DeFi, worth the risks for the rewards?

After the  last episode aired, I received questions from dedicated listeners who were curious about the podcast hiatus announcement.  I've decided to delve into this with my guest today. This episode explores how my views of Web3 and Blockchain have evolved since I started this podcast. It also sheds some light on why I decided to put things on hold indefinitely. If you want to know what I'm doing next, listen to the very end. 

In this episode, I chat with Keith Corbin, an Engineering and Product leader with decades of experience across multiple industries. Keith is also an executive coach with his own practice called Evolution Coaching. Evolution Coaching provides transformational leadership coaching to executives at various levels...so if that's of interest to you, I highly recommend him.

In addition, Keith is a mentor and a friend of mine. I wouldn't be doing this episode with anyone else.

What I'm working on now

• Mink - Ecosystem for Fractional Work
• Pickytarian - Eye-catching, Colorful, Compostable Tableware

Links from this Episode

• Evolution Coaching

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• Keith
• Laide

In this episode, Laide chats with Tante (a.k.a. Jürgen Geuter) about his criticism of blockchain and the web3 ecosystem. Tante also shares what counter-arguments or applications will turn him from skeptic to believer.

Tante is an independent theorist working at the intersection of technology, politics, and social sciences. He currently works at a media art company but also writes articles for his blog and for many major publications. Tante studied computer science with a minor in philosophy. He's a self-proclaimed luddite and generalist. Tante doesn't own any cryptocurrencies or NFTs. 

Topics & Timeline

• 2:23 - Tante's background
• 3:40 - When Tante first learned about NFTs
• 7:10 - Tante's issue with Art and NFTs
• 12:29 - On the discovery problem for artists
• 14:50 - On digital vs physical art
• 17:57 - On other Web3 applications
• 26:14 - Privacy advocates and owning your data
• 29:05 - When it makes sense to use a blockchain
• 36:45 - Web3 and similarities to cultism
• 41:54 - Areas of improvement for Web3 if it's indeed here to stay

Links from this Episode

• Tante's Blog
• Web3 is going great

Follow on Social Media 

• Tante
• Laide
• Onchain Medley Podcast

In this episode, Laide chats with Maria Shen, partner at Electric Capital - an early stage venture firm focused on cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and the Web3 ecosystem. 

Maria sheds some light on how Venture Capitalists (VCs) add value to the web3 ecosystem even though some may see their participation as antithetical to the ethos of web3. We chat about which blockchain applications and opportunities she's most excited about. 

Maria also shares more about Electric capital - what's next for them, typical check sizes, and their current hiring needs.
 

Topics & Timeline

• 1:35 - Maria's background & interest in Web3/Blockchain
• 3:57 - Why the remittance use case of the blockchain hasn't taken off as expected
• 5:44 - Electric Capital & how they differ from traditional VC firms
• 7:44 - How Venture Capitalists (VCs) fit into the Web3 ecosystem
• 11:10 - On whether VCs own web3
• 12:43 - Why Web3 founders seek funding from VCs
• 14:09 - How Maria & Electric Capital evaluate investment opportunities
• 16:10 - Electric Capital's time horizon for returns on investment
• 17:10 - On NFTs
• 21:11 - Exciting opportunities in Web3
• 27:30 - On the Metaverse
• 31:32 - Other areas of interest for Maria & Electric Capital
• 33:10 - Whether there'll eventually be consolidation of the various chains
• 38:10 - Typical check size of Electric Capital's investments
• 40:40 - What's next for Electric Capital

Links from this Episode

• Electric Capital
• Magic Eden
• Komorebi Collective

Follow on Social Media 

• Maria Shen
• Electric Capital
• Komorebi Collective
• Laide
• Onchain Medley Podcast

In this episode, Laide chats with Tim Rich about how blockchain can be used to facilitate the charity ecosystem. Tim is the Co-founder, Chief Data Officer, & Cryptoeconomic Design Lead for Blockchange. 

Blockchange is a social innovation platform that combines cryptocurrency, NFTs and gamification to create an efficient, transparent and regenerative charitable donation ecosystem.

Tim is also a sociologist and Historian as is evident throughout this episode. He shares his insights on blockchain as a creative medium, provides some interesting analogies, and also discusses how blockchain can be a net good for society when it's all said and done.
 

Topics & Timeline

• 2:25 - Mashiat's background & interest in Web3/Blockchain
• 1:57 - Tim's background & interest in blockchain
• 5:11 - Blockchain as a medium for social & economic forces
• 8:10 - NFTs, Blockchain & the monetization of culture
• 18:27 - Why Charities & NGOs need to get involved in blockchain
• 22:52 - How Blockchange facilitates fundraising for charities & NGOs
• 28:23 - Developing countries & donation transparency
• 33:25 - How society typically responds to technological shifts
• 38:28 - Creative evolution & cultural credibility with blockchain
• 51:11 - What's next for Blockchange

Links from this Episode

• Blockchange
• Rethink Food
• The Medium is the Massage by Marshall McLuhan

Follow on Social Media 

• Blockchange
• Rethink Food
• Laide
• Onchain Medley Podcast

In this episode, Laide chats with Mashiat Mutmainnah about her conviction on blockchain/Web3, what DeFi is, what Celo enables for countries in emerging markets, and her involvement with Boys Club.
Mashiat is a product partner and NFT Lead Contributor at Celo. Celo is an open platform that makes financial tools accessible to anyone with a mobile phone. Celo focuses on mobile-first and its Ethereum-compatible blockchain is optimized for peer-to-peer payments using only a mobile number.
Mashiat is also a leader and active contributor for Boys Club, a community that aims to be a no bro zone for the crypto curious by making crypto and web3 accessible to everyone else. The community hosts dinners, educational sessions and is designed for women and non-binary people but welcoming to all.
 

Topics & Timeline

• 2:25 - Mashiat's background & interest in Web3/Blockchain
• 6:42 - Mashiat's conviction about blockchain & microfinance for emerging Markets
• 8:35 - What DeFi enables
• 13:30 - About Celo
• 18:53 - Boys Club & Mashiat's involvement with the community
• 23:25 - What needs to change about the ecosystem today
• 25:09 - Mashiat's advice for folks interested in this space
• 27:18 - What's next for Celo, BoysClub

Links from this Episode

• Celo
• Boys Club
• Rabbit Hole

Follow on Social Media 

• Celo
• Boys Club 
• Laide
• Onchain Medley Podcast

In this episode, Steve chats with Laide about Music NFTs, what's broken with the music industry, and where the industry needs to evolve for a more equitable experience for artists and music fans alike. Steve also talks about how Web3 and blockchain play a role in that evolution as well as what he and his team at Vezt are building.

Steve is the CEO and co-founder of Vezt. Vezt provides a digital marketplace for artists and songwriters to share a percentage of a song’s royalties to fans and brands for royalty-based financing through a process that Vezt calls Initial Song Offering or (ISO™).

Topics & Timeline

• 1:45 - Steve's background & interest in Web3
• 7:25 - Why music artists no longer need record labels
• 12:25 - Music NFTs & what most are underestimating with Royalty payments
• 13:57 - Music NFTs versus Initial Song Offering (ISO)
• 20:42 - Why mindset needs to shift around music consumption to ensure artists are properly compensated
• 25:30 - More about Vezt's Initial Song Offering (ISO) Process
• 37:25 - Vezt's switch from Ethereum to Stellar
• 43:35 - Vezt's controversy about customers not receiving royalty payments
• 53:30 - What's next for Vezt?

Links from this Episode

• Vezt

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• Vezt
• Laide
• Onchain Medley Podcast

Ian Lee chats with Laide and  provides his insights on DAOs, what they are, and how they fit within the Web3 Ecosystem. Ian also shares more about the various tools Syndicate has created to simplify DAO formation, coordination, investments amongst others. 

Ian is the co-founder of Syndicate, an Investing protocol and social network. Syndicate is revolutionizing investing by changing how communities and capital work together through accessible, effortless, and social web3 technologies. Syndicate recently launched a Web3 investment club, which turns any wallet into a web3-native investing DAO.

Topics & Timeline

• 1:50 - Ian's background & interest in Web3
• 3:50 - Incumbents & their reception to blockchain technology
• 9:25 - DAOs as a coordination mechanism
• 13:20 - Origin and Evolution of DAOs
• 20:37 - DAO Formation
• 26:05 - DAO discovery problems & potential opportunities
• 29:45 - About Syndicate's Web3 Investment Clubs
• 38:45 - Legality & Regulation of DAOs
• 42:10 - Next steps for DAOs
• 45:22 - What's next for Syndicate
• 49:08 - Ian highlights a few of his favorite DAOs
• 51:30 - Ian's recommended resources

Links from this Episode

• Syndicate
• BFF 
• Eve Wealth
• The Council
• Global Women in DC
• We3

Ian's Recommended Resources

• Syndicate's Guide
• DAO Masters
• a16z DAO Canon

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• Ian Lee
• Syndicate
• Laide
• Onchain Medley Podcast

Laide chats with Kristina Liburd about Intellectual Property (IP) rights and what many creators miss as they aim to capitalize on the offerings of Web3 and blockchain technology. Kristina also shares her insights on what needs to change legally to ensure artists and collectors are protected and so much more. 

Kristina is Founder & CEO of Viageur, a travel company that aims to take the stress out of planning trips. With its AI-driven digital concierge service, Viaguer not only provides travelers with safety information on their travels but also saves travelers valuable time on destination research and planning, bringing them closer to hidden gems, events, and many other great activities while they travel. Kristina is also IP rights attorney. She has worked in different legal and executive capacities for various companies like Sony Music Entertainment and Combs Enterprises. 

Topics & Timeline

• 2:50 - Kristina's background
• 6:15 - Entry into Web3/Blockchain & its application to her startup, Viageur
• 13:45 - Viageur's business model
• 19:20 - What creators should know when it comes to Intellectual Property (IP) Rights
• 25:40 - Proof of Authorship, Proof of Ownership, Current Legal System and What needs to change
• 30:45 - What's next for Viageur
•  33:20 - Kristina's Recommended Resources

Links from this Episode

• Viageur
• Viageur's Whitepaper
• VVIP Token

Kristina's Recommended Resources

• http://bit.ly/wannalearnweb3
• Viageur's Discord

Follow on Social Media

• Kristina Liburd
• Viageur
• Laide
• Onchain Medley Podcast

Ancient Warriors is an NFT collection that features warriors from some of the greatest African and Latin American empires in history. The team launched this project because they noticed a lack of representation in the NFT space.

In this episode, we discuss Emmanuel's background and interest in Web3, his reason for starting the Ancient Warriors Project, how he and his co-founders found & convinced artists to work with them, pitfalls and learnings along the way. Emmanuel also shared his number one advice to anyone looking to launch an NFT collection.

Topics & Timeline

• 2:40 - Emmanuel's Background
• 4:35 - What sparked Emmanuel's interest in NFTs
• 6:25 - How Ancient Warriors NFT got started
• 10:40 - How the team found and convinced Artists to work with them
• 15:30 -  How the team  decided on the number of NFTs in the Ancient Warriors collection
• 19:45 - Vision and Roadmap for Ancient Warriors
• 25:30 - Pitfalls en route to Launch
• 29:40 - Emmanuel's Number One Advice
• 32:00 - Factors that went into selecting a blockchain to build on
• 34:30 - What's next for the Ancient Warriors team
• 38:55 - Emmanuel's Recommended Resources

Links from this Episode

• Ancient Warriors
• CultureDAO
• AfrofutureDAO
• Pagzi Tech

Emmanuel's Recommended Resources

• Ancient Warriors Discord
• Curious Addys'

Follow on Social Media

• Ancient Warriors
• Emmanuel Udotong
• Laide
• Onchain Medley Podcast

In this episode, Fadumo Osman shares what Play-Learn-earn is and how that differs from Play-to-earn model, which was popularized by the game - Axie Infinity. Fadumo also shares insights on the Play-Learn-Earn model as a great way for improving soft skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and negotiation. Fadumo is relatively new to Web3, which I found quite refreshing as she has a more nuanced perspective on this ecosystem.

Fadumo is relatively new to Web3, which I found quite refreshing as she has a more nuanced perspective on this ecosystem.

Topics & Timeline

• 3:00 - Fadumo's Background
• 4:15 - Play-to-earn (P2E) model
• 12:00  - Where Roblox and similar companies fall short
• 13:08 - Play-to-Learn & Education
• 14:30 - We3 & Financial Inclusion
• 17:00 - How Fadumo got started in Web3
• 19:00 - About Red Cat Multiverse

Links from this Episode

• Red Cat Multiverse
• Red Cat Multiverse Substack
• Red Cat Multiverse Discord

Fadumo's Recommended Resources

• Boys Club
• Women in NFTs
• Web3 Familia

Follow on Social Media

• Fadumo Osman
• Red Cat Multiverse
• Laide
• Onchain Medley Podcast