Context S4: Navigating the Future of Virtual Worlds w/ Bay Backer, Head Producer @ Decentraland
Blake speaks with Bay Backner about all things Decentraland (she's the head producer there)! This is a must listen to learn all of its ins and outs…from LAND vs. MANA to how the DAO operates vs. the foundation. Bay is the real deal, she started as an artist creating in Decentraland with support from the DAO and now she works for the foundation as the head producer…so she’s seen all sides. Bay and Blake dive into the dynamics of virtual worlds, what makes Decentraland so unique, how it’s a super friendly place for creators and ofcourse, they talk digital fashion and Metaverse Fashion Week, happening April 9-12 (Bay also drops some exclusive alpha about what to expect!). This is such an inspiring convo that will help you understand the future of virtual worlds and why Decentraland is at the forefront. Bay: https://x.com/BayBackner Metaverse Fashion Week: https://mvfw.org/?utm_org=dcl&utm_source=context&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=mvfw25&utm_term=podcast&utm_content=bay Decentraland: https://decentraland.org/?utm_org=dcl&utm_source=context&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=mvfw25&utm_term=podcast&utm_content=bay Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/
Context S4: The Metropolitan Museum of Art - The Most Visited Museum in America Dives into NFTs
Blake speaks with The Metropolitan Museum of Art team who recently released Art Links, marking The Met’s first foray onto the blockchain. Art Links is a 12-week game that invites you to connect the dots between seeming disparate art works (whether centuries apart, completely different mediums, etc.) according to different themes, rewarding you in the form of NFT badges and IRL prizes. Blake has played religiously every week, and has learned a tonne! 3 of the project leads are here to talk about the game: Destinee Filmore, Assistant Curator in the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Met, Brett Renfer, The Met's Senior Project Manager for Emerging Technologies and Audrey Ou, co-founder and CEO of TRLab. They dive deep into the project, from how long it took to plan and launch, to the intended audience, to why they chose Base, to the art they included. Blake also couldn’t resist asking Destinee about if (and when) the Met will collect their first crypto art works. If you want to get a read on the traditional art world and how they are engaging with NFTs…you can’t really get bigger than this. The Met is the most visited museum in America, and one of the most important cultural institutions in the world. Art Links: https://artlinks.metmuseum.org/about TRLab: https://x.com/trlab_ Blake Finucane: https://x.com/blakefinucane Boys Club Newsletter: https://tooonline.beehiiv.com/
Context S4: Decentralized Social Media, Orb and The Creator Economy w/ Jacq, Head of Community + Creators at Orb
In this episode, Blake speaks with Jacq, head of Community and Creators at Orb. Orb is a decentralized social app built on Lens protocol. They chat about the all the possibilities of decentralized social and Orb’s vision going forward. Jacq explains what Orb is, how it’s related to Lens and Bonsai, and outlines the best ways to grow your audience on the platform. Jacq also highlights how Orb is committed to supporting and protecting creators, specifically diving into sticker packs and what makes them so unique. In celebration of the episode, Blake is dropping her own Context Pod sticker pack, which she likes to call "digital merch." If you’re interested in the use cases of decentralized social media, are a creator and/or want to build a bigger/new audience, this one is for you. This episode is in partnership with $BONSAI, who are on the cutting edge of experimenting with AI agents and decentralized social media. They just released Bon(AI) and their flagship agent Sage, who is tipping commenters in $BONSAI, and replying to direct messages in group chats. To engage, join the Bonsai club on Orb with 5,000 $BONSAI tokens in your wallet. Jacq: https://twitter.com/jacqvaca Orb: https://twitter.com/orb_club + https://orb.club/ Blake's Context Orb Club: https://orb.club/c/context Blake’s X: https://twitter.com/blakefinucane Bonsai: https://orb.club/@bonsai + https://twitter.com/bonsaitoken404 Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/
Context S4: Does Fashion Make Tech Cool? w/ Maghan McDowell, Senior Innovation Editor at Vogue Business
In the season 4 premier, Blake speaks with Maghan McDowell, senior innovation editor at Vogue Business, and gets a temperature check on how the fashion industry is embracing AI and NFTs. They review some of the most iconic fashion NFT collaborations including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Nike, and go over what made them successful and what can be learned from them. Blake even asks if the fashion industry has actually abandoned NFTs and web 3 (spoiler alert: it has NOT!). They talk through one of the most exciting developments in the crypto fashion arena, Digital Product Passports (DPPs) and how Coach is leading the way on this. They continue by chatting about how generative AI will continue impact the fashion industry as well as advances in data science and machine learning. Blake also asks how Maghan defines digital fashion and why we aren’t seeing more influencers wearing digital fashion (***digital tailoring is hard!) They wind down by addressing the growth of Substack, its impact on journalism and Condé Nast’s partnership with Open AI. If you’re a fashion person or interested in consumer tech, this one is for you. This episode is in partnership with Bonsai, a cross chain social token empowering creators across Lens, ZKsync and Base. This is a token that I actually use and love…you can even collect this episode on Orb with Bonsai :) Maghan’s X: https://twitter.com/MaghanMcD Blake's Context Orb Club: https://orb.club/c/context Blake’s X: https://twitter.com/blakefinucane Bonsai: https://orb.club/@bonsai Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/
Context S3: Your Guide to Digital (and Crypto) Culture w/ Trevor McFedries
Blake chats with the longtime supporter and friend of Boys Club, Trevor McFedries. He’s really done it all, from founding Friends with Benefits (FWB) and creating the first AI generated influencer Lil Miquela, to being an early employee at Spotify, to DJing around the world,and producing top 10 records. He’s one of the most unique and dynamic thinkers in crypto. Blake and him discuss a myriad of topics including art, NFTs, the difference between outworking and outthinking, what streaming was meant to be vs. what is has turned into, and how his sports background continues to inform his work ethic. Blake also asks him about why he started FWB, the inefficiency of influencer culture, who captures the economic value from social capital, and how crypto rails have been and still can be applied to make its upsides more equitable. You’ll come away with some super valuable insights if you care about crypto culture, however you define it. This episode is part of Lens Protocol's FWB FEST coverage, in which Context is excited to be apart of (and Blake had a great time attending!). Trevor’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatdotcd Lens' Website: https://www.lens.xyz/ Lens' Twitter: https://twitter.com/LensProtocol Blake’ Twitter: https://twitter.com/blakefinucane Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/
Context S3: Inside Super Punk World w/ Nina Chanel Abney and Todd Kramer
Blake speaks with the brilliant Nina Chanel Abney, world renowned multidisciplinary artist. Her resume is beyond impressive; her work is in the permanent collections of museums like The MoMa and The Whitney, and she just released her second collaboration with Nike, designing her take on the iconic Jordan 3. Earlier this year, she was the first artist selected for Punk in Residence, an art program by CryptoPunks designed to champion creative experimentation with web 3. She released Super Punk World, her 500 piece NFT collection in May as part of the program. Throughout this episode, you’ll get further context on Nina’s entire body of work, her artistic vision and what she stands for, while Blake and her chat about the WNBA, her Nike collab, art history, how humour translates across mediums and more. The second half of the episode is dedicated to talking about Super Punk World, from its conception to its reception, to what’s next. Accompanying Nina is the innovative gallerist and collector Todd Kramer, who provides illuminating perspectives about the business side of the art industry, what Nina has accomplished in her career thus far and The Gallery of Digital Assets (GODA) which Nina and him co-founded with Pharrell (among others!). The three of them have an inspiring and pertinent discussion that is especially relevant for crypto art and NFT collectors and anyone interested in creativity onchain. Nina’s Twitter: https://x.com/ninachanel Super Punk World: https://hub.cryptopunks.app/gallery/nina Nina’s Nike Collab: https://www.nike.com/ca/launch/t/air-jordan-3-retro-x-nina-chanel-abney-bicoastal-and-malachite Todd’s Twitter: https://x.com/toddkramer1 Blake’s Twitter: https://x.com/blakefinucane Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/
