Yesterday was my last day at Mask Network. I shared a few consumer mega trends and how Firefly, Orb, and the Mask Ecosystem should position themselves to win these markets. I also shared a word of caution. Gambling vs. Consuming – A Final Caution Crypto is at a crossroads. Stablecoins work. They bring in real businesses and people. They build trust by delivering a product that solves a big problem – better money. But rampant gambling via bonding curves and token launchpads are eroding trust. Social media algorithms amplify addiction, and most new entrants lose money. Sure, it is possible to coin a social media post on a bonding curve and do the same for profiles. In crypto, we say this is empowering creators and giving real value to culture assets. But the reality is these are markets and most people lose money. If you were the one hundredth person to buy a new toilet on Amazon and it cost you $25,000 dollars while the other guys paid $250 because the toilet was trending I think you’d be pretty pissed. You’d probably call your local politician and ask for the business to be shut down or at least regulated. This is why we had gambling regulation in the U.S. and they are forced to give 1-800-GAMBLER disclaimers on all their ads. People who are bad at math or have bad impulse control get addicted. We are better than that. Sure casinos are fun. Yes, we should totally make it easy for people to bet on games, politics, and the games in life. At least in crypto the dynamic pricing and markets are transparent while outside of crypto is not (See uber dynamic pricing). But, let’s not pretend there is an illusion of choice here when algorithms and addictive devices are involved. Be smart. Educate, set guard rails, and when possible choose consumerism (e.g. collectibles) over gambling (e.g. Zora posts). It’s been an incredible run. Firefly, Orb, and Mask sit at the intersection of multi-decade trends. The foundation is here. The future awaits. On to my next adventure: @relayzero - M&A advisor firm creating founder exit market fit from consumer to defi.