This Week in Startups Dapper Labs CEO Roham Gharegozlou on powering NFTs, NBA Top Shot, & CryptoKitties | E1197
Apr 13, 2021
Roham Gharegozlou, CEO of Dapper Labs and a pioneering force in the NFT space, shares insights on transforming digital collectibles with platforms like NBA Top Shot and CryptoKitties. He discusses the challenges and triumphs of building these popular products, emphasizing real-time user feedback and the evolution of digital ownership. Roham delves into the complexities of rights management, the importance of community in NFT ecosystems, and the potential for smart contracts to revolutionize digital transactions. This engaging conversation dives deep into the future of NFTs and their cultural impact.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Dapper Labs Origin
- Dapper Labs built CryptoKitties before the company existed, as part of Axiom Zen.
- CryptoKitties launched in Nov 2017 and exploded in popularity, leading to Dapper Labs' formation in Feb 2018.
Origin of NFT
- Roham Gharegozlou's CTO likely coined the term NFT, aiming for a standard to represent unique digital assets.
- This standard allows marketplaces and platforms to categorize and distinguish unique items within a collection.
Why CryptoKitties?
- CryptoKitties was chosen as the first project due to the internet's historical affinity for cats and the difficulty of securing IP partnerships early on.
- The project aimed to demonstrate the potential of NFTs beyond the then-popular, often scam-ridden ICOs.