A Web3 weekend in Munich...
A Web3 weekend in Munich...
Hello and welcome to MadeMeThink! Once a week I send out this newsletter with curated content, events and examples that have sparked my interest. It's a review of my last 7-days in Web3, NFTs and the Metaverse. Want to follow my thoughts on a daily basis? Then connect with me via Linkedin and Twitter. This article is also available in German. To receive this newsletter in your inbox weekly, consider subscribing 👇
Last week I was in Munich at the Alphafounders Web3 event. An invitation-only event with about 300 participants organized by the Bits & Pretzels founders (= one of the big startup conferences in Germany with a networking day at the Oktoberfest; so if you ever need an excuse to visit the biggest Volksfest in the world, here it is). In the conference invitation text, the organizers described their perspective on Web3:
“We firmly believe that Web3 is a breakthrough technology that has the potential to disrupt today’s internet landscape” - Andy Bruckschlögl & Bernd Storm van’s Gravesande
The event was fun. It took place in the Augustiner Keller in Munich (where the Bits & Pretzels journey also began) and there was Weißbier and Weißwurst, which was certainly beneficial for the networking that followed.
The Web3 community in the German-speaking countries is relatively moderate in terms of size. Meanwhile, I always know quite a few people at such events. But there is also an advantage to being part of a small but tight-knit community. People help each other and are approachable.
At the event, all participants received a POAP (an NFT, which is used as proof of participation; the POAP says "First, Forever!", meaning that the participants can prove in the future that they participated in this first Alphafounders event). However, the POAP has not only this sentimental benefit, but is also a (free) key to an "Alphafounder Membership" for 2023 (instead of paying 500,- Euro for it). Just mined the Membership as NFT a few minutes ago (for those interested in this membership, there is also the possibility to apply for it on the Alphafounders page). What use this Alphafounders Membership has and where the journey goes, is still unclear. In any case, I'm curious to see what the Bits & Pretzels founders will build.
At the Alphafounders event, there were also some impulses in terms of content. Anne from Moonblock presented her new “Brand NFT Report”. The report just came out the other day and includes some interesting statistics about brands in the NFT world. Chapeau to the team at Moonblock for compiling this interesting data. For example, the distribution of NFT projects by industry. It was clear that Fashion is in first place. However, I was a surprised that Consumer Goods and Retail are so far behind. Now that major players, such as Starbucks, are enriching their loyalty program with NFTs and token-gated experiences (see Starbucks Odyssey), perhaps some retailers will also become curious in 2023.
Deeper Down the Rabbit Hole…
... a new category in this newsletter with more content, for those who haven't had enough yet :)
The Evolution of Decentralized Governance with Andrew Hall | a16z crypto research talks (Video)
Why VR/AR Gets Farther Away as It Comes Into Focus (Article by Matthew Ball)
Musical Metaverse: vision, opportunities, and challenges (Paper)
Decentralized science (DeSci): Web3-mediated future of science (Paper)
Last but not least…
I have received an invitation to speak at NFT.NYC, the world's largest NFT conference. I am looking forward to exchanging thoughts in the NFT community and of course to be in New York again, it's been a while...
Disclaimer: The thoughts published in this publication are my personal opinions and should not be viewed as investment advice. I am not a financial expert. My specialty is entrepreneurship, innovation & marketing. Readers should always do their own research. I own various cryptocurrencies and NFTs, however in many cases it is for the sake of researching the field and gaining a deeper understanding of Web3, NFTs and the Metaverse and not for investment purposes.