<![CDATA[What The Block]]>https://www.whattheblock.xyzhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1nTT!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9133e5d5-6360-4582-be88-5cab647676f7_1280x1280.pngWhat The Blockhttps://www.whattheblock.xyzSubstackSun, 19 Apr 2026 01:33:29 GMT<![CDATA[⛓️ The goods are digital but the business is very real - What The Block]]>https://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/-the-goods-are-digital-but-the-businesshttps://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/-the-goods-are-digital-but-the-businessWed, 24 Aug 2022 08:20:05 GMTWelcome back to What The Block, a newsletter packed with insights & intelligence about the Web3, Blockchain, NFTs and the Metaverse—written by me, David Klingbeil

Inscrivez-vous maintenant

gm everybody,

A lot of the best new technologies feel slightly surreal when they emerge. At first, brands used web3 as a PR & communication tool only.

Little by little, they've discovered how NFTs, blockchain and the Metaverse could be significant business opportunities for them. Iconic brands like Nike and Gucci have sold more than $260m worth of their NFTs (including the lucrative royalties on secondary sales).

Similarly, it's been hard work making the metaverse a reality. Even Facebook is getting mocked for the dullness of Meta Horizon's graphics. Despite the focus, despite the billions…

…But believers continue to believe!

Firms like Invesco, Nvidia and The Sandbox are investing hundreds of millions in the metaverse. It's early days. The seeds have been sown but the crop isn't fully grown.

But probably something though...

Through this newsletter, I hope to make the world of web3 more accessible and entertaining by curating news and insights that will make you think... What the Block ?!

WAGMI*

David Klingbeil
(Twitter - LinkedIn)

PS: feel free to hit reply to leave a comment, I read and answer every message

*We’re All Gonna Make It, a popular way to cheer in Web3 ;)

This week’s must read

🎨 NFTs

💸 Cryptocurrencies & DeFi

🕹️ Gaming & the Metaverse

✌️ Misc

Food for thought

Token Gating Benefits and Use Cases (via NFT News Today)

  • Token Gating is a new method of controlling and restricting access to content, which is provided exclusively to customers who have bought a token or NFT. In this case, the token or NFT serves as an access key, which companies verify by connecting the customer’s digital wallet.

  • Platforms or content authors decide what benefits are available to token holders. Generally, to access token benefits, users need to connect their digital wallet to confirm that they really own the token or NFT. The content becomes available only after verification. Platforms set a fixed amount of tokens a participant must have in their digital cryptocurrency wallet to access a community or content.

  • The concept of secure access has a long existence and is not something revolutionary. However, using it today, many platforms and authors have at their disposal a strong set of tools for creating closed, controlled access to tokens. This is all thanks to the emergence of cryptocurrency tokens and NFT.

What I’m watching

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]]><![CDATA[⛓️ Is Web3 becoming mainstream? - What The Block]]>https://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/-is-web3-becoming-mainstream-whathttps://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/-is-web3-becoming-mainstream-whatThu, 14 Jul 2022 00:30:09 GMT

Welcome back to What The Block, a newsletter packed with insights & intelligence about the Web3, Blockchain, NFTs and the Metaverse—written by me, David Klingbeil

Inscrivez-vous

gm everybody,

A week in web3 is always full of surprises.

A few days ago, South Park released a series of videos mocking celebrities who starred in crypto ads last year. While this sounds like a pretty harsh criticism of web3, one could also see it as web3 becoming more mainstream.

As Elon Musk famously said: "Who controls the memes, controls the Universe".

Speaking of memes, an NFT project called "The Saudis" has had some surprising traction. The project that started as a meme inspired by CryptoPunks ended up being one of the most successful collections on OpenSea.

The NFT space is usually full of innovative ideas, but it was funny to see a meme based project have so much success.

Sounds like papa Elon was right once more...

Through this newsletter, I hope to make the world of web3 more accessible and entertaining by curating news and insights that will make you think... What the Block ?!

WAGMI*

David Klingbeil
(Twitter - LinkedIn)

PS: feel free to hit reply to leave a comment, I read and answer every message

*We’re All Gonna Make It, a popular way to cheer in Web3 ;)

This week’s must read

🎨 NFTs

💸 Cryptocurrencies & DeFi

🕹️ Gaming & the Metaverse

✌️ Misc

Food for thought

Why digital fashion matters? (TCG Crypto)

  • Digital fashion largely had its origins in gaming (to no surprise: both industries share common ground as first-movers via emerging technologies to create new forms of self-expression).

  • Companies like MetaFactory are creating physical clothes with digital counterparts, while fashion houses like The Fabricant are designing digital clothes for avatars. For the first time, the industry feels equitable: anyone in the world can create digital clothing, as long as they have a computer and software skills.

  • Digital identities are an extension of our self-expression. In the future, they will be our most valuable assets. The unlock for web3 digital fashion will be in creating functionality for the digital fashion as a garment (I can try it on; I can wear it when, how, and where I choose) as well as functionality for the digital fashion as an asset (I can sell or trade it; I can make money from my digital fashion through renting it or wearing it in a public space).

What I’m watching

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Never miss What The Block!
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]]><![CDATA[⛓️ Bear Market who? - What The Block]]>https://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/-bear-market-who-what-the-blockhttps://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/-bear-market-who-what-the-blockTue, 28 Jun 2022 08:20:07 GMT

Welcome back to What The Block, a newsletter packed with insights & intelligence about the Web3, Blockchain, NFTs and the Metaverse—written by me, David Klingbeil

Subscribe now

gm everybody,

The biggest NFT event of the year took place in New York City last week, and I was there to witness it all.

In a celebration of the future of NFTs, NFT NYC attracted 15,000 participants (including hundreds of speakers and panelists) and offered them the opportunity to brainstorm on the future of NFT space.

The conference tackled all the important topics shaking up the industry:

  • Music NFTs

  • Advanced Utilities

  • Security and scam

  • Onboarding of brands

  • …

One has to be comfortable with a certain sense of chaos to fully enjoy this kind of event. However, the level of energy that came out of the various stages and social events was unprecedented.

Despite the current state of the crypto market, such a vibrant event showed that the NFT trend is not just hype. People and businesses are realizing more and more how disruptive NFTs can be.

In the meantime, the web3 space getting more and more mainstream. Last week, fashion brand Lacoste released an NFT collection that was sold out instanteanously while Snoop Dogg & Eminem transformed into Bored Apes NFT characted in their latest music video. At the same time, eBay and Moonpay are trying to onboard even more users to the NFT world by launching their own marketplaces.

Through this newsletter, I hope to make the world of web3 more accessible and entertaining by curating news and insights that will make you think... What the Block ?!

WAGMI*

David Klingbeil
(Twitter - LinkedIn)

PS: feel free to hit reply to leave a comment, I read and answer every message

*We’re All Gonna Make It, a popular way to cheer in Web3 ;)

This week’s must read

🎨 NFTs

💸 Cryptocurrencies & DeFi

🕹️ Gaming & the Metaverse

✌️ Misc

Food for thought

Jesse Powell (CEO of crypto exchange Kraken) on his stand against “woke workers”

Everyday, the workplace seems to be turning more and more into a minefield. It is becoming increasingly harder to make sure employees are aligned with the company’s stance on the “current things”.

Therefore, startup leaders in general and crypto leaders in particular are wondering if they should keep politics out of the workplace entirely?

In this video, Kraken’s CEO Jesse Powell takes a radical stance on this topic. Kraken is one of the largest crypto exchanges with 3,200 employees and its CEO thinks that politics is a distraction that prevent people from getting work done.

He highlights that employees who want to bring politics in the workplace can have great talent but they’re a bad fit for the company.

He explains why he doesn’t believe in DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) and Kraken’s unique approach to gender balance. Powell highlights how they track the male / female ratio to identify bias but they’re not targeting a specific ratio across the company.

This is quite a controversial topic and Jesse Powell’s stance is quite unique for a tech CEO.

What do you think about it? Should crypto import this part of the web2 work culture? Feel free to share your point of view in comments

What I’m watching

Gmoney’s Emphasis for Inclusivity in Admit One

Replay of Gary Vee’s VeeCon 2022

If you’ve enjoyed What The Block, share it with a friend. If you’ve hated it, share it with an enemy.

Never miss What The Block!
To make sure that you always get your issue of What The Block, drag this message into your primary tab. #proTip

]]><![CDATA[⛓️ Surviving Crypto Bear Market - What The Block]]>https://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/-surviving-crypto-bear-market-whathttps://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/-surviving-crypto-bear-market-whatTue, 07 Jun 2022 12:22:30 GMTWelcome back to What The Block, a newsletter packed with insights & intelligence about the Web3, Blockchain, NFTs and the Metaverse—written by me, David Klingbeil

🐻 Bear market who?

gm everybody,

Google searches for NFTs are down 74%, sales figures for the Bored Ape Yacht Club collection are plummeting and investors are still trying to make sense out of the collapse of Terra, one of the largest stable coins.

Google Searches for NFTs

But crypto-believers remain optimistic. web3 is here to stay, despite a few ups-and-downs on the way.

Web3 projects need to strengthen their foundations in order to thrive in the next months and emerge victorious from this cycle. In order to do so, web3 entrepreneurs and creator need to:

  • Create long-term value and utility for NFT projects and more use cases for crypto (ex: soulbound NFTs or retail accepting crypto payments)

  • Survive to the growing involvement of the governments and regulators across the world (ex: the FBI investigation into Open Sea)

  • Deliver on their technical roadmap to prepare for the future (ex: the Ethereum merge)

Through this newsletter, I hope to make the world of web3 more accessible and entertaining by curating news and insights that will make you think... What the Block ?!

WAGMI*

David Klingbeil
(Twitter - LinkedIn)

PS: feel free to hit reply to leave a comment, I read and answer every message

*We’re All Gonna Make It, a popular way to cheer in Web3 ;)

This week’s must read

🎨 NFTs

💸 Cryptocurrencies & DeFi

🕹️ Gaming & the Metaverse

✌️ Misc

Food for thought

A16Z - What Makes Digital Real Estate Valuable?

  • People have talked about the concept of “digital real estate” for decades. Historically, the phrase has referred to scarce space – often dedicated to advertising – on a given publisher’s website, like the New York Times homepage.

  • What’s different about web3 is that digital asset paradigms like non-fungible tokens (NFTs) make it possible for individuals to uniquely own – not just rent – specific pieces of digital real estate and metaverse land and locations for private or shared use. Blockchains, a core web3 technology, enable this by offering decentralized, tamper-resistant, and publicly accessible records of who owns which digital assets.

  • People use digital spaces when they create opportunities not available in the “outside option” of the physical world. This means that the value of those spaces is determined by the activities people want to engage in there, and how the affordances of digital space support those activities.

NFTs Need to Create Long-Term Value Which ‘Is Not Really Here Yet’

  • Binance's head of NFTs believes that the industry has not even scratched the surface of what NFTs have to offer. She believes that connecting the creator and user is key to the future of NFTs. Amidst NFT price volatility, people should invest in NFTs for their long-term value.

  • She stresses the importance of judging the value of any NFT project, as all projects are not created equal. “People need to differentiate and appreciate. It’s like going to buy art. This is a very judgmental thing.” You shouldn’t invest in crypto simply because a famous person creates much hype around a specific project and wastes your money, Hai says. Instead, you should invest in an NFT with long-term utility.

What I’m watching

Means of creation on Fashion NFTs

GMONEY on Open Metaverse

That’s all for this week’s episode of What The Block!

If you’ve enjoyed What The Block, share it with a friend. If you’ve hated it, share it with an enemy.

Never miss What The Block!
To make sure that you always get your issue of What The Block, drag this message into your primary tab. #proTip

]]><![CDATA[⛓️ What The Block - A Fashionable Metaverse]]>https://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/-what-the-block-a-fashionable-metaversehttps://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/-what-the-block-a-fashionable-metaverseMon, 09 May 2022 21:02:41 GMT

gm & welcome back to What The Block, a newsletter packed with insights & intelligence about the Web3, Blockchain, NFTs and the Metaverse—written by me, David Klingbeil

Subscribe now

Through this newsletter, I hope to make the world of web3 more accessible and entertaining by curating news and insights that will make you think... What the Block ?!

WAGMI*

David Klingbeil
(Twitter - LinkedIn)

PS: feel free to hit reply to leave a comment, I read and answer every message

*We’re All Gonna Make It, a popular way to cheer in Web3 ;)

I’ve had the pleasure to interview Dave Carr, head of business development at Parcel. Parcel is the first NFT marketplace tailored exclusively for virtual real estate users; think about it like "Zillow for the metaverse".

Dave has been quite involved in onboarding brands in the metaverse. For this week’s What The Block, I’ve asked him for his top learning around the virtual fashion week hosted by Decentraland earlier this year.

Here’s what Dave from Parcel had to share about it:

WTB: What are 3 learnings from this virtual fashion week that brands must keep in mind?

Dave Carr:

  1. Partner with active community members in the project. They can help you engage with the community which is crucial to a successful experience. This is key. It’s not about replicating what you’re already doing.

  2. Immersion, interactivity and ownership are key characteristics of the open metaverse . Give your customers the chance to participate and have a genuine connection with your brand. Product and merchandise drops, and gamification are popular features.

  3. More specifically for fashion: functional wearables are shaping up as a huge element in the metaverse fashion industry, as well as digital twins and physical versions of digital assets.

WTB: What are the most interesting brand use cases of the metaverse that you've seen

DC: It’s early days and the things we look for – and advise brands to consider – are enhancements of activities in the real world or complementary experiences that offer new forms of connection with your brand.

Estée Lauder’s activation at Metaverse Fashion Week was a good example – they constructed a giant bottle of Advanced Night Repair Serum and dropped free NFTs versions of the product that would give recipients’ avatars a healthy, radiant glow. Nice idea.

WTB: One thing that you'd love to see a brand doing with Parcel but that nobody has ever done yet

DC: The metaverse is still being built. Many brands treat it like the mainstream is already there and then wonder why their efforts (typically splashy and short-lived) have been largely ignored or quickly forgotten.

There is a really great opportunity right now for brands to join with creators, communities, landowners and other builders to create valuable, long-term experiences.

Parcel sits at the intersection of these groups and works with brands to help them understand the space, establish their presence and find unique ways to make the most of the metaverse. That said, we’d love to collaborate on a game or a global Pokémon GO-style scavenger hunt using augmented reality. All the mechanics are in place. It would be incredible!

Learn more about Parcel

This week’s must read

🎨 NFTs

💸 Cryptocurrencies & DeFi

🕹️ Gaming & the Metaverse

✌️ Misc

That’s all for this week’s episode of What The Block!

If you’ve enjoyed What The Block, share it with a friend. If you’ve hated it, share it with an enemy.

Never miss What The Block!
To make sure that you always get your issue of What The Block, drag this message into your primary tab. #proTip

]]><![CDATA[⛓️ What The Block - The road to web3 mass adoption]]>https://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/-what-the-block-the-road-to-web3https://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/-what-the-block-the-road-to-web3Mon, 25 Apr 2022 03:30:24 GMT

Welcome back to What The Block, a newsletter packed with insights & intelligence about the Web3, Blockchain, NFTs and the Metaverse—written by me, David Klingbeil

Subscribe now

gm everybody,

The Web3 we know today is still in its infancy. The field - created by the publication of the Bitcoin whitepaper in 2008 - is only 13 years old and the term "web3" itself has become popular less than 1 year ago.

Only a small number of people use and own any of these technologies at this point. Web3 is still a playground for early adopters, with 100M holders of BTC, 80,000 NFT collections and only 10,000 bored apes.

However, many people involved in the web3 space feel we are on a positive trajectory when it comes to mass adoption. It seems that interest is growing steadily year after year. The last few years have been an exciting journey and the early signs of future mass adoption are piling up.

Now is the perfect time to discuss it, learn about it and imagine the future of money, trust, technology, art and gaming.

Through this newsletter, I hope to make the world of web3 more accessible and entertaining by curating news and insights that will make you think... What the Block ?!

WAGMI*

David Klingbeil
(Twitter - LinkedIn)

PS: feel free to hit reply to leave a comment, I read and answer every message

*We’re All Gonna Make It, a popular way to cheer in Web3 ;)

This week’s must read

🎨 NFTs

💸 Cryptocurrencies

🕹️ Gaming & the Metaverse

✌️ Misc

Food for thought

Basic and weird: What the Metaverse is like right now

  • Consumers and brands have high expectations for the metaverse. However, visiting virtual worlds such as The Sandbox or Decentraland may still be a little underwhelming, at least for now — and especially for gamers.

  • The tech has its challenges, but the fundamentals are truly intriguing. It’s still in an entrepreneurial testing stage and financially driven by the degens driving it.

  • Many brands have explored the possibilities of the metaverse (like the Fashion Week on Decentraland). Still, the main usecase remains events and attractions. They seem to work well in the Metaverse. But for now, it’s like throwing goo against a wall. Some things will stick.

How Play To Earn Is Transforming Gaming

  • Video games have universal appeal because they’re immersive, allow us to escape the outside world and we’re willing to pay for this experience. In the P2E business model gamers are empowered as owners, as well as creators.

  • There are essentially two ways gamers can make a supplementary income on certain games on the P2E business model.

    • Earn crypto through gameplay (for example, SLP tokens on Axie Infinity).

    • Earn NFTs and sell them on the market.

  • Many P2E games require investment to begin with, making the barrier to entry high. For instance, to start playing Axie Infinity, you need to buy three Axie NFTs (for up to $300). Renting and loaning NFTs have emerged as ways to provide access to other players while allowing owners to make additional profits.

What I’m watching

Daniel Arsham - How NFTs can evolve your artwork

Web 3.0 Frequently Asked Questions - Beginner's Guide!

That’s all for this week’s episode of What The Block!

If you’ve enjoyed What The Block, share it with a friend. If you’ve hated it, share it with an enemy.

Never miss What The Block!
To make sure that you always get your issue of What The Block, drag this message into your primary tab. #proTip

]]><![CDATA[Bitcoin fans are not psychopaths]]>https://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/bitcoin-fans-are-not-psychopathshttps://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/bitcoin-fans-are-not-psychopathsThu, 14 Apr 2022 03:36:47 GMT

Welcome back to What The Block, a newsletter packed with insights & intelligence about the Web3, Blockchain, NFTs and the Metaverse—written by me, David Klingbeil

Subscribe now

gm everybody,

Understanding the counter-culture of crypto is the first pillar of success in web3. While all of this may seem like a random jumble of abbreviations, nicknames and memes at first sight, what lies beneath is a thriving community with its own values and vision.

But as popularized by the movie The Social Network, you can’t make 500m friends without making a few ennemies…

This week, the New York Post has declared that bitcoin fans are psychopaths. I could add that traditional media, with its old-fashioned approach, often reproaches crypto-users.

This is not new. Every nascent technology had, and has its critics. It is a natural phenomenon. It is the old generation afraid of change, who do not understand the new language, they are in doubt, who fear that it affects their established world view.

There was never such a large community of people who don't believe in the ‘traditional’ system and its laws, who don't follow any guidelines set by governments or central banks, who don't trust anyone with their money, and thus think rationally and logically.

The 21st century gave birth to a new culture: ‘the culture of a new generation’ — the blockchain generation. 

Through this newsletter, I hope to make the world of web3 more accessible and entertaining by curating news and insights that will make you think... What the Block ?!

LFG*

David Klingbeil
(Twitter - LinkedIn)

PS: feel free to hit reply to leave a comment, I read and answer every message

*Let’s F*cking Go, a popular way to cheer in Web3 ;)

This week’s must read

🎨 NFTs

💸 DeFi

🕹️ Gaming & the Metaverse

✌️ Misc

Food for thought

Nansen's NFT Index Q1 Report

  • A report tracking the movements of the broad NFT market (NFT-500) and its respective market segments: Blue Chip-10, Social-100, Game-50, Art-20 and Metaverse-20.

  • The NFT market continues to outperform the cryptocurrency market year-to-date and remains uncorrelated with other assets

  • Blue Chip NFTs are the least volatile, while Metaverse NFTs are the most volatile NFT market segment.

The Empire Model for Blockchains

  • An essay on the importance of being #1 in crypto. Blockchains are like chess: Making good moves isn’t good enough. If you don’t make the best possible move, then you made a bad move.

  • “Liquidity begets liquidity. Capital begets capital. Network effects beget network effects. The chain that wins is the one that captures all of these things.”

Knowledge is power

What is Polygon?

Why web3 matters?

What I’m watching

A Robust NFT Marketing Strategy with Psychedelics Anonymous

Mark Zuckerberg on Monetization in Horizon Worlds!

That’s all for this week’s episode of What The Block!

If you’ve enjoyed What The Block, share it with a friend. If you’ve hated it, share it with an enemy.

Never miss What The Block!
To make sure that you always get your issue of What The Block, drag this message into your primary tab. #proTip

]]><![CDATA[The brand who minted an NFT to fight HIV]]>https://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/the-brand-who-minted-an-nft-to-fighthttps://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/the-brand-who-minted-an-nft-to-fightMon, 11 Apr 2022 08:20:38 GMT

Welcome back to What The Block, a newsletter packed with insights & intelligence about the web3, blockchain, NFTs and the metaverse —written by me, David Klingbeil

Subscribe now

gm everybody,

When we think about all the industries that could be disrupted by the web3 the beauty & cosmetics industry is not the first that comes to mind.

Yet beauty brands were among the first businesses to experience mass adoption of social media back in the 2010s.

Today, a handful of major beauty brands are actively leveraging web3 and NFTs as a powerful marketing tool for interactive engagement with consumers.

In this episode of What The Block, I'd like to tell you more about a web3 project that is quite unexpected and exciting: the MAC Viva Glam NFT.

MAC Cosmetics, a leading global beauty brand renowned for its trendsetting heritage released its first NFT project Yesterday in partnership with the Keith Haring Foundation.

The makeup brand has released 3 NFTs illustrated with 3D versions of the late artist's work and ranging from $25 to $1,000, all of which are limited editions of 25 to 5,000 pieces.

Let's dive deeper into the release and analyze why brands should pay attention to this important partnership. These 3 reasons can help you understand why it might become very successful:

1) Art that is gorgeous and very collectible

If you are a fashion lover and makeup enthusiast, you should definitely pay attention to this. The partnership between MAC Cosmetics and the Keith Haring foundation has led to the creation of a very specific collection.

They've given birth to a collection of 3 NFTs mixing the universes of Keith Haring art and MAC makeup. Their collection is simple and at the same time, totally gorgeous.

The fact that the brand has partnered with one of the most iconic artists of the 20th century might give a high collectible value to these NFTs and might make the collection very successful.

2) The power of purpose

This new NFT by MAC Cosmetics is made to make money for a good cause.

MAC and the Keith Haring Foundation have joined the metaverse to maximize their impact on youth living with or affected by HIV/AIDS with three collectible and charitable NFTs.

This embodies the purpose-led marketing strategy that has been at the heart of MAC since its creation in 1985.

3) An easy experience for NFT newcomers

Last, this NFT collection is an interesting case because of the shopping experience put in place by MAC.

Instead of going through the classic "mint" process where buyers need to set-up a wallet and buy crypto-currencies to get an NFT, MAC cosmetics ask buyers to make a donation in credit card and receive the NFT later.

This will be helpful to get people who have never bought any NFT and try crypto collectibles for the first time.

Promising results

Just a few hours after being released, the collection has already seduced more than 300 buyers (see live transactions on Polyscan as the project is on the Polygon blockchain) for a total of sales of more than $40k already.

Which means there are still time if you’d like to buy one here (note: this is not investment advice, NFTs are risky for real).

To follow the evolution of this collection in live, I’ve set-up a blockchain analytic dashboard

Click here to check the live dashboard

Click here to buy your MAC NFT

I hope you’ve enjoyed this episode and that it made you think… What the block?!

WAGMI*

David Klingbeil
Follow me on Twitter - LinkedIn

PS: feel free to hit reply to leave a comment, I read and answer every message

*We’re Gonna Make It, a popular way to cheer in Web3 ;)

That’s all for this week’s episode of What The Block!

If you’ve enjoyed What The Block, share it with a friend. If you’ve hated it, share it with an enemy.

Never miss What The Block!
To make sure that you always get your issue of What The Block, drag this message into your primary tab. #proTip

]]><![CDATA[What The Block #01 - A Special Week in Crypto]]>https://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/what-the-block-01-a-special-weekhttps://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/what-the-block-01-a-special-weekFri, 08 Apr 2022 08:20:39 GMT

Welcome back to What The Block, a newsletter packed with insights & intelligence about the Web3, Blockchain, NFTs and the Metaverse—written by me, David Klingbeil

Subscribe now


gm everybody,

The web3 ecosystem is growing tremendously. The industry was once exclusively centered around the question of “what’s the price of Bitcoin?” but now offers a much more diverse range of discussions. It is now as much about the left part of the brain (crytocurrencies, mining,…) than the right one (NFTs, …)

The crypto space is usually a remote-first environment, however, the whole community has been gathering in South Beach this week for Miami’s Bitcoin 2022 event. This week-long series of conferences and parties, was full of excellent developments, including a new iconic sculpture that’s adding the “fun” to “non-fungible”.

Moments like that feel good but they also highlight some of our shortcomings. Web3, in its current form, is a triumph of technology but a failure of branding. And there’s much more work that needs to be done to ignite the desire to join the movement in the hearts and minds of crypto-skeptics…

Through this newsletter, I hope to make the world of Web3 more accessible and entertaining by curating news and insights that will make you think... What the Block ?!

WAGMI*

David Klingbeil
(Twitter - LinkedIn)

PS: feel free to hit reply to leave a comment, I read and answer every message

*We’re Gonna Make It, a popular way to cheer in Web3 ;)

This week’s must read
Food for thought

The Changing Face Of Digital Identities In Web 3.0

  • Almost everything you do online is tied to your digital identity (banking, commerce, services, government, …)

  • In web3, decentralized identifiers (DIDs) will replace centralized authorities to control digital identifiers. They are blockchain-powered solutions that give users complete control over their data, who they want to share it with, and how much they want to share.

  • When fully adopted, digital identities in Web 3.0 will allow users to “carry their full selves” through the fragmented ecosystems built across different blockchains, including their affinities and experiences reflected by what they have willingly shared on-chain.

  • The longer the on-chain history of a user, the more the trust.

How bitcoin enables freedom

  • Various political activists share their take on another example of “bitcoin solves this”-ism

  • In authoritarian regimes, there’s no way you can hide anything in your body, but with bitcoin you can hide it in your mind.

  • Bitcoin enables individuals worldwide to find freedom because anyone can use it, irrespective of race, gender and power status, and no one can stop it or control it. By taking the power over money away from a centralized entity, Bitcoin restores individual rights lost in authoritarian regimes worldwide.

Knowledge is power

Whiteboard Crypto - What is a DAO?

Delphi Podcast - Web3 is a shared experience

What I’m watching

The Defiant - is Stepn the future of crypto powered fitness?

SNL's take on what's an NFT

That’s all for this week’s episode of What The Block!

If you’ve enjoyed What The Block, share it with a friend. If you’ve hated it, share it with an enemy.

Never miss What The Block!
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]]><![CDATA[What The Block #00 - gm Crypto]]>https://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/what-the-block-00-gm-cryptohttps://www.whattheblock.xyz/p/what-the-block-00-gm-cryptoMon, 04 Apr 2022 10:12:21 GMT

Welcome to What The Block, a newsletter packed with insights & intelligence about the Web3, Blockchain, NFTs and the Metaverse—written by me, David Klingbeil

Subscribe now

Issue #00 - Hello World

gm everybody,

Welcome to this first issue of What The Block.

A few years ago, a lot of very intelligent people were speaking about cryptocurrencies, blockchains and all this other crypto stuff. I was interested and reading the odd article here and there. The more I read, the more questions I had.

During that time and after thinking about it for a long time, I began to understand how exciting this all is! I'm still reading on it every day as Web3 is a very complicated field that is quite new for many people. Yet, it is becoming more and more important to understand it as it's transforming our lives (in various ways).


It is easy to get lost in the sea of information just trying to understand the basics, but there you also lack a map or a compass when trying to deeply understand how things work together.

We do not listen to expert views, we may even skip the official guides and tutorials, but if we are imagining the future of Web3 platforms and our lives and businesses, our success depends on having a proper understanding of the different facets that compose it.

Through this newsletter, I hope to make the world of Web3 more accessible and entertaining by curating news and insights that will make you think... What the Block ?!

LFG*

David Klingbeil

PS: feel free to hit reply to leave a comment, I read and answer every message

*Let’s F*cking go, a popular way to cheer in Web3 ;)

This week’s must read

Food for thought

NFT Profile Pictures: Trend Shows we Want an Ownership Economy

  • NFT profile pictures (PFP) - a movement started with the CryptoPunks in 2017 - are becoming a social currency that interests many investors

  • Similar to how a wealthy person shows off their status via luxury goods, an NFT owner shows off their digital assets through profile pictures on social media.

  • Web2 introduced us to proliferation and participation on the internet. Web3, however, has the potential to redistribute the control, ownership and rewards to creators and communities.

Is Web3 a Worse Web2?

  • The Web3 will be “wallet-aware”. Based on the NFTs and other items in your wallet, Bilyeu says that he is able to know something about the individual.

  • Web3’s biggest flaw today is its “skeumorphism” ie its desire to make the internet look like the real world. It creates poor interfaces that the user might need years to get familiar with

  • But Web3 can bring something entirely new, and as we break out of our skeuomorphic attempts at gaming, then it becomes…these wallet-aware, highly-interactive, customized, game-like experiences

Knowledge is power

What is Web3? by Whiteboard Crypto

How brands and creators can leverage Web3 (in French 🇫🇷)

What I’m watching

The Creator Economy by Blockworks

The Endgame by Bankless

That’s all for this week’s episode of What The Block!

If you’ve enjoyed What The Block, share it with a friend. If you’ve hated it, share it with an enemy.


Never miss What The Block!
To make sure that you always get your issue of What The Block, drag this message into your primary tab. #proTip

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