TikTok ban looms as crypto megarounds return | IE Ep. 63
Release Date: 01/19/2025
Get Paid for Sharing Good Links | Internet Explorers Ep. 81
Internet Explorers
We sit down with Internet-native builder and creative coder Mike Bodge to break down his newest experiment: AUX, a gamified curation tool for attention, links, and taste. Described as StumbleUpon meets group chat meets token-powered leaderboard, AUX lets you post URLs that battle for the Internet’s front page. It’s an onchain attention economy that’s equal parts meme-fuel and media archive—designed with taste, not virality, in mind. Before Mike joins, Jess, Josh, and Peace explore the week’s most interesting moments: Noice, the evolution of creator tokens, and why L1 assets might be...
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Forget VC: Founders Turn to "Internet Capital Markets" | Internet Explorers Ep. 80
Internet Explorers
Will the concept of "Internet Capital Markets" reshape how founders raise capital? This episode explores the implications of platforms like Believe, which enable app developers to bypass traditional VC funding. Featuring guest co-host Jarrod Dicker, the discussion delves into the challenges and opportunities of this new paradigm, including the tension between short-term speculation and long-term value creation. The conversation examines the evolving dynamics between founders, investors, and users in the crypto ecosystem, and considers how consumer crypto apps might redefine the role of...
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Don’t Get Rugged by an AI Agent | Internet Explorers Ep. 79
Internet Explorers
What happens when you unleash thousands of AI agents into a fake economy filled with scams, memecoins, and market manipulation? Poof from DX Terminal joins Internet Explorers to explain why that might be the future of crypto. In this week’s episode of Internet Explorers, we dive into the second banana zone with a special guest: Poof from DX Terminal. The gang explores DX Terminal’s wild new simulation—a weeklong, no-stakes, AI-generated memecoin market that’s equal parts Mario Kart and Wolf of Wall Street. They also unpack a massive week of mainstream adoption: Stripe’s move into...
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Zora Founder on the Plan to Pay Creators | Internet Explorers Ep. 78 (LIVE!)
Internet Explorers
If content "wants to be free", how can creators get paid? In this special edition live interview, we sit down with Jacob Horne, cofounder of Zora, for a candid conversation on the company’s evolving vision—and what they got wrong early on. Jacob opens up about Zora’s shift from marketplace to protocol, why onchain media matters more than ever, and how consumer apps in crypto have been missing the point. If you’ve ever wondered what Zora actually is or where it’s going next, this is the episode to hear it from the source. Along the way: protocol tradeoffs, the fragility of NFT...
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How Valuable Are Your Memories? (feat. RAC) | Internet Explorers Ep. 77
Internet Explorers
$ZORA is here, memecoins are changing, CT is mad—but what does it all mean? This episode unpacks Zora's recent token launch, explores the burdens of governance, and dives deep into how "just-for-fun" tokens might be redefining crypto markets, if not the very concept of "value." Later, special guest RAC (André Allen Anjos) joins to discuss Memory Protocol, the ambitious new identity and data-sharing layer he’s co-founded, which promises to revolutionize how we manage and monetize our digital identities—starting with the music industry. This episode unpacks: $ZORA token launch and...
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This Founder's App Was Going Nowhere. Now It's #1 | Internet Explorers Ep. 76
Internet Explorers
Nick Confrey’s first app was all promise, no traction—until one bold pivot changed everything. This week on Internet Explorers, the crew starts with the messy fallout from Base’s content coin launch—an experiment in onchain media that spiraled into backlash, infighting, and meme coin chaos. But the real story comes in the second half, when Nick joins the show to share how he turned a floundering generalized social platform into Tome—a viral BookTok hit that hit #1 in the App Store’s books category. Nick walks us through his journey from building for “everyone” to focusing on...
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The Harsh Reality of Onchain Games | Internet Explorers Ep. 75
Internet Explorers
What if a game you built today could still be played a thousand years from now? Onchain gaming is one of the hardest bets in crypto — and Kamigotchi is taking a radically different path to survive. Lethe joins to break down why most projects fail, and how building the simplest possible game could create a world that lasts for centuries. Later, Jaimin from Beans joins to share how they’re turning Internet speculation into a daily game of discovery. Plus: the future of three-person unicorns, AI-native teams, tokenized subforums, and how Plastic Labs could reshape memory and personalization...
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Most Startups Misunderstand Incentives feat. Joseph Al-Chami | Internet Explorers Ep. 74
Internet Explorers
The future of crypto might not be bots, bulls**t, and broken incentives — but first, we have some serious receipts to go through. This week we are joined by researcher Joseph Al-Chami for a wide-ranging dive into the biggest consumer crypto stories of the week — and an honest reckoning with how points systems, appcoins, agentic investors, and open social graphs are actually playing out. From Circle’s IPO drama to AI SEO strategies, we’re connecting the dots on what’s really happening across consumer crypto, AI, and internet culture. We kick off with a quickfire rundown of Appcoins,...
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The Internet Loves Ghibli... But Not Enough to Pay? | Internet Explorers Ep. 73
Internet Explorers
Ghibli memes took over the internet. But the studio captured none of the value. In this week’s Internet Explorers, Jess and Josh break down how OpenAI’s viral Ghibli-style image launch became a masterclass in attention-hijacking — and why crypto, NFTs, and tokens still fail to help artists and IP holders capture their fair share. From meme coin spikes to the role of protocol design, they unpack how this moment exposed crypto’s biggest cultural opportunity (and blind spot). Later, Priyanka from Tribute Labs joins to debut ADIN, their new AI-native investment DAO. The crew explores...
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How to Solve Crypto’s Real Problem | Internet Explorers Ep. 72
Internet Explorers
The crypto industry got a serious vibe check this week—and it feels like we’re hitting an inflection point. Solana’s latest ad campaign sparked a massive backlash, raising questions about the values shaping the space. Was it just a misfire, or does it signal a deeper cultural shift? At the same time, outdated token models are finally being called out as the industry moves past high-FDV, low-float launches that leave investors holding the bag. We also dive into the rise of stablecoins in fintech, how Privy is making crypto onboarding seamless, and why crypto’s UX problem is...
info_outlineWhat happens when founders no longer feel afraid to experiment? In Episode 63 of Internet Explorers, co-hosts Jess Sloss and Josh Cornelius dive into the growing tensions around a potential TikTok ban and what it reveals about platform centralization. Joined by Dan Sargent (Mintstars), then Matthew Fox (Clankermon), the conversation unpacks the return of crypto mega funding rounds, lessons from navigating creator economies, and the future of distributed app ecosystems.
This episode covers:
- TikTok Ban Looms: Why it could redefine online media power structures.
- Crypto’s Comeback: Is 2025 the start of a new funding cycle?
- Creators and Crypto Rails: How Mintstars leverages crypto to challenge traditional platforms.
- On-Chain Entertainment: Clankermon’s vision for mini-apps and the post-AGI world.
- The UX Barrier: Why adoption hinges on user-centric crypto interfaces.
From creator-first platforms to the latest innovations in crypto, this episode explores the key challenges and opportunities for builders shaping the next phase of the consumer internet.
Internet Explorers is a weekly rundown show where extremely online individuals broadly explore (romanticize, even) new consumer Internet experiences.
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