The Great Tortoise Stampede: GM Farcaster ep299
The Great Tortoise Stampede: GM Farcaster ep299 Tuesday, October 14, 2025 TLDR: 🐢 Turtle swap race takes over feeds 🧢 Hosts reminisce about NFT NYC origins💰 Farcaster launches 10% USDC deposit bonus 💬 New swap comment feature sparks jokes about “poor traders” 🕵️♂️ Community debatespublic wallet tabs and privacy From our ChatGPT Intern: The episode starts with a pajama-to-live-stream sprint, some hat-based branding strategy, and a nostalgic detour to NFT NYC 2022, before rapidly devolving into a mix of deposit bonuses, turtle races, and people trying to mint their way into free prizes. Meanwhile, Farcaster drops new wallet features, Horsefacts turns swap comments into a tortoise stampede, and the crew debates whether public wallet tabs would spark transparency… or mass poverty reveals. Full Show Notes and Links on YouTube Copyright 2025 cc-by GM Farcaster - reuse/remix allowed with attribution and link back to GMFarcaster.com. NOTE: Cryptocurrencies are often volatile assets. Nothing in this episode should be considered financial advice and is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing should beconsidered investment advice, nor solicitation to buy or sell any assets. NFA, DYOR. Chapters: 0:00:00 GM 0:07:48 New: deposit bonus0:11:52 swap comments0:19:25 FC & Builder News
Sonic Clanker Logos & Market Meltdowns: GM Farcaster ep298
Sonic Clanker Logos & Market Meltdowns: GM Farcaster ep298 Monday, October 13, 2025 with @degencummunist Thank you Clanker, our Spotlight Partner. Visit clanker.world to see all the new features of Clanker v4. And thank you @degencummunist for joining us today chat about your Clanker experience! TLDR: 🌊 the market experiences its biggest crash ever with liquidations surpassing Luna and FTX, ⛽ Farcaster wallets struggle under wild gas spikes, 🧠 community insights break down what happened, and 😂 memes, conspiracies, and Rektober vibes keep spirits (somewhat) high. From our ChatGPT Intern: This episode kicked off with lipstick touch-ups, sonic Clanker logos, and a Happy Canadian Thanksgiving before diving headfirst into the biggest crypto crash ever—bigger than Luna, COVID, and FTX—thanks to Trump tariffs, Binance depegging, and a whole lot of leverage. As Farcaster scrambled under network congestion and Clankermon fees soared to a jaw-dropping 74¢, memes, conspiracies, and a Luna “steady lads” throwback kept the vibes appropriately chaotic and hilarious. Full Show Notes and Links on YouTube Copyright 2025 cc-by GM Farcaster - reuse/remix allowed with attribution and link back to GMFarcaster.com. NOTE: Cryptocurrencies are often volatile assets. Nothing in this episode should be considered financial advice and is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing should beconsidered investment advice, nor solicitation to buy or sell any assets. NFA, DYOR. Chapters: 0:00:00 GM 0:10:08 crypto crash0:22:39 more FC News0:25:51 Base0:31:17 Clanker News 0:39:08 @degencummunist
Binance Meme Rush & Bankr’s Double Ban Bonanza: GM Farcaster ep297
Binance Meme Rush & Bankr’s Double Ban Bonanza: GM Farcaster ep297 Friday, October 10, 2025 TLDR: NYC live show plans drop + Base app notifications go cross-platform 🤳BSC support ships in 24 hours ✋ DWR channels CZ with a perfect “4” and Warplet cameo for peak crypto meme energy 🌀 Bankr gets booted off Telegram and X back-to-back, sparking conspiracy chatter 🕵️Decentralized social proves why it matters… again. From our ChatGPT Intern: The episode opened with NYC live show excitement and Base app upgrades, then rocketed into BSC’s overnight launch, while DWR’s CZ “4” moment with Warplet stole the meme spotlight. Meanwhile, Bankr’s dramatic double ban from Telegram and X had everyone donning their tinfoil hats and shouting “decentralize it!” Full Show Notes and Links on YouTube Copyright 2025 cc-by GM Farcaster - reuse/remix allowed with attribution and link back to GMFarcaster.com. NOTE: Cryptocurrencies are often volatile assets. Nothing in this episode should be considered financial advice and is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing should beconsidered investment advice, nor solicitation to buy or sell any assets. NFA, DYOR. Chapters: 0:00:00 GM 0:07:16 FC News0:07:57 BSC added0:16:28 more FC News0:19:13 Bankr 0:23:40 even more FC News0:38:26 Builders Building0:45:01 fun on the timeline
Red Dot Anxiety Meets Farcaster Token Fever: GM Farcaster ep296
Red Dot Anxiety Meets Farcaster Token Fever: GM Farcaster ep296 Wednesday, October 8, 2025 TLDR: 👕 Matchy vintage GMFC outfits set the tone for a light-but-spicy morning 🏆 Leaderboard shake-ups crowned Chase’s climb 🪙 Farcaster Pro slashed swap fees while trade ideas + token talk stirred debate 🧠 Adrienne togglednotifications to protect her sanity 🔔 The crew revisitedthe classic devs vs. users DAU growth tension with wit and nostalgia 💜 From our ChatGPT Intern: Today’s episode of GM Farcaster started with matching vintage shirts and virtual backgrounds, then dove into leaderboard drama, wallet fee nerdery, and a heated debate over whether “Farcaster Token” should exist or just be a haunting echo in Chase’shead. In between spicy notifications, new branding hues, and the eternal “devs vs. users” growth debate, Adrienne fully embraced her Gen X crypto-soccer-mom persona while protecting her sanity from red dots. Full Show Notes and Links on YouTube Copyright 2025 cc-by GM Farcaster - reuse/remix allowed with attribution and link back to GMFarcaster.com. NOTE: Cryptocurrencies are often volatile assets. Nothing in this episode should be considered financial advice and is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing should beconsidered investment advice, nor solicitation to buy or sell any assets. NFA, DYOR. Chapters: 0:00:00 GM 0:04:38 FC News0:28:08 the spice0:47:10 more FC News0:51:54 Builders Building1:06:13 Base news1:13:14 fun on the timeline
Building Empires: GM Farcaster ep295 Monday, October 6, 2025 with Jordan from Empire Builder
Building Empires: GM Farcaster ep295 Monday, October 6, 2025 with Jordan from Empire Builder TLDR: 🧰 Bot fixes, wallet chart upgrades & private wallet talk 🛝 CastOut returns + weekend antics in 30 seconds 🛹 $30K kickflip bounty 👑 Jordan from Empire Builder breaks down his onchain mini-empire From our ChatGPT Intern: Nounish Prof showed off her new MintedMerch, while Adrienne was deep in bot maintenance, followed by dishing on CastOut’s dramatic return, wallet chart upgrades that exposed everyone’s entry points, and a $degen kickflip bounty that made crypto feel like the X Games. Jordan from Empire Builder joined at the 30 minute mark to break down how the @glanker Farcaster mini-empire actually works—somewhere between startup masterclass and onchain empire-building 101. Full Show Notes and Links on YouTube Copyright 2025 cc-by GM Farcaster - reuse/remix allowed with attribution and link back to GMFarcaster.com. NOTE: Cryptocurrencies are often volatile assets. Nothing in this episode should be considered financial advice and is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing should beconsidered investment advice, nor solicitation to buy or sell any assets. NFA, DYOR. Chapters: 0:00:00 GM 0:04:09 CastOut0:06:05 FC News0:21:22 Builders Building0:25:03 Sora fun on the timeline0:30:40 Clanker news0:32:00 Clanker Spotlight: Empire Builder
The Flywheel Strategy
On this week's episode of MARS, Matthew & Rizzle deep dive into the latest crypto meta: NFT Strategies by TokenWorks. Shout-outs & Shots-fired: @token_works @cryptopunksnft @rhynotic @meebitsnfts @avastarsnft @decentraland @baybackner @fractilians7 @kimbonft @lifeofc @rogerdickerman Evolutionary Leftovers: @base @solana @cryptovoxels @bnolan
How Hyperliquid Came to ‘Threaten the Very Existence’ of CEXs Like Binance
Perp DEXs are on fire, with volumes topping $1 trillion a month for the first time. Aster, backed by YZi Labs (formerly Binance Labs), has suddenly vaulted to the top of volume charts, but is its rise organic, or manufactured? But while everyone frames the battle as Aster vs. Hyperliquid, Syncracy’s Ryan Watkins and Sunny Shi argue the real fight is much bigger: decentralized exchanges versus centralized giants like Binance. Plus: what role Solana will play in the next chapter in the perps dex wars? And won’t Ethereum even compete?
Referral Rewards & Onboarding Glowups: GM Farcaster ep293
Referral Rewards & Onboarding Glowups: GM Farcaster ep293 Wednesday, October 1, 2025 TLDR: 📱Mini-app chaos & leaderboard gossip 🦅 Referral rewards + free sign-ups 🎉Stablecoin vs. cards vs. Apple Pay 💳 FDIC safety talk & bank drama 🏦 From our ChatGPT intern: Adrienne rebooted her laptop, Prof roasted her for coding too much, and somehow this spiraled into mini-app notifications, leaderboard drama, and whether moving to Mongolia with eagles is a legitimate growth hack. By the end, they’d congratulated newlyweds, debated stablecoins vs. Apple Pay, and reminded everyone that FDICinsurance is basically the plot twist from It’s a Wonderful Life. Full Show Notes and Links on YouTube Copyright 2025 cc-by GM Farcaster - reuse/remix allowed with attribution and link back to GMFarcaster.com. NOTE: Cryptocurrencies are often volatile assets. Nothing in this episode should be considered financial advice and is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing should beconsidered investment advice, nor solicitation to buy or sell any assets. NFA, DYOR. Chapters: 0:00:00 GM 0:03:41 FC News0:33:16 Clanker News0:43:07 Builders Building0:47:40 fun on the timeline
Your Follower Count Is Not Your Worth (But Your Bag Is Cute): GM Farcaster ep292 with @mintedmerch
Your Follower Count Is Not Your Worth (But Your Bag Is Cute): GM Farcaster ep292 Monday, September 29,2025 with @mintedmerch TL:DR 🤖Clankcaster Monday kicked off with chaotic clanksand an updated intro/outro 🔔 Farcaster news covered Sky Castle debates, PlayLARP fantasy crypto, and Emerge workflows 🎮 Weekend was dominated by Bracky’s sports takeover 🏈 Follower count drama sparked hot takesabout worth vs. metrics 📉 Minted Merch crew joined to show off custom bags, shirts, and more 👜 From our ChatGPT intern: GM Farcaster Monday morning circus: the hosts forgot half their props, Prof broadcasted from a glass fishbowl of a clubhouse while dodging fire alarms, and they christened the first-ever “Clankcaster Monday” with chaotic clanks, follower-count therapy, and a cameo by the Minted Merch crew. In short: it’s Farcaster news mixed with sports recaps, crypto gossip, and existential debates about whether losing followers makes you enlightened or just confused—wrapped up in a bag ofmerch and the sound of clanking metal. Full Show Notes and Links on YouTube Copyright 2025 cc-by GM Farcaster - reuse/remix allowed with attribution and link back to GMFarcaster.com. NOTE: Cryptocurrencies are often volatile assets. Nothing in this episode should be considered financial advice and is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing should beconsidered investment advice, nor solicitation to buy or sell any assets. NFA, DYOR. Chapters: 0:00:00 GM 0:05:28 FC News0:30:15 Clanker News0:31:56 MintedMerch1:08:54 fun on the timline
Clank the Rainbow: GM Farcaster ep290 with guest cohost Burr.eth
Clank the Rainbow: GM Farcaster ep290 Wednesday, September 24, 2025 with guest cohost Burr.eth TL:DR ⚡ Burr returns with new lights & Monster Rehab 📉Farcaster feeds go “gnarly” 🌈 Rainbow drops surprise Clanker acquisition letter, team says nope 👀 SBF tweets from prison while Vitalik shares Mozart trivia 🦅 Adrienne popped by to clarify “eagle hunting” From our ChatGPT Intern: Prof and guest cohost Burr rolled back into GM Farcaster with new lights, new mics, and aMonster Rehab in hand, just in time to cover Farcaster’s gnarly feed outage that had everyone convinced they’d been blocked. Between rainbow-colored acquisition drama, Clanker’s fresh “sniper tax,” Vitalik shitposting Mozartfacts, and SBF somehow tweeting from prison, the episode played like an onchain mashup of Succession and meme roulette. OH and Adrienne popped by for a photo dump from her Mongolian adventures! Full Show Notes and Links on YouTube Copyright 2025 cc-by GM Farcaster - reuse/remix allowed with attribution and link back to GMFarcaster.com. NOTE: Cryptocurrencies are often volatile assets. Nothing in this episode should be considered financial advice and is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing should beconsidered investment advice, nor solicitation to buy or sell any assets. NFA, DYOR. Chapters: 0:00:00 GM 0:04:35 FC News0:15:55 Clanker & Rainbow0:32:21 Adrienne’s adventure0:48:01 betr 0:56:12 builders building
Hide Your L’s, Not Your Casts: GM Farcaster ep278
Hide Your L’s, Not Your Casts: GM Farcaster ep278 Monday, August 18, 2025 From our ChatGPT Intern: Today’s GM Farcaster felt like a Monday morning group chat where half the cast was about hiding your wallet balance so you don’t cry over L’s, andthe other half was about whether every stray thought deserves to become a coin. Between Betr intros, Livecaster with @bracky, and Base app beta gripes, the hosts basically confirmed that Farcaster is thriving—even if the real alpha isfiguring out how to post without typos while your kid eats donuts at senior sunrise. Full Show Notes and Links on YouTube Copyright 2025 cc-by GM Farcaster - reuse/remix allowed with attribution and link back to GMFarcaster.com. NOTE: Cryptocurrencies are often volatile assets. Nothing in this episode should be considered financial advice and is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing should be considered investment advice, nor solicitation to buy or sell any assets. NFA, DYOR. Chapters: 0:00:00 GM 0:05:40 FC news0:12:18 Base App news0:22:26 ETH Global 0:27:11 builders, mini app, FC fun
ETH Dives, Talent Arrives: GM Farcaster ep277 Friday, August 15, 2025
ETH Dives, Talent Arrives: GM Farcaster ep277 Friday, August 15, 2025 From our ChatGPT Intern: Nounish Prof and Adrienne tried to rally their personal followings to rescue GM Farcaster’s Twitter from obscurity, while coping with the cruel reality that their clips are invisible on Base like they pissed off the algo gods. ETH teased an all-time high before faceplanting, Farcaster protocol fees went into Coinbase custody like responsible crypto adults, and Talent Protocol arrived just in time to watch them question whether cross-shard communication is a thing—or a trap. Full Show Notes and Links on YouTube Copyright 2025 cc-by GM Farcaster - reuse/remix allowed with attribution and link back to GMFarcaster.com. NOTE: Cryptocurrencies are often volatile assets. Nothing in this episode should be considered financial advice and is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing should beconsidered investment advice, nor solicitation to buy or sell any assets. NFA, DYOR. Chapters: 0:00:00 GM 0:04:09 FC news0:15:46 Base App news0:20:24 more FC news 0:30:58 Talent Protocol0:47:37 even more FC news
FarCon NYC: Bringing Social to Coinbase Wallet
Jesse Pollak’s talk – Bringing Social to Coinbase Wallet -- was recorded at FarCon nyc on May 2, 2025. FarCon is Farcaster’s annual event organized by the community for innovators, builders and network contributors. Prior to taking the main stage, Jessechatted with GM Farcaster and after GM Farcaster chatted with Chintan from the Coinbase Wallet team. Thank you to all the sponsors who made this conversation possible including Base, media partner GM Farcaster, media sponsor Nouns DAO and the FarCon team of volunteers. Learn more at FarCon.nyc. Farcaster: https://www.farcaster.xyz/ Base: https://www.base.org/ Learn more about partnering with GM Farcaster: https://mediakit.gmfarcaster.com/ Copyright 2025 cc-by GM Farcaster - reuse/remix allowed with attribution and link back to GMFarcaster.com. NOTE: Cryptocurrencies are often volatile assets. Nothing in this episode should be considered financial advice and is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing should be considered investment advice, nor solicitation to buy or sellany assets. NFA, DYOR. Chapters: 0:00:00 Intro 0:00:48 GMFC interview with Jesse0:09:30 Jesse Pollak main stage talk0:23:47 GMFC interview with Chintan
Between Two Chains Ep 2: How is Interoperability Solved? w/Jill Gunter (Espresso)
Last week we spoke with Aditi and Nitya from Para about interoperability from the user's lens, and this week, in our second episode of Between Two Chains, we speak with Jill Gunter from Espresso about interoperability from the other lens: builders. Jill dives deep into the intricate dynamics of composability and interoperability, how infra builders need to emphasize user experience to move forward, and the state of Ethereum, the ecosystem's incentives, and the importance of staying user-centric while building decentralized applications. Between Two Chains is a four-part miniseries produced by Rehash and co-hosted by LayerZero, where we explore whether blockchain interoperability is solved. ⏳ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Intro 08:30 The importance of composability 18:19 Composability in infra 21:17 The developer vs user communication gap 32:51 The importance of interoperability 37:13 Follow Jill 👋 FOLLOW US: Diana Chen: https://x.com/ddwchen LDF: https://x.com/ldf_gm Jill Gunter: https://x.com/jillrgunter Rehash: https://x.com/rehashweb3 LayerZero: https://x.com/layerzero_core Espresso: https://x.com/EspressoSys
Episode 16 – Inside Farcaster: Why Culture Comes First with Dan Romero
In this conversation, Coach Coale and Dan Romero discuss leadership, management, and the importance of culture in organizations. Dan shares his journey from a small town in Massachusetts to becoming a founder at Farcaster and his experiences at Coinbase. They explore the challenges of managing teams, the significance of hiring practices, and the necessity of maintaining a strong company culture. Dan emphasizes the importance of communication, decision-making, and the cultural immune system in fostering a productive work environment. The discussion also touches on the pay-it-forward mentality prevalent in Silicon Valley and how it shapes the startup ecosystem.
"Building for People, Not Wallets" with Privy cofounder Henri Stern | ZEROPOD S2 E16
What if crypto products weren’t built for wallets, but for people? In this episode of ZEROPOD, Privy.io founder Henri Stern joins host Toady Hawk to talk about building user-first infra, why account abstraction matters, and what it’ll take to onboard the next billion. From his Parisian roots to Protocol Labs and now Privy, Henri shares sharp takes on fragmentation, EIP-7702, and why most crypto apps still miss the point. Come for the insights, stay for the travel tips and Italian bread slander. TIMESTAMPS:00:00 - Intro: Meet Henri Stern, founder of Privy01:44 - Henri’s backstory: Growing up in Paris, moving to NYC03:55 - Adjusting to life in New York and early education04:32 - Choosing Stanford over the French education system06:00 - Discovering computer science and why it stuck07:54 - Founding Shout: a peer-to-peer marketplace experiment10:01 - What went wrong with hyperlocal marketplaces12:20 - Filecoin and Protocol Labs: Henri’s next chapter13:49 - What Filecoin taught Henri about zk, consensus, and infra19:00 - Falling in love with crypto, then falling out of it for a bit20:06 - The origin of Privy: starting with privacy, landing on onboarding24:00 - What Privy does today: abstracting onboarding, not just accounts26:10 - The nuance of account abstraction vs. 4337/770228:30 - Privy’s internal values: focus, experimentation, ownership33:00 - Wallet sprawl and the identity fragmentation dilemma36:00 - Wallets as identity tools, not just money holders39:00 - Why crypto infra must be built now, not later41:00 - Notable partnerships: Farcaster, Pump.fun, Hyperliquid & more45:10 - Privy's current roadmap: chains, funding UX, identity UX47:02 - EIP-7702: What it is and why it matters50:00 - Speculation vs stability: the real bifurcation in crypto52:40 - Henri’s vision for 2025 and hiring at Privy54:08 - Rapid-fire round: food, music, tech, travel, and more1:04:28 - Where to find out more about Privy and wrap-up--- Podcast recorded by Toady Hawk, edited by Toady Hawk. Hosted by Toady Hawk. Produced by Zero Rights Media. This content is zero rights reserved (cc0), please remix and reuse it in any way you like! #base #onchain #ethereum #privy #crypto #stripe
Why JPMorgan and Shopify Are Rolling Out New Products on Ethereum Layer 2 Base - Ep. 855
On Tuesday, JPMorgan announced that its blockchain unit is launching JPMD, a USD deposit token for institutional clients, on Base. That’s right: the world’s biggest bank by assets and the 12th largest company by market cap is putting real dollars onchain. JPMD isn’t quite a stablecoin, but it’s close. It represents actual dollar deposits at JPMorgan and will be used by institutional clients for blockchain-based transactions. The bank plans to run a pilot over the coming months and eventually expand it to other user groups and currencies, pending regulatory approval. To understand what this means for the broader crypto ecosystem (and why JPMorgan chose Base), we brought on Jesse Pollak, head of Base and Coinbase Wallet. In this episode, Jesse explains: Why JPMorgan (and Shopify) chose Base What deposit tokens are, and how they differ from stablecoins Why infrastructure is finally “ready” for institutions How Base scaled from 2.5 million to 35 million gas/sec What’s next for Coinbase users who’ll have one-tap access to onchain assets And Jesse’s response to the critics who said that Coinbase doesn’t give enough credit to Ethereum
Andrews Bernard #3 Award - $100k from Steven Soderbergh
DCP TALNT Cast showcases the winning filmmakers for the Andrews Bernard #3 award created by acclaimed filmmaker Steven Soderbergh. Congratulations to the Drextons on winning $100,000 in finishing funds to finalize and distribute their film "Sour Party".
044 - regret.
@christin and @cameron yapped about the most interesting ideas we can find in the death of ivan illyich by leo tolstoy you're not gonna believe it the story is actually hilarious
18: Tom Morgan - Wisdom in the Woo
Tom Morgan is a "curiosity sherpa," writer, and podcaster who runs The Leading Edge, a community for leaders focused on personal transformation and authenticity. I first encountered Tom and his ideas during his talk at Sohn on Iain McGilchrist, left vs. right brain, and curiosity. Tom writes about complexity, curiosity, and consciousness, and wades into the deep end of various topics that most of us would place in "woo," mystic, and spiritual territories. He spent most of his career on Wall Street and brings a scientifically-inclined, rationalist approach to researching and amplifying some of the most surprising modern and ancient ideas about the nature of humanity and the universe. With this conversation, I aimed to create a primer on Tom's writing, approach, and the ideas he returns to most. We discuss following your energy, how curiosity is a guiding force, complexity and emergence, and why the world is overrated toward left-brain rationalism. We explore practical questions—How do you know your gifts? When should you pivot or persevere? What does real exploration look like when the world offers no safety nets? And then we wade into much stranger, or even heretical ideas—at least for a modern, intellectual, western audience—including the notion that consciousness is much vaster than what we've come to understand, and how we are just a small part of a much bigger whole. I hope you enjoy the conversation and consider some ideas that are much more fringe than you're used to. I definitely left it with more questions than answers. And more than that, I hope you are inspired to attune yourself to your curiosity. Perhaps, you may even have the faith to follow that thread pulling you toward what appears today only to be a wall. Transcript and all linked references available at https://dialectic.fm/tom-morgan. Timestamps - 2:03: Following Your Energy and Positive-Sum Games - 6:04: Curiosity and Complexity: Differentiation and Integration - 8:12: Entropy & Syntropy: Unpacking Curiosity, Love, and Desire - 12:34: Emergence and What All the Mystics Point to: Integration - 15:14: Left Brain & Right Brain: A Primer on McGilchrist's "The Matter with Things" - 28:58: Hampton - 30:34: Discovering Your Gifts - 37:35: Creativity and Sustaining Curiosity - 43:12: Life Pivots, Especially When You Aren't 22 - 50:24: A Challenge vs. A Grind: When to Keep Going or Try Something Else - 56:19: Synchronicities - 1:00:58: Openness and Wisdom - 1:04:19: Error Correction, or Something Else? - 1:06:02: Tom's Mission and The Meaning-Mortgage Question: Can you really do what you love? - 1:08:45: Fear, Faith, Love, and Seeing Reality - 1:12:59: "Minimum Viable Woo" and Exploring Out There Topics with a Pragmatic Lens - 1:16:10: Stories - 1:18:51: Love, Emergence, and Intelligence Beyond Us - 1:22:52: A Looming Meta-Crisis, Global Consciousness, and Earth School: Blowing Out the "Woo" Rating - 1:33:41: Lightning Round: Pseudoscience as the Streisand Effect, Mystics, What Would Rattle Tom’s Worldview Most, Joseph Campbell, Fred Again - 1:40:41: Tom's Encouragement for His 20 Year Old Self
This Founder's App Was Going Nowhere. Now It's #1.
Nick Confrey’s first app was all promise, no traction—until one bold pivot changed everything. This week on Internet Explorers, the crew starts with the messy fallout from Base’s content coin launch—an experiment in onchain media that spiraled into backlash, infighting, and meme coin chaos. But the real story comes in the second half, when Nick joins the show to share how he turned a floundering generalized social platform into Tome—a viral BookTok hit that hit #1 in the App Store’s books category. Nick walks us through his journey from building for “everyone” to focusing on one deeply passionate community. Along the way, he breaks down why Tome rejects ad-based business models, how it’s building creator-first monetization, and what crypto-native lessons helped shape a product for people who don’t care about crypto at all. If you’ve ever wondered how to pivot toward product-market fit—or how to go viral without selling out—this episode is for you. This episode unpacks: Why Base’s content coin launch blew up on Crypto Twitter The cultural clash between meme coins and new creator tools How one mechanism flaw tanked Base’s experiment Why Rodeo’s TikTok virality didn’t translate into growth Nick’s early app failure and what wasn’t working How focusing on BookTok turned Tome into a breakout success The philosophy behind Tome’s anti-ad, user-supported model How Tome leverages intrinsic motivation over speculation What crypto can learn from Tome’s mainstream product strategy Why the best crypto apps might never mention crypto at all Chapters: 00:27 — Jess Returns From Vacation 01:14 — Twitter Meltdown Recap 03:44 — Base Launches Content Coin 07:06 — Mechanism Fail & Blowback 08:55 — Cynicism Killing Innovation 13:55 — What Meme Coins Reveal 20:41 — Outro: Base Drama Ends 21:44 — Rodeo’s Viral Flop 25:52 — Incentives vs. Organic Behavior 29:07 — Guest Intro: Nick Confrey 30:52 — The Pivot to BookTok 36:23 — How Tome Went Viral 40:29 — Monetizing Without Ads 43:01 — Incentives for Creativity 46:41 — Mini Apps & Remix Culture 49:34 — Growing Niche to Platform 54:35 — Tome’s Puzzle Launch 57:22 — Final Thoughts & Shoutouts 58:47 — Cozy Social, Big Lessons 01:02:29 — Crypto Growth Beyond Crypto 01:05:33 — Closing Vibes Internet Explorers is a weekly rundown show where extremely online individuals broadly explore (romanticize, even) new consumer Internet experiences. Join us live on Twitter/X, Fridays 10am PT / 1pm ET. Seed Club Twitter: https://x.com/seedclubhq Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/internet-explorers/id1756599282 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6iJk3xZoij7pVhlNbTP9qS?si=4cda0ac044dc4c6a
The Harsh Reality of Onchain Games
What if a game you built today could still be played a thousand years from now? Onchain gaming is one of the hardest bets in crypto — and Kamigotchi is taking a radically different path to survive. Lethe joins to break down why most projects fail, and how building the simplest possible game could create a world that lasts for centuries. Later, Jaimin from Beans joins to share how they’re turning Internet speculation into a daily game of discovery. Plus: the future of three-person unicorns, AI-native teams, tokenized subforums, and how Plastic Labs could reshape memory and personalization for AI apps. This episode unpacks: How Plastic Labs is leveling the AI playing field with user memory techWhy AI-native startups are scaling massive impact with tiny teamsHow tokenized subforums like Subs could reinvent online communitiesThe case for three-person unicorns in the AI eraKamigotchi’s vision: a decentralized MMORPG that lasts for centuriesTechnical hurdles in building fully onchain games todayWhy Celestia and Initia were chosen to launch yominetBeans’ launch strategy: daily token drops tied to internet sitesHow Beans plans to rival algorithmic content feedsLessons from shipping speculative crypto apps in today’s market Chapters: 00:19 — Internet Explorers Kicks Off: Topics Preview 02:33 — Plastic Labs $5.35M Raise and AI Personalization 06:04 — Tokenized Forums: Exploring Subs.Fun 10:39 — The Rise of Three-Person Unicorns 17:22 — Lethe Joins: Kamigotchi’s Origins and Vision 21:55 — Why Building Onchain Games Is Brutally Hard 23:52 — Designing Kamigotchi: Simplicity or Death 28:28 — Launching on Initia and Celestia 32:12 — Building a Game Studio for the Long Term 36:35 — Jaimin Joins: Beans and Speculating on Internet Attention 43:05 — Inside the Beans Token Launch Mechanism 47:04 — The Bigger Vision: Beans as a New Social Layer 55:36 — Building in Solana vs EVM 59:08 — Farcaster Miniapp Spotlight Announcement 1:01:15 — Closing Thoughts and Sign-Off Internet Explorers is a weekly rundown show where extremely online individuals broadly explore (romanticize, even) new consumer Internet experiences. Join us live on Twitter/X, Fridays 10am PT / 1pm ET. Seed Club Twitter: https://x.com/seedclubhq Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/internet-explorers/id1756599282 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6iJk3xZoij7pVhlNbTP9qS?si=4cda0ac044dc4c6a
Building Alone on Farcaster: High Risk, Big Vision
What happens when fintech meets Web3? In this episode, Kris Gligoroski sits down with Sinaver, the founder of PayFlow, to explore how onchain social payments are evolving—especially on platforms like Farcaster. From how he got started to the key differences between building on Lens vs. Farcaster, Sinaver shares honest lessons from the trenches of being a solo founder in a fast-moving ecosystem. We cover how the idea for PayFlow came to life, what it's like building with minimal resources, and the future of decentralized social payments. 00:00 – Intro: Meet Sinaver, founder of PayFlow 00:24 – What’s happening in onchain social payments today 01:33 – How Sinaver discovered Farcaster (through a hackathon!) 02:30 – Why Farcaster initially stood out from other platforms 03:40 – Inspiration from Monobank & the birth of PayFlow 05:15 – Early experiments in social payments 06:00 – Why frames changed the game 06:28 – Realizing the limits of multi-platform building 07:08 – Why Sinaver focused fully on Farcaster 08:15 – Advice for new builders: where to start and what to avoid 09:11 – Picking the right product strategy 10:45 – Understanding Farcaster’s roadmap & how not to get replaced 12:00 – Why being “second best” still works with good distribution 13:05 – Infra vs. consumer apps: what’s the smarter play? 🔗 Connect with Sinaver / PayFlow Website: https://payflow.me/ Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/sinaver.eth 🔗 Connect with Kris Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/thekris LinkedIn: /thekrispartner 📬 For sponsorships and collaborations: Email: pod@optimism.show DISCLAIMER This episode does not constitute financial advice. DAOs, Web3 tools, and token-based systems carry risks. Always do your own research (DYOR).
What It’s Really Like to Build a Startup in Web3
From startup lawsuits to DAO-powered launches, Willy (founder of Nounspace) shares his unfiltered Web3 founder journey. We talk about his early exits, how Nounspace evolved from a Nounish client into a full-blown platform, and the tough reality of building in crypto. This episode dives into funding, pivots, community ownership, and what it really takes to build something meaningful in Web3—especially when things don’t go as planned. 00:42 — Startup lessons: from lawsuit to successful exit 01:50 — Launching Nounspace with Nouns DAO funding 02:38 — What changed in DAO governance & the challenge of sustainability 03:46 — Revenue, traction… but still not enough? 04:38 — The reality of building to change the world 05:29 — Why community is Nounspace’s strongest asset 06:12 — From one community to many: growing through network effects 07:04 — Tokens, incentives, and the flywheel effect 08:39 — The problem with airdrop farming & how to avoid it 09:34 — Nounspace token model: aligned ownership via staking 10:15 — Letting communities experiment with their own incentive models 10:37 — Mini apps as a tool for community-led problem-solving 11:18 — White labeling Nounspace for non-Noun communities 12:37 — The path forward: dual-focus, bigger vision Connect with Willy / Nounspace: Website: nounspace.com Warpcast: warpcast.com/willywonka.eth Twitter/X: x.com/thenounspace Connect with Kris: Farcaster: warpcast.com/thekris LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thekrispartner For sponsorships & collaborations: Email: pod@optimism.show DISCLAIMER: This episode does not constitute financial advice. DAOs, Web3 tools, and token-based systems carry risks. Always do your own research (DYOR).
ZKsync Product Designer: Web3 was NOT designed to be simple. How to fix UX?
Decentralized Voices Podcast welcomes you! This is an exclusive interview with Andrii Bondar from Matter Labs. Andrii is responsible for user experience and product design of ZKsync, one of the most prominent Layer 2 projects in the Ethereum ecosystem. In this insightful discussion, we explore: 🔸 How ZKsync is revolutionizing blockchain scalability 🔸 The role of design in enhancing crypto adoption 🔸 UX challenges in decentralized applications (dApps) 🔸 The difference between product, UI and UX designers 🎙️ Guest: Andrii Bondar, Product Designer at Matter Labs Twitter: https://x.com/andriibondards LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andriibondards Website: https://andriibondar.com