Rushi Manche, Co-Founder of Movement Labs, on $MOVE, How To Successfully Launch a Token, and The Move Programming Language | Ep. 397

Rushi Manche, Co-Founder of Movement Labs, joined the Cryptonews Spotlight podcast to share insights into launching $MOVE, the Move programming language, and his vision for the future of blockchain development.

Launching $MOVE: Lessons from a Successful Token Release

Rushi detailed the $MOVE token launch strategy, highlighting the importance of balancing airdrops, exchange distribution, and positive sentiment.

“With any token launch, there are three major factors: airdrop, distribution, and sentiment.”

Despite uncertainty during the process, their community-first approach ensured the launch exceeded expectations.

The Origins of Movement Labs

“We started Movement Labs with the belief that Move is the best language in crypto for blockchains.”

Movement Labs began as a contrarian bet on the Move programming language, which Rushi and his co-founders saw as underutilized but uniquely suited for high-throughput, secure blockchain development.

Move Programming Language

Rushi explained the origins of Move, developed during Facebook’s Libra project, and its strengths, including parallelization and formal verification for secure, high-performance blockchain applications.

“Move was designed by Facebook to be the fastest and most secure language for blockchains.”

The Importance of Community

“We knew what the community wanted and made it our mission to deliver.”

Rushi emphasized the importance of listening to community needs, describing how Movement Labs focused on grassroots engagement, developer inclusion, and fair tokenomics to foster loyalty and trust.

Balancing Liquidity and Programmability

Movement Labs aims to merge Ethereum’s liquidity with Move’s programmability, providing a unique approach to building a thriving DeFi ecosystem.

“Our thesis was to bring programmability and high performance to Ethereum while leveraging ETH as a liquidity layer.”

Is $MOVE an L1 or L2?

“Call us L1 or L2—I don’t care. What matters is the apps being built.”

Rushi dismissed the need for rigid classifications, focusing instead on Movement Labs’ ability to empower developers and users with cutting-edge tools.

Positioning in the Blockchain Landscape

Rather than competing with other ecosystems, Rushi emphasized collaboration and building complementary solutions to grow the overall blockchain space.

“We intentionally don’t compete with other chains. Crypto’s biggest mistake is PVP.”

Building Universal Apps with $MOVE

Universal apps built with Move allow developers to orchestrate interactions across chains seamlessly, reducing complexity and enhancing user experiences.

“With Move, you can deploy smart contracts that manage assets across chains from a single environment.”

The Future of Bitcoin and DeFi

Rushi shared how $MOVE opens up DeFi opportunities for Bitcoin, allowing holders to lend, borrow, and earn yield while maintaining exposure to their Bitcoin holdings.

“Move enables Bitcoin’s store-of-value to connect to the broader programmable world of crypto.”

Exploring Niche Applications

“Fitness, education, and smaller markets like recipes are ripe for innovation using crypto.”

Rushi discussed Movement Labs’ focus on untapped sectors such as fitness and education, where crypto can create unique, incentivized ecosystems.

The Intersection of AI and Crypto

“AI enables automation, and crypto provides financial incentives—together, they transform user experiences.”

Rushi highlighted the potential for AI agents to simplify crypto interactions, automate DeFi strategies, and integrate seamlessly into everyday life.

Driving Ecosystem Growth

“Movement Labs is now an accelerator for builders, providing resources to help developers go from zero to one.”

With the successful launch of $MOVE, Movement Labs focuses on supporting developers and funding applications to expand the ecosystem.

Adapting to Market Challenges

“There will always be ups and downs, but adoption and application usage are what truly matters.”

Rushi stressed the importance of staying focused on long-term goals and creating valuable applications, regardless of market fluctuations.

Public Mainnet and the Road Ahead

“Public mainnet is coming soon—this is just the beginning of Move in the crypto ecosystem.”

Rushi teased upcoming developments, including the public mainnet and more applications launching on $MOVE, promising exciting milestones for Movement Labs.