Not A Cartel

Reporting in from Costa Rica, Cooper and Adam catch up on life, music, and markets. They unpack the current mood across crypto Twitter, the rise of apps like FOMO and the UX arms race in social trading, and how creator coins are evolving beyond speculation into real creative ecosystems. Along the way, Cooper shares his approach to rethinking Coop Records’ next phase, balancing risk, and refocusing...

The gang reunites for a wide-ranging, high-energy conversation on everything shaping the onchain creator economy right now — from Blueprint Cohort 3 to Farcaster’s acquisition of Clanker and the new wave of “social trading.” They dive into what’s working, what’s breaking, and what the future looks like across Base, Solana, and beyond. It’s a real-time snapshot of builders figuring it out live. Key...

The Not A Cartel crew dives deep into one of the busiest weeks in crypto—from fundraises and governance drama to creator coins and the eternal ETH debate. Coop shares insights from his $4.5M seed round, Lucas revisits the early music NFT days, and Adam sparks laughs with his takes on Clanker’s acquisition saga. The group also debates what gives ETH its “swag” (or lack thereof) and how YC’s focus o...

The crew dives deep into the explosive rise of streamer coins, content token fit, PumpFun’s livestreaming meta, and even Base exploring a network token. Key Topics & Timestamps (00:00) Trump statue + top signals banter (03:40) The live-streaming + token meta (04:12) PumpFun’s new wave of creators (06:50) Content-token fit explained (11:31) Creator fees & new economics (12:52) Novel content experim...

The NAC boys are back with another episode of Not A Cartel—celebrating birthdays, dissecting token buybacks, debating WorldCoin, and unveiling new product drops. From Pump vs. Hyperliquid to Coop Recs 2.0 and Noice’s pivot, it’s a full tour through the current onchain economy. Timestamps 0:00 – We’re back + Chevy leaking “proprietary alpha” 0:55 – Birthday celebrations: David + Lucas + plum wine f...

Pokémon cards are back and now they’re onchain. In this episode, we dive deep into the crypto x collectibles meta: $2,500 packs, $20,000 cards, Courtyard’s buyback system, and why Polygon might secretly be hosting the most used crypto apps in the world. 🔥 Highlights & Timestamps: 00:01 – Burning Man + Malibu resets 03:54 – 🚀 Launching Pods Clips 08:42 – The rise of streamer coins & PumpFun 12:30...

The crew is back with energy, catching up on weddings, retreats, and going fully offline. Lucas shares his plans for a Malibu solo founder retreat, Coop heads to Burning Man, and the group debates how to unplug in an always-online culture. From bull market speculation to Solana meme coin chaos, Story Protocol drama, and Zora’s creator coin experiments, this episode captures the intersection of cry...

The boys are back and crypto is heating up — ETH breaks $4K, Zora’s having its moment, and Vitalik stirs drama with a hot take that has builders fuming. We dive into why CLANKER might be the most undervalued play in the game, Pump.fun’s new liquidity experiment, and Coinbase’s surprise move to list every Base token. Plus: the blueprint behind selling $1M in podcast NFTs, and the culture-shifting m...

Ep 28 - David, Cooper, and Adam unpack the state of onchain media — from Daniel Allan’s festival breakthrough to the realities of coins, collectibles, and creator earnings. They debate what’s working, what’s broken, and where the culture is heading next. Top Moments & Timestamps: (00:00) Why they still do the podcast — “the love of the game” (02:25) Cooper’s summer recap: Japan, Lollapalooza, and...

The gang is back. Coop breaks down how he made $8K+ from creator coins, Devid is posting food pics for profit, and the crew debates if the Zora flywheel is legit—or just good marketing. 🔑 Key Topics & Timestamps: (00:00) Coop checks in from Tokyo (01:40) Coopahtroopa hits $1M market cap — how? (04:20) The Zora flywheel explained in plain English (06:00) Why every post is a token (and priced in yo...

Cooper and David reunite fresh off a Spain trip and just in time for Base Day One in LA. This episode dives deep into the shifting tides of crypto culture, the launch of Coop Records’ songcoins, and why this moment might mark a new chapter for onchain music, apps, and community-building. 🎧 Key Topics & Timestamps (00:00) Devid's Michelin-fueled recharge in Spain (01:28) Base Day One kicks off: wh...

In this special episode of Not A Cartel, Coop and Lucas hold it down while the rest of the crew’s MIA. What starts as a nostalgic riff on the CU Boulder Blockchain Club spirals into a razor-sharp rundown of the current onchain landscape—from controversial ICOs to the future of creator monetization. No fluff, just signal. Key Topics & Timestamps: ⏱️ 00:44 Pump.fun ICO deep dive ⏱️ 06:30 Whop x Beli...

The trio returns while David’s on beach duty. Coop accidentally launches his creator coin, the fellas cover the state of onchain creation, what’s working, and what still feels broken. 🔟 Top Moments (03:00) Daniel Allan laser show recap – nearly sold out, first show with full production. (06:30) Coop's late-night Zora token launch – unintentionally launched his creator coin at 5:30am in a diner. (...

Chevy calls in from Budapest as the crew breaks down the good, bad, and mid of recent onchain drops. From prediction markets to creator coins, it’s a full-spectrum tour of the onchain creator stack—plus a sneak peek at Pods’ new homepage and Hume’s cozy new AI artist, Lo-Fi Grandma. Topics Covered: (8:15) Waka Flocka’s “song token” flop — and why first impressions matter (14:00) Creator coins: pow...

Zora’s new Creator Coins drop sparks a round-table on the future of onchain creator economies. Lucas, Coop, and Devid break down the launch mechanics, compare Base vs. Solana liquidity, debate token valuations, and riff on how listen-to-earn could reshape music and podcasts. Plus: Circle stock goes meme-mode, and QR codes at concerts as growth hacks. 🎧 Mint the episode onchain: pods.media/not-a-c...

Coop turns 30, markets melt, and Farcaster mini apps take center stage. This episode dives into the future of crypto distribution and why devs are skipping Apple and shipping onchain instead. Timestamps: - [09:33] Paperview joins Base Incubator → Lucas preps for demo day - [11:52] Farcaster mini app growth → what’s working, what’s broken - [16:07] Coop Records goes mobile → iOS vs Farcaster tradeo...

Coop calls in glowing from the Japanese mountains as the crew dives into Farcaster’s $1.2M week, Doppler’s game-changing bonding curves, and the latest shifts across Base, Solana, and Ethereum. Plus: meme coin meta, miniapp ceilings, and why NFTs might actually be back. 🎧 Highlights & Timestamps: 00:00 – Coop in Japan: aura, monkeys, and Pasternak-fueled enlightenment 02:17 – Coinbase Wallet show...

This week on NAC, the boys reunite post-EDC for a jam packed conversation on all things crypto, content, and culture. Topics include: 🏔 1Confirmation Summit – Behind the scenes of the Tahoe LP event: stablecoins, RWAs, onchain social, and why Pods got a shoutout. 🎶 Coop’s EDC Mission – EDC recap, new artist alpha, and how Kuprex is bridging music festivals and crypto Twitter. 📹 Whop Army Explain...

Coop reflects on hitting a ceiling with the current crypto music playbook. The cartel debates what it takes to reach real music fans, not just collectors chasing airdrops. Also: Skrillex at Red Rocks, coins vs. NFTs, mobile app plans, and the true cost of creator coins. Key Moments: (02:05) Why Coop is at every major show right now (04:15) “Crypto music’s hit a ceiling” — what’s next? (05:44) Have...

The boys are back from Farcon and diving into a crazy week in the crypto trenches. From launching a new app to fake deaths and billion-dollar blowups, this one has a lot. Mint this episode at pods.media/not-a-cartel 🎙️ Highlights 📌 Paperview Launch (00:45) 📌 VCs Still Don’t Understand Crypto Media (10:33) 📌 The Clanker Doxxing at Farcon (30:52) 📌 Zerabro’s Fake Death and the Legacy Token Scam...

Zora just launched $ZORA — no offshore entity, no DAO shell games, no KYC. Just a bold new vision for onchain creators and crypto-native monetization. Jacob from Zora joins Coop, Lucas, and Chevy to unpack the launch, the pivot from NFTs to coins, and how Zora is turning “post to earn” into a reality for everyday internet users. Key topics: - The legal and product strategy behind $ZORA - Why Zora...

Coop returns from Coachella with fresh perspective on how real people interact (or don’t) with crypto. From QR-coded trinkets to normie skepticism, the crew breaks down the gap between onchain ideals and IRL behavior — and what it means for building better products. In this episode: 0:10 – Coop’s Coachella recap: sets, vibes, and GA over VIP 1:35 – “This song’s onchain” 2:13 – Should crypto founde...

In this candid conversation, the Not a Cartel crew celebrates Pods hitting 1 million mints while navigating a brutal crypto market downturn. A raw, unfiltered look at crypto founders pushing forward despite challenging conditions. Key Topics: 🏆 Pods celebrates reaching 1 million mints despite market turbulence 📉 Founders discuss portfolio losses and surviving the market crash 💰 The debate: Shou...

Blockchain Brett joins Not A Cartel to reveal the dual business model that's transforming the creator economy. Fresh off of joining 1Confirmation as a General Partner, Brett breaks down his "collector funnel" theory and explains why successful creators need both traditional fans and crypto collectors. Collect this episode at pods.media/not-a-cartel [00:40] Brett announces his move to 1Confirmation...

In this raw episode of Not A Cartel, founders Adam, Coop, Lucas, and David reveal their playbook for building sustainable businesses when venture capital dries up. From token economics that actually work to finding product-market fit with real users, this is the survival guide every founder needs in 2025. [00:30] Adam (Chevy) reveals his creator token strategy that's powering Blueprint's success [...