SEC, Wadeside, Mark Cuban, special guest writer Rahim Mahtab plus Your Regular Favourites!

This newsletter is proudly sponsored by Eryndor

Drawing inspiration from 00's comic arts, combining techniques such as ink and contextualizing the lore in the Kanazawa steampunk universe. Eryndor is a handcrafted NFT collection with +5 million combinations. Mint and hold to earn tokens, wrap it with upgrade items to create new traits | by @KanazawaLabs

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👀 WHAT’S THE META.. 👀

GM, GA, or GN wherever you may be.

Want to stay ahead of the curve? Don't worry we got you. The market has been brewing, here's what's currently happening:

Ethereum proposed ETF delayed

Solana Mobile ramps up for chapter 2.

SEC and CoinBase go toe-to-toe in front of the federal judge.

Army of Fortune Metaverse (AOF) raises $3M in funding led by Animoca Brands.

🔮 NFT EVENTS & DROPS 🔮

So many mints, so little time. Don't worry Mani's got you covered. Eight gems to keep an eye on this coming week.

1. Web3 entertainment brand "Zokioverse" minting their PFP collection on 24th Jan, 8pm EST

2. After december, comes playember! Most hyped web3 gaming project "playember" doing a free mint on 25th Jan

3. "Pudgy penguins" partnered with Old Master Q (老夫子), one of the biggest IPs in Asia. Visit the front of one the largest shopping malls in Malaysia, Fahrenheit88, from January 15th to February 24th

4. Web3 anime brand "Yama" minting their limited genesis collection - CITIZEN PASS on 25th Jan

5. Farcana ($FAR) token listing on Bybit on 23rd Jan

6. Farcana limited supply (333) ordinals minting on 26th Jan

🪙 CRYPTO DIGEST 🪙

Crpyto Market Volatility and Emerging Economic Challenges

Bitcoin's recent approach to the $50k resistance, just shy of the 'Zone Structure's upper boundary, has market watchers on alert for a potential retracement to the pivotal midpoint around $34,450. This anticipated movement echoes the cyclical nature of Bitcoin’s past market behaviour, where peaks are often followed by a return to foundational support levels.

As we dive into these historical cycles, it's evident that despite all of the bearish news and hot topics circulating on YouTube, and X, Bitcoin's trajectory is closely mirroring its historical patterns from each cycle. If this continues and holds true, the current market atmosphere—full of caution due to various concerns, including Federal Reserve policies, labor market uncertainties, interest rate fluctuations, and global tensions—may soon see a rise in bearish sentiment as BTC nears the $34.5k zone.

However, this potential downturn should not be a cause for alarm. In fact, for the informed observer and seasoned investor, such a dip could be seen as an auspicious moment for significant accumulation, potentially setting the stage for the next phase of the bull market.

ETH/BTC's recent performance, struggling against a significant macro downtrend, further illustrates the market's current hesitancy. Ethereum's struggle mirrors the broader altcoin market's challenges, which are also facing resistance and could be influenced by Bitcoin's next move.

The interplay between macroeconomic signals and cryptocurrency dynamics is setting up a familiar scenario for Bitcoin. Investors and traders are advised to look beyond short-term volatility and consider the historical precedents that suggest a dip in Bitcoin’s price might just be the prelude to the continuation of a great bullish trend.

🚀 DEGEN HIGHLIGHTS (DYOR/NFA) 🚀

Notable Degen Mints

This is the segment where I will be keeping you all updated on the most notable releases throughout the upcoming week!

Zokioverse
I would highly recommend you keep an eye on this VC-backed project as it does seem as if the anime NFT meta is starting to creep back slowly with Tinfun and Overworld being an overwhelming success (secondary-wise). Zokioverse have already sold 2,500 during their presale and I believe it should sell out during the WL Phase (FCFS).

Mint Price: 0.08 ETH
Mint Date: 24th January
Mint Supply: 6,000
Mint Time: 8PM EST

PlayEmber
This one is fairly self-explanatory however if you haven't heard of PlayEmber before, this is one of the most hyped upcoming free mints that will 100% sell out during WL FCFS. This is a VC backed project by Shima Capital as well as Big Brain Holdings, Hyperithm and more.

Mint Price: Free
Mint Date: 25th January
Mint Supply: 6,000
Mint Time: TBA
Chain: ETH

Farcana Ordinals Collection 
This is their second collection however the first one was on Polygon and this is on Bitcoin. I don't believe there's any difference between the two collections however it's free and this is significantly smaller in comparison. The first collection currently sits at 0.984 ETH which is still incredible for a free mint and it's another reason why you shouldn't fade this upcoming drop.

Mint Price: Free
Mint Date: 26th January
Mint Supply: 333
Mint Time: TBA
Chain: BTC

In addition to the three releases above, here are a couple more that are worth having on your radar (which could be something or nothing):

24th - Early Retired Cats Club - Free Mint
25th - Tiny Blazers - Free Mint

🌟SPECIAL GUEST WRITER: RAHIM MAHTAB 🌟

Onboarding people to NFTs by speaking their language.

Every time I am asked to explain NFTs to someone who has absolutely no idea, i never go ”It stands for Non fungible tokens”.

My opening statement is usually about how it is a way to collect culture, and everyone has an idea of what culture is in some form of another . What we need to realize that people don’t care about technical jargon, they care about “what it means to them”. Subjective learning is the key here and it is important to mould the conversation to a topic that is of interest to them.

Culture is by the people for the people and is quiet an anti-middleman concept , ownership makes sense instantly when you look at it form that lens. You expand more on how this ownership should be in a transparent way and shouldn't be centralized or have elements of gate keeping , you will have them hooked instantly.

Empowering people through ownership is essentially what Crypto and NFTs are in principle beyond the technology.

Our ways of education shouldn’t be to bombard them with knowledge but rather spark an interest for them wanting to get educated. Especially when our industry is quiet early and the rules are still being written as we build more and more.

🕵️ UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT: WADESIDE

Catching up with the team at WADESIDE I was able to dig deeper into the project than the timeline and website would allow. Here's what I learned, I will reserve my opinion till the end, and we'll see if we both feel the same way.

To make things simple, I will state that Linefriends is IPX. WADESIDE is their NFT/blockchain arm, Surgence is the company doing their marketing/WL distribution and Web3 advisor while CRIPCO is their partner for blockchain tech and tokenomics.

Lead by HawaiianFlex, from a management consulting, and investment background. With a masters degree from Berkeley University he's not the typical Web3 degen you'd expect to represent the project on a daily basis. This is usually one of the best, or worst options. After being hand selected by the Linefriends CEO he jumped head first into the space, the community and the opportunity to build this out.

One of his first endeavours was to find hidden IP gems that Linefriends could bring forward into the spotlight. A few they are working with now for physical/gaming products are Azuki and various partners.

There are two separate teams. WADESIDE based in Korea as part of a large conglomerate cannot associate in Token related projects/releases or themselves release any tokens. Enter CRIPCO, the web3 strategy/tech company they have partnered with. This joint effort allows the two teams to work seamlessly together on IP/branding, art, legal, tech, tokenomics, and marketing.

The company initially entered Web3 as a way to become the first to re-establish IP and Fan relationships, and create a two way dynamic structure. Initially they launched a friends and family pass as well as two IP projects on Solana. The consumer friendly approach of the chain, and the assistance the Solana team provided made it a simple decision to launch there. But after FTX and the drama that crippled the chain, as well as the shifts in market sentiment, and where a "high end" project should live they migrated to Eth. Although this project is almost 2 years old it has gone mostly below the radar, during the drama and changes the holders count was unable to grow past 15-20 percent for their IP projects Ooz, however the friends and family passes that minted for only .5 sol, are now worth 1.75 eth and are holding a solid holders count of almost 40 percent.

The IP side of their projects was unable to really take off, however their token farming benefits, as well as discounts and free releases for friends and family passes has allowed them to flourish especially leading into the mint, where there will be a 1 to 1 airdrop for the new WADESIDE NFT for every F & F pass held. The current system also allows you to double dip while trading the pass, earning both $IP3 and $Blur.

WADESIDE with their partner CRIPCO however unable to launch a new IP in a flooded marketplace at the peak of the bear market initially, they have since pivoted to enabling token based activation to reward people for engaging with the IP that they love. A tokenized reward system that builds a two way relationship and a strong case to help people fall in love with the IP and be rewarded as supporters. As a community moved by IP and IP alone is very difficult to attract from such a small pool of participants in web3 tokenized rewards for participants is proving to be a very attractive model, as you can tell by the giant climb in perceived value, where the NFT is trading at 1.75 eth from a .5 sol mint.

NEXT WEEK Now what is this current mint all about?

📜 FOR THE CULTURE 📜

Mark Cuban, renowned business entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, has been making waves in the NFT space, signalling a strong belief in their substantial future value. Best known for his business acumen and appearances on "Shark Tank," Cuban has extended his influence into the evolving landscape of NFTs.

As an investor in OpenSea, Cuban has been an active advocate for the technology's potential. Despite recent challenges, including OpenSea's decision to make NFT royalties optional, Cuban remains optimistic about the long-term prospects of NFTs. He emphasizes the cyclical nature of markets and encourages a focus on the intrinsic value of NFTs, suggesting that their true potential extends beyond the current hype and degen mentality.

Cuban has notably made creative efforts to interact with NFTs and their community. He released complimentary NFTs to Dallas Mavericks ticket holders, demonstrating his dedication. Cuban's innovative approach is evident in this well-thought-out combination of NFT technology with traditional sports, highlighting the wider uses of NFTs outside of the digital collectibles market.

Cuban's impact on the NFT space extends beyond investment; it reflects a visionary perspective on the transformative potential of blockchain technology. By leveraging NFTs to enhance fan engagement and exploring novel applications, Cuban is actively contributing to the evolving narrative of NFTs as more than just speculative assets. As the crypto landscape evolves, Mark Cuban's role as a key influencer underscores the dynamic intersection of traditional business expertise and emerging blockchain innovations.