Creating Token Communities, Building Consumer Brands, and The Future of NFTs | Luca Netz

In this week's roundup we are joined buy Pudgy Penguins founder Luca Netz to unpack the recent Pengu token launch. He shares the journey from surviving the bear market with just $500k in the bank to becoming a global brand in Walmart, and explains why Pudgy Penguins is positioned to become crypto's first consumer conglomerate. The conversation delves into the challenges of fundraising for IP projects, strategic decisions around launching on Solana versus Abstract L2, and how the project aims to transcend traditional memecoins to become a cultural phenomenon. Thanks for tuning in! - - Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross and David Canellis. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts Follow Luca: https://x.com/lucanetz Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7ww Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Explore the SKALE Ecosystem at skale.space/ecosystem and stay up to date with the gas-free blockchain on X at @skalenetwork - - It's time for an on chain Binance to emerge. Magic Eden is getting into token trading and their vision is to become on chain Binance and then much more as the entire world ends up moving on chain - - The self-custody wallet that's built for swapping. Created for a multi-chain world by the most trusted team in DeFi. Available on Chrome, iOS, and Android. https://blckwrks.co/UniswapWallet - - $cmETH, a Mantle native liquid restaking token, will launch together with Season 2: Methamorphosis, allowing users to easily participate in restaking, and earn $COOK rewards in addition to other yields. $COOK, the governance token of mETH Protocol, will allow holders to play a pivotal role in directing the strategic future of mETH Protocol. Learn more: https://x.com/mETHProtocol - - Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors Empire podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your assets. For the best self-custody solution in the space, buy a LEDGER™ device and secure your crypto today. Buy now at Ledger.com - - Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 1:57  Tungsten Cube & Pepe Mural Stor 4:47  Is this Cycle different? 15:20  Biggest Risks in Crypt 22:24  Eth/Btc & Sol/Eth Chart 25:26  New Altcoin 30:28 The L1 Trade 37:25 Skale Ad 38:05 Magic Eden Ad 38:49 Toku Ad 39:39 Ledger Ad 40:24  Death of Crypto Venture 55:14  Crypto's IPO Craze 58:34  A16z/s Monopol 1:05:08  Do Dino Coins Run 1:08:14 Chasing the hot ball 1:10:13  When you Retire - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.