9: Jacob Horne - Markets for What Matters
Jacob Horne (Website, Zora, X, Farcaster), is co-founder and CEO of Zora, a platform that allows the tokenization of media.Jacob started his career at Coinbase where he was a product lead and helped create USDC. Five years ago, he left to wade deeper into the waters of internet and crypto-native coordination and creativity and co-founded Zora.His central interest is how people coordinate together using the internet—the includes currencies, markets, ownership, art, speculation, and memes. We discuss how memes and symbols enable coordination, "The Meme and the Memo," words, money, and laws, Zora's premise built on Stewart Brand's "information wants to be free but it also wants to be expensive," a case for markets around attention, the new version of Zora and "a coin for every piece of content," speculation vs. gambling, token-powered brands, Ethereum and Solana, Coinbase and USDC, and a wide-ranging personal section that showcases why Jacob is so generative.The parting prompt I hope this conversation leaves all of us with is this: while information is ~free today (and also abundant, infinite), it is also quite expensive to consume in terms of time. We ought to think carefully about what content we spend our precious time consuming and rewarding. That you would spend some of yours listening to Dialectic is as always a privilege and I hope you find it worthwhile.Timestamps (3:03): Obsession with Memes: How do you get people to organize? (8:46): The Meme and the Memo via Balaji Srinivasan (11:32): Three Fundamental Questions: Words, Money, Laws (12:39): The Midwit Meme and other Favorites (15:55): What makes media and information valuable? (19:26): Zora, Tokenized Media, and Information wants to be Free and Expensive (22:53): Provenance (28:30): Why Do We Want Markets for Attention?Deeper Crypto Section (37:08): A coin for every piece of content: prediction markets on attention (42:49): Investing in People or “Creator” / “Social”Tokens (44:14): Not fighting internet gravity: NFTs, “utillity,” 1 of 1s, and skeumorphic ideas along the way (47:52): Speaking to potential concerns and incentivizing more durable and useful information (52:23): Speculation vs. Gambling: positive sum vs. zero-sum (56:00): AI: Market Data as an input for for Models (58:56): Speculating on how a future of AI and attention markets will be good for creatives (1:04:50): Small market cap content can still be meaningful (1:08:11): Crypto-optimism and regulation (1:13:52): Saint Fame, Nouns, and Ideas for Future Token-Coordinated Orgs (1:22:32): Reflecting on “Hyperstructures” (1:28:55): Jacob's shift toward market-oriented thinking for solving coordination problems (1:30:40): Ethereum, Solana, and Blockchain CompetitionCoinbase (1:36:23): The Coinbase Internship that Never Ended (1:40:49): Starting USDC (1:49:14): Bloomberg Terminal's DesignGeneral Jacob (1:50:09): Bezos and adoption of technology (1:52:47): Tokenized Identity (1:55:41): Matt Dryhurst and Holly Herndon and Bridging Art and Technology (1:58:43): What idea has the world not come around on yet? (2:00:12): What are the aesthetics of Jacob's AI model? (2:04:20): The FAFO Zone and Local Maximums (2:11:03): The alternate reality where Jacob didn't discovery Bitcoin (2:14:54): Cultural and Artistic Inspirations (2:17:55): Patronus Problems (2:20:44): Australians and Americans (2:23:42): Jacob's Favorite Ideas (2:28:27): Lessons for Jacob's kids about creativityLinks: "Meme Structure" Midwit Meme What is Cryptomedia? Jacob's Mints on Zora Mintellectual Property Onchain Predictions AI+ Saint Fame Nouns Hyperstructures Stewart Brand Pace Layers Tokenized Identity Tweet Herndon Dryhurst Jacob's Horse image meme "The FAFO Zone" Patronus Problems Earth is becoming sentient — Steph Ango Steve Jobs on agencyDialectic is available on all platforms.Join the telegram channelFollow on TwitterFollow on InstagramSubscribe on YouTube
"Real Fans Don't Ask For Airdrops" with Brett Shear of 1Confirmation
Blockchain Brett joins Not A Cartel to reveal the dual business model that's transforming the creator economy. Fresh off of joining 1Confirmation as a General Partner, Brett breaks down his "collector funnel" theory and explains why successful creators need both traditional fans and crypto collectors. Collect this episode at pods.media/not-a-cartel [00:40] Brett announces his move to 1Confirmation and working with Nick Tomaino [05:30] From $50 CryptoArt to billion-dollar markets: How digital collecting evolved [12:15] "Spotify fans vs. onchain collectors" - Managing two separate business lines [17:40] Building your collector funnel: From tokens to limited editions [21:50] "Crypto people don't feel like real fans" - The disconnect creators must overcome [24:30] Why fans buy concert tickets while collectors demand airdrops [26:45] The 20% conversion strategy: How to bridge social audiences to on-chain value Learn how platforms like Pods, Coop Records, Blueprint, and Hume are creating the infrastructure for creators to monetize both fan attention and collector investment. As Brett says, "We're at the foundation of a big tree" - discover how to position yourself for what's coming next.
FOCG Money: Palm Tree Crypto
In this FOCG Money episode, we sit down with BlockchainBrett, Managing Partner of PTC Crypto, a venture fund that invests across multiple consumer crypto sectors—but when it comes to gaming, they only back fully onchain games. PTC Crypto has placed bets on projects like GrugsLair, RuneLabs, $FP (Frenpet), and $LORDS (Realms), believing that the future of gaming lies in permissionless, composable smart contracts. Brett breaks down their investment thesis, why they believe in FOCG, the challenges founders face, and how to get noticed by top-tier investors. If you’re building or investing in the next wave of onchain games, this episode is a must-listen.
Biomes AW - Web3 Minecraft
This episode features Dhrumil, co-founder of Biomes AW, an on-chain Minecraft-like sandbox. Join us as Drew shares his journey into the world of crypto, the inspiration behind Biomes, and the innovative concepts & gameplay of Biomes AW. Highlights: - Drew Mill’s background and how he ventured into the crypto space. - The unique perspective on the future of the metaverse and digital economies. - An in-depth look at Biomes, a digital sandbox where resources can have real value. - The mechanics of on-chain gaming, including resource mining, crafting, and deploying smart contracts to create games in Biomes. - The concept of digital Biome planets and their economic systems. - Exciting developments in Biomes, from underground tunnels to Bedrock DAO. - The potential for creating real-world-like companies within Biomes AW - Future plans for Biomes and the launch of new features to enhance player experience. Link to play : https://biomes.aw/
The Blueprint to Go Viral Onchain
We’re joined by Adam Levy - cofounder of Bello and host of the Mint Podcast to debut their new incubator - Blueprint. 30 creators will be given a million dollars to spend onchain over the course of the next 6 months to join the 100 ETH club.
Artcoins on Zora
We’re joined by Andrei - the founder of ArtRun to chat about the debut of their new platform for secondary markets on Zora.
Meet the FOCGER: Nico, Cafe Cosmos
In this episode, Nico shares his path from DeFi consulting to fully onchain game development with the creation of Cafe Cosmos, a cafe management game. Nico discusses his early work in token engineering and how meeting prominent builders led him to dive fully into onchain gaming. The conversation delves into the unique challenges of designing fully onchain games, such as managing player-driven economies and balancing mechanics for long-term engagement. Nico also offers practical advice for new FOCGers, highlighting the importance of having a dedicated team, creating a strong visual style, and focusing on first-time user experience. He also shares insights on the evolving FOCG culture, emphasizing the importance of community and cross-game collaboration. Wrapping up, Nico expresses his vision for a censorship-resistant gaming future, where fully onchain games operate autonomously, and Cafe Cosmos can stand the test of time as an open, player-led economy. https://x.com/FOCGERS https://linktr.ee/cafecosmos
A FOCGING Chat: Realms.World Vibes Panel
In this exclusive FOCGERS media episode, catch a vibe with the Lords of Realms.World at Brussels ETHCC, 2024. The panel features the following Lords: Grug from Grug’s Lair, DistractedDev from Provable Games, Matthias from zKorp and Raschel, building Eternum. Realms.World is the thriving community behind fully onchain games like Loot Survivor, Eternum, Pistols at Ten Blocks, Blob Arena, and more. And these builders have something unique: they are bound by a shared vision for the future of gaming. From hilarious IRL (not so) Lordly stories to deep dives into what makes the Realms.World ecosystem special, the panel touches on topics like permissionless composability, core memories from game development, and why building through the bear market strengthened the community. Tune in to catch the vibes of autonomous worlds, camaraderie, and true onchain grit. https://x.com/FOCGERS https://x.com/LootRealms https://x.com/GrugsLair https://x.com/provablegames https://x.com/zKorp_
Meet the FOCGER: Grug, Grug's Lair
In this episode, @GrugLikesRocks shares his journey from a background in game tech and trading to becoming a fully onchain game studio founder. He explains how his passion for gaming and involvement with the Realms.World and Dojo ecosystems led to the formation of his own game studio. The conversation covers the challenges and excitement of building onchain games, with a deep dive into two flagship projects: Blob Arena, a PvP/PvE battler, and Rising Revenant, a strategic survival game. Grug also highlights the importance of creativity and filling gaps in the onchain gaming ecosystem by designing innovative gameplay and mechanics. He offers valuable advice for new FOCGers, emphasizing the need to stay agile, listen to players, and embrace the potential of fully onchain economies. Wrapping up, Grug teases an exciting, unannounced project and shares his vision for the future of onchain games, as breakout successes in the space could lift all games in the FOCG community. https://x.com/GrugLikesRocks https://linktr.ee/grugslair https://x.com/Blobarena https://x.com/RRisingRevenant
A FOCGING Chat: Cumberlord, Realms.World x ArmoredMMA
In this episode from FOCGERS media, Cumberlord from Realms.World walks us through how the unexpected partnership with ArmoredMMA came to life. That’s right—that Armored MMA, the viral sensation of knights in full armor beating the crap out of each other, racking up millions of views, and even making waves on Joe Rogan, are now FOCGers. Armored MMA is medieval combat fused with mixed martial arts—think knights in armor clashing with swords and axes, but with the added thrill of modern MMA rules. The Realms.World team jumped at the chance to sponsor their events, kicking off with the August 24th fight and continuing with a big November showdown. This partnership is a perfect blend of medieval combat and the decentralized vision of fully onchain gaming, and plans are already in motion for future collaborations. https://x.com/FOCGERS https://x.com/Armored_MMA https://x.com/LootRealms https://x.com/lordcumberlord
Jayden Hills is the New Guard
We sat down with Jayden Hills to chat about her new artist project, going viral and navigating the onchain landscape with Coop Records and Blueprint. We explore what it would take to bring the world onchain and what success looks like for onchain music.
Launching the BASED experiment
Ever wonder what its like to launch a token? We're joined by Garrett Skrovina for the origin story of BASED - a new experiment leveraging the first ever Base NFT alongside Farcaster and PartyDAO. We dive into the weeds of how to build community and the subtle nuances of launching a memecoin in 2024.
Midnight Diner Recap with Ted
Ted joins us as we recap the end of our Onchain Summer event series - the Midnight Diner. We go deep on being an onchain creator in 2024 and how we’re bringing people onchain through underground concerts. Plus a special guest appearance from Cece on the Coop Record team - the brain and creative behind the Midnight Diner!
MINIHASH 004 | Improving UX With Account Abstraction w/Nichanan Kesonpat (1kx)
On this Minihash episode, Nichanan Kesonpat, Researcher at 1kx, is joining us for a deep dive on what account abstraction is and recent developments in AA that have led to significant improvements in UX with crypto apps. Nich first appeared on Rehash in S2 E5 | Parody Sorority Turned Grants DAO w/Kseniya & Nich from MGD, which aired on June 9, 2022.
Getting LOUDER with David from Hume
Everything you need to know about LOUDER with David Beiner. The co-founder of Hume and the team behind Angelbaby, Deathpixie and Kai Wav is back with their most ambitious virtual artist yet. We dive into the intention behind an open artist, the marriage of tokens and NFTs with 404s and how Boost is being used to amplify the initial distribution. Tap in for everything you need to know about LOUDER - now live at getlouder.xyz!
S9 E2 | A New Era of Media Without Algorithms or Ads w/Grace Guan (Unlonely)
In this episode, we’re speaking with Grace Guan, co-founder of Unlonely, a web3 livestreaming platform, about web2 vs web3 media, inner workings of YouTube algorithms, and how traditional media platforms can stop exploiting creators by getting rid of ads and algorithms in this new iteration of media we’re building in web3.
MINIHASH 003 | EthCC 2024 Recap: Key Insights, Trends, and Conference Highlights w/Jimmy Chang (Catalyst)
On this Minihash episode, Jimmy Chang, founder of Catalyst, is joining us to recap EthCC 2024 in Brussels for us, sharing key insights in the Ethereum ecosystem, trends he’s noticing, and other conference highlights and lowlights. Jimmy first appeared on Rehash in S4 E9: Millions of Modular Blockchains w/Jimmy Chang, which aired on April 13, 2023.
S9 E1 | The Future of Digital Art, Galleries, and Community Building for Artists w/P1A
To kick off Season 9, we are speaking with P1A, a contemporary artist, educator, and founder based in Istanbul, about all things web3 and art. We reflect on the NFT craze of 2021, and P1A shares why even though the hype has died down, NFTs are in fact not dead and on the contrary, art NFTs have a long way to grow and develop.
MINIHASH 002 | Oasis Onchain & Crypto in the Global South w/Stefen Deleveaux
Minihash is a condensed episode of Rehash, where we do a deep dive into one focused topic with a past guest. On this Minihash episode, we’re speaking with Stefen Deleveaux about Oasis Onchain, a 3-day consumer crypto conference in Nassau, Bahamas, that he started last year and how to push crypto forward in the global south.
Rainbow Rewards with Mike Demarais
Rainbow wallet just debuted their first ETH rewards to top users of the hottest growing crypto mobile wallet. We sat down with the founder to chat through Rainbow’s journey launching a points system and building a compelling mobile-first experience for crypto-natives and beginners alike. We dive into onchain social discovery, celebrity coins and much more!
MINIHASH 001 | The Tally Protocol w/Dennison Bertram
Minihash is a condensed episode of Rehash, where we do a deep dive into one focused topic with a past guest. On our first Minihash episode, we’re speaking with Dennison Bertram about the newly launched Tally Protocol.
Hybersub V2 with nonlinear.eth
We're joined by nonlinear.eth to debut the launch of Hypersub V2. We dive into all the new protocol upgrades and the future of onchain subscriptions. Be on the lookout for a couple exciting updates from Coop Records Club using these new features to reward our subscribers! Learn more about Hypersub V2: https://blog.withfabric.xyz/stpv2?referrer=0xb6f6dce6000ca88cc936b450cedb16a5c15f157f
S8 E10 | Organizational Design and Governance Frameworks w/Amy Jung (Safe)
On this episode of Rehash, we’re speaking with Amy Jung, Governance Lead at Safe and an OG in the Ethereum and specifically DAO space, about all things organization design, governance, and her hottest takes about DAOs.
