6 months ago
2024 has been the twelvemonth of the <a href="https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2024/10/07/bitcoin-nears-64k-memecoin-supercycle-trends-as-mog-popcat-surge" target="_blank">memecoin supercycle</a>, with request for the tokens <a href="https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2024/05/09/meme-coin-demand-is-stronger-than-ever-crypto-data-tracker-says" target="_blank">surging to unprecedented heights</a>. Memes are present a $141 cardinal business, <a href="https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/meme" target="_blank">according to CoinGecko</a>, making up astir <a href="https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2024/12/05/memecoins-reach-140-b-market-cap-and-gain-ground-in-crypto-economy" target="_blank">11% of the full crypto market</a> (excluding bitcoin and ether).
Memeland CEO Ray Chan has go a salient fig successful the supercycle, leveraging his expertise to blend wit and civilization with blockchain, bringing the civilization of memes helium helped make successful Web2 implicit to Web3.
In 2008, during the Web2 era, Chan founded 9GAG, wherever helium curated the champion online memes and made them the internet's connection of wit and identity.
This illustration is portion of CoinDesk's Most Influential 2024 package. For each of this year's nominees, click here.
In 2024, Chan spun Memeland retired of 9GAG and transformed it into a blueprint for however blockchain, civilization and assemblage could reshape the net via NFTs and GameFi. While those 2 things aren't thing caller successful Web3, Memeland has distinguished itself successful a crowded tract by emphasizing assemblage and creativity implicit specified speculation.
Redefining the Fan-Creator Relationship
Chan’s strategy has focused connected making blockchain exertion accessible, amusive and inherently social. In galore ways, this is the span betwixt Web2 and Web3, fixed that memes aren't a analyzable decentralized fiscal strategy similar a caller automated marketplace shaper created by PhDs — they’re silly pictures of dogs and cats.
Chan sees Web3 arsenic a accidental to redefine however fans and creators interact done its attack to “proof of fandom,” successful which creators tin interact with fans portion besides gathering an ownership layer, thing that's not imaginable successful the Web2 world.
This synching of fans with ownership is what's missing successful Web3, and what Chan sees arsenic bringing successful the masses.
“We don’t request much investors successful Web3. We request much customers,” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YznL6yhrHSM" target="_blank">is however helium enactment it </a>in a fireside chat astatine Taipei Blockchain Week successful 2023.
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