Listen to the audio version of this article here.
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UFO is not just a podcast, it’s a club.
When I first came across the podcast on Twitter a few weeks ago, I was intrigued by the rapid growth that UFO’s Lens account was experiencing. There were collectible NFT drops for the earliest 1000, 3000, and 5000 subscribers (proof on-chain that you were early to UFO), and these milestones were being hit in a matter of days. I checked out the podcast, was interested in the available episodes, and ultimately, I was very curious about what being in the club would entail.
It’s still early days for podcast NFTs. One of the more mature uses I can think of is Rehash, which has NFTs that grant governance rights, are collectibles, and support the podcast. But the vast majority of podcasts don’t have NFTs, and there's no best practice or standard that has emerged yet.
The potential for on-chain podcast communities is huge. On crypto native social networks like Farcaster, I can easily see other UFO NFT holders and follow them. NFTs can serve as proof of listenership, proof of how early you were to a community, and unlock special perks. I often follow or connect with people online because of what they’re building, as this information is fairly accessible since it’s often prominently featured in social media bios. But what if I want to connect with people because of what they’re consuming? That information is really hard to find, but podcast NFTs are a solution. I’m excited to see what UFO and other podcasts do to continue building and innovating their communities.
Today’s recommendation part of the roundup features the first two episodes from UFO. With newer podcasts, I always enjoy listening from the very beginning — it helps me get a sense of the creative direction of the pod and the intention behind the format.
1. Art + Media for Extinction Rebellion — Charlie Waterhouse
UFO | September 28, 2022
About the podcast
UFO is a podcast where (in their own words) “artists, musicians and web3 builders talk about the future.” UFO is hosted by Nick Hollins and produced by voyager. Holders of the UFO Genesis Pass NFT will get access to special content and experiences.
The episode tldr
Episode guest Charlie Waterhouse is the co-founder of the Art Group and Media team at Extinction Rebellion.
Extinction Rebellion, also known as XR, is a decentralized movement aiming to catalyze government action in response to the climate crisis across the world. The decentralization aspect is key to the movement’s proliferation, but also makes it difficult to coordinate across countries.
Historical counterculture movements were constrained by the speed and distribution of word of mouth and print networks. Today’s technological advancements have created new mental models for gathering and dispersing information to create quicker responses to issues.
It’s easier to determine what a movement does not want to see, but harder to create a concrete vision for what people want to achieve. XR has created a central philosophy towards climate action that people have responded to — this interaction is emblematic of what we’re seeing with many DAOs today.
Thoughts from me: decentralized movements, and inspiring action from passion
My perspective is admittedly U.S.-centric, but it seems that the last couple of years have in part been defined by movements of people engaging in collective action towards specific goals. Whether that has translated to non-violent demonstrations, showing up to the polls, or coordinated social media campaigns, it’s become clear that technology is key to generating awareness about issues and injustices, but it’s also key to creating widespread action. The emergence of DAOs as a paradigm for organization and coordination is interesting because the model has led to genuine impact — think of ChoiceDAO or UkraineDAO. But, it’s also constantly evolving.
XR operates on two planes, and this is enabled by their decentralized nature. There’s the philosophical backing of the movement to motivate governments to address the global climate emergency, and there’s the localized groups taking action in the spirit of the movement. XR has groups in over 80 countries, and there’s even a group in Antarctica.
I’m optimistic that as decentralized coordination models continue to mature, our ability to engage in collective action will become easier and more effective.
Listen
Listen here.
2. Making Art, Code, & Lore for Crypto Coven - Nyx
UFO | October 6, 2022
About the podcast
UFO is a podcast where (in their own words) “artists, musicians and web3 builders talk about the future.” UFO is hosted by Nick Hollins and produced by voyager. Holders of the UFO Genesis Pass NFT will get access to special content and experiences.
The episode tldr
Episode guest Nyx is a co-creator of Crypto Coven, which originally began as a PFP collection of WITCHES and has evolved into a world building and lore project with additional NFT collections.
Nyx talks about the origin story of Crypto Coven and early work on the aesthetics and code behind the project. One defining aspect of the project is the different WITCH archetypes, which have traits reflected in the metadata of the NFTs as well as generative, unique descriptions.
From the original collection of WITCHES, a vibrant community has emerged — The Tree of Echoes solicits stories from community members who further the existing lore. The founding team is also exploring audiovisual and storytelling NFTs, with their newest project The Narrator’s Hut.
In the web2 era, creators relied on ad revenue and millions of views to be able to monetize, which led to projects that appealed to generalities and the lowest common denominator. web3 and NFTs have enabled creators to bring more niche and unique projects to life, because people support creators more directly, which makes monetization more feasible even with lower numbers.
Nyx [around 1:05:26]: There’s like a billion people out there on the Internet. You can find 9,000 people that are into your weird thing.
Thoughts from me: IT’S TIME TO GIVE IN TO THE ARCANE!
I’ve been a fan of the Crypto Coven universe for a little bit, but I hadn’t acquired a WITCH because I was looking for one that really resonated with me and was within my budget. A few weeks ago, I finally made the leap!
The conversation that Nyx and Nick had towards the end of the podcast about creator monetization and niche projects reminded me of a great piece by Li Jin called “100 True Fans,” in which she builds off an essay by Kevin Kelly called “1,000 True Fans.” The core premise is that a creator only needs 100 dedicated fans in order to make a living off of their work.
I’m really excited about a future where creators can get weirder and more specific about the kinds of content they want to create, even if it’s unexpected. I don’t think many people’s first associations with crypto or web3 are lore, attuned artifacts, or witches, and yet the success of Crypto Coven is proof that people with all kinds of interests exist in this space.
Listen
Listen here.
Thanks for reading this edition of my podcast roundup series! If you have any recommendations or thoughts on this post, feel free to leave a comment or send them to me on Twitter or Farcaster.