Projects
![]()
No projects found
Investors
New
DAO Treasuries
DATs
Lend / Borrow APRs
Chains
Categories
Spaces
Defi beats Blackrock w/ @ForbesWeb3 #TheMixUp
Recorded: Sept. 12, 2024 Duration: 0:58:38Space Recording
Full Transcription
Let the beat go all night long
It goes on and on
You'll be like my favorite song
Let the beat go all night long
Till the early one
It goes on and on
It goes on and on
You'll be like my favorite song
Let the beat go all night long
Till the early one
It goes on and on
You'll be like my favorite song
Let the beat go all night long
Till the early one
It goes on and on
You'll be like my favorite song
Let the beat go all night long
Till the early one
It goes on and on
You'll be like my favorite song
Let the beat go all night long
Till the early one
We've got a lot to talk about.
Like, there's always some crazy stuff happening in Web3.
Not as much on the DGEN side of things that I'm used to.
We've got a little sun pump, a little pump fun.
I'm still disappointed in poly markets.
Maybe not poly markets.
Maybe mostly Trump.
Like, we're not even going to get into that.
We're not getting into that.
But Jenna, Jenna, what's going on?
How are you doing?
How's everything in Brazil?
Like, is it still...
Is it okay?
I mean, Argentina.
Argentina.
I don't know.
Jenna, what's going on?
What's the update?
No, no, no.
So, first of all, of course, I'm in Argentina.
It's been amazing.
I'm loving.
But let me tell you that actually I started my trip.
I am in the first location to get two more flights to go to the Singapore.
So, guys, I mean, if this is not desire to go to events, I don't know what is this.
But let me tell you that how is Brazil?
Let me say that Brazil is okay.
Brazil is, I mean, the population, we DGens.
I would say that Brazil population is definitely the most DGN one in the fucking world.
Because, I mean, everyone just take what is going on with X as a joke.
And everyone just keep going.
Using VPN and, you know, keep doing their things.
That is literally how we actually deal with many political things, you know?
That's why, I mean, that's why we are happier.
Maybe I can say that.
We don't, I mean, we definitely get mad and, like, fuck up.
But at the end, we also just, like, understand that it is a joke, guys.
Whatever.
I mean, they stole the money, but we do what we can and we keep going.
I mean, it's a way of live.
I think that it's definitely DJing.
What do you think, David?
Yeah, yeah.
Well, I don't know.
I heard you say someone stole some money.
I don't know.
They're not coming over here giving us an airdrop.
Well, we'll talk about that with them later.
But, man, what's going on with dogs?
It's, like, literally opened up at a billion.
And I just saw something today that it's the third largest token by holder count.
I mean, the only two that have more holders than dogs are USDT and E.
Like, there's more dog holders than Bitcoin holders.
That's kind of crazy.
And, again, David, how crazy can it still be that people have no idea what is dogs?
I have, I mean, a lot of people, they don't know about dogs.
And when I mention dogs, they are like, I mean, what the fuck?
What are you talking about?
This is just crazy shit.
And, again, it feels like definitely, I mean, we can mention about what happened with the dog launch.
I mean, definitely we touched the chain in a level that has never been seen before.
But I feel like, in overall, the feeling and the challenge and everything that we are looking for dogs is just remarkable, amazing.
And just show, again, the power of tone and telegram.
I'm just so fucking excited for this.
There were so many dogs.
Like, there were too many dogs to operate on one chain.
Like, that's more dogs than exist on planet Earth.
There's more dogs on the Tawn blockchain than we have in the entire planet.
Like, that's definitely something to look at.
But, Manny, what's going on?
Like, thanks for coming back.
I hear that you guys are going to be throwing some awesome parties in Singapore.
I'm going to need some pictures.
But what do you think of Tawn and Telegram and dogs?
Like, are you a dog person or a cat person?
Oh, my God.
Where do I even begin?
There's so much to unpack here.
Guys, Forbes is – first of all, Forbes went through.
It's so happy to be back.
The Mixie group is just so different.
And it's always great to be here.
You know what's funny about Tawn?
So, we actually spoke to their team a couple days ago.
And it is insane to hear what they have planned for the year ahead.
And even in 2025 when it comes to these mini apps.
And I actually think this is going to be, like, the biggest way to funnel new users.
Because, you know, for the traditional world, maybe a seed phrase is too complicated.
But, hey, I can go on Telegram, an app that I use on a regular basis.
And now I'm playing a game.
And, oh, wait, this game is actually related to the blockchain.
And there's stuff that is in Web3.
I think that's going to be a really big movement that I'm super excited about.
And side note, I'm definitely a dog person.
I'm unfortunately allergic to cats.
So, have never really gone to that side of life.
Oh, shit.
I think I'm allergic to cat coins.
Cat coins for me?
I don't know.
They don't do as well as the dog coins.
No, Dave.
Don't say that because, actually, I was looking to give you the alpha.
Because, I mean, if we have dogs which dominate everything on tone, don't you think we need or we should to have cats?
I'm just saying.
Okay?
I'm just saying.
But I actually was looking to say that, I mean, what many just said, you know, the way that this is going to be bringing new users to blockchain.
And this is kind of crazy, right?
But why is so challenging a seed phrase to be understood by the general society?
Do you have any idea, David?
That's crazy.
Because I actually tried to explain to my mom, my dad.
And they are like, I really need to, like, write down in paper.
And then, I mean, if I lose the fucking paper, I don't have anything to do.
Then you lose all your money.
I know.
That's something that I don't like either.
And even though I consider myself a word alpha caller, I am very good with words, minus this one mishap over the weekend.
And that's, I'm blaming Trump and Kamala for that one.
But even me.
Like, I remember these words.
But I can't remember a seed phrase.
Like, I mean, how are normal people supposed to remember a seed phrase?
You are supposed to put in a paper and then you put in a very important place in your life.
And then there is even, like, those kind of, how is the name?
Like, a place you lock the fucking seed phrase inside.
There is even those stuff nowadays.
But, again, it's just like madness how really people can't understand that stuff.
Oh, man, you know what I did?
My first year in crypto, I did everything right.
I wrote down the seed phrase.
I went to the bank.
I got a safety deposit box.
Completely forgot about it.
A year went by.
I didn't renew it.
And I lost the seed phrase.
It wasn't even me.
Like, look, banks.
That's why I like crypto.
And we need an easier way to do it.
Is it that easy with Tom?
Like, their in-app or in their wallet?
Like, is it already there?
You don't have to do anything?
Yeah, sir.
I mean, this is definitely why we are getting so much people here, right?
And new users, which is something that we love.
Because we definitely need to bring more liquidity.
We can't keep just, you know, trading with each other here.
We need more money from outside.
And Tom is bringing that.
And then, I mean, even because talking about the wallet itself,
which many people have.
I know U.S. doesn't because some legislation or whatever.
But you have the wallet and the Telegram.
And you even can attach to your email so you can support by if you lose your password.
Which, again, this is going to be for normies and people that are looking to come and to hold some Bitcoin, dogs, whatever.
And they feel a bit afraid, you know, with this.
It's too much responsibility.
I can't get my fucking, you know, seed phrase, you know.
So, this is just fucking amazing.
I completely feel that.
Like, I don't like responsibility.
I don't like commitments.
I end up a committed community member once things go zero.
But those are my exceptions.
Those are my exceptions.
But when it comes to Tom, like, I've said this a few times.
I think the Tom mini-apps, like, that's a sleeping giant.
I think that has the ability on Tom to be the Telegram or the Tom version of Pump Fun.
Like, one of those main platforms, one of the main attractions that people really point to.
And, you know, Manny mentioned it.
Manny probably knows something that we don't.
Manny, what's going on with these mini-apps?
You can tell us.
Nobody's listening.
It won't get back to the Tom Foundation.
David is asking for some alpha.
David, the call was, it's too early.
It's too early, dude.
I can't rush into it just yet.
All I'm going to say is a call with their BD team.
All I'm going to say is Legacy Pass members were mentioned in that call.
But that's it.
That is Zip.
That is Nada.
Nothing else.
But to the point made earlier, these apps, it's insane how easy they are.
I was checking out Bloom, B-L-U-M dot I-O.
Took me, like, five seconds to get the Telegram link.
Before I knew it, I was already trading on there.
They were giving me points for every single second I was spending on the app.
And then, I don't know if you guys have played, like, on Shein or Timu.
They have sort of hacked this when it comes to just customer acquisition.
Like, they will invite you to come back to their app and check it every single day.
Because there's, like, little games that you can be a part of.
There's, like, points and extra things that you don't want to forget to claim.
And Tawn mini-apps have mastered that.
Like, at Bloom, all I have to do is every single day, I'll go on, I'll play a super quick game, and I'm getting points.
And it's really cool to see these two, like, two different worlds kind of merging.
And it's cool that Telegram is really where it's all being built.
Oh, love that.
Oh, my God.
Did you guys hear what Manny said?
Shout!
Did you hear what Manny said?
Forbes is cooking up a Telegram and Tawn mini-app?
Did you all hear that?
Shout!
How does that make you feel?
Is that not more bullish?
I love hearing it because it's one of the things that Manny always tells me, hey, we're just getting started.
And then I'm always like, well, if you keep adding more stuff, is it really starting or are you just finishing?
I don't know where the start and the end begins because every single day, I usually get some notification from Forbes
in terms of their ex.
And I'm just like, what's going on?
And, you know, obviously, when you see Animoca coming in and being bullish and providing, you know, both liquidity as well as opportunity,
and now you hear Forbes talking about it, the Tawn ecosystem is the only way to go, in terms of my opinion,
especially when you talk about distribution, talk about hyper-casual and keeping things just really relevant, right?
The whole thing about this space is everything is about the meta and being able to just tie in and grab attention.
If you're already on Telegram, you're already there.
Everything is, like, in-app.
You're able to do things.
You're able to play games.
You're able to interact.
And then she's being shy, but, like, Forbes just launched their own Telegram gated chat, too.
And so everything's blowing up there.
So, like, now I'm, like, 100% all in on Telegram.
And so I have nowhere else to go because this is where it's at.
You know what I mean?
Like, I just am in there.
I'm chatting and doing things.
There's a ton load of networking that's going on.
There's these announcements about different opportunities.
If you're talking about network effect, you know, Manny even drops in, like, different people who are part of the club.
And then, you know, hey, check this out.
Check that out.
And I'm just like, see, this is what it's supposed to be like, right?
When you go into these things, you're not going to get rugged.
People are not just going to fall off.
I've been in so many of these member chats, like, that are supposedly, like, alpha cabals.
And then now they're, like, nonexistent.
But, like, here, not only is it being driven by a company like Forbes, but more importantly, it's being driven by the community.
And you know these other people who are founders?
They're not going anywhere else.
And so this is the cool part, right?
And this is the benefit of having a sold-bound token versus something that you trade.
Because if you trade it all day, it's not going to incentivize people to actually communicate.
It's just going to be about the flip game.
Which is done everywhere else.
So, for me, you're doing it in time.
You're having it token-gated.
You're having these great conversations, these announcements that show up.
If you're going to be at MyBitAge, I think it's MyBitAge, sorry.
I might be getting this wrong.
You can correct me, Manny.
But you could actually get free attendance at their conference, just being a Forbes legacy pass holder.
So, to me, Telegram is just showing us what's possible of what we can be and making it simple, right?
As you guys talk about it.
I don't need a C phrase.
I can just do Wallet Connect, right?
Backslash Wallet.
And then, boom, all in there.
And now I have access to the tiny closer stuff.
Simple.
Hold on, Shao.
You said free?
What kind of – how much free stuff?
How much free stuff are you guys getting?
Like, what's going on?
Manny's cooking with Forbes.
I'll pass it off to Manny.
She's got her hand up.
David, we are not stopping here.
So, I don't want to spend too much time shilling because to Daryl's point, to Shao's point, I am a little shy when it comes to sort of stuff.
But let me just say, I think we've sort of, like, on our way to figuring out conferences.
Istanbul Blockchain Week, WebEx Asia, Korea Blockchain Week, and now MyTokenAsia.
If you're a Legacy Pass holder, you've got free conference tickets to all of these, the ones that I just listed.
And they were happening back-to-back with one another.
And so, today, just a couple hours ago, we mentioned all Legacy Pass members.
We forgot our partnership.
And every member is getting a free ticket.
And it was actually – this one was special.
This was actually handed to us because their CEO is part of this group.
And I'm really – it's really exciting to see, like, there's so many cool people that are in this group.
The CEO of Cetify just joined.
The teams that are building on Story IP just joined.
But then we also have people that literally just set up their first MetaMask and are trying to figure out how all this goes.
And so, you really see the spectrum.
And to Xiao's point, that's also why we're able to add in all of these goodies to the group.
Oh, man.
How do I join?
I don't know how MetaMask works.
Come on, David.
But I definitely need to find a way now.
I need to get one of these.
I mean, free stuff.
David, if I hear free, I am on it.
It's for me.
If it's free, it's for me.
I don't care how many meme coins are on my wall.
Like, you get free stuff.
That means you get to buy more meme coins.
I mean, it's simple math.
But, oh, man.
Speaking of Tawn, something else that I saw.
Carve launched a $50 million accelerator.
Like, is there a lot more money coming to Tawn?
So, anybody who wants to build one of these mini apps, is that exclusive?
Like, I've seen a few of them from venture capital firms.
I know we got the, there's the big one triangle from NotCoin and OneInch.
But, I don't know.
Like, how easy is it for creators and builders to get into some of these?
You know, Jenna, what do you know about carving $50 million and it going, nothing, nothing?
Tommy, Tommy, I know Tommy knows something.
Tommy's always saying, I've got this before it went up 40%.
I know this person here.
I know this person there.
Tommy, how do we get some of that $50 million?
Tommy's a Tom preacher.
He knows everything.
Tommy is definitely the best guy because he, when he's speaking about, you know, the ways you can get on this and that,
the guy definitely knows.
I think he's just, like, all the time looking at the different things that are coming out
and opportunities to make money and to get into things early.
But the thing is about how to get into these things, what I can say.
And also, some of the ways many projects have been getting into the Open League, for example,
which is this big competition that the Tone Foundation brings, which is pretty much a way that if your project can apply for an Open League,
for example, you definitely are in the way to be able to get these grants and stuff from any other different campaign.
So, basically, what you need is have your idea, have your, you know, your pitch, your pitch,
how this is going to be solving something, how you're going to be integrating with Tone,
because this is also something very important, because you're going to see that many mini apps are going to be being built into Telegram,
but then some of them might not be really launching or doing something using Tone blockchain technology.
So, it's very important to mention that if you are looking to apply and get grants, which we all want as builders and projects,
you definitely need to show and make sure that you are highlighting how you're going to be integrating with the Tone blockchain.
So, having that done and, of course, having your pitch about whatever you are building,
I mean, you have everything you need, just go for it, you know?
But definitely, the demand right now is fucking crazy, right?
We are looking more than ever for things that are solving problems or doing something that was not done yet, you know?
I would say this is the best way for you to think in the way to get the money.
Oh, I got an awesome idea.
And this solves a big problem.
A lot of people have said that I scream in these Twitter spaces.
We need a Tone mini app that lowers the volume and makes it so that I sound like I just inhaled some helium.
Like, I don't know.
I'm going to try to cook that one up with Tommy.
But, Tommy, what do you know about this $50 million?
Like, how do we get some of that and put it into the next meme coin that you know is going to pump 40%?
Yo, yo, that's crazy.
Nice.
Amazing question, right?
So, I mean, many people have absolutely no idea, you know, how much of a super app, you know, Telegram is, for example.
And, you know, the moment they realize that, you know, this is where every of your dreams can actually come to life because this is where you have access to majorly NOMIs, you know, majorly Web 2, the major target audience of what we're doing here in Web 3.
You know, this is just the platform for you, you know, talking about social fire, talking about most of these things that, you know, that interest us, right?
So, I think also, like, with the leverage in distribution that this platform provides, it's just super amazing to see that, you know, a lot of these things can actually come to fruition.
And let's not forget, we have also, like, seamless integration, the ease of use, ease of entry.
Because, I mean, I've been on spaces many times where, you know, the test net is just, oh, I gave my mom the phone to try this app.
And when I realized that she figured it out, I thought, oh, this is it.
You know, I've been on these spaces where, oh, I gave my father this app to try and he played a game.
I realized he could do it.
I was like, oh, this is it.
So, this is what I'm talking about.
Trying to be all-inclusive.
I believe five years old, 10 years old can use this, as well as 50, 70.
Anybody really can have access to this without even knowing that they are in Web3 participating actively.
So, this is, like, Web2 for 2.5.
Never been seen anywhere before.
So, sometimes I feel like it's a disrespect comparing Thorn to any blockchain.
Like, I think, you know, because I'm talking about the building opportunities.
I think there's a lot.
And, you know, with the recent happenings with Durov, I think they are beginning to streamline everything, trying to differentiate Telegram from Thorn.
If you notice what's going on with the foundation and Thorn Society.
So, you want to pay attention to most of these things.
I believe there's a lot of other things that, you know, Telegram as a super app can actually provide.
But due to all these restrictions, it kind of limits most of the approach.
And they are always seeking to get guidance from people with relevant bodies, right?
So, yeah, I think there's a lot of opportunities that I would love to share with builders who are also very, very, very keen to, you know, delve into Thorn.
So, there's Thorn Society, which I believe every one of us here should belong to.
And there are a lot of SBTs that are also minted for free that makes you, like, a part of what we're building here in the ecosystem.
You know, you have rights to, you know, voting and the likes.
You know how it happens in normal, decentralized governance.
Also, you know, we have the Thorn Ventures.
This is, like, a recent, you know, initiative from, like, that's looking to cater for, you know, would I say some sort of, you know, acceleration.
You know, they help with acceleration and incubation as well.
So, you want to check it out.
Also, we have Thorn Nests, you know.
So, if you're looking at KOLs, you're looking at projects, you're looking at builders, asking questions.
Oh, how can I do this?
How can I do that?
I think that's the best place for you.
So, you know, Thorn Nests, they cater for everything that you're about, so long as you're an enthusiast and you're looking to build.
And if, per adventure, you have cool stuff that, oh, Miss, maybe there's so much demand for, you're definitely going to get some significant raise.
Also, there are a lot of hackathons.
I think they just announced a hackathon recently.
You should check out for that one about a couple million dollars going to, you know, build us.
So, that's something that, I mean, this money will make itself.
We need to go there and see how we can interact with other builder projects and create more opportunities for ourselves and bring the vision to fruition, of course.
So, yeah, I think Thorn is just the best place for everyone.
You know, no means for OGs.
Tommy, but what's going up 40%?
I mean, I don't want to get hacked.
Bro, like, everything is going, everything is popping off, like, right now in my wallet.
Like, it's crazy, you know.
Fine, too, I must say that.
I need to go to a conclusion.
I'm so excited.
I'm so excited for the memes, but I believe the stickers will come and then the memes will follow for sure.
So, right now, we're just at the educational phase, you know, where we're teaching people, especially these people that are being onboarded into the Web3 space.
Because we're talking about dogs, you're talking about a-dropping random Telegram users for cryptocurrency.
They have no idea what this is.
And when they realize that they could actually swap this to fiat and use it in real life, that's exactly what they're going to do.
So, I think we are at the phase where we have to educate these people to understand the power of this blockchain, to understand, you know, the community on turn, to understand all of these things, amazing things that are happening here, so that they can key into it.
Otherwise, I don't think short-term is looking bearish because, obviously, we can see a significant drop in the price of the token.
But I think long-term is super bullish because, I mean, one of the reasons why Solana excelled back then was, you know, the ease of entry, the gas fees, you know, it was friendly, user-friendly UI for everyone.
And that's exactly what we're seeing here, but even more because, I mean, I believe 90% of all the communities we have on Web3 are Telegram-based.
So, that's a no-brainer.
You know, you're bringing everything to our home zone, our soil, and we understand this.
We understand community building.
So, this is our zone, and I feel like there's so much more I would love to share, but maybe this is not just a ton of space.
Yeah, tell me.
Tell me the 40% pump in the DMs.
You don't have to say it right now.
Bro, everything, bro.
Everything's off by a mile, bro.
Yeah, I must say, David, seriously, and then I quit talking about this, but literally almost anything, you know?
I'm not joking.
This is so crazy.
But, yeah, I mean...
Anything, Jana, anything that I've been picking are going 40% in the opposite direction.
I need different anythings.
Are you still buying on Solana, though?
Yeah, yeah.
This guy's addicted.
David, we need to talk.
But, listen, I actually want to ask you, what do you think about Tron?
Is the end, TRX is out of the 10 top?
Because even they passed on for a moment in the daily volume, and what do you think?
Is the end?
We don't have more Tron?
I was actually talking to someone about this the other day.
I think Tron and TRX and the meme coin narrative over there, like, I don't see it anymore.
Like, they've got a few tokens that did good, but it sure as hell isn't a Solana.
They definitely don't have a similar value prop like Telegram and Ton.
Like, I don't know.
I think Tron and TRX, like, they're still trying to find out what they could really do to be a main player in crypto.
Like, I don't know.
I don't even think BNB is up there anymore, but we'll see what happens once CZ gets out.
I saw something they did, like, added 50 grand to one of their big meme coin liquidity pools.
But, honestly, like, that's not a lot of money.
Like, CZ's got, like, 69 gajillion dollars.
Like, tell them to really do some damage on BNB.
But, I don't know.
I don't see TRX really doing as much as it was before.
But, it took off before everything kind of crashed.
So, I don't know.
I don't know.
What about you, Jana?
What about you, Shao?
Do you guys see anything happening on TRX?
No, I just, I want to say this and then pass to Shao because I think he was looking to mention something in the tone.
But, definitely, I mean, we ended up mentioning so much tone because the value proposition becomes so easy to understand, right?
And then, everything falls in the right place.
But, then, Tron, TRX, I mean, we, again, we saw them in the top 10 was beautiful, maybe two, three, four days.
But, then, I mean, everyone started to ask, what is really the value?
What is really going to happen?
And, I don't see, I really don't see anything.
I mean, I don't see, and I tried, you know.
I really tried.
But, I can't see a value.
I can't see the meaning, the reasons, and all of that stuff.
But, Shao, you are looking to say something.
Another big thing for that, and then I'll send it to Shao.
I don't think there's anybody on the planet who trusts Justin's son more than they trust Pavel Daraf.
I mean, that's a big thing.
Look, if you can't trust your founder, what are you going to do?
Look at me and Starbucks.
I don't trust those MFers for anything.
If you rug an NFT collection, you are capable of doing the most heinous things on this planet.
It's not even coffee anymore, David.
We don't buy coffee there anymore.
We don't trust them for this stuff.
We go to Dunkin' Donuts now.
But, what about you, Shao?
Where do you get your coffee?
Definitely not Starbucks.
After our run-in, and after, you know, you gave him a piece of your mind, I felt like, maybe I shouldn't come back here again.
I think that, and the fact that they did rug, and I still have all these odysseys.
Bro, the mods are just as responsible as the CEO.
So, Starbucks does not get held to a higher standard than the NFT found.
That's true.
No, they have to be able to answer it, 100%.
No, I was just going to time in on a couple of things.
One, I absolutely agree about Tana and accessibility and what they're building.
But when it comes to, like, TRX and Justin, I'm surprised.
How did the narrative change so fast?
This space moves so quickly.
We talk about liquidity.
We talk about these opportunities.
But it's just crazy, too, because, obviously, I was thinking at least the agent contingency would be holding up, and it would still be pushing.
But it's just like anything else.
It's just things move so quickly.
You're just going to see attention go elsewhere, people's liquidity go elsewhere.
I mean, you know, they keep telling me NFTs are back.
And I'm watching the traffic and then watching everything move back and forth.
And some of these things pump.
I'm not quite sure.
But to the other point of the question of where Carve is doing, should I be bearish or bullish?
I did a little research while we were talking about this.
If you want to apply, you've got to go into their Discord.
I feel like, is this a form of engagement farming for them to increase their numbers?
If I need to go apply?
It should just be a Google form, right?
Isn't this like the day and age where we're able to actually do things easily and quickly?
I don't have to actually go to like a Discord to go apply for an application or a scholarship?
I'm kind of bearish on it.
I don't know.
The game that they said, the article that I saw said something about the banana game.
Is that that same CSGO one?
So that's the first one.
No, that's CSGO.
The banana one is literally you tap a banana and then you just accumulate your points and then it's a lot of the other tappers.
And then when you look to Harvest, then you can actually get new bananas that give you a higher ratio of like abilities to points per day.
But other than that, it's a pretty straightforward game.
It's nothing too exciting.
It's mainly kind of seen to be like that social questing platform because everything that you want to do to get more bananas, you just have to, you know, do likes and do additional quests on other people's platforms on other things.
So, I mean, it's not a bad one, but it definitely has a lot of attention.
I think they had 8 million people in like a couple of weeks.
But, I mean, other than that, I think Carver's, you know, their whole thing is infrastructure, providing, you know, GPUs and for gaming and AI.
So it makes sense if you're going to go into gaming and you're looking to partner with Carver, they do have accessibility to a lot of different gaming and mobile gaming partners in Korea.
Yeah, just going off the same article too.
But other than that, man, like if I need to go apply for this 50 million, I have to go into a Discord.
I just feel like, hmm, bearish.
Yeah, but Shao, I will say two things and, I mean, then we can also reset the room.
But the first thing is that I must say, I keep saying this all the time, to get me in the games, to maintain myself there, I'm definitely not into social quests.
You need to find an extremely good reason for me to really look at the social quests and farming and that matter.
But the games is just a matter of being, like, extremely addicting and extremely simple, which I get why just clicking, like, the normal whatever that we have with so many people.
But, again, you need to find something more, you need to find something else that can add in that stuff, which I think even mentioning some, I mean, everyone already have so many names in their heads right now.
But the second thing that I was looking to mention, and this is also mentioned again, Ton, but then having the comparing with Tron, we all prefer to trust a naked guy than a guy that is never naked to meditate.
Is that right or no?
That is a very valid point.
I mean, on one hand, you've got an R, and on the other hand, you've got a jacked, naked dude who meditates and has 69 gajillion kids.
I mean, you know, it's kind of a no-brainer for me.
But, all right, guys, been here about 40 minutes.
I'm kind of excited to talk to Manny about a few things that they're doing at Forbes.
Like, Manny, how has it been?
Like, you've been doing this crypto thing for a while.
But, like, how is it working with a company like Forbes, doing that everything you do?
Now you've got the NFT community.
I mean, what's the ride been like?
David, I love it.
I will say we got very lucky.
I got very lucky because here's the thing.
Like, I think, and this is just where we are in the market, right?
I don't think there's a good or right answer to, like, how to succeed in this space.
But the reality is right now, the majority of brands are still trying to figure out what Web3 is, right?
And so most of them oftentimes will hire an external agency or make their Web3 arm a completely separate entity, a whole different group.
And this will kind of be, like, very high level.
Hey, we'll test this out.
We'll see how it goes.
What I really appreciate about Forbes is two, three years ago they made a decision saying we're going to go the complete opposite route.
We are going to hire and build out an entire full-time employee team.
We're going to set up an entire department under the Forbes umbrella.
These are going to be full-time employees that are building with us.
They're going to be working with our engineering, our product, our dev, and we'll build it from the ground up.
And that was really cool to see.
So I joined Forbes about two years ago.
And now we have, like, Solidity engineers.
We have blockchain engineers.
We have an entire robust team.
And it's been awesome because the executive team, the CEO, our chief growth officer who I report to, like, they love this space.
And they've been embracing it.
We have Slack channels dedicated to, like, the latest things happening in this space.
We are traders ourselves.
We collect NFTs and ordinals ourselves.
And I think that has been the foundation for why we have been able to do what we do, right?
Like, now Forbes has a wallet login on Forbes.com.
We put the under-30 list on the blockchain.
So anyone knows this.
If you're going to start any project, any idea, if you're a startup, it always starts with your team.
Like, are they as bullish as you are?
And I think that was that first checkbox that I was looking for.
And it is insane to see how it is there at Forbes.
And that's why we've been able to do all the crazy stuff that we have so far.
Hold on.
You have a 30 under-30 list on the blockchain?
Like, you have a Forbes 30 under-30 on-chain list?
We do.
We released it last year.
It was supposed to be a fun case study.
But people loved it.
OpenSea reached out.
They tweeted it.
They did a whole social campaign about it.
We had folks that made the under-30 list that reached out to our support team.
Like, hey, what is this?
How can I collect my NFT?
Like, I want to learn more.
So, yeah, it was really cool.
It was to show our readers, this is how you can use blockchain tech for data verification, data validation.
Right now, more than ever, misinformation is on the rise.
So, we're going to put all this data, your photo, your bio, your age, the company you work for, on the chain and show you how you can use this tech to really keep everything transparent and trustworthy.
Oh, man.
That's very cool.
Are you guys planning any other special Forbes, like, X, whatever, under whatever, or special category list?
Like, that sounds really cool.
Okay, David, now I know why you and Shau are such great friends.
Because Shau always somehow gets the alpha out of me as well.
We are looking at more lists, like the Forbes 400 list, but then also the Forbes under 30.
And now it's like, okay, great, we've done this case study, but can you gamify it?
Can you do something deeper?
Can you have badges?
Can you give this to the winners, but then also have the community collect them?
And if they collect, like, 10, can they unlock something cool, like an under 30 summit ticket to the conference?
So, these are the things we're thinking about.
And we want to take our time.
You know, I'd rather so much rather take our time and make this a really cool product than then rather than just rush it out every single year.
That sounds awesome.
I identify as being 19.
And, yeah, meet me and Shau.
Definitely find a way to get the alpha out of people.
He's too cute, David.
He's too cute.
It's impossible.
Many, I understand you.
Shau is just like a killer on that matter.
He gets everything.
I don't know how he does it.
Those pink teddy bears are some addicting little MFers.
But, all right, so, man, Forbes 30 under 30 on chain, more lists coming, badges in the works.
That sounds pretty dope.
What about, like, these events?
Or do you do events at every single major conference?
Like, is that one of the main Forbes Legacy Pass things?
It's been really cool.
Like, even before the Legacy Pass, we had been doing this for so long.
We hosted, like, seven events at NFCNYC, two events at Consensus Austin.
We hosted the first-ever drone show in Austin downtown.
So the city of Austin loved it.
They did a whole spread about it in their magazine the day after.
We hosted the first-ever Bitcoin Gala at the Bitcoin Conference in Nashville.
And this was really cool.
Like, we had interviews.
Instead of a red carpet, we had an orange carpet.
We were in Dubai.
We hosted four events at Korea Blockchain Week.
We have two events in Singapore.
And Xiao has been to a lot of them.
Grim has joined us in a couple of them as well.
So this was something that we didn't expect would become such a big part of Forbes Web 3.
But our community loves it.
And we want to invest more in it.
What's been really cool is we host, like, these big parties, right?
Like, 1,500 people, 2,000 people.
Easy.
No problem there.
But then we also host, like, these 50-people, 100-people-only VIP dinners.
And that's really where the magic happens.
Like, at a consensus dinner, we had everyday builders in the space.
But then we also had the regulators from the crypto industry.
We had the first investors in Ethereum.
Folks that you can't just access in any sort of event, right?
And what's been great is we'll have an event.
And then, like, three weeks later, we'll see logos on our Twitter feed of marketing collaborations,
partnership collaborations of companies that met for the first time at our events.
So I'm super excited about what's going to come out of there and how we can grow it out further, for sure.
Oh, man.
The magic happens with Forbes.
Shao, what was your favorite event?
Like, tell me about some of these.
I'm starting to FOMO into it.
So there was Alpha.
I can't confirm or deny that I was at ConsenSys and riding a bull.
I did not successfully stay on the bull.
Hold on.
You were riding a bull?
Yeah, I mean, you know, they had this mechanical bull at this place.
Hold on.
So are you going to try your luck?
Are you going to try out for the Lambo at Iggy's party?
I heard that they're going to have a mechanical bull, and the person who wins gets a Lambo.
Yeah, but, you know, I got to say that for Kyle.
The man is a living legend.
He's an actual cowboy.
He grew up on a farm.
I have no form of competition when it comes to that guy.
Now, to be fair, though, he is massive.
So on my own account, I would love to see all of this happen because I'm only half the size of that man, and if he can actually stay on longer than anyone else, I'm all about it.
That, I just have to, you know, give more props to Kyle every time I engage and interact with him just because, you know, who doesn't want to see a real cowboy riding the actual mechanical bull?
That's all I'm saying.
I would pay to see Kyle ride a bull.
I need video clips.
Oh, yeah, that's what I'm there for, right?
All right, all right.
We got to make sure this one happens.
I might send some secret agents just to make sure we get that on camera.
Manny, are you going to – did Manny ride the bull?
Hold on.
Manny might not tell us.
Shout.
Did Manny ride the bull?
You know, I don't know that.
The thing is, is the party was like three hours.
What a friend, Manny.
Shout's not putting you out there like that.
I'll try not to.
She's a very important person.
I didn't ride the bull, guys.
I didn't ride the bull.
I wasn't cool enough.
I didn't do it.
But Xiao took one for the team.
He did.
He really did.
Oh, man.
Jana.
Jana, are you going to ride the mechanical bull in Singapore?
You're trying to get that Lambo?
There is a mechanic bull, David.
I'm on it.
I'm the most crazy person ever.
And that is the thing about getting a Brazilian into the circle.
People don't realize this yet.
But definitely, if there is a bull there, I will be on the bull.
And, you know, just doing what needs to be done here, guys.
Bring home the Lambo.
Bring home the Lambo.
Next week is going to be a wild one.
I almost, man, someone needs to be streaming that thing the whole time.
So, Manny, what was your favorite event?
Like, you're the one throwing all these parties.
Like, which one so far has been your favorite?
Oh, man.
You know what?
This isn't, like, the hottest answer.
But I think it was the most impactful.
And actually, I swear, now it sounds like Xiao's, like, just officially part of the Forbes
Web3 team, which he might as well be at this point.
But Xiao was actually at this dinner.
And fun fact, this is actually where we met for the first time.
This wasn't one of our big parties, right?
Like the 2,000 people one.
But this was actually, like, only, like, 30 people in a room.
And it was right during, like, February or March during NFT NYC.
And this was also the time when 404 was really blowing up.
And there were a lot of people that were interested in 404.
Like, Pandora 404 just came out.
It was a really hot thing.
People were excited.
And so our team thought, hey, it'd be crazy if we just put, like, a bunch of builders
that don't know each other that are interested in this topic in a room together.
And we can have folks that are literally just getting started.
Like, they're very early in their journey in this space.
But then we can have, like, titans that are, like, really at the top of their career.
And so at this event, we had the CEO of Meme Land, Ray Chan.
We had the CEO of Animoca Brands.
We had the co-founder, Yatsu, of Animoca Brands.
And then everyone else that we invited were just everyday builders that were building some
really cool stuff.
Some folks had, like, what, like 100 followers.
And then others, you know, they were more mature in their product and their company.
But just everyday builders.
And that's where I saw the magic happen.
Because how often can you sit next to the CEO of Animoca Brands for a three-hour dinner?
Like, this was a sit-down dinner, right?
And what we saw were so many partnerships came out of that.
We all ended up meeting up together at Token 24-9 Dubai.
So many of the companies that showed up at this dinner then sort of doing partnerships
with one another, made official announcements.
And that's the beauty of these in-real-life events.
Is this, is that the most popular, like, benefit or perk of the Forbes NFTs?
Like, are people most satisfied with the events?
Or is there something else that everybody's, you know, everybody likes best?
Yeah, that's a great question.
You know what's funny?
Everyone kind of, like, goes towards, like, one specific benefit.
The ones that I really like are, we're printing every single person's name in the Forbes magazine
later this year.
The Forbes magazines are really rare, guys.
We only print six a year.
So whenever the traditional, like, Forbes subscriber sees it in their mailbox, they
get so excited.
It's in every executive lounge, every airport lounge, every bookstore.
And the fact that we're now going to showcase and display every single member in this group
on there is just absolutely insane.
It's a very mom-I-made-it moment, at least for me.
And that's also why I have bought a pass, just because I wanted that.
And then the second one that we've seen people really resonate with is Get Back by Forbes
Web 3.
And this is really for, like, the new entrepreneurs in our community.
Because, you know, we've helped emerging artists get connected to, like, Rarible and
Nifty Gateway.
And we've helped brands with, like, their pitch deck and connect them to VCs.
Just this week, we connected three of our legacy past members to a few VCs that are going to
be at Singapore just to set up their one-on-one.
So the Get Back by Forbes Web 3 benefit is that we're like, hey, our resources are your resources.
If we can make connections, introductions, whatever you need to get to that next level, we'll happily
do it.
Oh, well, that's pretty bullish.
You guys got so much going on.
And it's really cool when there's a variety of utility, a variety of benefits, and you've
got different members in the community who, you know, one group will like this part best.
Another group will like that part best.
I mean, that's dope.
Shao, what's your favorite?
Is it the events?
Is it something else?
Is it the, I don't know.
What's your favorite part of the NFT?
Well, it's so funny because you say that.
I was just thinking about how to process all that.
I don't actually have a one because I think they're just, because they're integrated, right?
Whether it's being backed by Forbes, and I'm definitely seeing friends who have actually
utilized that and, you know, helped promote.
And, you know, even our friend Shinsanity, I think who's been on before, but either or,
it's like one of the things that like he has a platform and Forbes has backed him and supported
him and you've seen his spaces grow as well.
And so for me, I think what it comes down to is just opportunity, to be 100% honest.
It's the fact that everything that they do is an opportunity for you to connect and grow
with other people in this space.
And the other benefit too is the fact that they actually have, you know, other legacy brands
that they're connected to and then, you know, watching and seeing how the people come into
the Telegram chat and have this background and you're able to connect and they're just
getting into the space.
So it's not just for the people who've been here and done it.
It's also for people who are trying to get into it.
And you're seeing these larger companies, you know, utilizing Forbes as that platform
and that opportunity to kind of just drive value.
And then on top of that, it's just having fun, to be honest.
Every time I talk to Manny, every time I talk to any of the people at Forbes, there's so
many people in the audience, by the way, shout out to them.
And Manny is growing, literally growing community.
And so every time she goes into a space, you just see all the Forbes pass holders come in
and just kind of celebrate, you know, what's being built.
That network effect is definitely something else.
And for me, again, it's just opportunity and whatever you have, actually put it this way,
there's a new thing that I will tell you that if you have access to a pass is you can
actually bring up ideas and things that you want.
And guess what happens?
It happens.
So if you can get enough strategic advice about what you want to do, you can actually
talk to Manny.
And I've seen it happen literally live within Telegram chat and conversations where she's
just actually able to just build because it's not just about what they have done in terms
of their roadmap.
They're actually very, very, very good about driving transparency of, you know, what does
our community want?
And they actually go after it.
So that's probably my hypothetical thing that I would have to say, just to be honest.
The way you say it is like Forbes and Manny should be cooking something else.
Like Manny deserves to be a multi-NFT project founder.
Manny, is this something that's happening?
Like you guys cooking something else?
Nothing else right now.
When it comes to NFTs, no, like this is it.
This is soul bound.
Like we have such a long way to go with our Legacy Pass members.
We're just getting started.
So no other mints like this anyways.
We did do a basement that was free.
And actually, if you minted it, it's live right now as well.
You actually get a $100 gift card for your next hotel booking.
And so anyone that's going to Singapore and doesn't have your hotel booked yet, please check
out on-chain summer space because that's one that's right there.
But other than that, no, this is our baby.
Whenever I talk to any companies and they ask, like, how is the Legacy Pass?
Like, how do you position this?
I say it's really the heart of Forbes Web 3.
No matter what we do, this is sort of like the base that we always come back to, for sure.
Oh, love that.
So are you thinking of any sort of maybe like an incubator or any way that Forbes Web 3 would
be working with some of these founders or just helping out the community who are building
something legitimate in Web 3?
Like, is that already a part of it or am I just giving you a good idea?
David, are you in my emails right now?
What's going on?
I need to know.
I need to check with our IT team right now.
I'm in everybody's emails.
So, hey, Jana.
Jana.
David's on to something, guys.
So that's absolutely right, right?
Like, I'm really big on, like, crawl, walk, run.
And I don't think, like, even getting into Web 3 is, like, a one-time thing.
It's definitely a process.
And so, yes, Venture and Venture Studio is something that has been brought up several times recently
in internal Forbes meetings.
But we'll share way more when we're properly prepared.
And I will say it's really our members that we want to invest first in and then kind of
grow this out with time.
There's just so many great stories ready to be shared.
Like, if we have built this much in the last four or five years, I can only imagine what
the future is going to look like.
My gosh.
Oh, me too.
I'm feeling so much formal right now, David.
Jesus Christ.
Jana, I'm in your emails, too.
I mean, oh, my.
I don't even know if I can look at Jana the same way.
No, no.
Let's not talk about that here.
Come on, please.
We talked about this before.
That's for one of the therapy meetings.
But Manny, like, man, what is your favorite part of really doing this?
Like, is it leading the community?
Do you like helping people in the community?
Are you excited about all the blockchain tech and what's going to happen this year?
I mean, what really does it for you?
Oh, good question.
A very, very personal question.
I think everyone kind of has, like, their motivation on what they do, right?
Like, when you wake up every morning, like, why are you waking up?
And what is the reason you're excited to, like, get up and go do the thing you're doing?
I'm one of those people where, like, it doesn't matter, like, what the incentives are.
I just have to really love what, like, the day-to-day looks like.
Like, I have to genuinely have a super passion for it.
Otherwise, I'm not going to get up at, like, 5 a.m., 4 a.m.
to take calls in Singapore, and I'm not going to stay up until 10 p.m., 11 p.m.
to take calls with whoever else is needed at that time.
So Web3 is this place where, you know, we joke, but it's the reality.
There's times where you're working 24-7.
And so just the fact that we're in this space building is what gets me excited.
There's so many rare times in, like, human life where you can be at the beginning of something.
And 20 years later, you can talk to your friends about how you were there,
and you helped, like, make it really bring a foundation.
When I was growing up, I would always look up to, like, the folks that built at the Internet age
and how they were deciding how the world would be set up, right?
Like, they were creating the best products and tech for it.
And I always wish, like, man, I wonder what that's going to be for my generation.
And I see Web3 as that.
It's such a rare thing.
People don't realize that.
Like, we're so early, and it's so rare for us to even be in this space right now
when crypto isn't even fully mass-adopted yet,
when crypto's people still need to understand it.
And that thought is what drives me every single day, and I'm so, so excited about it.
Oh, that's a banger.
Grim, timestamp that one.
That was an absolute banger.
Manny, what about the Forbes community?
Like, what is the community really paying attention to out there in crypto?
Like, you know, I know you guys keep the alpha in the Telegram chats,
but, you know, is it the TAN ecosystem?
Do you guys even talk about meme coins in there?
Are meme coins part of the Forbes community?
Because I might need to go with it.
David, David, David.
There is no way around it.
You need to get yourself a legacy path now.
You got enough FOMO for our whole space, and you need to get yourself a legacy path right now.
I'm asking all these questions.
I definitely need one.
But, man, Manny, what's everybody in Forbes most excited about in crypto?
Ooh, David, it's been a wide range.
It's such a wide range.
We have a lot of content creators, like we have musicians that are looking at music NFTs.
But then we also have, like, VC firms.
And we have folks that are really focused on RWAs because they're really blowing up right now.
They're looking at Todd Midiap.
But it's like it's such a wide range.
And to Xiao's point, I think that's also why everyone is really spread out with these benefits.
Like, what is their favorite one?
Because they all come from, like, all different walks of life.
What I will say is it's very diverse.
Like, of course, you have the Yatsus of the world.
But then we have helped three Legacy Pass members join and set up their first ever MetaMask.
Like, these folks came from the traditional Forbes world.
They heard about the Legacy Pass.
They loved it.
And I or my team took calls with them one-on-one to walk them through, this is a MetaMask.
This is a Coinbase wallet.
Here's what the seed phrase is.
And, hey, if that's not helping towards mass adoption, guys, I don't know what is.
But that's on one spectrum.
And then the other spectrum is we've had, like, the COO of Tenor, which is a $3 billion VC fund, like, titans in their space.
They have a beautiful Dubai office that just opened up across the street from Burj Khalifa.
They just joined their entire executive team because they're trying to figure out how to enter into this space thoughtfully.
And Legacy Pass can be one way to do that.
It's been really cool to see the wide range for sure.
I think that's a great idea.
And you're onboarding people who have the ability to onboard multiple people.
I think that is one of the main things to point out.
But, you know, for anybody who's listening, what does someone do if they're trying to build their way up to joining the Forbes Legacy Pass community?
Like, are there any options for people out there?
Or are you guys, you are where you are, and you're going to just take this thing off as is?
No, we're being very mindful.
So the Forbes Legacy Pass, guys, the waitlist had 120,000 signups.
We've reviewed tens of thousands of applications already.
It is soulbound, and it's a limited edition.
So what that means is you can't buy it on the secondary market.
There's no opportunity to trade or transfer.
Once it's in your wallet, it's in your wallet forever.
And the only way to get it is if we have accepted your application.
So Forbes team, we dedicate a few hours every single week dedicated to just reviewing applications.
Like, that's literally all we do week after week.
And you can apply right now on our site.
It's in the bio of our Twitter account, Forbes Web 3.
But even more so, Xiao.
I'm not going to call you out, but I'm going to call you out.
Guys, Xiao definitely has some alpha.
So reach out to Xiao because he has alpha on how to get into the Legacy Pass.
Let's just say he has a fast-track way.
I'll leave it at that.
Oh, man.
Xiao's not giving me that alpha.
Tommy's not giving me the alpha on what's pumping 40%.
Like, guys, what am I doing, everybody?
Everybody seems mad at me for some reason.
But it's all right.
I'll get it all out of you guys.
I'll get it all out of you guys.
We're going to talk after this spaces.
But, man, Mandy, definitely want to thank you for coming up today.
This was an awesome space.
One way that we love to end these things, I mean, for everybody listening,
Forbes is one of the companies that I think people would just want to support.
Like, having someone like Forbes in Web3 doing what you guys are doing,
that's an example.
That can bring a lot more eyes on our entire industry.
Like, how can we support you back?
What can we do for you and Forbes, Mandy?
Oh, I appreciate that so much, David.
It's honestly, like, even opportunities like this, right?
The invitation for us to come on and have a conversation.
Like, guys, that's all we ask.
And just for building together.
I'm really big on, like, true collaborations and just helping move the space further.
So whatever we can do on that front, David, and we would love to have you guys on our spaces, too.
That sounds epic.
All right.
Well, let's fucking go.
Love spaces.
Thanks for coming out.
Ravin, I see you just joined the stage.
Anything you want to add in?
We're about to wrap it up for the day, but appreciate you coming up.
Oh, yeah.
Hey, David.
Yeah, it's been a while.
But, yeah, thank you for bringing me up here.
Yeah, I do have one question, or maybe not a question, maybe a suggestion.
I want to talk to Manny.
Have you guys ever thought about putting your magazine on chain, like, first ever magazine on chain?
Yeah, a great question, Ravin.
So, fun fact, three years ago, we did a partnership with Nifty Gateway for a one-on-one.
We had the Binklevoss twins in the Forbes magazine cover.
And we actually put that cover for an auction on Nifty Gateway.
And it was all for charity.
All the proceeds went to a nonprofit.
It achieved over $333,000.
And so that was really cool.
And now we, you know, baby steps.
Now we have the list on the blockchain.
And so now we are looking into other opportunities on how we can grow that out, definitely.
Yeah, that would be great.
And that will make a history as well.
So, guys, come on.
Go fill out the form.
You know, do that application and get it in.
Like, this is one of the golden opportunity right here.
Thank you, guys.
All right.
Absolutely.
Well, let's go, everybody.
Make sure you're following Manny.
Make sure you're following Forbes.
Follow everybody else up here.
And make sure you DM them and tell them to start giving me the alpha again.
I want to thank everybody for coming out, all the listeners, all the speakers.
K2 likes to tell you to touch some grass.
I'm going to tell you, cross your fingers and hope the meme coins get back to where they used to be.
Everybody, have a great day.
We'll see you tomorrow, 9 a.m. EST.
We got the big time spaces.
Have a good one.
Don't get rough.
Freezy.
It's real.
I can't get you off.
No matter what I do.
I can't get you off.
No matter what I do.
I can't get you off.
No matter what I do.
I can't get you off.
No matter what I do.
