NET Society

The Net Society crew gears up for Marfa while unpacking the latest waves of on-chain experimentation. They dive into the launch of $PNKSTR and its protocol mechanics, weighing the lessons from early hiccups and the potential for new NFT-ERC20 hybrids. From there, the conversation broadens into questions of utility and adoption, tracing connections to low-risk DeFi and Vitalik’s vision for Ethereum’s future. The group considers the mounting pressure stablecoins place on global banking and the trillions waiting in money markets, before shifting to AI’s recent milestones and the media power plays shaping culture. The episode closes with a deep appreciation of Eric De Giuli’s Zero and reflections on the evolving role of collectors.Mentioned in the episode$PNKSTR and NFTStrategy https://x.com/token_works/status/1968361945226166754Low-risk defi from Vitalik https://x.com/VitalikButerin/status/1969522612750672132Aave https://x.com/aave/status/1969036780151169064Bank of England stablecoin caps https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bank-england-plan-cap-stablecoin-064322101.htmlEric De Giuli - Zero (Broken Symmetry) https://x.com/eeedg__/status/1966175168142913979Ask Aaron about getting link to open ai winning coding competitionPoet Engineer https://x.com/poetengineer__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(00:16) - Marfa Anticipation and Event Planning (02:07) - $PNKSTR NFTStrategy and Protocol Innovation (07:15) - Utility, Adoption, and Builder Strategies (12:07) - Low-Risk DeFi and Vitalik’s Vision (16:02) - Stablecoins, Banking Pressure, and Money Markets (24:09) - AI Milestones, Models, and Media Power Plays (38:12) - Eric De Giuli’s Zero and Collector Reflections (47:38) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The Net Society crew returns with a sweeping conversation that spans regulation, culture, and technology. Derek kicks things off with a recap of his recent trip to Washington, where he led an SEC workshop on AI and crypto. From there, the group dives into the rise of custom AI stacks, the tension between open source models and tokenized services, and what it means for the future of software. Talk shifts toward escapism in an age of surveillance, touching on music, bunkers, and Marfa as a much-needed oasis. The crew wrestles with algorithms, radicalization, and the illusion of control, before zooming out to consider global unrest, institutional turnover, and generational frustration. They close with a forward look at AI agents, video models, and the seismic changes barreling toward media, advertising, and education.Mentioned in the episodeDerek visits the SEC in DC https://x.com/derekedws/status/1965272290548920610Palantir https://x.com/PalantirTechExit Society Meme https://conceptbureau.substack.com/p/exit-society?r=xww4p&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=trueNepal chooses next PM on Discord https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/gen-z-protestors-have-chosen-next-nepal-pm-via-vote-on-discord-what-is-discord-and-how-it-is-used-2786279-2025-09-12Albania’s new AI ‘minister’ https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/albanias-leader-new-cabinet-includes-ai-minister-fight-125504401AI generated podcasts https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/ai-podcast-start-up-plan-shows-1236361367/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) - AI and Crypto at the SEC (07:19) - Building Custom AI Stacks (13:01) - Escapism and Surveillance (23:32) - Marfa as Escape Hatch (26:15) - Algorithms, Radicalization, and Control (31:01) - Global Unrest and Institutional Shifts (49:10) - AI Agents, Video Models, and the Future of Media (01:01:35) - Welcome & Disclaimer

Seth Goldstein, a builder and entrepreneur focused on creative AI agents, shares insights on the fascinating world of AI and technology. He discusses the rising fears about job loss due to AI, the empowerment sparked by ‘coding benders,’ and the unique vibe coding trend that blends creativity with technology. Seth also delves into on-chain creative agents and their potential to shape digital art, while exploring the cultural shifts around AI adoption. The conversation wraps up with thoughts on the chaotic nature of AI and its possible emergence as a new cultural phenomenon.

Aaron and Derek are both out this week, leaving Chris and Pri to hold down the fort for Net Society’s first ever two-person episode. Things get a little unhinged as they wander into the woods of digital culture, comparing fairy tales and existential plays to the state of crypto. The conversation turns to Kanye’s short-lived token and the meme coin churn, then drifts through waterparks, slang, and the curious emergence of “clanker” as an AI slur. From there they unpack the world of AI boyfriends and what it says about loneliness in 2025, before diving into Jerome Powell’s latest remarks and the Fed’s shifting policy stance. The back half of the episode revisits radicalizing moments from the Iraq war to the 2008 bailouts, connecting them to Bitcoin’s origins, and closes with a hopeful turn as the pair find themselves excited again about generative art.Mentioned in the episodeKanye launches $YZY memecoin https://x.com/WatcherGuru/status/1958708989576806714American Dream Mall Waterpark https://www.americandream.com/venue/dreamworks-water-parkMy Boyfriend is AI Subreddit https://www.reddit.com/r/MyBoyfriendIsAI/Fed Chair Jerome Powell announcement https://x.com/WatcherGuru/status/1958893683299717477Quantizer by Harm van den Dorpel https://verse.works/series/quantizer-by-harm-van-den-dorpelScribbs by Fingacode https://verse.works/series/scribbs-by-fingacodeDominoes in Fluxus by Ivona Tau https://braindrops.cloud/projects/24Zach Lieberman https://x.com/zachliebermanShow & 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) - Hansel & Gretel Opener (05:01) - Kanye’s Token and Meme Coin Chaos (07:07) - Waterparks, Slang, and the Rise of “Clanker” (11:34) - AI Boyfriends and the Loneliness Question (18:10) - Powell, Policy, and the Fed’s Balancing Act (30:23) - Radicalizing Moments and Bitcoin’s Origin Story (42:01) - Generative Art Rekindled (47:46) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The Net Society crew returns without Derek this week, diving into a caffeine-fueled opener that spirals into musings on Ayn Rand, Objectivism, and strange hotel lobby encounters. From there, they pivot to Moonbirds’ unexpected resurgence, the shifting middle tier of the NFT market, and how squiggles and character IP are competing for cultural relevance. The conversation widens to explore NFT IP as Hollywood’s new frontier, from Pudgy Penguin backpacks to hypothetical Pete Davidson cameos. A detour into Washington’s mixed signals on Bitcoin reserves morphs into satirical pitches for a Milady movie, before the group digs into the risks of LLM overuse, school phone bans, and how AI could reshape education. They close with thoughts on the SEC’s sudden pro-crypto tone, Solana’s place in the market cycle, and a timeline takeover of Howard Stern-era media nostalgia.Mentioned in the episodeThe Fountainhead by Ayn Rand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_FountainheadMoonbirds https://x.com/moonbirdsMilady Maker https://x.com/MiladyMaker333WSJ Autism and LLMs article https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-autism-risks-openai-chatgpt-2311254dShow & 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

The Net Society crew is back with a packed conversation spanning immersive tech, AI breakthroughs, and the evolving art market. They open with the latest in metaverse development, exploring how new world models could reshape interfaces, AR adoption, and virtual environments. From there, the discussion shifts to robotics, asking how close we are to shaking hands with machines and the societal quirks that might come with it. The release of GPT-5 takes center stage next, with early impressions on its programming capabilities and what it means for the future of software creation. A spirited debate follows on the role of Figma and other design tools in an AI-driven workflow, before turning to the announcement of the Art Blocks 500 and what it signals for generative art’s legacy. The crew closes with thoughts on renewed NFT market energy, the missing middle in on-chain culture, and how future communities might thrive without falling into old tokenized traps.Mentioned in the episodeGenie 3 AI model release https://x.com/GoogleDeepMind/status/1952732150928724043GPT-5 release from OpenAI https://x.com/OpenAI/status/1953504357821165774Art Blocks 500 https://x.com/artblocks_io/status/1953120356945842542Show & 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) - Is the Metaverse Back? (07:35) - AR, XR and Soft Handed Robots (15:13) - GPT-5 Release and Early Impressions (21:06) - Figma, Design Tools and the AI Stack (34:54) - Art Blocks 500 and What’s Next (43:36) - NFT Market Check and ETH Tailwinds (49:28) - Rethinking Tokenized Communities (57:08) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The Net Society crew returns with a wide-ranging conversation on digital art, crypto markets, and shifting policy winds. They kick things off with market sentiment and recent activity in the Art Blocks Discord, then dive into a discussion about what’s due for a comeback in the space. The group unpacks the consumer crypto playbook and shares thoughts on the potential of projects like Rekt. A deep dive into the SEC’s evolving stance on tokens and a new White House crypto report sparks a thoughtful look at tokenized equity, ICOs, and regulatory timelines. The episode closes with a celebration of artist conviction, spotlighting the work of Eric De Giuli, Kim Asendorf, and others.Mentioned in the episodeArt Blocks acquires Trame Paris https://x.com/artblocks_io/status/1950239952773795963Digital Assets White House market report https://x.com/derekedws/status/1950629069189771398Eric De Giuli (EDG) https://x.com/eeedg__Kim Asendorf https://x.com/kimasendorfAndreas Gysin https://x.com/andreasgysinNoper https://x.com/bagdeleteINFINITEYAY https://x.com/infiniteyayClaire Silver https://x.com/ClaireSilver12Show & 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) - Off-Chain Summer and Market Sentiment (03:03) - Art Blocks Discord Resurgence (05:53) - What's Dead and What Isn't (12:26) - Consumer Crypto and Rekt Analysis (18:35) - Policy Shifts and the SEC's Crypto Framework (37:41) - The Future of Tokenized Equity (43:48) - Artist Conviction: EDG, Kim, Infinite Objects (51:58) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The crew dives into shifting market vibes, from meme stock rallies to the resurgence of NFTs, and unpacks how institutional vehicles are shaping digital asset exposure. They debate the risks of NFT treasury structures, liquidity challenges, and what it means for collectors when markets heat up. From the alien vs. ape punk showdown to reflections on “off-chain summer,” the conversation explores where digital culture, finance, and community are headed next.Mentioned in the episodeGamesquare acquires Ape Punk https://x.com/GSQHoldings/status/1948368197473677664Only jobs left meme https://www.linkedin.com/posts/blockchainheadhunter_blockchainheadhunter-activity-7336748981680513024-zRJrSonso + alien punk tweet https://x.com/saintsonso/status/1948387453855035867Show & 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) - Market Vibes and Meme Stocks (05:09) - Financial Nihilism and AI Influence (09:22) - NFT Momentum and Institutional Interest (16:14) - Risks of NFT Treasury Vehicles (26:25) - Liquidity, Pricing, and Market Dynamics (40:58) - Aliens vs Apes: Punk Collection Debates (47:12) - Off-Chain Summer and Future of Digital Assets (51:12) - Welcome & Disclaimer

Derek is out this week, but Aaron, Chris, and Pri dive into a wide-ranging conversation that starts with GM energy and WAGMI nostalgia before moving into market momentum, off-chain activity, and the forces driving renewed optimism in digital assets. They debate Coinbase’s cultural identity and the broader phenomenon of corporations acting like modern religions through brand world-building, then pivot to the challenges of tokenized media, the state of consumer crypto, and the tension between speculation and real innovation. The discussion zooms out to examine neoliberalism, network states, and shifting global dynamics, before closing with thoughts on AI’s inward turn, the evolution of curation, and how information platforms might transform the way we engage with content.Mentioned in the episodeGet your BASE juice https://x.com/base/status/1945883117698593093Chris loves Ryan Reynolds https://x.com/Mintmobile/status/1932879714479206600Backyard missiles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWlOZa3YfycDeepnewz https://deepnewz.com/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) - GM Energy and WAGMI Nostalgia (02:20) - Market Momentum and Off-Chain Activity (06:07) - Coinbase, Culture, and Corporate Identity (20:27) - Corporations as Religion and Brand World-Building (30:04) - Tokenized Media, Consumer Crypto, and Speculation (40:09) - Neoliberalism, Network States, and Global Shifts (56:59) - AI, Curation, and the Future of Information Platforms (01:09:15) - Welcome & Disclaimer

In this episode of Net Society, the crew reflects on the Toledo Museum show and what it signals for digital art’s place in contemporary culture. They discuss how institutional interest is rising just as public sentiment cools, explore the macro drivers behind recent crypto market momentum, and consider what Gary Vee’s renewed NFT talk means for broader adoption. The conversation moves into questions of scale, conviction, and why generative art isn’t dead, despite what the timeline says. Finally, they unpack the shifting landscape of building in public, solo dev workflows, and how AI is redrawing the boundaries of collaboration.Mentioned in the episodeToledo Museum of Art https://x.com/toledomuseumVeeFriends https://x.com/veefriendsShow & 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) - Toledo Museum Show and Full Circle Reflections (08:59) - Mainstream Curiosity and the Adoption Lag (12:22) - Macro Trends and Crypto Market Drivers (19:18) - NFTs, Gary Vee, and the Scaling Gap (25:14) - Generative Art Is Dead? (34:34) - Time, Patience, and Long-Term Conviction (38:12) - AI Tools, Solo Building, and the Future of Teams (57:47) - Welcome & Disclaimer