Context: Views on Crypto and Culture

Blake speaks with some of the top investors and founders in Africa about the state of crypto on the continent. She has an in depth convo with Gideon Greaves, Head of Investments at Lisk and Tejiri Jesse, founder of Afrikabal, a blockchain powered marketplace that connects African farmers directly with global buyers, solving a $3 trillion (!!!) problem. Gideon launched the first web 3 fund in Africa and Afrikabal was named one of the Top 10 Innovators by World Food Prize foundation which is considered the Nobel or the highest honours in the field of food and agriculture. In this episode, you'll learn why Africa is leading the way when it comes to implementing crypto's real world use cases (real estate tokenization, farming, remittances) and why you should care. A lot of the problems that African founders are tackling are unique to the developing world, making this pod essential listening for anyone in the developed world to  understand the massive possibilities not seen in the West. Blake asks Gideon about the newly launched $15 million Lisk EMpower Fund, (Context has the podcast exclusive!), which focuses on investing in three key high-growth regions Africa (Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria), Latin America (Brazil, Argentina) and Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Vietnam). It's clear that these markets are where the next major crypto growth opportunities will come from. Whether you're an investor, a founder, a marketer, or curious about crypto, this episode is essential listening to understand the global landscape of crypto innovation, adoption and usage.  Lisk: https://x.com/LiskHQ  EMpower Fund: https://lisk.com/fund/  Afrikabal: https://afrikabal.org/  Boys Club: https://x.com/BoysClubWorld  Blake Finucane: https://x.com/blakefinucane   

Blake speaks with Bay Backner about all things Decentraland (she's the head producer there)! This is a must listen to learn all of its ins and outs…from LAND vs. MANA to how the DAO operates vs. the foundation.   Bay is the real deal, she started as an artist creating in Decentraland with support from the DAO and now she works for the foundation as the head producer…so she's seen all sides.   Bay and Blake dive into the dynamics of virtual worlds, what makes Decentraland so unique, how it's a super friendly place for creators and ofcourse, they talk digital fashion and Metaverse Fashion Week, happening April 9-12 (Bay also drops some exclusive alpha about what to expect!).   This is such an inspiring convo that will help you understand the future of virtual worlds and why Decentraland is at the forefront.   Bay: https://x.com/BayBackner Metaverse Fashion Week: here   Decentraland: here  Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/

Blake speaks with Head of Strategy & Business Development at Doodles, Austin Hurwitz and they cover everything that Doodles has been up to. They go over the new token, the CEO change, how markets conditions impact their decisions and how Golden Wolf is their secret weapon. Blake also asks Austin how he would describe the Doodles community, what's important to them (co-creation!) and what he's learned from working with one of the biggest brands in the world (like McDonald's last year). Doodles has a massive year ahead of them and this episode will get you all caught up on what they've got planned. This episode is brought to you by Decentraland, a social virtual world where you can connect, explore, and create. Decentraland is the place to hang with friends (new and old) online. In DCL you can be whoever you want to be – customize your avatar, attend events, meet people, buy your own land, build customized scenes and create your own wearables. … Make the experience your own at Decentraland.org. Doodles: https://x.com/doodles Austin: https://x.com/austin_hurwitz Blake: https://x.com/blakefinucane Join Decentraland here  Metaverse Fashion Week in Decentraland here  Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/

Blake speaks with The Metropolitan Museum of Art team who recently released Art Links, marking The Met's first foray onto the blockchain. Art Links is a 12-week game that invites you to connect the dots between seeming disparate art works (whether centuries apart, completely different mediums, etc.) according to different themes, rewarding you in the form of NFT badges and IRL prizes. Blake has played religiously every week, and has learned a tonne! 3 of the project leads are here to talk about the game: Destinee Filmore, Assistant Curator in the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Met, Brett Renfer, The Met's Brett Renfer, The Met's Senior Project Manager for Emerging Technologies and Audrey Ou, co-founder and CEO of TRLab.  They dive deep into the project, from how long it took to plan and launch, to the intended audience, to why they chose Base, to the art they included. Blake also couldn't resist asking Destinee about if (and when) the Met will collect their first crypto art works. If you want to get a read on the traditional art world and how they are engaging with NFTs…you can't really get bigger than this. The Met is the most visited museum in America, and one of the most important cultural institutions in the world.   Art Links: https://artlinks.metmuseum.org/about TRLab: https://x.com/trlab_ Blake Finucane: https://x.com/blakefinucane  Boys Club Newsletter: https://tooonline.beehiiv.com/

Blake speaks with Carlos Beltran, co-founder of Bonsai, which started as a token, but has evolved into an entire ecosystem. Their most recent releases have been Sage, their flagship AI agent and a launchpad which focuses on a consumer friendly way to launch your own tokens. The convo dives deep into the AI agent meta. Blake asks Carlos what AI agents "actually are," how to tell them apart from one another, how to build them and where he sees the space developing, particularly when it comes to agent to agent conversations. Carlos outlines Bonsai's new launch pad as well, why it was important to have it be so consumer friendly and how to best use it.  He also talks about the upsides and uniqueness of the Lens ecosystem and what exactly is "Bonsai Energy." In the latter part of the episode, Blake gets to interview Sage in his first podcast appearance ever! She asks him to explain, from an AI agents' perceptive, what the technology is all about, how to best interact with him and what he sees for the future of Bonsai. If you're interested in how crypto intersects with AI and how to use this technology best, this ones for you. This season, Context is in partnership with Bonsai. Bonsai is releasing projects and experiments on the cutting edge of crypto including their AI agents + launch pad, reflective of Context's commitment to bringing its listeners cutting edge ideas and conversations.   Carlos: https://twitter.com/imthatcarlos Bonsai: https://twitter.com/bonsaitoken404 Bonsai Orb Club: https://orb.club/c/bonsai Bonsai website: https://www.bonsai.meme/ Sage (AI Agent): https://twitter.com/agentdotbonsai Blake:  https://twitter.com/blakefinucane Blake's Context Orb Club: https://orb.club/c/context  Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/ 

In this episode, Blake speaks with Jacq, head of Community and Creators at Orb. Orb is a decentralized  social app built on Lens protocol. They chat about the all the possibilities of decentralized social and Orb's vision going forward. Jacq explains what Orb is, how it's related to Lens and Bonsai, and outlines the best ways to grow your audience on the platform.  Jacq also highlights how Orb is committed to supporting and protecting creators, specifically diving into sticker packs and what makes them so unique. In celebration of the episode, Blake is dropping her own Context Pod sticker pack, which she likes to call "digital merch." If you're interested in the use cases of decentralized social media, are a creator and/or want to build a bigger/new audience, this one is for you. This episode is in partnership with $BONSAI, who are on the cutting edge of experimenting with AI agents and decentralized social media. They just released Bon(AI) and their flagship agent Sage, who is tipping commenters in $BONSAI, and replying to direct messages in group chats.  To engage, join the Bonsai club on Orb with 5,000 $BONSAI tokens in your wallet.   Jacq: https://twitter.com/jacqvaca Orb: https://twitter.com/orb_club + https://orb.club/ Blake's Context Orb Club: https://orb.club/c/context  Blake's X: https://twitter.com/blakefinucane  Bonsai: https://orb.club/@bonsai + https://twitter.com/bonsaitoken404  Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/ 

In the season 4 premier, Blake speaks with Maghan McDowell, Senior Innovation Editor at Vogue Business, and gets a temperature check on how the fashion industry is embracing AI and NFTs. They review some of the most iconic fashion NFT collaborations including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Nike, and go over what made them successful and what can be learned from them. Blake even asks if the fashion industry has actually abandoned NFTs and web 3 (spoiler alert: it has NOT!). They talk through one of the most exciting developments in the crypto fashion arena, Digital Product Passports (DPPs) and how Coach is leading the way on this. They continue by chatting about how generative AI will continue impact the fashion industry as well as advances in data science and machine learning. Blake also asks how Maghan defines digital fashion and why we aren't seeing more influencers wearing digital fashion (***digital tailoring is hard!) They wind down by addressing the growth of Substack, its impact on journalism and Condé  Nast's partnership with Open AI. If you're a fashion person or interested in consumer tech, this one is for you. This episode is in partnership with Bonsai, a cross chain social token empowering creators across Lens, ZKsync and Base. This is a token that I actually use and love…you can even collect this episode on Orb with Bonsai :)   Maghan's X: https://twitter.com/MaghanMcD Blake's Context Orb Club: https://orb.club/c/context Blake's X: https://twitter.com/blakefinucane Bonsai: https://orb.club/@bonsai Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/

Blake speaks with Simon Hudson, operator and co-lead of Botto DAO. Botto is an autonomous artist which has sold over $5 million worth of its 1 of 1 NFT artworks. It also has a solo show (October 19th-23rd) and auction (October 17-24) at Sotheby's this week! In a future where creativity is automated, where is a human's place in it? Blake and Simon discuss this question and how Botto attempts to answer it. The convo revolves around how AI, art and crypto intersect, as Botto represents (in Blake's opinion) the best of how art can and is used as a tool to engage, teach and familiarize people with innovation and emerging technology. Throughout the discussion, Simon outlines the long history of automating intelligence, asks who decides and defines what (good) art is and highlights how Botto demonstrates what is truly possible when combining DAOs with AI governance. This is an essential listen for anyone wanting to learn about how AI will (and does) impact creativity and creative industries. Botto's X: https://twitter.com/bottoproject Botto's Website: https://botto.com/ Simon's X: https://twitter.com/hudsonsims Botto's Auction Details at Sotheby's: https://www.sothebys.com/en/auction-catalogue/2024/exorbitant-stage-botto-a-decentralized-ai-artist-NFN104?s=details&locale=en Blake's X: https://twitter.com/blakefinucane Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/

Blake speaks with 3 fellow members of the Blueprint by Bello Creator's Program, Cohort 1. Naomi Metzger is a 11 time British Triple Jump National Champion, Sara Phillips is a decorated musician who has over 300,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and Shavonne Wong is a internationally exhibited artist who made Vogue's first NFT cover. The 4 of them get together to discuss their experience in the Blueprint program. They detail how and why they've put their content on chain and the tremendous opportunities that it brings in terms of economic upsides and increased distribution and exposure. They continue by discussing the ins and outs of what it takes to go viral on chain and how they leverage decentralized social media platforms like Orb and Warpcast to build their audience. This episode is kindly supported by Lens, who continues to provide the tools for creators to go viral on chain. This is a must listen if you are a creator…putting your content on chain can actually change your life, and this episode will prove why. Naomi's X: https://twitter.com/afrochicksnft Shavonne's X: https://twitter.com/shavonnewong_ Sara's X: https://twitter.com/Sara_JPhillips BluePrint by Bello website: https://blueprint.bello.lol/ Lens X: https://twitter.com/LensProtocol Lens Website: https://www.lens.xyz/ Blake's X: https://twitter.com/blakefinucane Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/

Blake speaks with the brilliant musician Iman Europe. They have an illuminating discussion about the value of art, in particular music and music NFTs. This convo is part of the Lens x FWB FEST coverage where Iman performed (twice!). They speak about the music business, what goes into being an independent artist, and the role crypto tech has played in that process. Iman also recounts her journey into the crypto world and where she stands now with the space. They continue by talking about the more personal side of being an artist and how it often takes faith and courage to continue, especially in the face of rejection. Blake also asks her to name her top 5 favourite albums of all time. This is an incredible discussion for anyone who is an artist, who is interested in music NFTs or if you just want to listen to a super insightful, uplifting convo. Iman's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ImanEurope Iman's Website: https://www.imaneurope.com/ Lens' Twitter: https://twitter.com/LensProtocol Lens' Website: https://www.lens.xyz/ Blake's Twitter: https://twitter.com/blakefinucane Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/  

Blake speaks with Daisy Alioto, cofounder of Dirt Media. She is so ahead of the curve in her understanding of the ever changing media business and how crypto technology fits in - and the convo covers all of this. Blake asks Daisy to explain how NFTs facilitate new business models and advertising environments. Daisy also highlights how NFTs don't have to be investment vehicles and instead, can be used to build stronger relationships between a subscriber and a publication. Daisy expands further on how to make media more collectible, and how she see Dirt's drop model more akin to a streetwear company like Supreme rather than to a traditional media publication's like Vogue. They dive into the newsletter business too, as well as how meme coins become their own media communities, how books are the new handbags, Twitter vibe shifts and Addison Rae. This is a must listen if you want to get a stronger grasp on where the media industry is headed and better understand your own media consumption habits and how crypto technology can fit into that. This episode is part of Lens' FWB FEST coverage, in which Daisy was a speaker…check her brilliant talk linked below. Daisy's Twitter: https://twitter.com/daisandconfused Dirt's Twitter: https://twitter.com/dirtyverse Daisy's talk at FEST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUnYbLoyplo&ab_channel=FriendsWithBenefits Lens' Twitter:  https://twitter.com/LensProtocol  Lens' Website: https://www.lens.xyz/  Blake's Twitter: https://twitter.com/blakefinucane Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/

Blake chats with the longtime supporter and friend of Boys Club, Trevor McFedries. He's really done it all, from founding Friends with Benefits (FWB) and creating the first AI generated influencer Lil Miquela, to being an early employee at Spotify, to DJing around the world,and producing top 10 records. He's one of the most unique and dynamic thinkers in crypto.   Blake and him discuss a myriad of topics including art, NFTs, the difference between outworking and outthinking, what streaming was meant to be vs. what is has turned into, and how his sports background continues to inform his work ethic. Blake also asks him about why he started FWB, the inefficiency of influencer culture, who captures the economic value from social capital, and how crypto rails have been and still can be applied to make its upsides more equitable. You'll come away with some super valuable insights if you care about crypto culture, however you define it. This episode is part of Lens' FWB FEST coverage, in which Context is excited to be apart of (and Blake had a great time attending!).  Trevor's Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatdotcd Lens' Twitter: https://twitter.com/LensProtocol  Lens' Website: https://www.lens.xyz/  Blake' Twitter: https://twitter.com/blakefinucane Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/  

Blake speaks with the brilliant Nina Chanel Abney, world renowned multidisciplinary artist. Her resume is beyond impressive; her work is in the permanent collections of museums like The MoMa and The Whitney, and she just released her second collaboration with Nike, designing her take on the iconic Jordan 3. Earlier this year, she was the first artist selected for Punk in Residence, an art program by CryptoPunks designed to champion creative experimentation with web 3. She released Super Punk World, her 500 piece NFT collection in May as part of the program. Throughout this episode, you'll get further context on Nina's entire body of work, her artistic vision and what she stands for, while Blake and her chat about the WNBA, her Nike collab, art history, how humour translates across mediums and more. The second half of the episode is dedicated to covering Super Punk World, from its conception to its reception, to what's next.  Accompanying Nina is the innovative gallerist and collector Todd Kramer, who provides illuminating perspectives about the business side of the art industry, what Nina has accomplished in her career thus far and The Gallery of Digital Assets (GODA) which Nina and him co-founded with Pharrell (among others). The three of them have an inspiring and pertinent discussion that is especially relevant for crypto art and NFT collectors and anyone interested in creativity onchain.   Nina's Twitter: https://x.com/ninachanel Super Punk World: https://hub.cryptopunks.app/gallery/nina Nina's Nike Collab: https://www.nike.com/ca/launch/t/air-jordan-3-retro-x-nina-chanel-abney-bicoastal-and-malachite Todd's Twitter: https://x.com/toddkramer1 Blake's Twitter: https://x.com/blakefinucane Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/

Blake speaks with FAR - artist, engineer and co-founder of Taproot Wizards. They dive into all things art on Ordinals, for a fresh look on the topic. FAR outlines the differences between creating art on Ordinals and Ethereum including their unique technical capabilities, community expectations and aesthetic trends. They also talk about the differences (if there is any) between "Bitcoin Art" and "Ordinals." The convo continues with FAR chronicling the incredible origin story of Taproot Wizards, one of the fist PFP collections on Ordinals, which was also responsible for the largest transaction in Bitcoin's history at that time. It's a fascinating recount of the project and speaks to how the culture of Bitcoin has developed over the past decade. They wind down by discussing Taproot Wizard's second collection, Quantum Cats and its unique functionalities, including its ability to evolve over time. Blake also asks how one of FAR's pieces from this collection ended up at a Sotheby's auction. There are so many nuances around Bitcoin and Ordinals that can only be understood through an artistic lens, which is what this conversation aims to do! FAR: https://twitter.com/0xfar TapRoot Wizards: https://twitter.com/taprootwizards Quantum Cats: https://twitter.com/quantumcatsxyz Sotheby's Metaverse: https://twitter.com/Sothebysverse Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/ Blake: https://twitter.com/blakefinucane  

Blake speaks with Natalie Stone, General Manager for CryptoPunks at Yuga Labs. This is a CryptoPunks interview like you've never heard before! There is so much new info that will make you appreciate the collection and crypto art even more. Natalie walks Blake through the 3 pillars of the CryptoPunks brand and explains "the North Star" that the collection is always orienting towards. Blake also asks Natalie if and how she tracks the Punks floor price, how she communicates and maintains her relationship with the Punks community, as well as about the Proof Collective and how Yuga is managing another art centric brand alongside Punks. Natalie even previews the new CryptoPunks' book called CryptoPunks: Free to Claim and hints at some of the incredible contributors like the Chief Creative Officer at Balanciaga, Martina Tiefenthaler. They also talk in-depth about Punks place within the traditional art world… after listening, you'll be left with a deeper understanding of the power of art (the ultimate goal for the Context Podcast!). You'll also have a stronger grasp on the significant role Punks play(ed) in the development of the contemporary digital art movement and how they continue to push the bounds of creativity in crypto at large. Links: CryptoPunks: https://cryptopunks.app/  Free to Claim: CryptoPunks Book: https://hub.cryptopunks.app/goods  Natalie Stone: https://twitter.com/NaughtalieStone  Blake Finucane: https://twitter.com/blakefinucane  Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/ 

Context presented by Boys Club is partnering with Sotheby's for Season 3! Each month, we'll be working with Sotheby's to bring you an episode on a different digital art based theme. The goal over this season is to help you more deeply engage with digital art and better understand how it intersects with crypto. For the first episode of the season, Blake will be speaking to the brilliant Michael Bouhanna, Vice President and Head of Digital Art and NFTs at Sotheby's. They'll be discussing the last 10 years of digital art, and how crypto technology has impacted it. They walk through the definitions of Generative Art, A.I. Art and Ordinals, how an auction at Sotheby's gets put together, who a typical digital art buyer is, and the barriers to buying something that's immaterial. They also talk about Jackson Pollock, Sol LeWitt and how art history can be used as a tool to better understand digital art today (FYI: digital art is over 60 years old). It's a super informative episode and really sets the stage for the entire season, with lots of art history intertwined.   Links: Sotheby's Metaverse: https://twitter.com/Sothebysverse Digital Art Through the Decades Auction: https://www.sothebys.com/en/auction-catalogue/2024/revolutionaries-digital-art-through-the-decade?s=intro Michael Bouhanna: https://twitter.com/michaelbouhanna Blake Finucane: https://twitter.com/blakefinucane  Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/

Blake interviews Addie Wagenknecht brilliant artist, whose work has been exhibited at MoMA and collected by The Whitney, she's collaborated with everyone from CERN to Chanel. Blake asks about some of her specific art works as a way to dive into ideas around hacking and reappropriating technology into non typical use cases. Addie remind us that technology is not inherently liberating and it depends so much on how we use it and who controls it.  They also speak about about how to apply feminist theory and practices when engaging with crypto technology as well covering fake Balenciaga bags, make up tutorials, meme coins and art history. This pod will jolt you out of your crypto bubble and definitely inspire some new ideas.  This season is brought to you by $BONSAI, who is building on the forefront of Social x AI. Their memecoin launch pad is built for both agents and humans, so go to Uniswap to get $BONSAI today. Addie's Twitter: https://x.com/wheresaddie  Blake's Twitter: https://x.com/blakefinucane  Blake's Context Club on Orb: https://orb.club/c/context   Bonsai: https://x.com/bonsaitoken404  Boys Club Newsletter: https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/ 

Blake speaks with Sebastian Sanchez, Digital Art Sales Manager at Christie's. Sebastian gives a behind the scenes look at how an auction gets put together (selecting artists, pricing, display, collectors) while talking though Christie's latest sale Next Wave: The Miami Edit, taking place at Art Basel Miami Beach.  Sebastian also details some of Chritie's major partnerships this year including Gucci and The Keith Haring Foundation. Blake winds down the episode by asking Sebastian to define both Generative Art and AI Art and explain their importance. And if you weren't sure about what makes a great digital art work…Blake asks Sebastian to define that as well. This is a super comprehensive episode about digital art from its market dynamics to its art historical significance…its got you covered.   Boys Club Newsletter: https://www.boysclub.vip/newsletter  Christie's 3.0: https://nft.christies.com/  Sebastian's Twitter: https://twitter.com/sebastianss527 Next Wave: The Miami Edit: https://nft.christies.com/auctions/next-wave-the-miami-edit-2023  A Collector's Guide to AI and Generative Art: https://www.christies.com/en/stories/ai-and-generative-art-collecting-guide-998d865bd6a84538a27f640da23b368f Panter Xhita : https://twitter.com/PanterXhita    

Blake speaks with the incredibly talented artist and digital fashion designer GLITCHOFMIND, who is part of the Syky Collective's inaugural cohort, and the Designer Lead at Syky, Clare Maguire. They have an enlightening convo about the definition and possibilities of digital fashion and how the genre is still being defined. Glitch explains how digital fashion can encompass much more than just wearables for gaming characters and social media avatars. As part of his new collection called INTERLôR VOL. 1, he's releasing highly intricate and detailed editorial  images, recalling what you might see in Vogue or Elle…pushing the traditional definition of what is considered "digital fashion." Blake also asks Clare to expand the branding and business strategy around digital fashion. They discuss how to create a successful digital fashion brand, how to come across authentic online and her trend predictions for the upcoming year. The episode really highlights the future of digital fashion for next year and beyond.    Boys Club Newsletter: https://www.boysclub.vip/newsletter  GLITCHOFMIND: https://twitter.com/GLITCHOFMIND  Clare Maguire: https://twitter.com/ClareMaguire SYKY: https://www.syky.com/

On this special episode, Blake speaks with two incredible artists: Nancy Baker Cahill and Figure 31. She dives into their creative processes: why and how they make art with emerging technology (in particular the blockchain and augmented reality). This leads into an illuminating discussion about the distinct artistic properties of the blockchain (aka: its "medium specificity"), and how it can be uniquely used to challenge existing power structures. Blake also asks them about their brilliant new pieces; Nancy's work called CENTO is on view at the Whitney Museum of Art and Figure 31's PROXY is currently apart of Wild.xyz's group show called MATERIAL. It's a super fascinating conversation about how to combine creativity with technology, and communicate complex ideas through the blockchain and AR in a digestible way.  If you are working on any creative projects (artistic or otherwise), this convo its for you. Note: This is the first live filming of Context! The episode was recorded in front of the attendees of the Wild.xyz Summit in New Orleans.   Boys Club Newsletter:  https://boysclub.beehiiv.com/  Figure 31 Twitter: https://twitter.com/figure31_ Info on Figure's work PROXY: https://wild.xyz/wildxyz/exhibition-material/ Nancy Baker Cahill's Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/nancybakercahill/ Info on Nancy's work CENTRO: https://whitney.org/exhibitions/cento