The Token Thirst Trap

The Net Society crew returns with a high-energy deep dive into the world of tokens, from crypto to compute. They kick things off by breaking down what tokens really are across AI and blockchain, then trace a growing meta trend: the shift from attention to raw token consumption as the driving force behind modern platforms. The conversation explores “token thirst traps,” the idea that the most successful products invite and optimize for compute. They debate whether distribution still depends on attention or if token volume is the new growth metric. HBO becomes a case study for legacy media's future as the crew imagines an immersive, token-powered content world. They wrap with a provocative look at AI’s labor impact, the fate of credentialed elites, and why marketplace coordination might be the most resilient moat of all.

Mentioned in the episode

Yacht Rock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a55pyQsI3GQ

Show & Hosts

Net Society: https://x.com/net__society

Derek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedws

Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0x

Priyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesai

Aaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01

Production & Marketing

Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl

Social: https://x.com/v_kirra