en/programs/377-ceremonies-out-of-the-air-ralph-lemon  

We sat down this week with long-form generative pioneer Tyler Hobbs to explore Day Gardens, his new body of work released with La Collection at Art Basel this week. They dive into the balance between personal life and artistic career, and the future of generative art in a rapidly changing landscape, as well as the effect of audience expectations and market dynamics on a creative practice.

00:50 - Welcome Tyler Hobbs 

04:50 - The evolution of Tyler's artistic journey 

10:20 - Consistency and integrity and putting the work first 

13:22 - Art Blocks and the shift to digitally focused distribution 

15:50 - Navigating between the digital and physical artworlds 

21:20 - The importance of saying no, learning when to say yes 

25:49 - Thinking about release cadence and managing time 

27:30 - Exploring Day Gardens 

33:20 - Dealing with the noise and finding balance 

39:25 - The increasing speed of culture 

41:45 - Thinking about audience expectations and the effect of a legacy 

47:00 - QQL and exploring new formats 

50:15 - Cultivating community and stepping back 

56:00 - What made Fidenza resonate 

56:27 - The evolution of generative art and future directions

59:10 - Different ways of creating and engaging with the space 

01:01:20 - Diewiththemostlikes and a new wave of superstar artists 

01:02:50 - Prioritising fun over a traditional approach 

01:06:50 - Social commentary and online performance 

01:08:30 - Changing perspectives and open mindedness 

01:11:55 - Artist highlights 

01:61:21 - Verse Rundown 

Tyler Hobbs - https://x.com/tylerxhobbs 

Jack Butcher - https://x.com/jackbutcher 

Shl0ms - https://x.com/shl0ms 

diewiththemostlikes - https://x.com/toadswiback 

Sarah Zucker - https://x.com/thesarahshow 

Jamie and Leyla sit down with artist Erik Swahn in advance of his upcoming series Soma. They discuss his artistic evolution, the impact of attention on creativity, and the relationship between colour and music. The conversation delves into the title and concept of Soma, as well as Erik's thoughts on the future of his artistic practice. 

01:10 - Welcome Erik Swahn 

02:40 - The effect of attention on the creative process 

04:30 - From architecture to art 

06:39 - Discovering NFTs 

08:31 - The impact of fxhash and community 

10:30 - Exploring the success of Farbteiler  

12:00 - The relationship between colour and music 

14:19 - Fields, abstraction and the sublime 

16:50 - An evolving practice and the influence of the Baroque 

18:43 - How time frames work differently 

23:40 - The weight of expectation 

25:50 - A flattening of art history 

27:25 - The emergence of Soma 

29:38 - An ongoing preoccupation with colour 

31:25 - The significance of a smaller series and a finite frame 

35:30 - A brave new world and finding inspiration in the abstract

39:41 - Shared attention and the power of art 

Erik Swahn: https://x.com/erikswahn

Jamie and Leyla sit down with Sofia Garcia to explore her journey through digital art, from the early days of ARTXCODE and building lasting relationships, to navigating the 2021 hype and envisioning the future of art in the age of the internet.

1:00 - Welcome Sofia Garcia 

05:25 - The birth of ARTXCODE 

10:50 - Selling works at CADAF and the first mint 

17:10 - Finding an organic aesthetic in the digital 

18:42 - The state of the community circa 2019 

23:37 - The pandemic and a move to digital curation 

26:55 - The early perception and growth of NFTs 

31:55 - 2021 and navigating the hype 

37:40 - Taking ARTXCODE full time 

40:17 - Thoughts on collecting, curation and the current digital art zeitgeist 

42:55 - A fluid definition of a practice 

45:14 - Artist representation 

49:58 - Honest feedback and understanding collector expectations 

52:00 - Building a roster and working relationships 

54:25 - A support system based on shared values 

01:01:02 - Thoughts on gatekeeping 

01:08:01 - What does the future of art look like 

01:12:20 - A holistic approach to the digital art space 

01:16:30 - Sales and the realities of curating blockchain-based art 

01:20:42 - What's next for ARTXCODE 

01:27:09 - Sophia's dream artist to sign 

01:29:09 - Artist highlights 

01:37:06 - Verse rundown 

Sofia Garcia: https://x.com/sofiagarcia_io

Mika Ben Amar: https://x.com/100o111 

enigmatriz: https://x.com/enigmatriz 

Frank Manzano: https://x.com/loved_orleer 

Kevin Esherick: https://x.com/kev_esh 

Mr Richi: https://x.com/richi0118 

Mr Richi - It's Just JPEGs: https://x.com/richi0118/status/1931643514003111974?s=46&t=Y0qIYiBAAsy4ea-t-FfRQw 

Jay, Jamie, Ivan and Leyla sit down together and examine the markets growing optimism, gallery models, transparency and creating value and confidence for both artists and collectors.     

01:00 - Jay's summer break 

05:53 - Twitter toxicity and curating your social feeds 

09:30 - The market's heating up 

15:40 - Speculation vs desire  

18:30 - The confidence speculation can inspire in a collector base 

19:50 The benefits and difficulties of playing in an emergent space 

22:10 - Jay and Jamies' collecting thesis 

27:37 - Financial realities and looking for a return 

29:20 - Advice for new entrants to the space 

33:00 - Balancing business, artist and collector interests 

40:45 - Making the market 

44:03 - What creates confidence and value around an artist 

47:00 - Building market confidence and adopting a Gagosian model 

53:16 - Artifice, transparency and creating real demand 

56:33 - The issues with pursuing a traditional gallery model in the web3 space 

01:02:50 - How important is a program and justifying time spent 

01:08:38 - A difference in approaches between the traditional and web3 spaces 

01:11:33 - The importance of a diversified program 

01:12:45 - Artist Highlights 

01:15:03 - Evolving collector tastes 

01:17:45 - "The subject matter doesn't make the piece" 

01:20:03 - Has the space's aesthetic been calcified? 

Skygolpe: https://x.com/skygolpe  

Jack: https://x.com/franskeej  

Frank Manzano: https://x.com/loved_orleer  

Itsgalo: https://x.com/galoandstuff  

ex_mortal_: https://x.com/ex_mortal_  

canek zapata: https://x.com/canekzapata  

Robinson St. George: https://x.com/rbnsnstgrg  

skomra: https://x.com/skomra  

neuraldivine: https://x.com/neural_divine  

MCHX: https://x.com/mchx17  

DJKero: https://x.com/djkero  

Greg Nikshumika: https://x.com/gregnikshumika  

Kyle Flemmer: https://x.com/wildmissingnos  

Nicolas Sassoon: https://x.com/nicolas_sassoon  

Jeres: https://x.com/heyjeres  

Erik Swahn: https://x.com/erikswahn  

Godmin 

Lilan Yang: https://www.instagram.com/lilanyang.studio

Jamie, Ivan and Leyla sit down with Ciphrd and Cosimo from fxhash to explore their new Open-form protocol, the launch of the $FXH token and how the two platforms differ in their approaches.

00:50 - Welcome Ciphrd and Cosimo 

03:17 - Digging into art coins 

09:50 - Token mechanics and pricing mechanisms 

12:08 - A new method of patronage 

17:25 - Speculation and new market participants 

21:02 - The thinking behind the model 

27:26 - Open-form generative art 

29:55 - Balancing speculation with long-term attention 

37:40 - Creating sustainability through innovation 

40:03 - How $FXH powers the ecosystem 

44:20 - Large scale releases and algorithmic evolution 

50:40 - The community reception 

53:50 - Onboarding artists to the new system 

57:45 - Amplifying artists, collections and catching momentum 

01:03:20 - Shifting collector mentality around value 

01:10:24 - The mental cost of a pivot and the birth of Open-form 

01:13:15 - The difference in connecting with a smaller or larger series 

01:21:58 - An open versus a curated platform model 

01:29:31- A symbiotic platform dynamic 

01:31:28 - The power of web3's means of distribution 

01:34:40 - Accessibility, scale, and the network effects of attention 

01:41:39 - Defining success and sustainability in a new paradigm 

01:46:55 - The value proposition of a curated platform 

01:51:35 - A multi-model art market 

01:53:10 - A points-based allow list  

01:50:01 - Creating a cultural counter point to the traditional art market 

02:02:15 -  A holistic approach to platforms across the space  

Welcoming Erick Calderon aka Snowfro, to discuss all things generative, Art Blocks, Generative Goods, the difficulty of wearing multiple hats, the weight of people's expectations and dealing with competition in the space.      

01:02 - Welcome Snowfro 

01:40 - Bringing the energy and shaping culture 

03:45 - The headspace of a founder vs an artist 

05:25 - Being pulled in different directions 

06:38 - The core goal of Art Blocks 

09:00 - Democratisation of the art 

12:20 - The importance of a longterm perspective 

13:35 - Thoughts on the traditional gallery model 

16:50 - Not leaning into FOMO as a platform 

19:58 - The responsibility that comes with success 

22:09 - How to deal with the distribution of audience attention among projects 

24:00 - Why the Art Blocks schedule has slowed 

26:18 - The still-unexplored potential of generative unchain art 

28:04 - Extend your time horizon 

30:20 - AB Curated, AB Studio and moving forward 

33:21 - How to think about competition 

44:50 - The power of generative art and blockchain as a distribution mechanism 

46:56 - Navigating the success of Squiggles 

50:00 - Collecting, Selling, and financial realities of a digital art platform 

52:19 - Artists and projects that are pushing things forward 

55:40 - The intersection of AI and code based work 

58:58 - A new solo project and the power of constraints 

01:02:13 - Juggling AB, Generative Goods and an art practice 

01:05:15 - The Generative Goods philosophy and connecting with a different audience 

01:15:15 - Different view points, different business models and creating upside 

01:22:40 - Snowfro debrief 

01:24:20 - The realities of gatekeeping 

01:29:00 - Orkhan's Rêveries 

01:37:30 - Technical issues with the minting process 

01:40:20 - The semantics of gatekeeping 

01:44:55 - Artist highlights 

Snowfro: https://x.com/artonblockchain

nikita diakur: https://x.com/nikitadiakur 

Spencer Yan: https://x.com/spncryn 

Marcela Bellini: https://x.com/studiobellini 

Joain: https://x.com/0xjoain  

LEGIO_X: https://x.com/legio_x_ 

Jesse Draxler: https://x.com/jessedraxler 

Petra Cortright: https://x.com/petcortright