Still Early Podcast Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:35:25 -0400 https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/still-early-podcast en © 2026 Still Early Podcast yes 1ce4ffb7-c9d2-503b-b9f7-ffbf15947d4d blocmates episodic false Still Early is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the hottest emerging trends in crypto, before they happen. Part of the @blocmatesdotcom network.

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) blocmates https://storage.buzzsprout.com/g6uvprh9tqcvbj21d1a749eqd0jf?.jpg Still Early Podcast https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/still-early-podcast The Real Truth About Modular Scaling and the Future of Crypto The Real Truth About Modular Scaling and the Future of Crypto The dynamic duo - Grant and 563 - hosts Andy, a return guest, as they chat about various concepts in crypto, including modular scaling, execution environments, and user experience (UX).

The conversation covers various layers of the stack, including execution, data availability, and consensus. 

They also touch on the importance of changing the execution layer, the need for more infrastructure, and the challenges of user experience.

Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats.

]]> The dynamic duo - Grant and 563 - hosts Andy, a return guest, as they chat about various concepts in crypto, including modular scaling, execution environments, and user experience (UX).

The conversation covers various layers of the stack, including execution, data availability, and consensus. 

They also touch on the importance of changing the execution layer, the need for more infrastructure, and the challenges of user experience.

Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats.

]]> blocmates Buzzsprout-15740332 Wed, 18 Sep 2024 06:00:00 -0400 2158 full false ETH's Existential Crisis: Can ETH Recover from Its Own Success? ETH's Existential Crisis: Can ETH Recover from Its Own Success? Grant hosts Sam, from Frax - a modular rollup - who shares his insights on the importance of DeFi and how it's the foundation for a successful ecosystem.

The podcast discusses the current state of the crypto industry, specifically focusing on Ethereum and DeFi (Decentralized Finance). 

Sam critiques the current narrative around Ethereum, arguing that it's being valued as a business rather than a store of value. 

Sam also emphasizes the importance of long-term vision and commitment to developing a successful chain or community. 

]]> Grant hosts Sam, from Frax - a modular rollup - who shares his insights on the importance of DeFi and how it's the foundation for a successful ecosystem.

The podcast discusses the current state of the crypto industry, specifically focusing on Ethereum and DeFi (Decentralized Finance). 

Sam critiques the current narrative around Ethereum, arguing that it's being valued as a business rather than a store of value. 

Sam also emphasizes the importance of long-term vision and commitment to developing a successful chain or community. 

]]> blocmates Buzzsprout-15726416 Tue, 10 Sep 2024 22:00:00 -0400 2265 full false Su Zhu & Lukas on SpermFi, DeSci and Decentralized Biobank Opportunities Su Zhu & Lukas on SpermFi, DeSci and Decentralized Biobank Opportunities Grant hosts Su Zhu and Lukas as they discuss an emerging industry in blockchain: Sperm Fi. The discussion revolves around sperm donation and its potential as a market opportunity.

The speakers explore the current state of the sperm market, including the competition, pricing, and the varying demands of women seeking donor sperm.

They also discuss the stigma surrounding sperm donation and the potential for mainstream acceptance in the future.

]]> Grant hosts Su Zhu and Lukas as they discuss an emerging industry in blockchain: Sperm Fi. The discussion revolves around sperm donation and its potential as a market opportunity.

The speakers explore the current state of the sperm market, including the competition, pricing, and the varying demands of women seeking donor sperm.

They also discuss the stigma surrounding sperm donation and the potential for mainstream acceptance in the future.

]]> blocmates Buzzsprout-15694445 Thu, 05 Sep 2024 03:00:00 -0400 4317 full false Could DYAD's Kerosene Token Be the Next Big Thing in DeFi? Could DYAD's Kerosene Token Be the Next Big Thing in DeFi? Grant brings on Joey from DYAD as they dive into the unique aspects of the DYAD protocol and its innovative approach to stablecoin design. He discusses recent efforts to enhance user engagement and simplify the protocol's documentation. 

In this episode, you will learn the differences between yield-oriented and money-oriented stablecoins. They also examine the limitations of traditional CDP models. Joey explains how Dyad seeks to overcome these challenges by balancing volatility absorption with capital efficiency.

The discussion highlights Dyad’s design choices, such as gated access to stablecoin minting and using kerosene to boost capital efficiency and liquidity management. 

They also discuss upcoming features and partnerships to enhance Dyad’s utility across DeFi protocols, emphasizing the importance of composability and sustainable growth through innovative mechanisms. 

Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats.

]]> Grant brings on Joey from DYAD as they dive into the unique aspects of the DYAD protocol and its innovative approach to stablecoin design. He discusses recent efforts to enhance user engagement and simplify the protocol's documentation. 

In this episode, you will learn the differences between yield-oriented and money-oriented stablecoins. They also examine the limitations of traditional CDP models. Joey explains how Dyad seeks to overcome these challenges by balancing volatility absorption with capital efficiency.

The discussion highlights Dyad’s design choices, such as gated access to stablecoin minting and using kerosene to boost capital efficiency and liquidity management. 

They also discuss upcoming features and partnerships to enhance Dyad’s utility across DeFi protocols, emphasizing the importance of composability and sustainable growth through innovative mechanisms. 

Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats.

]]> blocmates Buzzsprout-15656332 Wed, 28 Aug 2024 09:00:00 -0400 3195 full false Here’s Why Moonwalk Fitness Could be the Strava of Crypto Here’s Why Moonwalk Fitness Could be the Strava of Crypto Grant welcomes Cait back from Moonwalk to talk about blockchain consumer apps and how Moonwalk uses blockchain and gamification to help people build accountability and healthy habits. 

The chat covers the behavioral impact of these incentives, the social dynamics of group challenges, and the hurdles of creating a seamless onboarding experience. 

Cait shares her vision for making crypto-based apps more accessible by simplifying sign-in and payment processes. The discussion also emphasizes the role of community engagement and gamification in driving participation, especially within the crypto space. 

Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats.

]]> Grant welcomes Cait back from Moonwalk to talk about blockchain consumer apps and how Moonwalk uses blockchain and gamification to help people build accountability and healthy habits. 

The chat covers the behavioral impact of these incentives, the social dynamics of group challenges, and the hurdles of creating a seamless onboarding experience. 

Cait shares her vision for making crypto-based apps more accessible by simplifying sign-in and payment processes. The discussion also emphasizes the role of community engagement and gamification in driving participation, especially within the crypto space. 

Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats.

]]> blocmates Buzzsprout-15617646 Wed, 21 Aug 2024 08:00:00 -0400 2804 full false The Rise of HarryPotterObamaSonic10Inu | Ticker BITCOIN The Rise of HarryPotterObamaSonic10Inu | Ticker BITCOIN Grant and Graeme dive into the world of meme coins, focusing on Harry Potter Obama Sonic 10 Inu, otherwise known as ticker BITCOIN, the thicker ticker, etc. 

They explore how merchandise shapes digital identities, tracing the coin's journey from its mysterious beginnings to its prominence in the crypto meme space.

They discuss the shift towards community-owned and fair launch initiatives, market cycles, institutional interest, and the impact of NFTs. The evolving landscape of meme coins is examined, from initial excitement to changes in market attitudes. 

Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats.

]]> Grant and Graeme dive into the world of meme coins, focusing on Harry Potter Obama Sonic 10 Inu, otherwise known as ticker BITCOIN, the thicker ticker, etc. 

They explore how merchandise shapes digital identities, tracing the coin's journey from its mysterious beginnings to its prominence in the crypto meme space.

They discuss the shift towards community-owned and fair launch initiatives, market cycles, institutional interest, and the impact of NFTs. The evolving landscape of meme coins is examined, from initial excitement to changes in market attitudes. 

Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats.

]]> blocmates Buzzsprout-15544965 Wed, 07 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0400 2858 full false How Dinero is Onboarding Institutions & Degens to Ethereum (ETH) Yield How Dinero is Onboarding Institutions & Degens to Ethereum (ETH) Yield Grant welcomes back a regular on the Still Early Podcast. Sami returns to share major updates on his company's rebrand from Redacted to Dinero. 

The discussion covers their efforts to simplify product offerings for better clarity and appeal. Sami details their shift towards institutional clients, introduces PXUSD as a new stablecoin, and explains the real vs. fake world asset implications.

He also breaks down their new products, PXETH and APXETH, and their yield abstraction model. The conversation touches on partnerships, the IPXETH product aimed at institutional needs, and the nuances of Ethereum staking compliance and yield. 

Come join our discord: https://discord.gg/blocmates


]]> Grant welcomes back a regular on the Still Early Podcast. Sami returns to share major updates on his company's rebrand from Redacted to Dinero. 

The discussion covers their efforts to simplify product offerings for better clarity and appeal. Sami details their shift towards institutional clients, introduces PXUSD as a new stablecoin, and explains the real vs. fake world asset implications.

He also breaks down their new products, PXETH and APXETH, and their yield abstraction model. The conversation touches on partnerships, the IPXETH product aimed at institutional needs, and the nuances of Ethereum staking compliance and yield. 

Come join our discord: https://discord.gg/blocmates


]]> blocmates Buzzsprout-15507426 Wed, 31 Jul 2024 08:00:00 -0400 2315 full false Crypto UX Just Changed Forever Crypto UX Just Changed Forever In this Still Early episode, Grant chats with Cain, a prominent DeFi builder, about the revolutionary potential of Infinex, a decentralized exchange designed to replace centralized platforms like Binance and Coinbase. Cain shares the journey from developing smart contracts to creating a user experience comparable to traditional exchanges. 


The conversation touches on the challenges of user onboarding and the importance of credible technology demonstrations to gain trust. They also take a look at Crate Run, a yield-farming platform that uses randomness to prevent industrialized bot farming. They emphasize the importance of randomness, community alignment, and governance for a decentralized exchange's success.


Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats.


]]> In this Still Early episode, Grant chats with Cain, a prominent DeFi builder, about the revolutionary potential of Infinex, a decentralized exchange designed to replace centralized platforms like Binance and Coinbase. Cain shares the journey from developing smart contracts to creating a user experience comparable to traditional exchanges. 


The conversation touches on the challenges of user onboarding and the importance of credible technology demonstrations to gain trust. They also take a look at Crate Run, a yield-farming platform that uses randomness to prevent industrialized bot farming. They emphasize the importance of randomness, community alignment, and governance for a decentralized exchange's success.


Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats.


]]> blocmates Buzzsprout-15466283 Wed, 24 Jul 2024 04:00:00 -0400 2763 full false Introducing Blinks: Phantom’s Plan to Dominate the Crypto Space Introducing Blinks: Phantom’s Plan to Dominate the Crypto Space In this Still Early episode, Grant has a chat with Brian from Phantom, a digital wallet reimagined for DeFi within the Solana ecosystem. Brian shares insights into Phantom's origins, the challenges they faced, and the strategic decisions that led to their success.

Brian explains how Phantom prioritizes features based on user feedback, real-time inputs, and the importance of community engagement, detailing Phantom's marketing and social media strategies. Brian introduces Blinks, which allows developers to distill core DApp functions into shareable links. They also discuss the future of no-code solutions for Blinks and their implications for e-commerce and other industries.

Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats.

]]> In this Still Early episode, Grant has a chat with Brian from Phantom, a digital wallet reimagined for DeFi within the Solana ecosystem. Brian shares insights into Phantom's origins, the challenges they faced, and the strategic decisions that led to their success.

Brian explains how Phantom prioritizes features based on user feedback, real-time inputs, and the importance of community engagement, detailing Phantom's marketing and social media strategies. Brian introduces Blinks, which allows developers to distill core DApp functions into shareable links. They also discuss the future of no-code solutions for Blinks and their implications for e-commerce and other industries.

Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats.

]]> blocmates Buzzsprout-15428898 Wed, 17 Jul 2024 08:00:00 -0400 2484 full false Why Users Hate Bridging and How to Fix It With Socket Protocol Why Users Hate Bridging and How to Fix It With Socket Protocol In this Still Early episode, Grant is joined by Vaibhav Chellani from Socket Protocol to discuss tectonic shifts and developments in the blockchain landscape. They address challenges like rollup scaling and chain fragmentation, emphasizing the need for seamless user experiences and chain abstraction.


The conversation explores the technical and economic reasons for the rise of L2s and L3s, drawing on VC's experience at Polygon. Vaibhav introduces Modular Order Flow Auctions (MOFA), which delegate on-chain execution to off-chain agents, optimizing actions based on application needs. Traditional account abstraction's hurdles are tackled, introducing Magic Spend++, inspired by Coinbase's Magic Spend, to enable seamless, non-custodial, on-chain interactions. 


The conversation concludes with upcoming releases, community involvement, future collaborations, and a call to action for audience engagement. Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats.

]]> In this Still Early episode, Grant is joined by Vaibhav Chellani from Socket Protocol to discuss tectonic shifts and developments in the blockchain landscape. They address challenges like rollup scaling and chain fragmentation, emphasizing the need for seamless user experiences and chain abstraction.


The conversation explores the technical and economic reasons for the rise of L2s and L3s, drawing on VC's experience at Polygon. Vaibhav introduces Modular Order Flow Auctions (MOFA), which delegate on-chain execution to off-chain agents, optimizing actions based on application needs. Traditional account abstraction's hurdles are tackled, introducing Magic Spend++, inspired by Coinbase's Magic Spend, to enable seamless, non-custodial, on-chain interactions. 


The conversation concludes with upcoming releases, community involvement, future collaborations, and a call to action for audience engagement. Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats.

]]> blocmates Buzzsprout-15391032 Wed, 10 Jul 2024 06:00:00 -0400 3270 full false Memecoins Are on Their Way Out, What’s Next? Memecoins Are on Their Way Out, What’s Next? In this episode of Still Early, Dom shares updates on his recent developments in the NFT space. Dom offers insights into the shifting focus from NFTs to more liquid and accessible meme coins, using major events like Pepe's rise as examples. He also discusses the challenges faced by NFT project founders in this changing landscape and the potential of SocialFi, citing examples like 404s and Pandora.

The discussion then shifts to Solana's challenges and future plans, focusing on the ACP 77 proposal and its implications for network growth and sustainability. The implementation of ACP 77, removes the need for staking AVAX, reduces inflation with a burn mechanism, and makes the network more competitive with solutions like Celestia and Layer 2. All this and more on this insightful discussion.

Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats

]]> In this episode of Still Early, Dom shares updates on his recent developments in the NFT space. Dom offers insights into the shifting focus from NFTs to more liquid and accessible meme coins, using major events like Pepe's rise as examples. He also discusses the challenges faced by NFT project founders in this changing landscape and the potential of SocialFi, citing examples like 404s and Pandora.

The discussion then shifts to Solana's challenges and future plans, focusing on the ACP 77 proposal and its implications for network growth and sustainability. The implementation of ACP 77, removes the need for staking AVAX, reduces inflation with a burn mechanism, and makes the network more competitive with solutions like Celestia and Layer 2. All this and more on this insightful discussion.

Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats

]]> blocmates Buzzsprout-15355906 Wed, 03 Jul 2024 09:00:00 -0400 2845 full false Top Crypto AI Projects to Watch Top Crypto AI Projects to Watch In this episode of Still Early, Grant and 563 analyze AI and Crypto projects to bring you projects that are worth their salt. They stress the importance of distinguishing between real innovations and mere hype, especially regarding AI projects that use blockchain. 

The discussion spans various aspects of AI training, data, computing power, and DePINs. They dive into four major projects, highlighting those that have successfully implemented innovative approaches. The conversation explores the dynamic interplay between early adopters, security concerns, and the potential for innovation with these technologies. It also touches on spotting red flags for passive investors and assessing project viability in the rapidly growing field of AI initiatives.


Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats


]]> In this episode of Still Early, Grant and 563 analyze AI and Crypto projects to bring you projects that are worth their salt. They stress the importance of distinguishing between real innovations and mere hype, especially regarding AI projects that use blockchain. 

The discussion spans various aspects of AI training, data, computing power, and DePINs. They dive into four major projects, highlighting those that have successfully implemented innovative approaches. The conversation explores the dynamic interplay between early adopters, security concerns, and the potential for innovation with these technologies. It also touches on spotting red flags for passive investors and assessing project viability in the rapidly growing field of AI initiatives.


Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats


]]> blocmates Buzzsprout-15314937 Wed, 26 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0400 4201 full false Karak’s Three-pronged Approach: Multi-Collateral Systems, Delegated Staking, and K2 Rollup Karak’s Three-pronged Approach: Multi-Collateral Systems, Delegated Staking, and K2 Rollup In this episode of Still Early, Grant chats with Dewpey from Karak about the innovative restaking protocol they're developing. The conversation delves Karak’s flexibility and composability, which allow for a wide range of assets to be restaked, reducing capital costs and fostering the emergence of new services. 


They explore the operational mechanics of Delegated Staking Systems (DSSs), including user interactions, asset flow, slashing mechanisms, and the role of a veto committee. Dewpey introduces K2, a rollup that addresses limitations in current restaking processes and provides a sandbox environment for DSS development. Finally, Dewpey gives an overview of upcoming developments, including V2, SDK, and native restaking, and an invitation for developers to contribute to the ecosystem.


Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats


]]> In this episode of Still Early, Grant chats with Dewpey from Karak about the innovative restaking protocol they're developing. The conversation delves Karak’s flexibility and composability, which allow for a wide range of assets to be restaked, reducing capital costs and fostering the emergence of new services. 


They explore the operational mechanics of Delegated Staking Systems (DSSs), including user interactions, asset flow, slashing mechanisms, and the role of a veto committee. Dewpey introduces K2, a rollup that addresses limitations in current restaking processes and provides a sandbox environment for DSS development. Finally, Dewpey gives an overview of upcoming developments, including V2, SDK, and native restaking, and an invitation for developers to contribute to the ecosystem.


Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats


]]> blocmates Buzzsprout-15275913 Wed, 19 Jun 2024 09:00:00 -0400 3007 full false Why Every Blockchain Developer Needs to Know About Sunrise’s Proof of Liquidity Why Every Blockchain Developer Needs to Know About Sunrise’s Proof of Liquidity In this episode of Still Early, we’re venturing into the Berachain universe. Grant sits down with Yu Kimura from Sunrise, a company specializing in proof of liquidity data layers. They dive deep into the role of data availability in secure transactions, and its importance for rollups. Yu elaborates on Sunrise’s innovative fee abstraction mechanism, which enables liquidity provision instead of direct fee payments. 


They also explore cross-chain interoperability and the future of supporting various assets as proof of liquidity. The conversation shifts to Sunrise's sister project, focusing on yield and modularity, and potential collaborations with different blockchain ecosystems. Yu also outlines their current development stage, including internal and upcoming public testnets and their business development efforts.


Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats


]]> In this episode of Still Early, we’re venturing into the Berachain universe. Grant sits down with Yu Kimura from Sunrise, a company specializing in proof of liquidity data layers. They dive deep into the role of data availability in secure transactions, and its importance for rollups. Yu elaborates on Sunrise’s innovative fee abstraction mechanism, which enables liquidity provision instead of direct fee payments. 


They also explore cross-chain interoperability and the future of supporting various assets as proof of liquidity. The conversation shifts to Sunrise's sister project, focusing on yield and modularity, and potential collaborations with different blockchain ecosystems. Yu also outlines their current development stage, including internal and upcoming public testnets and their business development efforts.


Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats


]]> blocmates Buzzsprout-15242862 Thu, 13 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0400 1920 full false Why Berachain is thriving in DeFi: Strategy Amidst Chaos Why Berachain is thriving in DeFi: Strategy Amidst Chaos blocmates bd8ee2d0-ff36-4fe6-9d6c-ccbcf77b4bf6 Thu, 06 Jun 2024 09:03:41 -0400 3211 false ETF Approval and Bitcoin’s Resurgence amidst Babylon’s New Dual Consensus Model ETF Approval and Bitcoin’s Resurgence amidst Babylon’s New Dual Consensus Model blocmates 00b29263-81c5-497a-a440-e8dd0e6dcab5 Wed, 29 May 2024 09:12:05 -0400 2268 false Inside Scoop on MOG Coin: Creating a VIRAL Meme Project Inside Scoop on MOG Coin: Creating a VIRAL Meme Project blocmates 84ea364c-1982-4925-a4a9-3373b6225c1e Wed, 22 May 2024 08:35:48 -0400 3145 false Top Projects to Watch in Q2 2024 Top Projects to Watch in Q2 2024 In this episode of Still Early, Grant and 563 are back again with major alpha on projects upcoming in Q2 2024. They delve into innovations across diverse ecosystems from Solana to Ethereum, BTC to Arbitrum, EVMs and Layer 2s.

The discussion highlights each project's unique features, potential challenges, and investment prospects, offering valuable insights into how to get positioned to take advantage of every opportunity. Finally, they reflect on the current crypto environment, emphasizing the importance of fair launches and decentralized structures. 

Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats!



]]> In this episode of Still Early, Grant and 563 are back again with major alpha on projects upcoming in Q2 2024. They delve into innovations across diverse ecosystems from Solana to Ethereum, BTC to Arbitrum, EVMs and Layer 2s.

The discussion highlights each project's unique features, potential challenges, and investment prospects, offering valuable insights into how to get positioned to take advantage of every opportunity. Finally, they reflect on the current crypto environment, emphasizing the importance of fair launches and decentralized structures. 

Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats!



]]> blocmates 0e31d543-3c93-4f12-979e-450b8e692610 Wed, 15 May 2024 00:35:41 -0400 2949 false Top SocialFi Projects to Watch in Q2 2024 Top SocialFi Projects to Watch in Q2 2024 In this episode of Still Early, we venture into the spick-and-span realm of social-fi. From Solana to DeSo, social apps are being built all across the blockchain. Grant and 563 dig into the players in the social-fi scene and what they’re doing uniquely across their blockchain networks. They cover the Trojan horse strategy for mainstream adoption and the balance between innovation and practicality in social-fi development. Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats!

]]> In this episode of Still Early, we venture into the spick-and-span realm of social-fi. From Solana to DeSo, social apps are being built all across the blockchain. Grant and 563 dig into the players in the social-fi scene and what they’re doing uniquely across their blockchain networks. They cover the Trojan horse strategy for mainstream adoption and the balance between innovation and practicality in social-fi development. Don't be shy - show us some love by giving us a thumbs up, dropping your two cents in the comments, and hitting that subscribe button to keep the good vibes flowing with more insightful chats!

]]> blocmates 0a11769b-f833-49c1-9665-2502da53650d Wed, 08 May 2024 07:41:50 -0400 3484 false The Greatest Comeback In Social-Fi History: The Arena The Greatest Comeback In Social-Fi History: The Arena blocmates e655bb46-0a5f-40e7-859d-4b40f2491977 Wed, 01 May 2024 03:36:21 -0400 2756 false Trader Joe Head of Growth Spills Marketing Tricks & Alpha On Crypto Points Programs Trader Joe Head of Growth Spills Marketing Tricks & Alpha On Crypto Points Programs In this episode of Still Early, Grant is joined by Blue from Trader Joe as they cover recent events, updates from Trader Joe, and strategies for community growth. They also delve into Layer 2 solutions, the delicate balance between acquisition and retention, and the essence of community culture. One standout is Mantle's innovative use of NFTs and personalization to foster growth. They converse about how personalization boosts both marketing and user experience. They extensively discuss yield farming opportunities, meme coins, NFTs, marketing tricks, and future projects. Finally, they stress the importance of community engagement, ethical practices, and transparency. Don't forget to spread the love - give us a thumbs up, leave your thoughts below, and hit that subscribe button to stay tuned for more enriching conversations!

]]> In this episode of Still Early, Grant is joined by Blue from Trader Joe as they cover recent events, updates from Trader Joe, and strategies for community growth. They also delve into Layer 2 solutions, the delicate balance between acquisition and retention, and the essence of community culture. One standout is Mantle's innovative use of NFTs and personalization to foster growth. They converse about how personalization boosts both marketing and user experience. They extensively discuss yield farming opportunities, meme coins, NFTs, marketing tricks, and future projects. Finally, they stress the importance of community engagement, ethical practices, and transparency. Don't forget to spread the love - give us a thumbs up, leave your thoughts below, and hit that subscribe button to stay tuned for more enriching conversations!

]]> blocmates 672deeb9-e592-423a-96f7-5d9ae323bcdc Wed, 24 Apr 2024 08:29:04 -0400 3452 false Is io.net the Most Anticipated Product in Crypto x AI? Is io.net the Most Anticipated Product in Crypto x AI? In today’s episode Grant and 563 sit down with io.net’s COO Tory Green. The three kick things off by breaking down the GPU gold rush and centralized cloud challenges, before going into io.net's value-prop, as well as the Web3 efficiencies of cloud-compute. Tory then outlines io.net’s rates, drops a date on wen $I0 token, and discuss the future of the Solana ecosystem. They then dig into IO Ventures and the advantages of compute-for-equity for early-stage startups. Tory also breaks down the go-to-market strategy for cloud services in Web2 vs Web3. This one is back-to-back with valuable insights so be sure to listen out for gems throughout.

]]> In today’s episode Grant and 563 sit down with io.net’s COO Tory Green. The three kick things off by breaking down the GPU gold rush and centralized cloud challenges, before going into io.net's value-prop, as well as the Web3 efficiencies of cloud-compute. Tory then outlines io.net’s rates, drops a date on wen $I0 token, and discuss the future of the Solana ecosystem. They then dig into IO Ventures and the advantages of compute-for-equity for early-stage startups. Tory also breaks down the go-to-market strategy for cloud services in Web2 vs Web3. This one is back-to-back with valuable insights so be sure to listen out for gems throughout.

]]> blocmates 45b4be72-1cfa-4d3f-b115-fbceba112015 Wed, 17 Apr 2024 06:16:56 -0400 2641 false Charting New Territories in the World of NFTs - The Nifty Island Adventure! Charting New Territories in the World of NFTs - The Nifty Island Adventure! In this episode of Still Early, Grant sits down with Charles from Nifty Island to dive deep into the exciting changes and buzz surrounding this virtual paradise. Charles chimes in with some valuable nuggets about Nifty's course, how they're getting newcomers on board, and what keeps everyone engaged. Plus, Charles sheds light on the uncharted waters of NFTs and spills the beans on what's next for Nifty Island's expansion. If you vibed with this chat as much as we did, show some love by hitting that like button, spreading the word, and subscribing for more!

]]> In this episode of Still Early, Grant sits down with Charles from Nifty Island to dive deep into the exciting changes and buzz surrounding this virtual paradise. Charles chimes in with some valuable nuggets about Nifty's course, how they're getting newcomers on board, and what keeps everyone engaged. Plus, Charles sheds light on the uncharted waters of NFTs and spills the beans on what's next for Nifty Island's expansion. If you vibed with this chat as much as we did, show some love by hitting that like button, spreading the word, and subscribing for more!

]]> blocmates 8948eb52-f918-421c-afb6-da0c75d28a0e Wed, 10 Apr 2024 08:05:33 -0400 2874 false The Future of NFTs? ERC-404 on AVAX | Still Early The Future of NFTs? ERC-404 on AVAX | Still Early Grant is joined by 0xMoonbags to talk all things AVAX ERC-404. The two kick things off by breaking down 404 and the future of NFTs. They then discuss what lies ahead for 404s; will there be a focus on marketplace and infrastructure development or further product features? 0xMoonbags touches on the current 404 challenges, the KINGSHIT roadmap, builders in the ecosystem, the meme cycle cultural moment, and much more!

]]> Grant is joined by 0xMoonbags to talk all things AVAX ERC-404. The two kick things off by breaking down 404 and the future of NFTs. They then discuss what lies ahead for 404s; will there be a focus on marketplace and infrastructure development or further product features? 0xMoonbags touches on the current 404 challenges, the KINGSHIT roadmap, builders in the ecosystem, the meme cycle cultural moment, and much more!

]]> blocmates 7186d8c0-6b6f-45bc-918d-475fa794b338 Wed, 03 Apr 2024 08:14:49 -0400 3160 false Sei Network: Parallel EVMs For All L2s | Still Early Sei Network: Parallel EVMs For All L2s | Still Early In today’s episode Grant sits down with Sei Labs Co-Founder Jay Log to talk all things Sei V2. The two kick things off with a review of meme coins and their role in the current cycle. Jay then gives us the backstory on Sei, before diving into parallel EVM execution challenges, V2 portability, the parallel stack, Sei V2 hardware requirements, Sei’s 2024 roadmap and much, much more!

]]> In today’s episode Grant sits down with Sei Labs Co-Founder Jay Log to talk all things Sei V2. The two kick things off with a review of meme coins and their role in the current cycle. Jay then gives us the backstory on Sei, before diving into parallel EVM execution challenges, V2 portability, the parallel stack, Sei V2 hardware requirements, Sei’s 2024 roadmap and much, much more!

]]> blocmates bfbb2050-dabf-4412-89bd-3d2e65c5fa3f Thu, 28 Mar 2024 04:23:32 -0400 2934 false Initia: The Freedom & Future of App Chains | Still Early Initia: The Freedom & Future of App Chains | Still Early In today’s episode Grant sits down with Initia’s Co-Founders Ezaan Mangalji, who goes by “Zon” and Stan Liu. Together they cover everything from; Initia's infrastructure and L1 migration to backwards compatibility,incentive structures, the future of Application collaboration, Initia's fundraising & cap table, and a whole lot more. This isn’t one to miss so stick around — and make sure to feed your Jenny!

]]> In today’s episode Grant sits down with Initia’s Co-Founders Ezaan Mangalji, who goes by “Zon” and Stan Liu. Together they cover everything from; Initia's infrastructure and L1 migration to backwards compatibility,incentive structures, the future of Application collaboration, Initia's fundraising & cap table, and a whole lot more. This isn’t one to miss so stick around — and make sure to feed your Jenny!

]]> blocmates c661c195-92db-466a-bb24-3f75fdd6d710 Thu, 28 Mar 2024 04:19:16 -0400 2754 false Su Zhu Interview: Where Are We In The Supercycle? 2024 Su Zhu Interview: Where Are We In The Supercycle? 2024 Grant was joined by Su Zhu, previously of 3 Arrows Capital and now of Ox.fun, to discuss the current market happenings. This conversation covers why meme coins are running so hard, will the Bitcoin all-time high this early in the cycle affects the length of the cycle, and some of Su's portfolio allocations, including his token and NFT picks.

]]> Grant was joined by Su Zhu, previously of 3 Arrows Capital and now of Ox.fun, to discuss the current market happenings. This conversation covers why meme coins are running so hard, will the Bitcoin all-time high this early in the cycle affects the length of the cycle, and some of Su's portfolio allocations, including his token and NFT picks.

]]> blocmates ad80d884-e96c-4c6e-a3b5-210620774a08 Thu, 07 Mar 2024 09:44:44 -0500 4203 false Crypto Trading the 2024 Supercycle with SalsaTakila | Still Early Crypto Trading the 2024 Supercycle with SalsaTakila | Still Early In this episode Grant sits down with the man, the myth, the legend—SalsaTekila. Salsa is an absolute force to be reckoned with in the world of crypto trading. Here Grant and Salsa look back at Salsa’s early beginnings, getting started without Technical Analysis, Salsa’s trading fundamentals, risk tolerance, where we’re at in the current cycle, BTC L2’s, and much, much more!

]]> In this episode Grant sits down with the man, the myth, the legend—SalsaTekila. Salsa is an absolute force to be reckoned with in the world of crypto trading. Here Grant and Salsa look back at Salsa’s early beginnings, getting started without Technical Analysis, Salsa’s trading fundamentals, risk tolerance, where we’re at in the current cycle, BTC L2’s, and much, much more!

]]> blocmates 7cf958ce-2bb9-4397-86b7-b2df5fe4daf0 Wed, 28 Feb 2024 04:18:57 -0500 2588 false 'Protocol Above All Else' with LayerZero’s Bryan Pellegrino 'Protocol Above All Else' with LayerZero’s Bryan Pellegrino On Today’s episode Grant talks with LayerZero Labs Co-Founder and CEO Bryan Pellegrino to discuss all things V2, and the evolution of Decentralized Verifier Networks!They kick things off by discussing Executors and LayerZero’s battle-tested crypto philosophy before diving deep into the implications of execution on throughput and the future of building on LayerZero — plus much more. Enjoy!

]]> On Today’s episode Grant talks with LayerZero Labs Co-Founder and CEO Bryan Pellegrino to discuss all things V2, and the evolution of Decentralized Verifier Networks!They kick things off by discussing Executors and LayerZero’s battle-tested crypto philosophy before diving deep into the implications of execution on throughput and the future of building on LayerZero — plus much more. Enjoy!

]]> blocmates c28850bf-083d-42c1-91ff-1c87d4b4a7bd Wed, 21 Feb 2024 09:29:37 -0500 3342 true How To Be An On-Chain Trading Wizard with ChainEDGE How To Be An On-Chain Trading Wizard with ChainEDGE Grant sat down with OnChain Wizard for a conversation about the tricks of the trade regarding on-chain crypto trading. If you ever wondered, "How do these guys always buy before me?" or "How do I find coins early?" and want to learn how professionals trade on-chain, this is the one for you. Onchain Wizard has crafted his trade tracking on-chain movements to give an edge into where the smart money is moving and what the whales are buying.

]]> Grant sat down with OnChain Wizard for a conversation about the tricks of the trade regarding on-chain crypto trading. If you ever wondered, "How do these guys always buy before me?" or "How do I find coins early?" and want to learn how professionals trade on-chain, this is the one for you. Onchain Wizard has crafted his trade tracking on-chain movements to give an edge into where the smart money is moving and what the whales are buying.

]]> blocmates 408190fd-0306-4899-8c7e-6b43cb7171ab Wed, 14 Feb 2024 06:34:55 -0500 3162 false How Avalanche (AVAX) Will Change The Game In 2024 How Avalanche (AVAX) Will Change The Game In 2024 Grant sat down with Avery Bartlett, the mastermind behind Avalanche Crocs. In this conversation, Grant and Avery discussed crypto marketing and some of the tactics projects will use to grab your attention. Avery is a self-confessed Swiss army knife at Ava Labs who churns out some of the best video content this space has to offer. The conversation leads to how crypto projects can properly use YouTube Shorts and TikTok to help grow their brand awareness and how NOT to do it. Avery also spills the Avalanche and AVAX alpha for 2024 later in the episode. You will learn what is Teleporter a new cross-chain messaging protocol built on Avalanche, enabling subnets to communicate with one another. This is such a huge step forward for account abstraction and overall crypto UX.

]]> Grant sat down with Avery Bartlett, the mastermind behind Avalanche Crocs. In this conversation, Grant and Avery discussed crypto marketing and some of the tactics projects will use to grab your attention. Avery is a self-confessed Swiss army knife at Ava Labs who churns out some of the best video content this space has to offer. The conversation leads to how crypto projects can properly use YouTube Shorts and TikTok to help grow their brand awareness and how NOT to do it. Avery also spills the Avalanche and AVAX alpha for 2024 later in the episode. You will learn what is Teleporter a new cross-chain messaging protocol built on Avalanche, enabling subnets to communicate with one another. This is such a huge step forward for account abstraction and overall crypto UX.

]]> blocmates 247239d5-5633-4d99-9688-44efdaca5220 Wed, 07 Feb 2024 06:28:42 -0500 3834 false Jordi Alexander on The Post-Bitcoin ETF Trade, mETH Yields and Steady Lads. Jordi Alexander on The Post-Bitcoin ETF Trade, mETH Yields and Steady Lads.

Grant sat down with Jordi Alexander, the founder and chief investment officer at Selini Capital, one-quarter of the Steady Lads and Alchemist at Mantle. In this conversation, you will hear Jordi explain his predictions on where the hot ball of money will flow following the Bitcoin ETF, how market-making firms are positioning in the Bitcoin spot ETF world, the development process behind one of the highest paying liquid staking tokens on the market; mETH and how Mantle is positioning itself as an Ethereum L2.

]]>

Grant sat down with Jordi Alexander, the founder and chief investment officer at Selini Capital, one-quarter of the Steady Lads and Alchemist at Mantle. In this conversation, you will hear Jordi explain his predictions on where the hot ball of money will flow following the Bitcoin ETF, how market-making firms are positioning in the Bitcoin spot ETF world, the development process behind one of the highest paying liquid staking tokens on the market; mETH and how Mantle is positioning itself as an Ethereum L2.

]]> blocmates 6e3260ce-b35d-41a6-9f60-1dcf1d6922bb Wed, 31 Jan 2024 04:13:37 -0500 2198 false How to Build a Crypto Content Business with Patrick Scott How to Build a Crypto Content Business with Patrick Scott Grant welcomes dedicated DeFi disciple Patrick Scott to Still Early, co-founder of CoinBeats and Dynamo DeFi to discuss one of our favorite topics - building a media business.

With new content creators popping up all the time in this industry, cutting through the noise is tough if you’re looking for information. And if you’re set on starting your own content channel - where do you even start?


But what does it take to create a brand and voice that carries weight and respect? Patrick gives Grant insight on it all, from what CoinBeats is and how they’re innovating the approach to crypto marketing, as well as discussing growth strategies for building an audience across different mediums.

]]> Grant welcomes dedicated DeFi disciple Patrick Scott to Still Early, co-founder of CoinBeats and Dynamo DeFi to discuss one of our favorite topics - building a media business.

With new content creators popping up all the time in this industry, cutting through the noise is tough if you’re looking for information. And if you’re set on starting your own content channel - where do you even start?


But what does it take to create a brand and voice that carries weight and respect? Patrick gives Grant insight on it all, from what CoinBeats is and how they’re innovating the approach to crypto marketing, as well as discussing growth strategies for building an audience across different mediums.

]]> blocmates 60d1279d-1ed7-42bf-a1db-103f0e688b89 Wed, 24 Jan 2024 08:52:32 -0500 3207 false Decentralizing Rollups: Shared Sequencers, Modular Blockchains, Celestia Data Availability & L2s Decentralizing Rollups: Shared Sequencers, Modular Blockchains, Celestia Data Availability & L2s Grant was joined by Noah from NodeKit to discuss a topic that not a lot of Ethereum maximalists want to discuss... how do we decentralize the L2s and sequencers?A lot of concern is floating around the crypto and DeFi space due to the centralization of specific aspects of a lot of Layer 2 scaling solutions on Arbitrum, Optimism and other popular chains. NodeKit is developing the SEQ chain which allows L2s, RollApps and app-chains to utilise a decentralized shared sequencer, have complete flexibility over their modular stack, including using Eigen Layer, Celestia or Avail for Data Availability and also reduces the fragmentation of liquidity and composability. This is only going to become more of an issue as the development of Layer 2s, app-chains, and more continues at a rapid pace.

]]> Grant was joined by Noah from NodeKit to discuss a topic that not a lot of Ethereum maximalists want to discuss... how do we decentralize the L2s and sequencers?A lot of concern is floating around the crypto and DeFi space due to the centralization of specific aspects of a lot of Layer 2 scaling solutions on Arbitrum, Optimism and other popular chains. NodeKit is developing the SEQ chain which allows L2s, RollApps and app-chains to utilise a decentralized shared sequencer, have complete flexibility over their modular stack, including using Eigen Layer, Celestia or Avail for Data Availability and also reduces the fragmentation of liquidity and composability. This is only going to become more of an issue as the development of Layer 2s, app-chains, and more continues at a rapid pace.

]]> blocmates 2cc3eaa6-f7f0-4446-bdac-7043d1bdb0f4 Wed, 17 Jan 2024 00:51:01 -0500 3262 false Mobile-First Web3 Games to Watch in 20204 with Mirai Labs | Petopia & Pegaxy Mobile-First Web3 Games to Watch in 20204 with Mirai Labs | Petopia & Pegaxy Grant was joined by Corey from Mirai Labs, a Web3 gaming studio that is focused on bringing users games they actually want to play... who would have thought?!Their initial game, Pegaxy, was one of the first GameFi projects that took the industry by storm during the days in which Axie Infinity was all the rage. Now, they have regrouped and begun to push out some seriously impressive games, such as Petopia (live now in the AppStore and Android store). In this interview, we go through some of the more slept-on areas of web3 gaming that users may not be aware of and what will come in 2024 from the Mirai Labs camp.

]]> Grant was joined by Corey from Mirai Labs, a Web3 gaming studio that is focused on bringing users games they actually want to play... who would have thought?!Their initial game, Pegaxy, was one of the first GameFi projects that took the industry by storm during the days in which Axie Infinity was all the rage. Now, they have regrouped and begun to push out some seriously impressive games, such as Petopia (live now in the AppStore and Android store). In this interview, we go through some of the more slept-on areas of web3 gaming that users may not be aware of and what will come in 2024 from the Mirai Labs camp.

]]> blocmates 49b300cb-c526-41a5-ab05-26bd10ce8d76 Tue, 09 Jan 2024 23:59:45 -0500 2994 false Beyond Ethereum: Exploring the Move Programming Language with Movement Labs Beyond Ethereum: Exploring the Move Programming Language with Movement Labs Grant sat down with Cooper from Movement Labs to chat about one of the most exciting crypto narratives the industry is about to discuss: Move... Move is a programming language created during Facebook's (Meta) expansion into crypto with Lybra and Diem. This project faced immense backlash due to the size of Facebook and its potential influence when controlling its own currency. From there, two teams, Aptos and Mysten Labs (Sui), spun out to expand on their research and created two independent Move-based blockchains. Movement is on a mission to create a global community of Move builders, working together to increase the security, performance, and user experience of building in decentralized networks.Learn more about the pros of Move vs Solidity and how the MoveEVM can overtake the EVM and even other VMs soon. If you have ever worried about hacks in DeFi and even if the likes of Ethereum can scale, Move as a smart contract language is certainly one to keep a close eye on, in our opinion.

]]> Grant sat down with Cooper from Movement Labs to chat about one of the most exciting crypto narratives the industry is about to discuss: Move... Move is a programming language created during Facebook's (Meta) expansion into crypto with Lybra and Diem. This project faced immense backlash due to the size of Facebook and its potential influence when controlling its own currency. From there, two teams, Aptos and Mysten Labs (Sui), spun out to expand on their research and created two independent Move-based blockchains. Movement is on a mission to create a global community of Move builders, working together to increase the security, performance, and user experience of building in decentralized networks.Learn more about the pros of Move vs Solidity and how the MoveEVM can overtake the EVM and even other VMs soon. If you have ever worried about hacks in DeFi and even if the likes of Ethereum can scale, Move as a smart contract language is certainly one to keep a close eye on, in our opinion.

]]> blocmates f57a16df-73c1-4891-858f-f62dc12b32bb Wed, 03 Jan 2024 03:57:22 -0500 2851 false Ava Labs Founder Emin Gün Sirer Interview: How The Avalanche Ecosystem is Built to Scale Ava Labs Founder Emin Gün Sirer Interview: How The Avalanche Ecosystem is Built to Scale Grant sat down with Emin Gün Sirer, the founder of Ava Labs, to chat about how the Avalanche and AVAX ecosystems are scaling. The avalanche subnet architecture is extremely impressive when it comes to bespoke blockchain deployment for any use case. Recently we have seen a wide range of applications such as JP Morgan tokenizing funds on their on Subnet, Shrapnel and Off The Grid releasing their gaming subnets and even Hubble Protocol a perpetual exchange DEX that uses USDC to settle trades. With the proliferation of L2s and a lot of pushback around their composability, security risk i.e. multi-sig contracts and expensive over heads, Avalanche subnets are certainly one to watch over the coming years. In this episode, the pair chatted about Emin's early days pre-Bitcoin whitepaper, where he was developing distributed systems to enable the permissionless transfer of digital assets. It is interesting to hear how Emin's journey has led him to be in the position he is now.

]]> Grant sat down with Emin Gün Sirer, the founder of Ava Labs, to chat about how the Avalanche and AVAX ecosystems are scaling. The avalanche subnet architecture is extremely impressive when it comes to bespoke blockchain deployment for any use case. Recently we have seen a wide range of applications such as JP Morgan tokenizing funds on their on Subnet, Shrapnel and Off The Grid releasing their gaming subnets and even Hubble Protocol a perpetual exchange DEX that uses USDC to settle trades. With the proliferation of L2s and a lot of pushback around their composability, security risk i.e. multi-sig contracts and expensive over heads, Avalanche subnets are certainly one to watch over the coming years. In this episode, the pair chatted about Emin's early days pre-Bitcoin whitepaper, where he was developing distributed systems to enable the permissionless transfer of digital assets. It is interesting to hear how Emin's journey has led him to be in the position he is now.

]]> blocmates cfffdd19-1e4a-4f63-84eb-fe1607a82a29 Wed, 20 Dec 2023 04:38:39 -0500 2807 false Gunzilla Presents: Off The Grid - The AAA Web3 Game Coming Soon on Avalanche 🔺 Gunzilla Presents: Off The Grid - The AAA Web3 Game Coming Soon on Avalanche 🔺 Grant was joined by Theodore Agranat from Gunzilla Games who are the creative studio behind the highly anticipated Off The Grid. For those unaware Off The Grid is potentially THE Web3 game that everyone has been waiting for. The all-star team with an extremely impressive pedigree have worked on previous games and movies including; District 9, Elysium and Warface. As you may have guessed by now we are covering an awful lot of the Avalanche ecosystem on Still Early and Gunzilla are launching their own Avalanche Subnet to enable crypto rails in all their productions. OTG delivers a brand-new AAA battle royale third-person shooter experience. Set in a dystopian cyberpunk future, 150 players duke it out across a tropical island while pursuing an immersive 60-hour narrative campaign.OTG aims to evolve the genre by strongly emphasizing its incredible story, giving players the freedom to impact the game with each decision they make. Gamers can craft and customize their in-game items to create their perfect Zero and emerge as the victor!

]]> Grant was joined by Theodore Agranat from Gunzilla Games who are the creative studio behind the highly anticipated Off The Grid. For those unaware Off The Grid is potentially THE Web3 game that everyone has been waiting for. The all-star team with an extremely impressive pedigree have worked on previous games and movies including; District 9, Elysium and Warface. As you may have guessed by now we are covering an awful lot of the Avalanche ecosystem on Still Early and Gunzilla are launching their own Avalanche Subnet to enable crypto rails in all their productions. OTG delivers a brand-new AAA battle royale third-person shooter experience. Set in a dystopian cyberpunk future, 150 players duke it out across a tropical island while pursuing an immersive 60-hour narrative campaign.OTG aims to evolve the genre by strongly emphasizing its incredible story, giving players the freedom to impact the game with each decision they make. Gamers can craft and customize their in-game items to create their perfect Zero and emerge as the victor!

]]> blocmates c7416c80-6e3f-4711-b6f9-30267719ee80 Wed, 13 Dec 2023 07:23:10 -0500 2532 false Getting REKT on Terra Luna Led Breevie to Avalanche & AVAX | GoGoPool and Subnets Getting REKT on Terra Luna Led Breevie to Avalanche & AVAX | GoGoPool and Subnets Grant sat down with Breevie from GoGoPool a Subnet infrastructure services provider on Avalanche. Subnets are a core component of scaling the Avlanache network and with the likes of Shrapnel, Gunzilla, TSM, DeFi Kingdoms and even JP Morgan deploying their own subnets, it is worth keeping an eye on how this develops. Aside from that the pair discussed some of the bear market pain that Breevie endured by being extremely overexposed to the Terra Luna ecosystem. Will LUNA come back? That is yet to be seen. But UST has been moving recently which feels very weird indeed.

]]> Grant sat down with Breevie from GoGoPool a Subnet infrastructure services provider on Avalanche. Subnets are a core component of scaling the Avlanache network and with the likes of Shrapnel, Gunzilla, TSM, DeFi Kingdoms and even JP Morgan deploying their own subnets, it is worth keeping an eye on how this develops. Aside from that the pair discussed some of the bear market pain that Breevie endured by being extremely overexposed to the Terra Luna ecosystem. Will LUNA come back? That is yet to be seen. But UST has been moving recently which feels very weird indeed.

]]> blocmates 27ea53e5-533e-4be1-8eed-31b835c4f539 Wed, 06 Dec 2023 09:18:46 -0500 3126 false Why Crypto Airdrops Don't Work | In Conversation With TapiocaDAO Why Crypto Airdrops Don't Work | In Conversation With TapiocaDAO Grant and Matt of TapiocaDAO sit down for a chat about the shortcomings of many DeFi protocols and how Tapioca seeks to address them, including issues with liquidity mining, airdrops without purpose, and excessive spending on incentives.
The two discuss Matt’s ‘Death of Liquidity Mining’ articles, parts 1 and 2, and deliver some valuable insights as they explore LayerZero, Chainlink, Celestia and other protocols shaping the future of DeFi.

]]> Grant and Matt of TapiocaDAO sit down for a chat about the shortcomings of many DeFi protocols and how Tapioca seeks to address them, including issues with liquidity mining, airdrops without purpose, and excessive spending on incentives.
The two discuss Matt’s ‘Death of Liquidity Mining’ articles, parts 1 and 2, and deliver some valuable insights as they explore LayerZero, Chainlink, Celestia and other protocols shaping the future of DeFi.

]]> blocmates 9b428755-41bc-4df7-8571-ae3def890d86 Wed, 29 Nov 2023 08:45:21 -0500 3987 false AVAX VP of Growth Spills Avalanche Ecosystem Alpha | Web3 Gaming, RWAs, DeFi & Institutional Subnets AVAX VP of Growth Spills Avalanche Ecosystem Alpha | Web3 Gaming, RWAs, DeFi & Institutional Subnets Grant was joined by Ava Labs' VP of Growth Garrison aka 0xHushky to chat about all things happening in the Avalanche ecosystem. If you have been watching our previous episodes on Still Early you will have seen us cover different areas of the Avalanch ecosystem including web3 gaming, DeFi protocols, Social applications SoFi, NFTs and more... Being on the inside of Ava Labs Garrison gets to work along side some extremely promising emerging projects and in this episode spills some alpha on the top projects to watch in the Avalanche ecosystem. Recently there was an announcement that JP Morgan will release a fund with Wisdom Tree on an Avalanche Subnet. This is huge for the Avalanche ecosystem and reaffirms the Subnet thesis. We chat about what is yet to come for projects building on subnets and what it means for the AVAX ecosystem as a whole.

]]> Grant was joined by Ava Labs' VP of Growth Garrison aka 0xHushky to chat about all things happening in the Avalanche ecosystem. If you have been watching our previous episodes on Still Early you will have seen us cover different areas of the Avalanch ecosystem including web3 gaming, DeFi protocols, Social applications SoFi, NFTs and more... Being on the inside of Ava Labs Garrison gets to work along side some extremely promising emerging projects and in this episode spills some alpha on the top projects to watch in the Avalanche ecosystem. Recently there was an announcement that JP Morgan will release a fund with Wisdom Tree on an Avalanche Subnet. This is huge for the Avalanche ecosystem and reaffirms the Subnet thesis. We chat about what is yet to come for projects building on subnets and what it means for the AVAX ecosystem as a whole.

]]> blocmates c3faf644-e3af-4e88-834e-28e178349f81 Wed, 22 Nov 2023 11:09:19 -0500 3245 false Dokyo Are Disrupting Boring Industries Through NFTs | Pudgy Penguins & Japan Inspiration Dokyo Are Disrupting Boring Industries Through NFTs | Pudgy Penguins & Japan Inspiration Grant sat down with Brando the founder of Dokyo World to discuss one of the most interesting NFT projects that has recently come to market. Dokyo World is a creative studio that brings ideas to life. They are aiming to disrupt multiple boring incumbents by empowering their community of NFT holders... Tune in to uncover the first incredible idea these guys are set to launch very soon!Pudgy Penguins sparked the imagination of NFTs and how to use intellectual property through their plushies being available nationwide in the USA at Walmart. The NFT market seems to be rebounding and in particular the Avalanche ecosystem seems to be gaining a lot of traction. With Dokyo being the blue-chip NFT collection of AVAX this might be one to watch.

]]> Grant sat down with Brando the founder of Dokyo World to discuss one of the most interesting NFT projects that has recently come to market. Dokyo World is a creative studio that brings ideas to life. They are aiming to disrupt multiple boring incumbents by empowering their community of NFT holders... Tune in to uncover the first incredible idea these guys are set to launch very soon!Pudgy Penguins sparked the imagination of NFTs and how to use intellectual property through their plushies being available nationwide in the USA at Walmart. The NFT market seems to be rebounding and in particular the Avalanche ecosystem seems to be gaining a lot of traction. With Dokyo being the blue-chip NFT collection of AVAX this might be one to watch.

]]> blocmates f6554860-75e9-4329-8711-24bd4d4c9f1c Wed, 15 Nov 2023 10:01:18 -0500 3001 false Why 2024 Could Be the Year of Web3 Gaming | Top Crypto Games To Watch in 2024 with Coop 🔺 Why 2024 Could Be the Year of Web3 Gaming | Top Crypto Games To Watch in 2024 with Coop 🔺 In this episode, Grant was joined by Coop who is the growth and marketing lead at Avalanche (AVAX). The pair discussed how Avalanche is leading the charge regarding AAA Web3 gaming primarily down to the AVAX subnet infrastructure and developer tooling. We got into why some of the most promising games about to come onto the market are choosing Avalanche, what are the best Web 3 gaming projects to watch out for and, are we about to have a GameFi bull market?Coop revealed some of his picks for potentially huge crypto games that could take us into the golden era of user adoption. The pair discussed some of the biggest upcoming releases in the Web3 Gaming sector including Play Shrapnel, OffTheGrid, TSM's Blitz app and subnet and many more. Can a mobile game be the first game to cut through to the masses? All of this and more is discussed in this episode of Still Early.

]]> In this episode, Grant was joined by Coop who is the growth and marketing lead at Avalanche (AVAX). The pair discussed how Avalanche is leading the charge regarding AAA Web3 gaming primarily down to the AVAX subnet infrastructure and developer tooling. We got into why some of the most promising games about to come onto the market are choosing Avalanche, what are the best Web 3 gaming projects to watch out for and, are we about to have a GameFi bull market?Coop revealed some of his picks for potentially huge crypto games that could take us into the golden era of user adoption. The pair discussed some of the biggest upcoming releases in the Web3 Gaming sector including Play Shrapnel, OffTheGrid, TSM's Blitz app and subnet and many more. Can a mobile game be the first game to cut through to the masses? All of this and more is discussed in this episode of Still Early.

]]> blocmates b4db3024-8f71-4ccf-96a1-3abfb7eeec46 Wed, 08 Nov 2023 05:34:29 -0500 3344 false Is the Bottom in for NFTs? A Bull Case for Crypto & NFTs in 2023 | DOKYO AVAX PUDGY PENGUINS & MORE Is the Bottom in for NFTs? A Bull Case for Crypto & NFTs in 2023 | DOKYO AVAX PUDGY PENGUINS & MORE Grant was joined by Avalanche head of NFTs and Arts Dominic Carbonaro to chat about the current and future state of NFTs? Are NFTs dead? Are they coming back? Is the NFT bottom in? Well, all these questions and more are answered in this episode. Dominic has some interesting takes on what will happen to your profile picture NFTs but the conversation isn't just limited to JPEGs. The NFT world is evolving and becoming more financialised and cutting into real-world use cases. The recent Walmart announcement stating they will stock Pudgy Penguin across thousands of stores may have marked the bottom of the NFT market. There are other projects that Dominic seems to think have the same kind of potential as the pudgy's, such as Dokyo! What about music NFTs? A pipedream or soon-to-be reality? Well, all of this and more is covered in this episode!

]]> Grant was joined by Avalanche head of NFTs and Arts Dominic Carbonaro to chat about the current and future state of NFTs? Are NFTs dead? Are they coming back? Is the NFT bottom in? Well, all these questions and more are answered in this episode. Dominic has some interesting takes on what will happen to your profile picture NFTs but the conversation isn't just limited to JPEGs. The NFT world is evolving and becoming more financialised and cutting into real-world use cases. The recent Walmart announcement stating they will stock Pudgy Penguin across thousands of stores may have marked the bottom of the NFT market. There are other projects that Dominic seems to think have the same kind of potential as the pudgy's, such as Dokyo! What about music NFTs? A pipedream or soon-to-be reality? Well, all of this and more is covered in this episode!

]]> blocmates fa8f234c-a3b2-4a71-bbb3-115f1caacf8c Wed, 01 Nov 2023 05:29:31 -0400 3430 false Subnets vs L2s, Stars Arena and Off-Chain Assets - With Luigi D'Onorio Demeo Subnets vs L2s, Stars Arena and Off-Chain Assets - With Luigi D'Onorio Demeo Grant is joined by Luigi D'Onorio Demeo, Head of DeFi & Dev Rel at Ava Labs for the latest instalment of Still Early. In a varied chat, the two discuss everything from the beginnings of the Avalanche rush, how it felt to be a part of and how it came to be. We dig into Stars Arena and SocialFi, why the onboarding process has been net positive for crypto, why people are becoming more excited to build on Avalanche and the difficulties around user and developer acquisition.

]]> Grant is joined by Luigi D'Onorio Demeo, Head of DeFi & Dev Rel at Ava Labs for the latest instalment of Still Early. In a varied chat, the two discuss everything from the beginnings of the Avalanche rush, how it felt to be a part of and how it came to be. We dig into Stars Arena and SocialFi, why the onboarding process has been net positive for crypto, why people are becoming more excited to build on Avalanche and the difficulties around user and developer acquisition.

]]> blocmates df9e7888-c5f2-40ba-bf37-a141424ee2d0 Wed, 25 Oct 2023 08:06:56 -0400 3232 false An Interview With Shrapnel: The Future of AAA Gaming on Avalanche An Interview With Shrapnel: The Future of AAA Gaming on Avalanche Shrapnel is a first-person shooter (FPS) game built on the Avalanche blockchain. It is a skill-based competitive game with a rich set of player-creation tools, combining combat, creation, curation, and connection into a community where players own the platform and decide its future.Shrapnel is set in a near-future world where a mysterious substance called Shrapnel has changed the balance of power. Players take on the role of MEF Operators, who are tasked with extracting Shrapnel from dangerous combat zones.Our Guest - Marc is a 29-year tech industry veteran with 26 patents issued or pending, Marc led and launched multiple pro code and low code blockchain APIs and developer tools at both Microsoft and ConsenSys. His work has been featured in/on ABC, Advertising Age, Adweek, TechCrunch, the BBC, Cheddar TV, Fast Company, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Mashable,

]]> Shrapnel is a first-person shooter (FPS) game built on the Avalanche blockchain. It is a skill-based competitive game with a rich set of player-creation tools, combining combat, creation, curation, and connection into a community where players own the platform and decide its future.Shrapnel is set in a near-future world where a mysterious substance called Shrapnel has changed the balance of power. Players take on the role of MEF Operators, who are tasked with extracting Shrapnel from dangerous combat zones.Our Guest - Marc is a 29-year tech industry veteran with 26 patents issued or pending, Marc led and launched multiple pro code and low code blockchain APIs and developer tools at both Microsoft and ConsenSys. His work has been featured in/on ABC, Advertising Age, Adweek, TechCrunch, the BBC, Cheddar TV, Fast Company, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Mashable,

]]> blocmates 3b6d9a65-aa4d-4479-82ae-6477f70cff3d Wed, 18 Oct 2023 07:30:00 -0400 2519 false What is Next for Trader Joe & The JOE Token? Co-Founder Crypto Fish on V3 - Still Early Podcast What is Next for Trader Joe & The JOE Token? Co-Founder Crypto Fish on V3 - Still Early Podcast Welcome to the first episode of Still Early a new weekly podcast from the blocmates team. Still Early is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the hottest emerging trends in crypto, before they happen. We will cover all areas of the crypto, DeFi, NFT and gaming markets to bring you the information before anyone else. In this podcast, we will interview founders, investors, builders and operators to get you their insights into where the industry is headed. So, who better than the one and only Crypto Fish from Trader Joe, to kick off this new series. Please subscribe to our socials to be the first to hear from some incredible guests. This season's lineup is full of crypto all-stars.

]]> Welcome to the first episode of Still Early a new weekly podcast from the blocmates team. Still Early is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the hottest emerging trends in crypto, before they happen. We will cover all areas of the crypto, DeFi, NFT and gaming markets to bring you the information before anyone else. In this podcast, we will interview founders, investors, builders and operators to get you their insights into where the industry is headed. So, who better than the one and only Crypto Fish from Trader Joe, to kick off this new series. Please subscribe to our socials to be the first to hear from some incredible guests. This season's lineup is full of crypto all-stars.

]]> blocmates 46068562-cb2c-4228-8af6-2c1cbae425d5 Wed, 11 Oct 2023 07:51:42 -0400 2767 false