Not A Cartel

Pokémon cards are back and now they’re onchain. In this episode, we dive deep into the crypto x collectibles meta: $2,500 packs, $20,000 cards, Courtyard’s buyback system, and why Polygon might secretly be hosting the most used crypto apps in the world. 🔥 Highlights & Timestamps: 00:01 – Burning Man + Malibu resets 03:54 – 🚀 Launching Pods Clips 08:42 – The rise of streamer coins & PumpFun 12:30 – PumpFun’s new dynamic fees explained 15:20 – Pokémon cards as a long-term hold 17:24 – Courtyard’s $2,500 packs & the $20K card lottery 21:29 – Live pack opening on the pod 🎴 23:44 – Are collectibles + Polygon the real killer apps? 24:41 – Hutch, Zard, and the bullish collectibles meta 25:26 – Chevy announces Blueprint Cohort 3

The crew is back with energy, catching up on weddings, retreats, and going fully offline. Lucas shares his plans for a Malibu solo founder retreat, Coop heads to Burning Man, and the group debates how to unplug in an always-online culture. From bull market speculation to Solana meme coin chaos, Story Protocol drama, and Zora’s creator coin experiments, this episode captures the intersection of crypto culture, narratives, and the never-ending cycle of hype. Topic Summary with Timestamps 00:00 – Reunion & Weddings 01:45 – Lucas’ Solo Malibu Retreat 03:00 – Coop Preps for Burning Man 05:00 – Offline Anxiety & Detox 08:20 – Is the Bull Market Over? 12:20 – ETH Price Predictions 18:30 – Story Protocol Drama 23:40 – Narrative vs. Product in Crypto 25:50 – Solana & Light Token 32:10 – Creator Coin Experiments (Zora)

The boys are back and crypto is heating up — ETH breaks $4K, Zora’s having its moment, and Vitalik stirs drama with a hot take that has builders fuming. We dive into why CLANKER might be the most undervalued play in the game, Pump.fun’s new liquidity experiment, and Coinbase’s surprise move to list every Base token. Plus: the blueprint behind selling $1M in podcast NFTs, and the culture-shifting memes (yes, including the underwear one) driving this cycle. Timestamps: 00:00 – ETH breaks $4K, meme culture hits new highs 05:00 – Vitalik vs. Zora: why the criticism missed the mark 17:00 – Is CLANKER the sleeper trade? 20:40 – Pump.fun’s ‘glass full’ liquidity push 24:30 – Coinbase opens the floodgates for Base tokens 27:00 – Creator coins vs. content coins: where the money flows 45:50 – Inside the $1M podcast NFT playbook

Ep 28 - David, Cooper, and Adam unpack the state of onchain media — from Daniel Allan’s festival breakthrough to the realities of coins, collectibles, and creator earnings. They debate what’s working, what’s broken, and where the culture is heading next. Top Moments & Timestamps: (00:00) Why they still do the podcast — “the love of the game” (02:25) Cooper’s summer recap: Japan, Lollapalooza, and LA’s music scene (03:10) Daniel Allan’s Lollapalooza moment & bridging IRL success to onchain (07:49) Why artists shouldn’t just be “crypto artists” — reframing the narrative (09:05) Farcaster’s NFT auctions vs. Zora’s coin volume — earnings gap revealed (14:04) Hesitation from artists & labels on coins — pivoting to a collectible-first model (16:55) Market cap bragging rights vs. meaningful creator payouts (26:22) ThreadGuy’s Counterparty launch & crypto’s live streaming wave (31:37) The clipping “flywheel” — Shilforce campaigns driving distribution (37:00) NAC coin launch — why it’s a 5/10 so far and how to level it up

The gang is back. Coop breaks down how he made $8K+ from creator coins, Devid is posting food pics for profit, and the crew debates if the Zora flywheel is legit—or just good marketing. 🔑 Key Topics & Timestamps: (00:00) Coop checks in from Tokyo (01:40) Coopahtroopa hits $1M market cap — how? (04:20) The Zora flywheel explained in plain English (06:00) Why every post is a token (and priced in your coin) (08:50) Creator coin vesting, dump panic, and coinholder expectations (11:00) What actually drives value back to $ZORA? (17:00) Devid’s “Munch to Earn” food coin era 🍔 (23:00) Farcaster collectibles vs. Base coins — who wins? (30:00) NFTs as presales → coins as speculation: new monetization stack (36:00) ETH's cultural comeback and why Moonbirds are pumping again (44:00) Bull market bets: Layer3, Pengu, Pump.fun, Hype, Bankr, Noice (52:00) The best-performing tokens (and creator coins) to watch this cycle (55:00) Lucas sneaks Paperview into the Base Batches spotlight

Cooper and David reunite fresh off a Spain trip and just in time for Base Day One in LA. This episode dives deep into the shifting tides of crypto culture, the launch of Coop Records’ songcoins, and why this moment might mark a new chapter for onchain music, apps, and community-building. 🎧 Key Topics & Timestamps (00:00) Devid's Michelin-fueled recharge in Spain (01:28) Base Day One kicks off: why this keynote feels different (03:31) The evolving Base ecosystem and LA’s crypto energy (06:34) Launching Coop Records mini app + Base’s go-to-market (07:53) Social apps, tokens, and the WeChat-for-crypto vision (11:23) Song coins vs. music NFTs: what's new, what’s real (13:05) Early metrics, artist feedback & public skepticism (17:08) Can Coop Records act like a label? Cooper’s stance (20:46) What data would make song coins actually tradeable (21:40) Pump.fun, ICOs, and where Cooper & Devid are betting (24:56) Whop x Believe partnership: a real crypto use case?

In this special episode of Not A Cartel, Coop and Lucas hold it down while the rest of the crew’s MIA. What starts as a nostalgic riff on the CU Boulder Blockchain Club spirals into a razor-sharp rundown of the current onchain landscape—from controversial ICOs to the future of creator monetization. No fluff, just signal. Key Topics & Timestamps: ⏱️ 00:44 Pump.fun ICO deep dive ⏱️ 06:30 Whop x Believe partnership ⏱️ 08:30 Creator capital markets on Abstract ⏱️ 11:50 The coin fatigue dilemma – why big creators aren't aping in yet ⏱️ 15:50 OpenSea acquires Rally ⏱️ 18:30 Phantom wallet integrates Hyperliquid perps ⏱️ 22:30 The “dead chain” treasury alpha ⏱️ 28:00 The rise of song coins – Coop hints at the next chapter for Coop Records ⏱️ 30:30 Coinbase Wallet’s upcoming TBA launch

The trio returns while David’s on beach duty. Coop accidentally launches his creator coin, the fellas cover the state of onchain creation, what’s working, and what still feels broken. 🔟 Top Moments (03:00) Daniel Allan laser show recap – nearly sold out, first show with full production. (06:30) Coop's late-night Zora token launch – unintentionally launched his creator coin at 5:30am in a diner. (08:20) Creator Coin strategies – posting videos, airdropping to top holders, experimenting with Noise. (09:30) Are creator coins working? – discussion on upside, missing mechanics, and how activity drives value. (12:20) Farcaster vs Coinbase Wallet – video wars heating up, platforms converging on short-form content. (22:50) New Coop Records platform launch – email signups, coin sections, follow features, credits instead of ETH. (25:50) Song coin economics – using mint fees to buy back tokens; focus on rewarding tastemakers. (17:10) Onchain monetization still lacking – long tail can earn $500, but no breakout case for high-profile creators yet. (35:00) Tokenized stocks on Arbitrum – Robinhood, Kraken, and maybe Coinbase exploring stock coins. (42:00) Conferences vs Building – crypto events losing their edge; focus shifting to product and strategy.

Chevy calls in from Budapest as the crew breaks down the good, bad, and mid of recent onchain drops. From prediction markets to creator coins, it’s a full-spectrum tour of the onchain creator stack—plus a sneak peek at Pods’ new homepage and Hume’s cozy new AI artist, Lo-Fi Grandma. Topics Covered: (8:15) Waka Flocka’s “song token” flop — and why first impressions matter (14:00) Creator coins: powerful primitive or retail trap? (21:45) Kalshi vs. Polymarket — $2B rounds, regulatory edge, and A16Z’s absence (26:30) Chevy’s bonding curve experiment: creator coin UX pain (33:00) Pods 2.0 preview: trending feeds, email logins, global leaderboard (36:10) Meet Lo-Fi Grandma: Hume’s cozy new AI artist (42:30) Coop Records + Paperview updates: mobile-first, top 10, and new creator tools

Zora’s new Creator Coins drop sparks a round-table on the future of onchain creator economies. Lucas, Coop, and Devid break down the launch mechanics, compare Base vs. Solana liquidity, debate token valuations, and riff on how listen-to-earn could reshape music and podcasts. Plus: Circle stock goes meme-mode, and QR codes at concerts as growth hacks. 🎧 Mint the episode onchain: pods.media/not-a-cartel Timestamps: 00:00 – Cold open: Celestia dip & crypto hot potato 01:07 – Zora Creator Coins explained: profile = ticker, 1% fee share, 5-year vest 02:30 – How Creator Coins work: routing, supply, and fee design 07:00 – Zora vs. Pump.fun: launch formats & liquidity wars 14:50 – Pump.fun’s $4B ICO vs. Zora’s sub-$100M FDV 23:18 – Circle’s stock pumps 200% & stablecoin bill alpha 27:10 – Coop Records update: song tokens & sniper bots 42:00 – QR-code airdrops at concerts & proof-of-attendance 46:45 – Wrap-up & onchain mint link 📱 Subscribe for more convos on the onchain creator economy. 🧠 Follow us on Farcaster: https://farcaster.xyz/~/channel/notacartel 💸 Support the show by collecting on pods.media/not-a-cartel

Coop turns 30, markets melt, and Farcaster mini apps take center stage. This episode dives into the future of crypto distribution and why devs are skipping Apple and shipping onchain instead. Timestamps: - [09:33] Paperview joins Base Incubator → Lucas preps for demo day - [11:52] Farcaster mini app growth → what’s working, what’s broken - [16:07] Coop Records goes mobile → iOS vs Farcaster tradeoffs - [23:00] Louder token revival → buybacks, quests, and real utility - [35:03] Daniel Allan’s rise → content discipline + fanbase building - [44:25] Pump.fun + Circle IPO → market cycles and raising money - [52:09] Building for real users in a post-meme coin market

Coop calls in glowing from the Japanese mountains as the crew dives into Farcaster’s $1.2M week, Doppler’s game-changing bonding curves, and the latest shifts across Base, Solana, and Ethereum. Plus: meme coin meta, miniapp ceilings, and why NFTs might actually be back. 🎧 Highlights & Timestamps: 00:00 – Coop in Japan: aura, monkeys, and Pasternak-fueled enlightenment 02:17 – Coinbase Wallet showcases Pods 02:44 – Paperview + Farcaster Pro unlocks new monetization 06:33 – 9dcc shuts down: reflections on crypto fashion 08:17 – Farcaster Pro hits $1.2M+ in subs (and airdrops pay for themselves) 17:00 – Why most miniapp tokens stall—and how one might break out 18:30 – Zora coins go DEX-native: the app vs protocol tension 21:40 – Doppler v4: dynamic bonding curves, sniping protection, creator sell logic 31:48 – EF vs Base vs Solana: who’s actually supporting app builders? 39:00 – NFT floors creeping up—are we early again? 40:48 – Loudio, Kato, and the meme-to-earn posting boom 44:52 – ETH/BTC flipping? Why the macro vibes are turning bullish 50:13 – Robinhood teases an onchain launch? 🎙 Mint this episode: pods.media/not-a-cartel

This week on NAC, the boys reunite post-EDC for a jam packed conversation on all things crypto, content, and culture. Topics include: 🏔 1Confirmation Summit – Behind the scenes of the Tahoe LP event: stablecoins, RWAs, onchain social, and why Pods got a shoutout. 🎶 Coop’s EDC Mission – EDC recap, new artist alpha, and how Kuprex is bridging music festivals and crypto Twitter. 📹 Whop Army Explained – David breaks down a content strategy that’s like Layer3 for TikTok. 💰 App Coins & LaunchCoin – The rise of app coins as a new way to bootstrap startups. Are we rerunning ICOs? Maybe—but with better UX. 👁 Worldcoin Store Visit – Adam and David test the LA location, question the eyeball-scan-for-crypto model, and explore mini app distribution. ⚡ Farcaster Mini Apps – Noice, Believe, and others are pushing tipping and engagement mechanics forward. Are we entering the appcoin era? From EDC to eyeball scans, this one’s packed. Clip it. 🎧 Collect the episode onchain → pods.media/not-a-cartel

Coop reflects on hitting a ceiling with the current crypto music playbook. The cartel debates what it takes to reach real music fans, not just collectors chasing airdrops. Also: Skrillex at Red Rocks, coins vs. NFTs, mobile app plans, and the true cost of creator coins. Key Moments: (02:05) Why Coop is at every major show right now (04:15) “Crypto music’s hit a ceiling” — what’s next? (05:44) Have we underutilized the existing onchain audience? (07:24) Are we building for fans or farmers? (10:45) A new model: earn for listening, not just buying (12:38) IRL shows, IYK pucks & why events don’t scale (17:52) “Normies” vs. real users — reframing the narrative (20:13) Coop’s new mobile onboarding flow debut (26:05) Mini apps vs. iOS — what’s the right strategy? (31:12) Is $60/week compelling… or is $10K better? (35:28) Everyone’s copying Zora — the creator rev share moment (37:03) The content coin dilemma: sell to earn, but at what cost? (41:26) “Don’t sell crypto. Sell the outcome.” (42:00) How long until onchain media really breaks out?

The boys are back from Farcon and diving into a crazy week in the crypto trenches. From launching a new app to fake deaths and billion-dollar blowups, this one has a lot. Mint this episode at pods.media/not-a-cartel 🎙️ Highlights 📌 Paperview Launch (00:45) 📌 VCs Still Don’t Understand Crypto Media (10:33) 📌 The Clanker Doxxing at Farcon (30:52) 📌 Zerabro’s Fake Death and the Legacy Token Scam (34:16) 📌 Sound.xyz Shuts Down, USDC Collects Heat Up (38:17)

Zora just launched $ZORA — no offshore entity, no DAO shell games, no KYC. Just a bold new vision for onchain creators and crypto-native monetization. Jacob from Zora joins Coop, Lucas, and Chevy to unpack the launch, the pivot from NFTs to coins, and how Zora is turning “post to earn” into a reality for everyday internet users. Key topics: - The legal and product strategy behind $ZORA - Why Zora chose coins over NFTs - The "minimum viable token" approach - Onboarding normies into onchain ecosystems - How coins unlock long-term creator monetization - What creators earn in Zora — and why - The emerging blueprint for launching tokens in the US Timestamps: 00:00 – Kicking off with Jacob and the $ZORA launch 01:50 – Behind the timing and strategy of the token drop 03:30 – Why Zora didn’t follow the traditional DAO/foundation model 07:15 – What makes a minimum viable token 13:30 – The shift from NFTs to coins explained 18:20 – Balancing supply and demand in the creator ecosystem 24:30 – The tradeoffs of coins vs. NFTs for creators 35:00 – Working with Doppler and Zora’s token mechanics 39:00 – Routing rewards in $ZORA and what it unlocks 47:00 – Zora’s perspective on the broader coin landscape 50:30 – Onboarding creators without going top-down 53:30 – Final advice to skeptics: just try it

Coop returns from Coachella with fresh perspective on how real people interact (or don’t) with crypto. From QR-coded trinkets to normie skepticism, the crew breaks down the gap between onchain ideals and IRL behavior — and what it means for building better products. In this episode: 0:10 – Coop’s Coachella recap: sets, vibes, and GA over VIP 1:35 – “This song’s onchain” 2:13 – Should crypto founders be onboarding IRL? 8:50 – Normies don't hate crypto — they just don't care 13:53 – Why "onchain" needs to feel like AIM, not finance 22:01 – Collecting for culture, not profit: what makes people click 30:00 – Why rewards-based systems struggle with real people 34:01 – Gamifying patronage: cashback, spins, and social signals 38:49 – Coop’s USDC shift 46:00 – Zoom out, trust the process Mint this episode at pods.media/not-a-cartel

In this candid conversation, the Not a Cartel crew celebrates Pods hitting 1 million mints while navigating a brutal crypto market downturn. A raw, unfiltered look at crypto founders pushing forward despite challenging conditions. Key Topics: 🏆 Pods celebrates reaching 1 million mints despite market turbulence 📉 Founders discuss portfolio losses and surviving the market crash 💰 The debate: Should creators be paid in stablecoins instead of volatile ETH? 🚀 Blueprint's cohort results: 173 ETH in primary sales and lessons learned 🔄 Solving collector fatigue and incentive design for on-chain platforms 📱 Leveraging Farcaster/Warpcast for distribution in the bear market Featuring Lucas, Coop, Adam Levy, and David reflecting on what keeps them building in Web3 through the ups and downs. Mint on Pods: pods.media/not-a-cartel

Blockchain Brett joins Not A Cartel to reveal the dual business model that's transforming the creator economy. Fresh off of joining 1Confirmation as a General Partner, Brett breaks down his "collector funnel" theory and explains why successful creators need both traditional fans and crypto collectors. Collect this episode at pods.media/not-a-cartel [00:40] Brett announces his move to 1Confirmation and working with Nick Tomaino [05:30] From $50 CryptoArt to billion-dollar markets: How digital collecting evolved [12:15] "Spotify fans vs. onchain collectors" - Managing two separate business lines [17:40] Building your collector funnel: From tokens to limited editions [21:50] "Crypto people don't feel like real fans" - The disconnect creators must overcome [24:30] Why fans buy concert tickets while collectors demand airdrops [26:45] The 20% conversion strategy: How to bridge social audiences to on-chain value Learn how platforms like Pods, Coop Records, Blueprint, and Hume are creating the infrastructure for creators to monetize both fan attention and collector investment. As Brett says, "We're at the foundation of a big tree" - discover how to position yourself for what's coming next.

In this raw episode of Not A Cartel, founders Adam, Coop, Lucas, and David reveal their playbook for building sustainable businesses when venture capital dries up. From token economics that actually work to finding product-market fit with real users, this is the survival guide every founder needs in 2025. [00:30] Adam (Chevy) reveals his creator token strategy that's powering Blueprint's success [10:42] The Death Pixie partnership: How Hume is breaking out of the crypto bubble [18:15] Why chasing crypto natives isn't enough and how to expand beyond them [24:36] Inside Privy's $15M funding round and what it means for wallet integration [31:48] "Surviving is harder than succeeding" - The 5-7 year timeline to build consumer products [35:26] Kraken's $1.5B acquisition strategy and what it teaches founders [44:53] The token fundamentals that actually work: "If your protocol isn't the largest buyer of your token, shut up" [47:38] Cooper's blueprint for automatic token buybacks that create sustainable growth [51:12] The mobile app strategy that's bringing real users to Web3 products Join this honest conversation about bootstrapping, building, and breaking through in a post-VC crypto landscape. No hopium, just hard-earned wisdom from founders who are making it work.