NET Society

The crew opens with Thanksgiving before diving into prediction markets, why they suddenly matter, and how insider knowledge is already shaping outcomes. They explore the financialization of everything, the social cost of hyper efficient markets, and what happens when AI and robotics reshape labor and demographics. The discussion moves into autonomous cars, insurance, and cultural shifts before closing with Basel, the rise of digital art, and how crypto native creators are pushing the medium forward.Mentioned in the episodePolymarket on 60 minutes https://www.cbsnews.com/video/60minutes-2025-11-30/Kangaroo Bio https://x.com/DraperVC/status/1970880937924935887The Depopulation Trade Article https://blog.unrulycap.com/the-depopulation-trade-an-unruly-thesis/Beeple Dog’s at Art Basel https://x.com/nypost/status/1996365399777017919Jack Butcher - Self Checkout https://x.com/jackbutcher/status/1995895014895837481Show & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProduction & MarketingEditor: https://x.com/0xFnklSocial: https://x.com/v_kirra(00:00) - Thanksgiving Catch Up (01:17) - Why Prediction Markets Took Off (08:05) - Insider Info and Market Manipulation (18:01) - Financialization and Cultural Consequences (26:37) - AI, Robotics and the Future of Labor (33:25) - Waymo, Insurance and Autonomous Worlds (35:09) - Basel, Digital Art and Crypto Art’s Role (01:02:22) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The discussion highlights the growing gap between tech winners and the general populace, likening today’s sentiment to the 90s and drawing parallels to the Jacksonian era's wealth disparity. Record-breaking art sales raise questions about the identity of contemporary buyers. The hosts dive into the evolution of AI coding, the challenges within the crypto market, and the cultural shifts in education. Notably, they explore the idea of 'dying in the chair' as a metaphor for work ethic, emphasizing the intertwining of wealth and personal identity.

The Net Society crew digs into a wide range of topics this week, starting with the latest moves around Zcash, privacy expectations, and how crypto incentives shape market behavior. From there, the group unpacks an anthropic AI cybersecurity incident and the broader risks of local models creating real-world chaos. The conversation shifts into geopolitical tension, shadow conflict, and the surprising magic of Marble World before closing with a sharp look at elite networks, institutional trust, and a final discussion on automation, humanism, and TV recommendations.Mentioned in the episodeZcash moment https://x.com/pridesai/status/1988256631948226750Cypherpunk https://x.com/cypherpunktechAnthropic cyber attack https://x.com/AnthropicAI/status/1989033793190277618World Labs - Marble https://marble.worldlabs.ai/Show & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProduction & MarketingEditor: https://x.com/0xFnklSocial: https://x.com/v_kirra(00:00) - Opening and Warmup (05:37) - Zcash, Privacy, and Market Games (09:02) - DAOs, Ecosystems, and Crypto Incentives (10:32) - AI, Cybersecurity, and Local Model Chaos (14:32) - Geopolitics, Cyber Warfare, and Marble World (42:45) - Elites, Disclosure, and Institutional Trust (55:04) - Automation, Humanism, and TV Corner (01:01:57) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The Net Society crew returns to unpack the strange evolution of human AI relationships, from “slave bots” to sidekicks, companions, and schizophrenic mirrors of the self. Derek explores Sandbar and the search for the perfect AI form factor, Chris zooms out to spatial intelligence as the real unlock, and Pri probes whether emotional companionship with machines is healthy or inevitable. The group then turns to a16z’s growing media empire, the reality of building through a crypto winter, and the politics of AI power, before closing on the ideological chaos of New York’s new “vibe governance.”Mentioned in the episodeSandbar AI ring https://www.sandbar.com/Falling in love with AI article https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/11/05/magazine/ai-chatbot-marriage-love-romance-sex.htmlA16z new media https://x.com/liangsays/status/1986502829499162751?s=46&t=3cJ-BS7Y1NeBdjntkS2hZQShow & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProduction & MarketingEditor: https://x.com/0xFnklSocial: https://x.com/v_kirra(00:00) - AI Slave Bots and Sentience (02:22) - Sandbar and the Search for the Right Form Factor (08:25) - Spatial Intelligence and the Next Operating System (10:35) - AI Companions and the Human Sidekick (16:22) - A16z and the New Media Power Play (26:14) - Building Through the Crypto Winter (36:38) - OpenAI, Regulation, and the Politics of Power (47:03) - New York, Vibes, and the Death of Governance (01:08:30) - Welcome & Disclaimer

From techno-capitalism to gooning, the crew unpacks the contradictions of a world caught between overproduction and isolation. Aaron, Chris, and Pri trace the threads from Bill Ackman discourse to exo-capitalism, exploring how prediction, automation, and financial nihilism reshape the human condition. It’s Halloween, Bitcoin’s birthday, and the trenches are thinning, but the ideas keep multiplying.Mentioned in the episodeBill Ackman https://x.com/BillAckmanPrediction and postmodernism https://a16z.com/prediction-the-successor-to-postmodernism/Exocapitalism https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240662971-exocapitalismSecondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30200112-secondhand-timeThe Good Squad https://harpers.org/archive/2025/11/the-goon-squad-daniel-kolitz-porn-masturbation-loneliness/Farcaster pivot to tokens https://x.com/tednotlasso/status/1982810870716498396Show & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProduction & MarketingEditor: https://x.com/0xFnklSocial: https://x.com/v_kirra(00:00) - Opening Grievances (04:19) - Bill Ackman & Cultural Fatigue (08:12) - Optimism, Propaganda, and the U.S.–China Lens (11:25) - Gambling, Nihilism, and the Age of Prediction (16:00) - Techno-Capitalism and the Anti-Human Economy (24:06) - Exo-Capitalism, Gooning, and the Future of Labor (42:43) - Crypto Parallels, PvP Markets, and the Trenches’ Decline (58:16) - Market Resets, Token Buybacks, and Halloween Wrap-Up (59:30) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The Net Society crew dives into a wide-ranging conversation on crypto’s evolving landscape and its uneasy rivalry with AI. Chris opens by questioning his own “bearish” stance, leading to a lively debate on distribution, developer momentum, and the shifting perception of tokens as tools versus speculation. The group explores how AI and blockchain may ultimately converge, touching on Hyperreal Hospitality, post-authorship, and the importance of long-term relationships between builders and users. Later, they discuss postmodern exhaustion, prediction as a new cultural logic, and the consolidation of major players like Coinbase, Base, and Tether as crypto matures into its next institutional phase.Mentioned in the episodeADIN https://x.com/adinonlineOpenAI hires 100 investment bankers https://www.afr.com/companies/financial-services/openai-hires-100-investment-bankers-to-train-its-ai-20251022-p5n4erPrediction is the successor to postmodernism https://a16z.com/prediction-the-successor-to-postmodernism/David Phelps chains owning apps https://x.com/divine_economy/status/1981006512500720113Tether https://x.com/Tether_toShow & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProduction & MarketingEditor: https://x.com/0xFnklSocial: https://x.com/v_kirra(00:00) - Bearish on Crypto (02:07) - AI vs Crypto Tokens (10:07) - Comparing Tech and Scale (15:38) - Building with Crypto and AI (19:12) - Product vs Community (26:09) - Postmodern Prediction (32:00) - Consolidation and the New Banks (49:28) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The Net Society crew returns live and in person from Marfa for a special episode featuring Jonas from FlamingoDAO. Recorded during Art Blocks Weekend, the group reflects on five years of Flamingo, the evolution of Marfa as a cultural hub, and the abundance mindset shaping digital art. They dive into early NFT history, the legendary Alien Punk purchase, and the origins of Glitch Gallery. Chris shares insights from Hyperreal Hospitality and the future of intelligent design spaces, while the group explores the next generation of builders pushing creative and technical boundaries. A lively conversation full of stories, nostalgia, and vision for what’s next.Mentioned in the episodeJonas https://x.com/jonaslamis404 (Bittensor) https://x.com/404gen_?lang=enRemembering Flamingo buying alien punk https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2021/01/23/early-cryptopunk-digital-collectible-sells-for-762k-in-etherRekt by Chris https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/74924371-rektShow & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProduction & MarketingEditor: https://x.com/0xFnklSocial: https://x.com/v_kirra(00:00) - Live from Marfa (01:37) - FlamingoDAO at Five (06:09) - Marfa and the Culture of Abundance (10:11) - The Next Generation of Builders (13:07) - Hyperreal Hospitality and the Future of Worlds (18:20) - Early NFT Days and the Alien Punk (24:36) - Marfa Memories and Glitch Evolution (37:07) - Welcome & Disclaimer

For their 50th episode, the Net Society crew marks the milestone with a timely conversation that captures the pulse of digital art and crypto innovation. They kick things off reacting live to Lava Labs’ Quine drop on Art Blocks, then look ahead to Marfa Weekend and what its growing scale means for the culture. The discussion moves through reflections on Burning Man, the evolution of creative communities, and parallels to crypto’s own cycles of growth. From there, they unpack Zcash’s resurgence, explore store-of-value narratives across assets and networks, and close with thoughts on the return of old ideas like decentralized storage and the rise of prediction markets.Mentioned in the episodeQuine by Larva Labs on Art Blocks https://www.artblocks.io/collection/quine-by-larva-labsBurning Man https://burningman.org/Geeks, MOPs, and sociopaths https://meaningness.com/geeks-mops-sociopathsZero-knowledge proof https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-knowledge_proof$2 Billion investment in Polymarket https://finance.yahoo.com/news/york-stock-exchange-parent-company-135836830.htmlShow & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProduction & MarketingEditor: https://x.com/0xFnklSocial: https://x.com/v_kirra(00:00) - Quine Drop and Lava Labs (06:10) - Marfa Weekend Plans (08:56) - Burning Man and Cultural Growth (16:10) - Crypto Art and Protocol Reflections (26:00) - Zcash and Privacy Tech (31:27) - Store of Value and Network Effects (36:10) - Old Ideas Returning and Prediction Markets (43:12) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The Net Society crew talks about gearing up for Marfa with a look at the upcoming programming at Glitch, live coding competitions, and Chris’ upcoming book and apps. The conversation turns to the rise of Sora and Meta’s AI social experiments, and what new feed mechanics could mean for personalized algorithms. They dive into the risks of post-literacy, media evolution, and shifting cultural power, drawing parallels from Gutenberg to TikTok to memes as political weapons. The episode closes with a discussion on AI in Hollywood and the creative industries, and what comes next as adaptive media systems reshape how stories are told.Mentioned in the episodeMeta Vibes AI video feed https://x.com/alexandr_wang/status/1971295156411433228Sora 2 https://x.com/OpenAI/status/1973075422058623274The age of books and brainrot https://resobscura.substack.com/p/the-age-of-books-and-the-age-of-brainrotTilly Norwood https://x.com/Variety/status/1972792784752193553Show & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProduction & MarketingEditor: https://x.com/0xFnklSocial: https://x.com/v_kirra(00:00) - Marfa Countdown and Vibe Coding (02:06) - Glitch Marfa Events (and Competitions) (06:54) - Chris’ Book, Apps, and Complex Adaptive Media (10:12) - Sora, Meta Backlash, and AI Social Platforms (17:22) - The Future of Feeds and Personalized Algorithms (31:44) - Post-Literacy, Media Evolution, and Cultural Shifts (45:25) - AI in Hollywood, Creative Industries, and Beyond (50:43) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The Net Society crew returns with a lively mix of culture, tech, and markets. They kick off with coffee rituals and the rise of the “performative male,” before turning to the resurgence of old tech titans and massive AI cross-investments that feel like the early stages of Skynet. The conversation shifts to media consolidation and empire building, then dives into TikTok’s valuation, the end of the attention economy, and the rise of the token economy. The group explores new NFT Strategy experiments aimed at Squiggles/generative art liquidity, before unpacking Kraken’s IPO path and what scaling does to company culture. They close with a speculative look at AI agents, robot futures, and how media might be reshaped in the years to come.Mentioned in the episodeFemale popstars and mediocre men https://www.economist.com/culture/2025/09/08/why-female-pop-stars-are-lambasting-mediocre-menEric Schmidt AI and tech innovation in the US https://www.rdworldonline.com/dont-screw-it-up-eric-schmidts-warning-on-u-s-innovation-as-new-data-shows-china-on-track-to-take-rd-lead/Cloudflare and NET Dollar https://x.com/Cloudflare/status/1971212556011196859TokenWorks releases new projects (SquiggleStrategy) https://x.com/token_works/status/1971590630762856910Rizzbot https://www.instagram.com/p/DOQ0TuADYEh/Show & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProduction & MarketingEditor: https://x.com/0xFnklSocial: https://x.com/v_kirra(00:00) - Coffee, Blank Street, and Performative Male Aesthetics (09:03) - Old Tech Titans, Skynet Investments, and Cross-Pollination (15:26) - Media Consolidation and Empire Building (20:08) - TikTok Valuation, Attention Economy, and Token Economy (31:10) - NFT Strategy, Punk Strategy, and Generative Art Liquidity (38:26) - Kraken IPO, Scaling Companies, and Culture Shifts (44:19) - AI Agents, Robot Futures, and Media of Tomorrow (56:46) - Welcome & Disclaimer