NFTxLV 2023: Bridging Realities, Powering Innovation

NFTxLV 2023, formerly known as CNFT Con, transcends conventional blockchain conferences, creating an immersive experience that feels more like Comic-Con than a typical finance/crypto show. From September 29 to October 1, 2023, the Las Vegas Convention Center, North Hall, hosted this groundbreaking event, which drew over 3,500 attendees, 145 exhibitors, and 116 speakers. Here, we delve into the key panels that shed light on the transformational power of NFTs and Web3 across various industries.

Mainstage Panels

NFTxLV had quite a few panels throughout the event, here we’ll highlight some panel discussions that stood out:

Project Ascension and Cosmos — NFTs Soaring to the Stars

NFTxLV kicked off with a mesmerizing panel featuring Dylan Crocker, Ph.D., Co-Founder of Viper Science LLC, and Willie Marchetto, Co-Founder of Viper Science LC. Their discussion revolved around “Project Ascension,” a visionary endeavor that merged NFTs with space exploration.

“In Project Ascension, 25 laser-etched Titanium Plates were sent up to the space station. Launched on July 15th, 2022, via SpaceX rocket, they returned on April 15th, 2023, having spent 10 months in space. Each plate represented a tangible asset linked to an NFT on the Cardano blockchain, symbolizing ownership of the physical item. One of the project’s primary goals was to research tying physical items in the real world to NFTs on the blockchain, while also crowd-funding scientific projects.

The Intersection of Innovation and Governance

The main stage at NFTxLV 2023 welcomed Charles Hoskinson, CEO of IOG and Founder of Cardano, as the next speaker. Prior to his address, Charles was presented with a plaque containing Titanium plate #25 from Project Ascension, symbolizing the fusion of physical assets with the blockchain.

Charles’s speech centered on the theme of “The Intersection of Innovation and Governance.” He delved into the significance of trust-based solutions and their capacity to empower communities while contemplating a future where digital assets thrive and sustain communities. Charles’s opening words set the tone: “I love Vegas, and I love this community, especially the NFT community, especially the Cardano NFT community.”

Charles further elaborated, stating, “This is an example of how you build something, and people come, and they do super creative and interesting things.” He emphasized the core essence of NFTs: “The core of NFTs has always been about community, it’s always been about bringing people together and incentivizing those people to find new ways to build relations with each other, transactions with each other, and to also reimagine the way that property works.”

Reflecting on the creative landscape, Charles noted, “The thing that separates the mega stars who have durability like the Metallicas or all the others is business acumen.” He argued that NFTs have the potential to level the playing field in the business realm, where business acumen becomes a collective concern and business techniques and models become open source through the “smart power effect.”

Charles went on to critique the dominance of big business over the past decades and stressed how NFTs represent a shift in power towards the fringes. He firmly believed that NFTs would provide small businesses and creative individuals with a fair chance to compete with industry giants.

Charles emphasized the pivotal role of communities in empowering brands and products. He envisioned member-based organizations initiating discussions on how to empower and protect creators and community members within the NFT space. His call to action centered on the need for business models, standards, and technologies to elevate the NFT space, enabling creators to focus on their craft while robust technology and support systems handle the business side of things.

Charles’s passionate address left a lasting impression, highlighting the profound influence of NFTs on innovation, governance, and the democratization of business opportunities in the NFT community.

Bridging Realities: Partnerships Powering the Metaverse

The following panel discussion explored the dynamics of bridging realities in the metaverse, emphasizing the pivotal role of partnerships. The panel featured prominent speakers including Josh Jones, CEO of Cornucopias; Travis Stevens, Partnership Manager at Virtua; Eric Galen, Chief Operating Officer of RFLXT; Issy Robson, COO of Clay Nation; and Steven Yang, representing Future Fest. Eric Galen of RFLXT took on the role of the panel’s host.

The panel commenced with introductions, allowing each speaker to provide insights into their respective projects. This diverse group of experts collectively delved into the necessity of collaborative efforts in the evolving metaverse landscape.

Eric Galen, setting the stage for the discussion, emphasized, “In terms of partnerships, when we look at the metaverse, when we look at where things are going — nobody, no company, no person can do it alone right? It’s taking a community, much like what we’re seeing here and in the rest of the industry.”

Travis Stevens, who oversees partnerships at Virtua, elaborated on the importance of creating meaningful collaborations. He noted, “I think one of the big keys to partnerships is having a partnership that makes sense for both sides. We want to bring value to the partner and also receive value back in that relationship as well.” Stevens also explored the transformative potential of web3 partnerships, emphasizing how they can benefit not only the collaborating entities but also the customers who engage with these partnerships. Moreover, he discussed the role of web2 partnerships as a bridge to onboard more individuals into the web3 and blockchain space, highlighting the need to provide a clear purpose for newcomers in the industry.

Josh Jones, the co-CEO of Cornucopias, further delved into the realm of partnerships and their potential impact. He painted a vision of Cornucopias becoming one of the largest fishing games in the world, showcasing the grand aspirations of the project. Jones also illustrated a hypothetical scenario where Cornucopias partners with a web2 fishing company like Orvis. He explained, “So, for example, if you buy a fishing NFT pack in our game, then that gives you a 25% discount off to go shopping, and it bridges the digital with the physical in a powerful way.” Jones highlighted the potency of merging web2 and web3 communities, creating a symbiotic relationship between digital experiences and physical world passions.

Issy Robson, the COO of Cornucopias, added valuable insights on the strength of uniting communities through partnerships. She shed light on Clay Nation’s collaboration with Sandbox, emphasizing how such partnerships can attract individuals from the Sandbox community to become interested in Cardano and vice versa.

The panel discussion underscored the significance of collaboration and partnerships in shaping the metaverse, emphasizing that collective efforts and community engagement are essential in navigating the dynamic landscape of the metaverse. The powerful potential of partnerships was evident as speakers shared their experiences and insights during this enlightening session.

Level Up with Web3 — The New Playbook for Gaming

The next panel we’re diving into is the RFLXT Panel — “Level Up with Web3: The New Playbook for Gaming.” This panel featured key members of the RFLXT team, providing valuable insights into their journey and vision for the future of gaming in the Web3 era.

The panel consisted of:

Les Bonsai, Board Member of RFLXT.
Jenni York, Head of Creative at RFLXT.
Joshua Miller, Executive VP of Platform at RFLXT.
Ashray Urs, Head of Streaming at RFLXT.

The RFLXT team shared their experiences and the genesis of their venture. Their initial concept centered around rejuvenating vintage games, adapting them to the Web3 landscape through the integration of social media and Artificial Intelligence. Their primary objective has always been to enhance the user experience, striving to make the transition between Web3 and Web2 as seamless and user-friendly as possible.

One groundbreaking facet of RFLXT’s approach is the concept of “Digital Doubles.” This innovation empowers content creators and streamers to maximize their impact on social media. Les Bonsai emphasized RFLXT’s dedication to transparency:

“Our streaming platform will be transparent, displaying creators exactly how much they’ve earned and providing significantly larger revenue margins compared to traditional streaming platforms.”

Recognizing the prevalent issue of burnout within the content creation industry, the RFLXT team introduced “digital twins.” These digital counterparts allow content streamers to continue creating and streaming content even when they need to take a break. This innovative approach promises to mitigate burnout, a significant concern in the industry.

Ashray Urs delved into the intricate challenge of transparency within traditional streaming services:

“When we talk about openness and transparency, the current landscape is rather convoluted, with numerous layers of revenue cuts across platforms and representation. Ultimately, creators are left with a minimal share of their earnings.” He elaborated on RFLXT’s plans to develop dashboards that will transparently display creators’ revenue, fostering openness and bridging the gap between Web2 and Web3 by accommodating both fiat and cryptocurrencies.

Josh Miller outlined RFLXT’s strategy, using their platform as a gateway to introduce individuals to Web3 through a seamless gaming experience. They aim to offer gamers something familiar and user-friendly, easing the transition into the Web3 ecosystem.

The insights shared by the RFLXT team during this panel showcased their forward-thinking approach to reshaping the gaming landscape for the Web3 era.

EarthNode NFT: Powering the World Mobile Sharing Economy

One of the main highlights of the event was the panel discussion on EarthNode NFT, exploring its role in empowering the world mobile sharing economy. This engaging panel featured key figures such as Micky Watkins, Founder and CEO of World Mobile, and James Tagg, Chief Architect at World Mobile.

Micky Watkins commenced the panel by providing insights into the origins of World Mobile and the driving force behind its inception. He articulated how the initial idea of World Mobile stemmed from a need for privacy, ultimately transforming into a mission to connect the unconnected by democratizing access to mobile networks.

The discussion swiftly moved to the issue of coverage gaps in the United States, shedding light on a critical concern. While official statistics suggested that only 10% of the country faced connection problems, Micky Watkins contended that the actual number of underserved individuals likely reached a staggering 40–50% of the population. This inconsistency in coverage posed a significant challenge for mobile providers.

Moreover, Micky highlighted a pressing issue related to mobile network capacity. He explained, “It’s not just the holes in the coverage; it’s the capacity they’re dealing with that has issues now. Year on year, in the United States of America, you’re using 40% more. So if we’re using 10 gigabytes a month last year, we’re using 14% this year, and it’s expected to grow and grow.” This observation underscored the growing demand for mobile data and the strain it placed on existing infrastructure.

Micky Watkins drew a compelling comparison between World Mobile and traditional Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). He characterized World Mobile as a “people-powered network for the people by the people,” emphasizing its collective strength. He pointed out that this perspective was often overlooked, and the telecom industry had long operated as an oligarchy. World Mobile’s mission aimed to challenge this status quo.

The panelists, Micky Watkins, and James Tagg, delved into the innovative EarthNode NFT and its pivotal role in powering the World Mobile network. They explained how users could run a World Mobile node, which operated the World Mobile sidechain on the Cardano blockchain.

The panel discussion provided valuable insights into the World Mobile project, its mission, and the transformative potential of EarthNode NFTs in creating a more inclusive and accessible mobile sharing economy.

Booths

There were a number of lively and interactive booths at NFTxLV 2023, here we’ll highlight a few of the booths that stood out:

Clay Nation: The Clay Nation team set up an interactive booth that featured a coffee machine, games, as well as a photo booth where community members could take pictures with the team.

You can find out more about Clay Nation at the following link: https://www.claynation.io/

Cornucopias: Over a dozen members of the Cornucopias team attended NFTxLV. The team set up a boot that featured multiple gaming stations that let users test out Multiplayer Racing in the Cornucopias on the latest game build.

You can check out the latest Youtube video from Cornucopias that features Multiplayer gameplay here.

The Mallard Order: The Mallard Order’s booth setup included Artwork, collectibles, and stickers that were being handed out to community members.

You can find out more about the Mallard Order here: https://www.mallardorder.io/

RFLXT: The RFLXT booth featured games for community members to try out, and a system that can perform 3D scans to create in-game characters.

You can find out more about RFLXT here: https://rflxt.com/corp

Input Output: Input Output’s booth featured educational material where community members could learn more about Lace, Intersect, RFLXT, and more. IOG also provided branded merchandise for the community at their booth.

You can find the visit the Input Output Global website at the following link: https://iog.io/

NFTxLV Special Events

RFLXT x The Ape Society Afterparty

There were a few special events at NFTxLV 2023, such as an after party hosted by RFLXT and The Ape Society at the Red Tail Bar.

You can find out more about The Ape Society here.

Boss Cats Holders Hang Out

Another community event at NFTxLV was the Boss Cat Holders Hang Out, held exclusively for Boss Cats Rocket Club NFT holders at the Golden Spike on September 30th. The event saw over a dozen community and team members from Boss Cats Rocket Club get together in Las Vegas during NFTxLV. The venue featured a pool as well as a Bar & Grill.