10 Web3 Builders Creating the Future of the Blockchain
What would the NFT space be without coders, developers and general free-thinking builders? Absolutely nothing, that’s it. Without the creators and innovators of blockchain technology, the NFT space, let alone NFTs and the blockchain itself, would never have materialized. That much should be clear to everyone within the Web3 sphere.
Beyond the many digitally native artists and NFT collectors who deserve recognition, the builders – those who strive to make progress in, or using blockchain and NFT technology – are worthy of praise many times over. Still, it remains true that we often look to those on the path to innovation, perhaps because, unlike artists and collectors, these individuals often play the long game, creating at scale on a larger scale of your timeline.
So to honor those who, either overtly or covertly, are driving innovation in the NFT space, we’ve handpicked 10 developers who have had a noticeable impact on the ecosystem over the past year. Chosen through qualitative calculations and presented in no particular order, these movers and shakers are people you may or may not have heard of, but are really worth keeping an eye on.
4156
4156, formerly referred to as Punk4156, is an anonymous investor, NFT collector and artist who claimed fame early in the NFT space. Once a CryptoPunk maximalist, he was the owner of one of the most sought after punks in existence: CryptoPunk #4156. Having changed his position on CryptoPunks over the years, he has evolved from an influential collector to a prominent builder. The creator of the wildly popular Substantiv NFT project and brand, 4156 is a vocal supporter of NFTs being licensed under Creative Commons (CC0), which gives collectors full rights to duplicate, brand, market and use the intellectual property in their NFTs as they see fit. Overall, 4156 is considered a major champion of Web3, NFTs and digital ownership, and is a steward of NFT-based innovation.
Jason Bailey
Jason Bailey has a long history on the blockchain. First known as the purveyor of art and technology blog Artnome, he is considered an early adopter of NFTs and was among the first collectors to collect pieces on SuperRare, helping to spearhead the then-burgeoning crypto-art revolution. Through his projects, such as ClubNFT, of which he is the CEO and co-founder, Bailey has worked to ensure the safety and longevity of NFTs, while promoting a more environmentally sustainable and eco-friendly NFT landscape.
Betty
CEO and co-founder of Deadfellaz, Betty has established herself as a pillar of the NFT community, while remaining an important figure in the ecosystem of her influential PFP project. While the road to NFT success has been elusive and ambiguous for some, she has remained a staunch supporter of independent artists at a time when creative opportunities have been circumscribed and creator royalties have been under attack. Betty is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in the NFT area, and has continued to help drive the conversation around creating equity in Web3.
6529
Over the years have pseudonym 6529 has emerged as a critical thought leader in the NFT space. In addition to being one of Web3’s voices of wisdom, 6529 has evolved from a top collector to a mission-driven builder who has championed the creation of an open metaverse against centralized and corporate actors like Meta. While he’s still known for his philosophical Twitter threads, his Open Metaverse (OM) project, launched at OnCyber, hinges on the idea that “100 million people in an open metaverse can change the world.” Currently, OM and the 6529 brand serve as a hub for crypto art exhibitions, unique edition collections, education and more.
Katie Haun
Katie Haun is a crypto investor and founder of Haun Ventures, a venture capital fund investing in Web3. By the start of 2022, she raised $1.5 billion for the firm, achieving the largest seed fund ever raised by a female solo founder. In May of that year, Haun led a $50 million funding round to grow Zora’s NFT Toolkit protocol, which provides accessible tools to create NFT collections and independent marketplaces for artists and businesses. She also sits on the Coinbase board, having become the company’s first independent director.
Farokh
Farokh is an entrepreneur and NFT collector best known for his thought leadership in the NFT space. He is the founder of the media ecosystem Rug Radio Web3, which aims to be the first fully decentralized media platform. Before NFTs, Farokh was known as a prolific social media expert, growing brand followings (including his own Goodlife Media & Communications company) well into the millions. After earning accolades as one of the most prominent voices of the early NFT boom in 2021, he switched gears, becoming a master builder and spearheading content creation through shared ownership.
Amanda Cassatt
Amanda Cassatt is a builder that has a long and prosperous history in the blockchain industry. As ConsenSys’ Chief Marketing Officer, she brought Ethereum to market, then created the Ethereal Summit for ConsenSys, an event series that hosted some of the world’s first NFT galleries. In 2019, Cassatt left ConsenSys to create Serotonin, a marketing and product studio focused on NFTs and other Web3 technologies. Here she supports leading projects such as IPFS, large brand NFT initiatives such as Sotheby’s, and everything in between. In addition, she also created Mojito, an NFT trading suite that helps creators launch and grow NFT marketplaces, membership programs and communities.
Richard
Richard Chan, known in the NFT space simply as Richerd, is a developer, aggregator and co-founder of the NFT platform Manifold. A long-time advocate for NFTs and for creators who own the means of production, Richerd helped create Manifold as a service to empower independent artists to create their own smart contracts, instead of just using those owned by NFT marketplaces. Through Manifold, Richerd has helped lower the entry level for artists and creators trying to enter the NFT space, while furthering the ideologies of decentralized digital ownership.
Trippy
For years, the enigmatic artist known as Trippy worked in the shadows before emerging in the NFT space as an optimistic light and advocate for blockchain technology. Although initially recognized for growing the largest online psychedelic community, through Trippy Labs, his interdisciplinary Web3 creative studio, he has now shifted his focus to making Web3 events more native to decentralization. Partnering with A-list celebrities and influential artists, spearheading philanthropic endeavors and producing immersive experiences created by and for the NFT space, Trippy has easily become the people’s champion and a steward of Web3 culture and technology.
Leslie Silverman
A seasoned veteran of art law, Leslie Silverman works as head of Web3 at United Talent Agency, bringing a unique perspective on regulation in the arts sphere to the company’s Web3 division. At UTA, she embodies the agency’s mission to empower brands and creators as the NFT space evolves. Leveraging her background, Silverman has helped clients launch their own Web3 projects and has worked with teams that have signed Deadfellaz and others, helping Larva Labs, Coinbase and more as clients. Silverman’s actions actively help bridge the gap between Web2 and Web3, and her unique balance of optimism and caution continues to be admired throughout the NFT community.
