10 Years of Ethereum

Guest: Dylan Abruscato, Creator of Crypto the Game

Episode Description
Dylan Abruscato joins us to share the incredible story behind Crypto the Game, the interactive survival reality show that took crypto Twitter by storm. As a non-technical founder, Dylan reveals how he turned a childhood obsession with Survivor into one of the most engaging and viral crypto experiences ever created.In this conversation, we dive deep into the three-season evolution of CTG, from the bootstrapped Season 1 on Ethereum mainnet to the sophisticated Season 3 on Unichain where Ted won 71.6 ETH. Dylan shares invaluable insights on building viral crypto products, the importance of choosing the right blockchain infrastructure, and how to create experiences people genuinely want to share.

In this episode, Dylan gives us insight into:
- The 101 of Crypto The Game, and how it changed everything
- His love of reality TV, and how it helped him come up with the idea
- Executing the idea and the key technical and strategic decisions
- Marketing and community-building
- The business of onchain experiences

Key Builder Insights
- Start with passion, add crypto thoughtfully: Don't force blockchain into every idea
- Build for yourself first: Authentic product-market fit comes from solving your own problems
- Viral mechanics need genuine value: Growth hacks only work if the core experience is compelling
- Non-technical founders bring crucial skills: Vision, marketing, and product sense matter as much as code
- Choose your audience carefully: Crypto Twitter's tribal nature was perfect for competitive gameplay
- Revenue diversification is essential: Multiple streams create sustainability for experimental formats

About Dylan
Dylan is the creator of Crypto the Game and was recently acquired by Uniswap. Before CTG, he worked in tech and marketing at companies like HQ Trivia and Party Round, where he pioneered creative crypto marketing campaigns. Despite being non-technical, Dylan's vision and execution turned a childhood dream into one of crypto's most successful community experiences.

This podcast celebrates Ethereum's 10th anniversary by highlighting the builders, creators, and visionaries who shaped the ecosystem. From DeFi pioneers to NFT artists, from Layer 2 innovators to community builders - we're documenting the human stories behind the technological revolution.

Hosts:
Chinmay Patel - https://twitter.com/chinmaydoteth | https://warpcast.com/chinmaydoteth | Basket.farm
Marvyn Paul - https://twitter.com/mpweb3wordsmith | https://warpcast.com/marvp | https://linktr.ee/marvynpaul
https://pods.media/is-this-the-new-internet⁠

Show Links:Website: https://pods.media/10-years-of-ethereumTwitter: https://twitter.com/10yearsofeth