Base’s Head Jesse Pollack Responds to the Backlash Around the ‘Coin It’ Experiment
Jesse Pollak on ‘Base Is for Everyone’ + Guy Young and Carlos Domingo on Converge - Ep. 820 On Wednesday, Coinbase’s layer 2 network Base posted a tweet that read: “Base is for everyone,” followed by a tweet: “Coined it.” That second tweet linked to a page where the post had already been turned into a coin. Within an hour, the coin hit a $17 million market cap, then dropped to under $2 million, then went back up to over $13 million. Crypto Twitter exploded. Some called it a rug. Others accused insiders of sniping the launch. Coinbase later issued a statement saying that Zora auto-tokenizes content, but Jesse Pollak, head of Base, tweeted that he personally greenlit the post. So what really happened? In this episode, Jesse sits down with Laura to discuss: Whether this was a memecoin launch or a media experiment Why he thinks the crypto community overreacted Whether insider trading occurred And why he believes coins, not NFTs, are the future of creator monetization Plus, he explains why he’s okay being the “punching bag.”
Brand New Worlds: Sebastien Borget on NFTs, the Metaverse, and the Future of Engagement
Today, I sit down with Sebastien Borget, co-founder and COO of The Sandbox, a leading decentralized gaming platform. In this episode, we dive into the evolution of The Sandbox and why digital ownership is redefining the gaming industry. We discuss the challenges of building an open metaverse, the role of NFTs in empowering creators, and how blockchain is shaping the future of virtual economies. Sebastien also shares insights on interoperability, user-generated content, and the vision for a more decentralized and player-driven internet. If you're curious about the future of gaming, Web3, and the open metaverse, this one’s for you. About Our Guest Sebastien Borget is the co-founder and COO of The Sandbox, a leading decentralized gaming platform that empowers creators to build, own, and monetize their gaming experiences using blockchain technology. The Sandbox is a virtual world where users can create, trade, and engage in immersive experiences powered by NFTs and the metaverse. Prior to The Sandbox, Sebastien co-founded Pixowl, a mobile game development studio known for titles like The Sandbox Evolution and Goosebumps HorrorTown. His experience in gaming, blockchain, and digital ownership has positioned him as a key advocate for the open metaverse, where users have control over their digital assets and creative experiences. Resources & Links Mentioned: Sebastien’s Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/borgetsebastien/]Sebastien’s Twitter/X [https://x.com/borgetsebastien]The Sandbox’s Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesandbox-game/]The Sandbox’s Twitter/X [https://x.com/TheSandboxGame]The Sandbox [https://www.sandbox.game/en/] Episode Highlights & Timestamps [00:00] Sebastien’s entrepreneurial origin story [02:48] Getting acquired by Animoca Brands [03:37] Building a better experience for builders in Web3 & the metaverse [05:58] Why major brands and IPs succeed in the gaming industry [07:49] Convincing major IPs to lean into user-generated content & Web3 [11:30] Why competing IPs want to exist side by side in the metaverse [12:50] Educating brands on NFT technology as a communication tool [17:05] Transitioning to Web3 [19:58] What’s next for The Sandbox
The Chopping Block: Hester Peirce on Freedom, Fraud, & Fixing the SEC
Hester Peirce Speaks Out, Regulating Memecoins, and the SEC Rethinks Its Strategy. Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. In this episode, the crew is joined by SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce—aka “CryptoMom”—for a rare, candid conversation. They unpack the SEC’s vibe shift, why airdrops might be doomed, and whether memecoins are just collectibles or cleverly disguised securities. Plus, Hester dishes on Paul Atkins’ potential leadership, the SEC’s new crypto task force, and what real regulatory clarity might finally look like.
Jason (betashop.eth) on Moxie AI Onchain Assistant and Tokenized App Store
Jason (betashop.eth) on Moxie AI Onchain Assistant and Tokenized App Store In this episode of Chris Just a Pod we talk with Jason (betashop.eth) on Moxie AI Onchain Assistant and Tokenized App Store from Moxie one of the hottest OG projects on Base and incubated from the Farcaster ecosystem I was really excited for this episode as Jason is one of the OG founders and buidlers I really admire that continues to buidl through bull and bear! We touch on many things including: - The next evolution of AI and Agentic Economy - "Moxieverse" and Reinvinting the app store - Future of onchain creator economy - Multi billion $$ Skills Marketplace Opportunity - Betting on future skills and tokenized apps Connect with Jason: Twitter: https://x.com/betashop Twitter: https://x.com/moxie_xyz Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/betashop.eth Web: https://moxie.xyz/ Connect with Chris: Orb Club: https://orb.club/c/chriscomrie Twitter: https://x.com/Christafarious Lens: @chriscomrie Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/chriscomrie