the Christian rap of crypto

gm,

Join us on a livestream at noon ET today, where we’ll be chatting about Studio Ghibli selfies and Rainbow Wallet’s new token launcher with its founder, Mike Demarais.

Bye!

The Boys

Writer: Deana

Editor: Miranda

Signs of Spring. I know this newsletter has been a downer lately, and I’m pleased to say that changes today. The reason for the season? The Boys Club Inc. team has been posting on decentralized social media darlings Zora and Farcaster lately and… get this…. we’re actually having fun.

What’s changed?

1) We’re making a little money — definitely more than we’ve ever made in “creator rewards” on any other social platform (despite having considerably less engagement.)

2) We’re finding new ideas, fresh creative work and new formats to work with.

3) We’re returning to the sites to see what new stuff has popped up.

I couldn’t help but wonder. Is decentralized social media actually…

…working?

The Zora Dune dash says maybeeee yes, with this chart on trades volume standing out. “Trading” is a new concept for a media platform, and idk if it has staying power but there seems to be some traction as evidenced below.

There are clearly some issues that plague these networks like login issues, airdrop farming, and most critically, a lack of meaningful penetration outside of the “cRyPto ComMunIty.”

This post from 2023 gets to something, for sure.

Both platforms need more brainrot, more edge, more humor, more drama (sorry but it’s true), more diverse users and media and some native, net new content formats. But I can’t help but feel like there has been a shift in a positive direction.

Some open questions:

• Will tradsocial take what’s working from both of these sites and just copy and paste it onto their platforms with exponentially more distribution?

• Will people keep coining stuff on Zora after they get bored with the novelty of coining?

• What would Ziwe post on Zora?

• When will the stan accounts join Farcaster? (Come to Brazil.)

Quick Hits.

• Celo transitions to an L2, “returns home” to Ethereum, goes all in on eth/acc.

• The “consumer app guy on Twitter” Nikita Bier joins Solana as an advisor.

• Caitlyn Jenner bullposting about Base? What’s happening.

• A deep dive on fried egg strippers and other AI-generated brainrot content.

🎨 Blake interviewed folks from the Metropolitan Museum of Art on their first blockchain installation, ArtLinks.

⛓️ Betty launched ColdLink, a universal connectivity tool that links digital assets to anything, anywhere.

🎤 Maceo dropped an interview with Ànesi, the founder of creative alchemy.

🗞️ Nia in Business Insider!

🌴 Los Angeles friends, RSVP to DTLA Art Night to see Raven’s Interactive AI/AR art experience, April Showers.