Dungeons and Degens: Why Everyone Is Talking About Loot
Is it the insane growth in prices, the wild community world building, or both?
ABOUT
This episode is sponsored by NYDIG.
On this edition of the Weekly Recap, NLW looks at Loot (for Adventurers), the newest NFT sensation. Unlike the “JPEG” or Avatar NFTs, Loot bags are sets of theoretical items for a theoretical game set in a theoretical fantasy world. Created by one of the co-founders of Vine, Loot absolutely took off this past week, racing to be one of the most traded NFTs, and attracting thousands upon thousands of people to start creating the world around those items. NLW explores what it means for the NFT space specifically and for the competition between digital and physical worlds more broadly.
See also: The Breakdown’s Official Bitcoin and Crypto Fall Preview
“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features NLW, with editing by Adrian Blust. Adam B. Levine is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsor is “Tidal Wave” by BRASKO. Image credit: Lorado/E+/Getty Images Plus, modified by CoinDesk.
HOST
NLW is an independent strategy and communications consultant for leading crypto companies as well as host of The Breakdown – the fastest-growing podcast in crypto. Whittemore has been a VC with Learn Capital, was on the founding team of Change.org, and founded a program design center at his alma mater Northwestern University that helped inspire the largest donation in the school’s history.

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