Interview With Evan Luza, Cool Cats Co-Founder and Advisor to Bitcoin․com Verse NFT Collection sponsored
Bitcoin.com yesterday announced that buyers in the VERSE token sale, which starts on November 1, will receive exclusive NFTs. Register now atgetverse.comto increase your Schance of getting the allocation you want.
We also announced that Evan Luza, the co-founder of Cool Cats, had joinedBitcoin.com to advise on the Verse NFT project. Cool Cats is a blue-chip NFT project with a host of charming characters and rich narrative, which lends to the IP’s broad appeal and positions the company as a global transmedia brand to watch.
Today we bring you an interview with Evan, where we get his thoughts onBitcoin.com, NFTs, Verse, and more.
Bitcoin.com Director of Product Experience Alex Knight:Super excited to have you aboard Evan. Could you tell us in your own words about Cool Cats?
Cool Cats co-founder Evan Luza:Excited to contribute! It’s been a full circle for me from helping with theBitccoin.com rebrand and now coming back to advise with Verse. Cool Cats is a collection of 9,999 different cats based on Blue Cat, a character that one of my best friends and co-founder, Colin Egan, had been developing since high school. Our brand celebrates inclusivity and individuality, and aims to continue to be a space where all are welcomed. We started the brand through NFTs but have plans to continue to grow into a variety of mediums from merchandise, media, content, gaming, licensing and anything in between.
Alex:What drew you to NFTs?
Evan: As someone raised on Pokemon and Yugioh cards, I’ve always been exposed to collectibles, and trading them with friends. That enthusiasm tied with a passion for cryptocurrency just became a natural click for me, and ended up resulting in the market opportunity I identified in the NFT space.
Alex:What excites you aboutBitcoin.com, and why did you decide to join as an advisor for our Verse NFT project?
Even: Having been heavily involved in theBitcoin.com rebrand during my previous time on the team as a product designer, it’s exciting to come full circle and be able to offer insights around the NFT centric focus this time around.Bitcoin.com has always placed a huge emphasis on onboarding the world into crypto through tools like their wallet and merchant integrations.Bitcoin.com is uniquely positioned with their large crypto centric audience to drive further adoption and awareness around NFTs and the innovative solutions and implications around them. At the same time, I believe NFTs can act as a powerful draw for newcomers to crypto, empowering people who aren’t necessarily interested in finance with the knowledge and tools they need to benefit from DeFi.
Alex:What are some of the NFT utilities / use cases you’re excited about?
Evan: So far the biggest use case for NFTs are around community building. While on the surface it may appear as just cool artwork, having a group of people coalesce around a concept or way of thinking is truly powerful, and it goes way beyond just brand creation.
In these early innings of NFT adoption, you are seeing projects focus on use cases that foster communities. For example, we recently had our brand activation forNFT NYC 2022 where we were able to give benefits to Cool Cats and Pets holders, like claiming a free plushie, and rocking their exclusive wrist band to flex their NFT on some of the interactive screens around the venue. With token gating, there are opportunities to produce and offer exclusive merchandise and events — and this is an avenue where I think the space is still early.
Long term, NFT use cases will expand to encompass many disparate industries. I see the next generation of major fashion brand labels coming out of NFTs. Along the lines of a Supreme or Bathing Ape. Media projects, from books to music to movies will have community driven NFT mediated successes. Of course video games and the metaverse will integrate NFTs as core mechanics. Certifications for education whether that be diplomas or some kind of skill accreditation will become NFTs. Then you have legal things like registration titling systems which will benefit from blockchain and NFTs. Finally, the way technology usually works is that the most compelling use cases are the ones we can’t currently even imagine!
Alex:Now that the first big NFT adoption cycle is cooling off, what do you think comes next?
Evan: The bear market is the best time to build!
Alex: What are the ingredients to make a successful NFT project?
Evan: Authenticity, originality, innovation, and the ability to pivot and change trajectories as the continually evolving Web3 landscape changes. The parameters and variables of today are different from the ones of tomorrow. It’s healthy to be experimental and of course keep a healthy pulse on the community sentiment every step of the way.
Alex: What, if any, developments in blockchain technology are important for mainstream NFT adoption?
Evan: Security, ease of use, low transaction fees, transaction speed and user experience, are the ones that come to the top of mind.
Alex: Could you share with us an important lesson you learned from your experience making Cool Cats?
Evan: Community is everything. It’s impossible to make everyone happy, all of the time, but it’s extremely important to have a healthy and consistent line of communication to the community and to continually check in on their sentiment and ideas around what you’re building, your aims, and how you’re growing the brand.
Tags in this story Bitcoin.com, Cool Cats
Bitcoin.com
Since 2015, Bitcoin.com has been a global leader in introducing newcomers to crypto. Featuring accessible educational materials, timely and objective news, and intuitive self-custodial products, we make it easy for anyone to buy, spend, trade, invest, earn, and stay up-to-date on cryptocurrency and the future of finance. CoinEx Supports the Dream of Every Common Man by Sponsoring Rugby League World Cup 2021 SPONSORED | 18 hours ago Organic Communities in Web3 No Longer a Myth: Player Nodes in the Upland Metaverse Feature Multi-Property Takeovers SPONSORED | 2 days ago
Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons Previous articleReport: BTC Mining Investment Platform Declared Pyramid Scheme by South African Consumer Watchdog Next articleConflicting Opinions on Future of US Economy, Bitcoin Added to Guinness World Records, and More — Week in Review Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article. Read disclaimer More Popular NewsIn Case You Missed ItFollowing a Brief Fee Spike, Gas Prices to Move Ethereum Drop 76% in 12 Days
Transaction fees on the Ethereum network are dropping again after average fees saw a brief spike on April 5 jumping to $43 per transfer. 12 days later, average ether fees are close to dropping below $10 per transaction and median-sized ... read more.NFT Sales Volume Saw a Small Uptick This Week — Moonbirds, Mutant Apes Take Top Sales Fidelity Investments Launches Crypto, Metaverse ETFs — Says "We Continue to See Demand" FBI Issues Alert Concerning Malicious State-Sponsored North Korean Hackers Targeting Crypto Firms Digital Ruble ‘Much Needed,’ Russia’s Central Bank Says, Won’t Delay Testing