Blog
Writing about blockchain history, NFT archaeology, DeFi, cross-chain infrastructure, leadership, and the future of Web3.
Life, Lessons, and the Pursuit of Leadership II
A 2024 year-in-review reflecting on stepping into the CEO role at Emblem Vault, navigating fundraising, and the lessons learned building in crypto.
The Expansion Campaign
Emblem Vault's comprehensive roadmap for launching Emblem 2.0, unifying the COVAL and FUEL communities, and introducing the KEYS token on Bitcoin Runes.
A New Era of Interoperability is Coming
Emblem Vault's decade-long journey from 2014 to becoming the #1 NFT interoperability protocol — and why COVAL is migrating to Bitcoin Runes as KEYS.
Blockchains are Countries: A Mental Model for Understanding Crypto Economies
A conceptual framework comparing blockchains to nation-states — their economies, governance, currencies, and competitive dynamics.
Life, Lessons, and the Pursuit of Leadership I
From financial ruin to CEO — a personal journey through rock bottom, reinvention, and the pursuit of authentic leadership in crypto.
Runes 10k Club
A comprehensive directory of the first 10,000 Bitcoin Runes — the fungible token standard launched by Casey Rodarmor on April 19, 2024.
History of DeFi on Bitcoin
A comprehensive timeline tracing the development of decentralized finance on Bitcoin — from Mastercoin and Counterparty to Ordinals and beyond.
The Capital Flow of Provenance
Where capital flows and value accrues across historical NFT collections on multiple blockchains — examining smart contract provenance, token provenance, and the economics of digital antiquities.
The Transition of Provenance
How provenance — the origin and ownership history of items — transforms in the blockchain era, from physical artifacts to digital timestamps.
History of NFT Marketplaces V2
A comprehensive chronological history of NFT marketplace development from 2014 through 2022 — covering 50+ platforms and protocols.
NFT Archaeology Calendar III: Civil War
The historical NFT landscape from late 2021 through mid-2022 — tracking discoveries, controversies, the CryptoSkulls phenomenon, and the community's 'Vintage vs. Historical' civil war.
NFT Archaeology Calendar II: Uncovering Ground Zero
The rediscovery and revival of historical NFT projects during August-December 2021 — from PixelMap to Rare Pepes, and the birth of NFT archaeology as a discipline.
NFT Archaeology Calendar I: Front-Running History
The birth of NFT archaeology — from the March 2021 rediscovery of MoonCats to the August 2021 sprint that unearthed twenty early projects in thirty-one days.
MoonCats Seeking New Rocket Ship Back to the Moon
An analysis of MoonCats' trajectory post-Sotheby's — community conflict, IP acquisition rumors, and nine potential acquirers who could reshape the project's future.
Dogeparty NFT Directory
A comprehensive reference guide for Dogeparty — the meta-layer on top of Dogecoin for non-fungible tokens, operational since August 2014.
MoonCat Community Purchasing Guide
A comprehensive guide to acquiring MoonCats — the first on-chain generative art NFT on Ethereum, covering marketplaces, rarity tiers, and collector strategies.
Namecoin NFT Directory
A comprehensive guide to Namecoin — the first-ever blockchain fork off Bitcoin (April 2011) and home to the earliest known NFTs in existence.