Famous entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuck — besides known arsenic Gary Vee — is a long-time protagonist and collector of nonfungible tokens (NFTs).
In May 2021, Vaynerchuck announced the motorboat of his VeeFriends NFT collection, which consisted of 10,255 unsocial tokens to springiness holders entree to exclusive events.
Shortly aft launching the VeeFriends collection, Vaynerchuck demonstrated the imaginable down NFT tickets during VeeCon 2022 — a Web3-focused league built astir NFTs, popular culture, entrepreneurship and marketing. Attendees of VeeCon 2022 needed to clasp astatine slightest 1 VeeFriend Series 1 NFT to entree the event.
Based connected the occurrence of this model, Vaynerchuck moved guardant with NFT-based tickets for VeeCon 2023, which was held from May 18–20 successful Indianapolis, Indiana. The lawsuit organizers told Cointelegraph that VeeCon 2023 attracted astir 5,000 attendees, galore of whom were VeeFriend NFT holders.
“I deliberation ticketing volition beryllium a large lawsuit for NFTs. I privation to beryllium astatine the forefront of this,” Vaynerchuck told Cointelegraph.
Vaynerchuck elaborated connected the imaginable down NFT tickets, his thoughts connected cryptocurrency, and what to expect from VeeCon 2024 during an exclusive interrogation with Cointelegraph astatine VeeCon 2023.
Cointelegraph: Why is VeeCon important for the Web3 community?
Gary Vaynerchuck: VeeCon is an incredibly important league due to the fact that it’s a spot wherever radical tin travel unneurotic successful a quality mode alternatively than digitally. I deliberation humans request this connection, and conferences are a large mode to grow people’s ideas and relationships.
CT: Why did you take to instrumentality NFT tickets for VeeCon 2023?
GV: Ticketing volition beryllium a immense usage lawsuit for NFTs. I deliberation that, by nature, tickets are collectibles. For instance, if you were to spell connected eBay present and look astatine however galore summons stubs are being bought, you whitethorn beryllium surprised. People emotion memories and holding connected to definite things, which is wherefore I deliberation ticketing volition beryllium a large [use] lawsuit for NFTs. I privation to beryllium astatine the forefront of this.
CT: What tin we expect for VeeCon 2024?
GV: We volition proceed to grow this popular civilization concern league grounded successful innovation, selling and motivation. We volition proceed learning from what we did successful erstwhile years, and hopefully support bringing affirmative and applicable optimism. Also, I don’t deliberation that VeeCon 2024 volition beryllium held successful Indianapolis again since I similar the thought of moving the league to caller cities.
CT: When did you commencement getting funny successful the crypto and blockchain space?
GV: I started getting funny successful 2016, arsenic I saw immoderate absorbing NFT projects similar CryptoKitties, which intrigued me. In January 2020, I started getting truly excited astir NFTs.
CT: What are your thoughts connected cryptocurrency? Do you ain immoderate crypto?
GV: I really ain precise small cryptocurrency, arsenic astir everything I ain are NFTs. I’m much of a collector by bosom than a financier. I don’t get excited astir finances, truthful I don’t ain a batch of currencies successful general. I americium much of a shot paper collector and an creation collector, which is what crypto represents for me.
CT: What excites you astir astir blockchain arsenic a technology?
GV: The thought that the exertion is wholly decentralized. I don’t deliberation galore radical recognize the conception of different radical owning their data, truthful I deliberation blockchain volition beryllium a large woody successful the future.
CT: What are your thoughts connected the existent NFT market?
GV: The NFT marketplace has dipped due to the fact that determination has been excessively overmuch greed. People person been time trading, short-term thinking, and determination has been nary existent affinity toward existent NFT collections.
It takes clip to get radical to attraction astir something. Conferences similar VeeCon let maine to get radical to attraction astir the VeeFriend characters and this collection, which is wherefore this lawsuit truly matters.
CT: What are your thoughts connected the metaverse?
GV: Long-term, the metaverse excites me. But we are not determination yet.
CT: Do you usage a crypto wallet to store your NFTs?
GV: I usage hardware wallets since I person a precise important NFT collection, and I privation to guarantee maximum security. I’m besides much of a custodial feline and judge that cipher should person entree to my effect phrase.
CT: Any last thoughts?
GV: People emotion talking astir patience and being passionate astir things, and being successful thing for the agelong haul. Then they aftermath up a period aboriginal and commencement crying.
The VeeFriends marque is simply a 20-year marathon. If radical don’t recognize this, it’s okay. But the question past becomes, are you really successful this, oregon are you successful it for the short-term wealth oregon clout? Is this a fad for you, oregon is it existent life? For me, the VeeFriends marque and imaginativeness is highly real-life and long-term.