Proof of BASED with Garrett Skrovina, founder of $BASED | ZEROPOD S2E17

Garrett Skrovina, founder of $BASED, shared his journey into the crypto space, beginning with his early interest in blockchain technology during the ICO era. He minted an NFT on Zora, achieving significant distribution with nearly half a million minted across 400,000 unique wallets, and plans to leverage this NFT by summer 2024. His background includes a mix of music and finance, having worked at Roc Nation managing brand partnerships for artists like Megan Thee Stallion and Fat Joe before transitioning to CoinDesk in early 2022, where he focused on strategy and partnerships.

At CoinDesk, he worked on a product development project called Coindesk Flash, aimed at delivering market-moving news, but left after the project was deprioritized following the company's sale. In early 2024, he became the head of crypto at Laser, where he oversees projects for clients like Coinbase and Polymarket, emphasizing the importance of clear planning and community engagement in crypto.

The conversation also explored the concept of a "Crypto Bloomberg" and the role of decentralized news platforms. Skrovina discussed his experience on Farcaster, where he became an active user after finding it more engaging than Twitter. He shared insights about launching a token or NFT, highlighting the challenges and the mixed reactions from investors.

Skrovina introduced his project BASED, linked to the Base ecosystem, which originated from the East Denver 2023 event where Coinbase announced Base as an L2 solution. He discussed the launch of the Based token on August 11, 2024, which aimed for a fair process with significant allocations for NFT holders and community contributions. Future projects include collaborations and merchandise connected to NFTs.

He emphasized the importance of experimenting with on-chain connectivity for merchandise buyers and identified as an "on-chain experiment maxi." Skrovina acknowledged the confusion in the current landscape of experimentation and shared personal preferences, including his favorite cuisine and inspirational figures like Rick Rubin and Steve Jobs. The conversation concluded with his gratitude for the discussion and an invitation for listeners to learn more about the Base project through social media.