Podcast Summary
Revolutionizing financial transactions in apps and games with Bitcoin: Zebedee, founded by Andre Neves and team, enables Bitcoin microtransactions and payments in apps and games, allowing for new incentive structures and benefits for developers and consumers.
Zebedee, a company founded by Andre Neves and his team, is revolutionizing financial transactions in apps and games by making Bitcoin interoperable with microtransactions and payments. The company was started by three co-founders with diverse backgrounds in systems and applications development, financial services, and Bitcoin integration in video games. Andre, originally from Brazil, was inspired by Bitcoin's instant settlement capabilities and decided to build a company to make a transformative impact. He attended the Lightning Network residency program in 2018, where he met other influential figures in the Bitcoin community, and decided to quit his job to fully commit to the project. Today, Zebedee's API allows game developers to make Bitcoin transactions native to their apps, opening up new incentive structures and benefits for both consumers and developers.
Creating Bitcoin Games and Monetizing with Micropayments: Companies like Zebedee are simplifying Bitcoin micropayments for game developers, enabling near-zero fees and instant settlement.
Bitcoin's early history includes innovative uses of the technology, such as creating the first Bitcoin game in 2013, which rewarded players with Bitcoin. However, the game's creator, Mandel Drake, had to shut it down due to rising transaction fees. Fast forward to today, companies like Zebedee are making it easier for game developers to incorporate Bitcoin payments into their games through their API, enabling instant settlement and near-zero fees. Zebedee, founded in 2019, aims to simplify the process of interacting with Bitcoin for both consumers and developers. The company's B2B side allows businesses to accept Bitcoin payments easily, while their B2C side enables game developers to reward players with Bitcoin. The potential for incentivizing players to engage more with games by allowing them to earn Bitcoin from ads is a significant business opportunity. Despite this, the widespread adoption of Bitcoin for microtransactions has not yet occurred, possibly due to the technology's complexity and the need for simplification.
Zebedee's approach to Bitcoin and Lightning in gaming industry: Zebedee's developer tools and APIs for Bitcoin and Lightning Network increased user retention and decreased churn in the gaming industry by introducing reward mechanisms based on ad revenue.
Zebedee, a company focused on powering digital economy engines, identified the potential of Bitcoin and Lightning Network in the gaming industry, specifically for increasing user retention and decreasing churn. In 2019, they released APIs and developer tools to make Bitcoin and Lightning more accessible to application and game developers. Their thesis is that Bitcoin and Lightning adoption needs to meet the customer where they're at, focusing on interoperability and ease of use rather than just Bitcoin's monetary or censorship resistance features. In the gaming industry, they found success by introducing reward mechanisms for users based on ad revenue, leading to significant increases in user retention for various game developers, from small idle games to large studios like Square Enix. This approach not only improved user engagement but also led to significant growth in user bases.
Increase revenue and engagement in games with Zebedee's API: Implementing Zebedee's rewards mechanism in games led to an 87% increase in ARPDAU, making it a valuable investment for developers in a few days to weeks.
Integrating Zebedee's API into games can significantly increase revenue and user engagement. This was first observed in the game Ludo Zenith, which saw an 87% increase in ARPDAU (average revenue per daily active user) after implementing Zebedee's rewards mechanism. The process takes only a few days to a couple of weeks, making it a worthwhile investment for game developers. This impactful change started in 2020 and is not just limited to gaming but also extends to desktop games, web experiences, and mobile applications. However, the development cycle for games is longer than for applications, so the full impact may not be immediately apparent. Zebedee's commitment to compliance and regulation has also opened up opportunities beyond gaming, allowing more businesses to benefit from their API. Initially focused on the gaming industry, Zebedee is now expanding its offerings to a wider audience, with significant activations and game launches expected throughout 2023.
Scaling up to handle large transaction volumes on Lightning Network: Zevity, a company started by Andre Muniz, initially focused on serving companies with large transaction volumes on Lightning Network due to lack of competition. They have since opened up their API to developers, introducing new capabilities like streaming money and aiming to eliminate ads on shows by having users pay as they listen.
Zevity, a company Andre Muniz runs, started by providing infrastructure for podcasting platform Fountain to process transactions, and has since scaled up to handle tens of millions of transactions monthly. Initially, they focused on serving companies requesting their services due to the lack of competition in handling large transaction volumes on the Lightning Network. Now, they have opened up their API to anyone, allowing developers to build applications and systems using their technology. This shift led to the introduction of new capabilities, such as streaming money, which allows listeners to pay for content in real-time as they consume it. The ultimate goal is to eventually eliminate ads on shows by having users pay as they listen.
Revolutionizing micro transactions in gaming with Bitcoin and Lightning Network: Bitcoin and Lightning Network enable micro transactions in gaming, expanding global reach and simplifying reward payouts
The use of Bitcoin and Lightning Network in gaming offers a revolutionary way to facilitate micro transactions, enabling gamers to receive and withdraw rewards in fractions of a cent directly into their Bitcoin wallets. This is not possible with traditional finance as transactions require a minimum amount, often starting at a dollar. By using Bitcoin and Lightning Network, game developers can reach a global audience, regardless of their jurisdiction, expanding their addressable market significantly. Players can cash out their rewards by simply entering their Lightning address, making the process straightforward and additive to the gaming experience. The impact of these micro transactions may be small individually, but collectively they have the potential to create a significant macro effect.
Simplifying Bitcoin Lightning Network for Video Games: Zebedee abstracts Lightning Network complexities, enabling game devs to integrate Bitcoin payments easily, reaching a global audience for free
Zebedee is simplifying the process of integrating Bitcoin's Lightning Network into video games, making it easier for developers to send and receive payments globally. This is significant because in countries with depreciating currencies, like Brazil, people are turning to gaming as a way to earn small amounts of money. Zebedee's platform abstracts the complexities of Lightning Network, handling channel management, liquidity, and server crashes, allowing developers to focus on building their games. The service is entirely free for hobby developers, with tiered pricing for larger applications. This turnkey solution enables game developers to easily integrate Bitcoin payments into their games, reaching a global user base without worrying about the underlying complexities of the Lightning Network.
A weekend project by Fiat Jeff leads to a decentralized social media alternative on Bitcoin: Fiat Jeff, a Bitcoin developer, created Noster, an open-source social media project on Bitcoin over a weekend, offering a decentralized, censorship-resistant alternative to traditional platforms.
Noster, an open-source project under the umbrella of Zebedee's NBD (No Big Deal) organization, is a significant development in the social media and Bitcoin space. Noster, which has no specific key performance indicators or deadlines, was initiated by Fiat Jeff, a prolific developer in the Bitcoin lightning ecosystem, who was identified and supported by Zebedee. With no one having gone through the problem of creating a standard for social media on Bitcoin before, Fiat Jeff took the challenge and built Noster over a weekend. The standard, which saw organic growth since its release in late 2020, gained traction due to its relationship with Bitcoin and the fact that many Bitcoin developers were involved in the space. Noster is a big deal because it offers a decentralized, open-source alternative to traditional social media platforms and complements Bitcoin by enabling a more private, censorship-resistant form of social interaction on the Bitcoin network.
A Decentralized Social Media Protocol with 100,000 Users and Growing: Nostr, a decentralized social media protocol, is gaining popularity with over 100,000 users, simple functionality, and censorship resistance. Developers are attracted to its email-like system, and users can self-host relays and clients, making it a promising alternative to traditional social media platforms.
Nostr, a decentralized social media protocol, has the potential to disrupt traditional social media platforms by enabling interoperability and censorship resistance. Jack Dorsey's involvement in 2022 marked the beginning of its growth, which has since led to over 100,000 users and numerous applications. Nostr functions similarly to email protocols, allowing users to log in and interact across different platforms using their unique identities. Its simplicity has attracted 100 developers, and its censorship resistance aligns with Bitcoin's values, allowing users to self-host relays and clients and switch between them if needed. The potential for interoperability could lead to a plethora of activity, making Nostr a promising alternative to the fragmented social media landscape.
Email's outdated protocol hinders innovation: New solutions offer more flexibility and better user experiences than traditional email, while franchises and financial tools provide opportunities for growth in business and finance respectively.
While email has been a long-standing communication method, its underlying protocol, SMTP, is outdated and inflexible for evolution. Unlike social media platforms, email servers are not easily self-hosted, and changing the protocol requires the consensus of major email providers like Google and Yahoo. This high barrier to entry makes it challenging to introduce new features or capabilities. Instead, new solutions, like Noster's email alternative, offer more flexibility and better user experiences. In the business world, franchises like Iflex Stretch Studio provide opportunities for entrepreneurs to enter growing markets, offering professional services at affordable prices. Additionally, financial tools like Public.com offer higher interest rates for cash accounts, providing an alternative to traditional banks. Overall, staying informed and making smart decisions, whether in business or finance, is crucial for success.
Zebedee Integrates Nostr for New Bitcoin and Lightning Capabilities: Zebedee, a Bitcoin and Lightning tech company, is integrating Nostr to create a social media platform that enables discoverability for Bitcoin wallets, monetizes social identities with minimal fees, and allows content creators to keep 99% of their earnings.
Zebedee, a company focused on Bitcoin and Lightning technology, sees a business opportunity in integrating Nostr, a new decentralized social media protocol, into their platform. This integration could enable new capabilities for Bitcoin and Lightning networks, providing a discoverability layer for Bitcoin wallets and enabling developers and users to monetize their social identities with minimal fees. Zebedee aims to disrupt the current monetization schemes in digital content creation by allowing content creators to maintain 99% of their earnings, as opposed to the hefty cuts taken by platforms like OnlyFans, Patreon, Twitter, and Substack. The Zebedee app, which includes a Bitcoin Lightning wallet, is now being upgraded to include a social aspect, and users can sign up for the waitlist to get started.
Monetize content and interact socially with Bitcoin on ZBD app: Embrace challenges, take risks, and create meaningful impact through entrepreneurship, as demonstrated by the ZBD app's Bitcoin-incentivized platform
The ZBD app is revolutionizing content monetization and social interaction by allowing users to earn and use Bitcoin within the platform. This disruptive innovation fosters creativity, encourages valued engagement, and simplifies the process of getting started with Bitcoin. Andre's advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is to take the leap, embrace the challenge, and be prepared for the immense work involved. By following your intuition and daring to take risks, you can create something meaningful and make a significant impact in the world. The ZBD app, with its unique features and mission, is an excellent example of this entrepreneurial spirit in action.
Focus on a niche to excel: Entrepreneurs should concentrate on being the best in their chosen area and expand later. Identify a specific niche or moat and build a strong brand by excelling in it.
Focus is crucial for entrepreneurs and startups. The speaker, Jason Brett, emphasized the importance of identifying and focusing on a specific niche or moat to excel in and build a strong, trustworthy brand. He advised against trying to do too many things at once, as it can lead to failure and being a generalist instead of the best in a particular vertical. Instead, entrepreneurs should concentrate on being the best in their chosen area and then expand into new areas as they excel. The speaker also touched upon the idea that work and life are intertwined, and entrepreneurs need to understand the implications of this and set boundaries accordingly. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of understanding the market and not being too broad or too narrow in one's approach.
Focusing on core capabilities and leveraging partners for others: Zebedee launched with social and payments, using partners for music and podcasting. Bitcoin and Nostr are expected to become mainstream, enabling seamless interactions and transactions. Nostr will be an essential discovery and communications layer for various industries.
Building the best user experience for an app or platform often involves using APIs from external providers. However, as a company grows and excels in its niche, it may choose to self-host certain capabilities and build its own moat. This was the approach taken by Zebedee in their launch, where they focused on social and payments while leveraging partners for music and podcasting. Looking ahead, Bitcoin and Nostr technology are expected to become more mainstream and omnipresent within the next 5 to 10 years, enabling seamless interactions and transactions across various digital economies. Nostr, in particular, is predicted to have a large, active user base, making it an essential discovery and communications layer for various industries such as music, art, gaming, and social experiences. Ultimately, the goal is to make Bitcoin and Nostr usage as easy as sending messages or emails, leading to a significant impact on digital economies.
Revolutionizing global transactions with Bitcoin and related technologies: Bitcoin and related technologies like Nostr and Zebedee enable global transactions without intermediaries or personal info, opening up new possibilities for monetization and communication online, and expected to disrupt various industries.
Bitcoin and related technologies, such as Nostr and Zebedee, are making it easier than ever before to send and receive money globally, without the need for intermediaries or personal information. This is opening up new possibilities for monetization and communication online, and is expected to disrupt various industries in the coming years. The ease of use and accessibility of these technologies are key to their success and widespread adoption. For example, during the conversation, Andre was able to send 1,000 sats (approximately 27 cents) to Ross, who was not even in the same location, without exchanging any personal information. This demonstrates the potential of these technologies to revolutionize the way we interact and transact online.
