Full notes for this episode at: https://solfate.com/podcast/61
Follow @SolfatePod on Twitter for updates: https://twitter.com/SolfatePod

PS: We are happy to announce the launch of our Solfate Drip channel where you can collect Solfate Podcast episodes as digital collectibles! Subscribe to our Drip channel today: drip.haus/solfate (we have some fun experiments planned)

Notes from the show

The conversation revolves around the introduction of Actions and Blinks, a technology platform and protocol developed by Dialect and Solana Foundation. Actions and Blinks allow users to share Solana anywhere on the internet by unfurling URLs and providing interactive experiences. The idea originated from the concept of smart messages and transaction requests in Solana Pay. The launch of Actions and Blinks was a collaborative effort between Dialect, Solana Foundation, and various wallets.

The discoverability and accessibility of Blinks are limited to specific browsers with wallet extensions installed. However, there are plans to make Blinks more widely available and user-friendly. The conversation explores the challenges and potential of Blinks and Solana Actions in revolutionizing the internet. The guests discuss the uphill battle of creating an open ecosystem in the current environment of mega companies and intentional blockades.

Chris and Nick highlight the power of Blinks in bringing value transfer and interaction to users without leaving the app. The technical nature of Blinks and Solana Actions is explained, emphasizing the backend REST API of Actions and the frontend UI of Blinks. The guests also mention the future possibilities of mobile integration and the importance of developer feedback and collaboration.

Takeaways

• Actions and Blinks allow users to share Solana anywhere on the internet by unfurling URLs and providing interactive experiences.
• The idea of Actions and Blinks originated from the concept of smart messages and transaction requests in Solana Pay.
• The launch of Actions and Blinks was a collaborative effort between Dialect, Solana Foundation, and various wallets.
• Currently, the discoverability and accessibility of Blinks are limited to specific browsers with wallet extensions installed, but there are plans to make Blinks more widely available and user-friendly. Creating an open ecosystem in the current internet environment is an uphill battle against mega companies and intentional blockades.
• Blinks bring value transfer and interaction to users without leaving the app, enhancing the user experience and stickiness.
• Blinks and Solana Actions have a backend REST API for transaction construction and delivery, and a frontend UI for rendering and user interaction.
• The technical nature of Blinks and Solana Actions allows for easy development and customization, making it accessible for developers.
• Mobile integration and native mobile implementations of Blinks are the next steps in the evolution of the technology.

Find Chris and Dialect online

• Follow Chris on twitter - @aliquotchris
• Follow Dialect on twitter - @SayDialect
• Dialect's website - dialect.to

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Nick

• twitter: @nickfrosty
• github: github.com/nickfrosty
• website: https://nick.af

James

• twitter: @jamesrp13
• github: github.com/jamesrp13

Solfate Podcast

• twitter: @SolfatePod
• more podcast episodes: solfate.com/podcast
• collect episodes on Drip: drip.haus/solfate

Full notes for this episode at: https://solfate.com/podcast/60
Follow @SolfatePod on Twitter for updates: https://twitter.com/SolfatePod

PS: We are happy to announce the launch of our Solfate Drip channel where you can collect Solfate Podcast episodes as digital collectibles! Subscribe to our Drip channel today: drip.haus/solfate (we have some fun experiments planned)

Notes from the show

Jackie, aka Graffito, a cybersecurity professional and artist, shares her journey from the world of cybersecurity to web3 art. She started in the hacker community, exploring the boundaries of technology and pushing the limits. After working in cybersecurity and consulting for large companies, she felt a disconnect between her work and her desire to create meaningful and valuable contributions. This led her to explore art and storytelling, using her technical knowledge to create AI-generated videos and digital art. She finds satisfaction in pushing boundaries and creating work that leaves people wondering how it was made.

We also discuss Jackies creative process and the tools they use to create AI-generated artwork. They emphasize the importance of starting with basic tools and gradually learning and experimenting with new techniques. Graffito also highlights the value of receiving feedback and encouragement from the community, which motivates them to continue creating. They discuss the potential of AI in the art world and how it can revolutionize the creative process. The conversation concludes with a discussion about camping and the possibility of organizing an event in Puerto Rico.

Takeaways

• Graffito's journey from cybersecurity to web3 art showcases her desire to push boundaries and create meaningful work.
• Her technical knowledge and experience in cybersecurity have been valuable in creating AI-generated videos and digital art.
• She finds satisfaction in the creative process and the ability to leave people wondering how her art was made.
• Graffito's transition from the corporate world to the world of art reflects her desire to make valuable and relevant contributions. Start with basic tools and gradually learn and experiment with new techniques
• Feedback and encouragement from the community can be a powerful motivator
• AI has the potential to revolutionize the creative process in the art world
• The capabilities of AI in art are still in their infancy, but they are rapidly evolving Consider organizing an event in Puerto Rico

Find Jackie (aka 0xGRAFFITO) online

• Follow Jackie on twitter - @0xGRAFFITO
• Follow 0xGRAFFITO on Drip - drip.haus/0xgraffito

Follow us around

Nick

• twitter: @nickfrosty
• github: github.com/nickfrosty
• website: https://nick.af

James

• twitter: @jamesrp13
• github: github.com/jamesrp13

Solfate Podcast

• twitter: @SolfatePod
• more podcast episodes: solfate.com/podcast
• collect episodes on Drip: drip.haus/solfate

Full notes for this episode at: https://solfate.com/podcast/59
Follow @SolfatePod on Twitter for updates: https://twitter.com/SolfatePod

PS: We are happy to announce the launch of our Solfate Drip channel where you can collect Solfate Podcast episodes as digital collectibles! Subscribe to our Drip channel today: drip.haus/solfate (we have some fun experiments planned)

Notes from the show

Genopets is a mobile game that promotes an active and healthy lifestyle by incentivizing physical activity. The gameplay involves summoning a pet and earning energy by tracking steps, which can be used to level up the pet. The game is evolving with the introduction of the Age of Discovery, where players can claim sectors of the real world by taking photos, which are then converted into the Genoverse world. Each sector has its own lore and story, and players can compete to claim and monetize sectors. The game also incorporates play-to-earn mechanics, with energy leaderboard competitions and rewards in the form of governance tokens.

Genopets aims to be viewed as just any gaming app on the app store, offering in-game currency and a shop to buy items. The game follows Apple and Google's policies, ensuring that players can access the same experiences and items across platforms. The mobile app allows players to purchase items on-chain or through in-app purchases. The crafting system in Genopets uses semi-fungible tokens (SFTs) and a randomized process. The game also features seasonal items and a focus on decision-making and fast iteration in the development process.

Takeaways

• Genopets is a mobile game that encourages physical activity and a healthy lifestyle.
• Players earn energy by tracking their steps, which can be used to level up their pets.
• The Age of Discovery introduces a new gameplay mode where players can claim sectors of the real world by taking photos.
• The game incorporates play-to-earn mechanics, with energy leaderboard competitions and rewards in the form of governance tokens.
• Genopets aims to be viewed as just any gaming app on the app store, offering in-game currency and a shop to buy items.
• The mobile app allows players to purchase items on-chain or through in-app purchases.
• The crafting system in Genopets uses semi-fungible tokens (SFTs) and a randomized process.
• The game features seasonal items and a focus on decision-making and fast iteration in the development process.

Find Albert and Genopets online

• Follow Albert on twitter - @mralbertchen
• Follow Genopets on twitter - @genopets

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Nick

• twitter: @nickfrosty
• github: github.com/nickfrosty
• website: https://nick.af

James

• twitter: @jamesrp13
• github: github.com/jamesrp13

Solfate Podcast

• twitter: @SolfatePod
• more podcast episodes: solfate.com/podcast
• collect episodes on Drip: drip.haus/solfate

Full notes for this episode at: https://solfate.com/podcast/58
Follow @SolfatePod on Twitter for updates: https://twitter.com/SolfatePod

PS: We are happy to announce the launch of our Solfate Drip channel where you can collect Solfate Podcast episodes as digital collectibles! Subscribe to our Drip channel today: drip.haus/solfate (we have some fun experiments planned)

Notes from the show

In this conversation, Dan from Heavy Duty Builders discusses their mission to create a community for builders to connect, learn, and collaborate. They primarily focus on organizing online events and workshops, with a special emphasis on Spanish-speaking participants. Dan shares his experience organizing bootcamps and the challenges of reviewing and providing feedback on participants' projects. The conversation highlights the importance of education and community in the Solana ecosystem, and the efforts made by Solana Foundation to support developer education.

Dan discusses his transition from being a full-time developer to focusing more on educational work and strategic roles. He talks about how his company, Heavy Duty Builders, now hires other developers to do client work and refers people for contracts. Dan also emphasizes the importance of work-life balance and the different perspectives people have on work. He highlights the potential of blockchain technology beyond finance, particularly in improving trust in government operations. Dan encourages developers to think about the problems that require trust and how blockchain can address them.

Takeaways

• Heavy Duty Builders is a community for builders to connect, learn, and collaborate.
• They organize online events and workshops, with a focus on Spanish-speaking participants.
• Their bootcamps are intensive and interactive, with weekly homework, projects, and quizzes.
• Reviewing and providing feedback on participants' projects can be time-consuming but rewarding.
• Education and community are crucial in the Solana ecosystem, and Solana Foundation supports developer education. Dan has transitioned from being a full-time developer to focusing more on educational work and strategic roles.
• Heavy Duty Builders now hires other developers to do client work and refers people for contracts.
• Dan emphasizes the importance of work-life balance and acknowledges that different people have different perspectives on work.
• He highlights the potential of blockchain technology beyond finance, particularly in improving trust in government operations.

Find Dan and Heavy Duty Builders online

• Follow Dan on twitter - @danm_t
• Follow HeavyDutyBuilders on twitter - @HeavyDutyBuild
• Checkout the Heavy Duty Builder's Spain developer workshop - SolanaSpain.dev

Follow us around

Nick

• twitter: @nickfrosty
• github: github.com/nickfrosty
• website: https://nick.af

James

• twitter: @jamesrp13
• github: github.com/jamesrp13

Solfate Podcast

• twitter: @SolfatePod
• more podcast episodes: solfate.com/podcast
• collect episodes on Drip: drip.haus/solfate

Full notes for this episode at: https://solfate.com/podcast/57
Follow @SolfatePod on Twitter for updates: https://twitter.com/SolfatePod

PS: We are happy to announce the launch of our Solfate Drip channel where you can collect Solfate Podcast episodes as digital collectibles! Subscribe to our Drip channel today: drip.haus/solfate (we have some fun experiments planned)

Notes from the show

In this conversation, James and Proph3t discuss futarchy and its application in governance. They explore the concept of futarchy, which is governance by markets, where decisions are made based on market predictions of the impact on a reference asset's price. Proph3t shares his journey of discovering futarchy and his motivation to implement it in MetaDAO. They discuss the vision for MetaDAO, which aims to create a decentralized organization that operates as an amalgamation of autonomous startups leveraging common assets. They also touch on the process of raising proposals and the accountability mechanisms in MetaDAO.

The conversation highlights the efficiency of market-based decision-making and the empirical evidence supporting its effectiveness. The conversation explores the concept of futarchy as a new form of governance and decision-making. Futarchy combines elements of democracy and market mechanisms to make decisions based on financial incentives. It introduces the idea of trading votes and using conditional markets to determine the outcome of proposals. The conversation also touches on the challenges of voting manipulation and the potential benefits of futarchy in combating this issue. The guests encourage listeners to participate in futarchy and contribute to this experiment in governance.

Takeaways

• Futarchy is governance by markets, where decisions are made based on market predictions of the impact on a reference asset's price.
• MetaDAO aims to create a decentralized organization that operates as an amalgamation of autonomous startups leveraging common assets.
• In MetaDAO, proposals are raised and voted on through market trading, aligning personal incentives with the proposal's expected outcome.
• Market-based decision-making has been shown to be more efficient than alternative methods in various contexts.
• MetaDAO is still in its early stages and is working towards improving its infrastructure and scalability. Futarchy is a new form of governance that combines elements of democracy and market mechanisms.
• It introduces the concept of trading votes and using conditional markets to determine the outcome of proposals.
• Futarchy has the potential to combat voting manipulation and incentivize participants to make informed decisions.
• Listeners are encouraged to participate in futarchy and contribute to this experiment in governance.

Find Proph3t and MetaDAO online
- Follow Proph3t on twitter - @metaproph3t
- MetaDAO's website - https://metadao.fi

Follow us around

Nick

• twitter: @nickfrosty
• github: github.com/nickfrosty
• website: https://nick.af

James

• twitter: @jamesrp13
• github: github.com/jamesrp13

Solfate Podcast

• twitter: @SolfatePod
• more podcast episodes: solfate.com/podcast
• collect episodes on Drip: drip.haus/solfate

Full notes for this episode at: https://solfate.com/podcast/56
Follow @SolfatePod on Twitter for updates: https://twitter.com/SolfatePod

PS: We are happy to announce the launch of our Solfate Drip channel where you can collect Solfate Podcast episodes as digital collectibles! Subscribe to our Drip channel today: drip.haus/solfate (we have some fun experiments planned)

📝 Notes from the show

A conversation with Vito from All Art.

Vito, co-founder of All Art, shares his journey into the crypto and virtual reality spaces. He discusses the challenges of payments in virtual reality and the need for instant and low-cost transactions. Vito explains how his team experimented with the Stellar blockchain and the development of their NFT platform. He also highlights the negative perception of NFTs and the impact of media coverage. Vito concludes by discussing the partnership with Coca-Cola and the different approaches of marketing and innovation teams within large companies. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the problems that clients or partners face and tailoring the technology to solve those specific issues. Vito introduces the concept of Digital Object Tokens (DOT) and the need for standardized metadata to accurately represent real-world assets on the blockchain. He also highlights the challenges of user experience and the importance of collaboration with brands, regulators, and governments to drive adoption and solve key problems in the blockchain space.

🔗 Find Vito and All Art online
- Follow Vito on twitter - @vjevremovic
- All Art's website - https://all.art

Follow us around

Nick

• twitter: @nickfrosty
• github: github.com/nickfrosty
• website: https://nick.af

James

• twitter: @jamesrp13
• github: github.com/jamesrp13

Solfate Podcast

• twitter: @SolfatePod
• more podcast episodes: solfate.com/podcast
• collect episodes on Drip: drip.haus/solfate

A conversation with Arnold, the co-founder of Sphere (a payments and banking platform on Solana).

PS: We are happy to announce the launch of our Solfate Drip channel where you can collect Solfate Podcast episodes as digital collectibles! Subscribe to our Drip channel today: drip.haus/solfate (we have some fun experiments planned)

Summary

Arnold shares his background and early experiences with crypto, including his journey to building Sphere on the Solana blockchain. He discusses the benefits of blockchain and the pragmatic approach to decentralization. Arnold also emphasizes the importance of understanding history in the context of blockchain. Finally, he explains the pain points that Sphere Payments aims to address.

In this conversation, Arnold discusses the benefits of using Sphere to simplify crypto payments and integrations. He highlights the challenges of creating an SPL transfer wrapper contract and emphasizes the ease of using Sphere for accepting crypto payments, especially from international customers. Arnold also explains that Sphere is a suitable solution for businesses that want to handle their finances in a crypto-based world. He mentions the ability to accept payments in fiat and have them land in USDC, as well as the future goal of automating payout processes. Arnold advises listeners to learn from history and consider unconventional approaches to problem-solving. The conversation concludes with plans for future discussions and appreciation for the insights shared.

Takeaways

• Blockchain offers the potential for decentralized solutions, but it is important to take a pragmatic approach and consider the existing systems and their benefits.
• Understanding history is crucial in the context of blockchain, as it helps us recognize the challenges and opportunities that arise from the current financial and regulatory systems.
• Sphere Payments aims to address pain points in the correspondent banking system, such as high fees, slow transactions, and lack of transparency.
• By leveraging blockchain technology, Sphere Payments provides a more accessible and efficient way to transfer value, particularly for remittances and cross-border transactions. Sphere provides an easy and efficient solution for accepting crypto payments and simplifying integrations.
• The target customers for Sphere are businesses that want to handle their finances in a crypto-based world.
• Sphere allows for accepting payments in fiat and converting them to USDC.
• Automating financial processes and exploring unconventional approaches can lead to more efficient solutions.
• Future conversations with Arnold are anticipated to delve deeper into historical and philosophical aspects of crypto.

Find Arnold and Sphere online

• Follow Arnold on twitter - @0xdirichlet
• Follow Sphere on twitter - @sphere_labs
• Checkout the Sphere website - spherepay.co

Follow us around

Nick

• twitter: @nickfrosty
• github: github.com/nickfrosty
• website: https://nick.af

James

• twitter: @jamesrp13
• github: github.com/jamesrp13

Solfate Podcast

• twitter: @SolfatePod
• more podcast episodes: solfate.com/podcast
• collect episodes on Drip: drip.haus/solfate

A conversation with Vibhu, the founder of DRiP.haus, one of the most popular consumer apps in all of crypto (being focused on the creators).

We are also happy to announce the launch of our Solfate Drip channel where you can collect Solfate Podcast episodes as digital collectibles! Subscribe to our Drip channel today: drip.haus/solfate (we have some fun experiments planned)

PS: Checkout the Snapshot newsletter: a byte-sized email newsletter filled with the biggest updates from Solana ecosystem teams and builders. ~5 minute read. Every 2 weeks. 👉 https://solfate.com/snapshot

Summary

In this conversation, Vibhu Norby, the co-founder of Drip, discusses the latest updates and developments with the platform. He talks about the expansion to cross-chain creators and the challenges of sourcing and curating creators. He also shares insights into conversations with non-blockchain creators and the magic of Drip's economic model.

Vibhu discusses the potential for improving the internet around digital content by leveraging micro-transactions and digital ownership. He explains how the current subscription model and traditional content platforms have created inefficiencies and asymmetrical value accrual. Vibhu also highlights the importance of introducing ads in a less annoying way and the potential for fair monetization models. The conversation concludes with a discussion about the upcoming Drip mobile app and the transition process for existing users.

Takeaways

• Drip has evolved over the past year, with a focus on accessibility, monetization, and cross-chain creators.
• The platform has been resistant to liquidity cycles and has stood out in the Solana ecosystem.
• Conversations with non-blockchain creators often revolve around the challenges of monetization and the direct-to-consumer model.
• Drip's economic model, with droplet donations and spending, provides a frictionless microtransaction platform for creators. Microtransactions and digital ownership can improve the internet around digital content.
• The current subscription model and traditional content platforms have created inefficiencies and asymmetrical value accrual.
• Introducing ads in a less annoying way can provide fair monetization models for creators and benefit users. Drip may experiment with this in the future.
• The upcoming Drip mobile app will provide a better user experience and seamless integration with wallets.

Find Vibhu and DRiP online

• Follow Vibhu on twitter - https://twitter.com/vibhu
• Follow DRiP on twitter - https://twitter.com/drip_haus
• DRiP's website - https://drip.haus

Follow us around

Nick

• twitter: @nickfrosty
• github: github.com/nickfrosty
• website: https://nick.af

James

• twitter: @jamesrp13
• github: github.com/jamesrp13

Solfate Podcast

• twitter: @SolfatePod
• more podcast episodes: solfate.com/podcast
• collect episodes on Drip: drip.haus/solfate