Why Pokémon Cards Are Better Onchain (and How to Trade Them) - Ep. 898

31 snips

Sep 5, 2025

Tuom Holmberg, CEO of Collector Crypt, and Danny Nelson, Research Analyst at Bitwise Asset Management, dive into the transformation of Pokémon cards into liquid assets on the blockchain. They discuss cutting eBay's hefty fees, authenticate cards using NFTs, and the spike in the $CARDS token. The conversation also touches on how these collectibles could integrate into DeFi and attract mainstream investors, paralleling trends seen with crypto assets like BTC and ETH. Their insights reveal a new era for trading cards, blending nostalgia with innovative technology.

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INSIGHT

Onchain NFTs Backed By Vaulted Physical Cards

Collector Crypt tokenizes cards by vaulting physical cards and minting NFTs that represent redeemable physical custody.
This design restores trust and enables permissionless trading while keeping the physical asset secured off-chain.

ADVICE

How To Deposit Cards For Tokenization

To list cards, create an account, request a deposit address, ship your box with tracking, and let the vault authenticate the cards.
Collector Crypt then mints the NFT into your wallet so you never must interact further to receive the token.

INSIGHT

Use Trusted Vaults To Build Credibility

Collector Crypt partners with established vaults (Fanatics Collect, PSA Vault) to leverage billion-dollar custody infrastructure and grading expertise.
Using industry-leading custodians increases trust and reduces fraud risk for tokenized physical assets.

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Pokémon cards are no longer just collectibles stuffed in a binder. They’re becoming liquid, tradable assets onchain.
In this episode, Collector Crypt CEO Tuom Holmberg and Bitwise’s Danny Nelson explain how the project is reimagining the $100 billion trading card industry. From slashing eBay’s 13% fees to near-zero, to solving decades-old authentication problems with vaulting and NFTs, to launching a token that surged 700% in weeks, Collector Crypt is pushing trading cards into crypto rails.
We also explore whether this is the start of a “Polymarket moment” for collectibles, how these cards could be used in DeFi, and if mainstream investors might soon allocate to Pokémon decks alongside BTC and ETH.

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Guests:

Danny Nelson, Research Analyst at Bitwise Asset Management
⁠Tuom Holmberg⁠, CEO of Collector Crypt

Timestamps:

🎬 0:00 Intro
🛒 2:35 Why eBay’s fees are so high and how Collector Crypt cuts them down
🎴 7:50 How a Pokémon card collector would actually trade onchain
🔒 9:40 What security measures protect vaulted cards
👤 11:13 How Tuom’s background led him to build Collector Crypt
📉 13:14 The highs and lows of launching the app over time
⚖️ 21:24 How the company navigates copyright issues with Pokémon
💰 23:05 Why the $CARDS token surged 700% in weeks
🏦 28:28 How Collector Crypt makes money
⚡ 29:43 Why the team chose to build on Solana
🌍 31:43 How big the trading card market could get onchain
🔮 35:03 What’s next in Collector Crypt’s roadmap
🔥 39:25 Why Danny Nelson calls this a “Polymarket moment”
🖼️ 41:31 What makes digital trading cards different from other tokenized assets
👀 45:06 Why Collector Crypt grabbed so much attention last week
📊 49:22 How traditional funds could start investing in trading cards
🌐 52:04 Whether trading cards are about to go mainstream
🔗 53:40 How Pokémon decks could even be used in DeFi

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