A successful and expansive Web3 metropolis means bringing the physical and the digital worlds together. This is what Matt Medved is doing through their five-day showcase at the Art Basel Miami 2022 aptly named The Gateway. Joining Jeff Kelley, Eathan Janney, and Josh Kriger, the Co-Founder, CEO and Editor in Chief of nft now discusses how they provide a gateway into Web3 to artists, community partners, speakers, and performers from both the traditional and digital spaces. Matt also shares how doing backyard sales as a child inspired him to jump into NFTs and what it is like to build a diverse and easily accessible community of creators.
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Matt Medved Of NFT Now Invites Us To 'The Gateway: A Web3 Metropolis' During Art Basel Miami 2022
This is Matt Medved of NFT Now, the award-winning Web3 digital media platform on a mission to empower the creators of culture and help bring NFTs from niche to mainstream. I'm on the Edge of Nft, the show that's co-creating with you, us, and everyone else. Stay tuned and keep on creating.
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NFT curious readers, stay tuned for this episode and learn how NFT Now is bringing incredible activations to Miami from November 29th to December 3rd, 2022 during Art Basel and why our special guest fondly thinks of his childhood yard sales and still inspiring him now plus learn about NFT Now's upcoming membership model, collaborations, and other fun surprises. Don't forget, we put together a gathering called NFTLA that brought out thousands of the world's most innovative doers in the NFT space. You can head to NFTLA.live to get tickets to our bigger, better, bolder, but also just as an intimate and impactful event happening in Los Angeles from March 20th to the 23rd, 2023. We'll see you there.
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This episode features Matt Medved, the Cofounder, CEO, and Editor-in-Chief of NFT Now, an award-winning Web3 digital media platform for NFT coverage and curation. As an early adopter of Web3, he's worked to bridge the world of music, culture, and technology to uplift artistry for nearly a decade. Under his leadership, NFT Now became the first ever digital media publication to curate a major auction house sale and won an NFT Award in 2022 for Best Written Coverage of NFTs.
Yahoo Finance has ranked him as one of the Top 10 Most Influential Figures in the NFT space. Prior to NFT Now, Matt served as the SVP of Content at Modern Luxury and the Editor in Chief of Spin, where he directed the iconic music and culture titles in the 2019 rebrand. Before leading Spin, Matt founded Billboard Dance in 2015 and grew the vertical into the leading dance electronic music publication in North America.
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Matt, welcome to the show.
Great to be here, guys. Thank you for having me. I’m excited to chat.
I'm giggling a little bit here because we accidentally didn't record a session that we had with you, so we get to have an even deeper conversation that we had that cannot be NFT and is now in the ether.
That's right but we got our warmup in. Now, we're ready to go.
We're rolling man. You're high energy for a guy that is working round-the-clock printing what seems like an epic experience in Miami during Art Basel. We're talking about a five-day showcase with you all as well as Mana Common and MoonPay powering the infrastructure they like to do. Shout out to those guys. It starts for the public on the 29th and it has a lot of key speakers and artists. You guys have thought about everything. We would love to hear more.
Thanks so much. We're super excited. We're The Gateway: Web3 Metropolis, which is, as you said, a five-day festival. We're taking over 12 buildings and 2 city blocks in Downtown Miami to unite the Web3 community. It's going to feature leading artists, community partners, speakers, and performers. What we're excited about too is all of these amazing immersive activations by all of these incredible partners that we brought together.
We're going to have gmoney’s 9dcc, Adam Bomb Squad, Art Blocks, Christie's, RTFKT Clone X, FaZe Clan, Instagram, MetaMask, Porsche, WME, and the list goes on. I always forget 1 or 2 but it's going to be special. This is happening during Miami Basel. The November 29th is going to be the press preview in the like, then from the 30th through December 3rd, 2022, it's open free to the registered public. That was important to us.
We recognize we're in a bear market. People don't have the same disposable income as they may have a year ago. They're hurting. We wanted to be able to bring people together, unite this community, and do something special. Another thing that I'm very excited about is we are, as NFT Now, taking over the historic duPont Bank Building with Christie's and turning it into a massive audiovisual gallery.
If you haven't seen it, it's this crazy old bank building with this cinematic vault. We're going to block it all out, put these giant projection screens, and have some of the leading artists in the space there. There are going to be musical performers and incredible speakers during the day. You can go check out more and learn more and RSVP for a free ticket at NFTNow.com/TheGateway. The capacity is limited so I would encourage anyone who's interested when you read this to go do so but we would love to welcome you. It's open to the public and that was important.
I see some familiar faces on the speakers that were some of the highlights that NFT LA and some folks that probably have done a lot of things but maybe haven't spoken publicly that you guys were able to wrangle for this opportunity. I appreciate the amount of curation there. You got Micah Johnson, Keith Grossman, Latasha, and Julie Pacino. All revolutionary pioneers in their own way.
It was important for us too, in addition to having the leading artists, movers, shakers, and community leaders in the space. We also wanted to showcase the incredible diversity the space has to offer and go beyond obvious choices as well when it comes to creators, categories, and speakers to highlight. On the art side, there are going to be some more nascent scenes like Poetry NFTs and nude photography. They are going to have their own place. We see The Gateway as this glimpse into the future so the curation reflects that.
I'm very much looking forward to it. I’m hoping for some heist activation or NFT hostage negotiation or something that happens but I won't cross my fingers. It's an exciting place to host an event. You’re not doing this for the first time, right? It's the evolution of some things that you were doing in the past year. I would love to hear about how that all came together.
The Gateway, as a concept, the vision draws inspiration from the fact that we are the last generations to grow up without digital ownership from day one. Future generations are not going to have the same hang-ups that we do. They're not going to care about right-click save, where do I hang it, or any of these things.
They're going to grow up owning things both digitally and physically and accept them for their own unique strengths and appeals. We first envisioned The Gateway as this glimpse into that not-so-distant future where NFTs and digital art coexist in creative harmony with the traditional art world. As we saw with the boom in 2021, there were a lot of sensationalist headlines and misinformation. I used to joke, I'm like, “If the only thing I knew about NFTs were what I'd read in the headlines, I might not like them either.”
One thing that was important for us is we see The Gateway as extending this welcoming hand to the traditional art world. Helping people there understand that these worlds aren't mutually exclusive. In fact, they're quite complementary. It's always an and. It's never an or. People are always going to need paintings, sculptures, and incredibly beautiful physical art but they're also going to have metaverse galleries too.
This space has helped a ton of people who otherwise did not feel like they could play a role in the art world. It’s helping them learn and become interested enthusiasts and consumers in that space. It was about extending that welcoming hand and bringing digital and physical together at that time. What's interesting too is things have changed since 2021. I always say, “In Web3, weeks or months, months or years, we're in a whole different market climate now. We're in the bear.”
2022 was important for us to broaden the events’ horizons. We wanted to unite the Web3 community beyond art. That's why it was important for us to include other leaders in the space to activate alongside us from spanning the worlds of art, music, culture, gaming, tech, fashion, and beyond. Our guiding mantra through all this has been, “It’s always better together.”
At NFT Now, we're big believers in the fact that mental health in the space is so important. We're cognizant of the fact of this volatility and the ups and downs associated with the crypto space and the NFP space can be tough on people. We recognize too that there's no shortage of negativity and uncertainty circling around Web3 on Twitter. It's easy to fall victim to those sentiments if you stay in that echo chamber.
The minute you get face to face with an incredible creator or builder, it all washes away and you feel that energy again. You realize we're all driving the space forward. We're building a more equitable creative economy and our conviction in where this is going has not wavered in the least. We wanted to air on the side of inclusivity and make sure that people all over the place could access that, feel that, and understand the potential of this technology, the power of what's being built here, and the concept of community is not just a buzzword in this space.
It's important. I think Web3 burnout is a real thing. It's a rather frenetic intense society that we call Web3. There's been this shift towards greater consciousness that I've seen at our event. I learned that Gareb Shamus is working with Deepak Chopra on a new consciousness project. This is not the first project that's been presented to us. We had Rafi Lounge on the show where they're doing a Soho house-type environment in Malibu for a conscious Web3 collaboration.
We're trying to do this wellness experience at NFT LA that would be pretty unique too. I love that you're thinking about mental health in this very challenging time and from an economic perspective. At the end of the day, the economics in the market doesn't change the art and technology revolution that's occurred over the last few years.
There's a lot to celebrate in a lot of cultures that you guys are fostering here. I appreciate you explaining all that. Are there any particular collaborations that you're excited about? I know they're all like your children at this point but are any of those special things that we can look forward to that you can talk a little bit more about?
One of the things that are important that I want to get across is that we view this event as a literal gateway to bring new people into Web3 and bring them into the space. Help them understand the power and potential of this technology. Education is so critical to onboarding the next generation to Web3 in the masses.
I want people to know from the fireside chats and art installations that there's something for everyone here whether you're crypto-curious or you're already a diehard dGen. For example, Instagram's activation is going to be awesome. It's going to be super visually compelling whether you own an NFT or not. Similarly, I'm excited to get FaZe Clan involved because they're going to draw some gamers into the space that likely haven't dabbled in Web3 yet.
I'm excited about the intersection of digital and physical and what that means for the fashion world and the luxury world. Having RTFKT and gmoney’s 9dcc, both leaders in that space is exciting for me and the list goes on. I'm a huge fan of generative art. I was down at Art Blocks’ Marfa. It's special to have the Art Blocks team activating with us as well.
I'm happy that we can bring some more legacy brands like Porsche to the table and into the space. For me, there's no shortage. I'm so excited about the art. I was very hands-on in curating the artwork for this. I wanted these giant projection screens to feel like portals to a different world and have some amazing artists that are doing some notable pieces. I’m excited to bring everyone together. I know we keep coming back to that but there's a reason why it's the Web3 metropolis in 2022.
I remember in 2021 at Art Basel, Miami, traffic was terrible. They’re trying to get from South Beach to here to there. It felt fragmented. We were like, “Let's have a place where people can come and stay.” From the 30th to the 3rd, it's open from 12:00 to 9:00 PM with speaker programming, musical performances, and all of the art. There are some exciting surprises and things from the communities that are getting involved.
I'm excited to reconnect with everyone because this is a very special community. As you said, we're in the depths of a bear. The people who are here, who are showing up, who are building day in, day out during the space are the true believers. Those are the ones that are in it for the right reasons and the people I want to be with.
I know you have some team members in New York and Miami. We're spread out as well in LA. There are no shortages of events or building happening. We continue to get an influx of incredible projects that want to have their voice on the show that are building. I'm sure you guys do as well. It's exciting. What you are doing to demonstrate that energy on a visceral level is so important.
While we're still having you for a minute here, can you tell us a little bit about your roadmap moving forward? I'd love to hear a little bit about that where you are at.
For those who may not be as familiar with NFT Now, our mission is to empower the creators of culture and to bring NFTs from niche to mainstream. We never wanted to be the ones preaching to the choir of crypto, Twitter, and all that. People are already down the whole time. We want to help convert the masses, bring new people in, and help ensure that they are onboarded in a great way in a way that they feel safe, empowered, educated, and thrive.
To that effect, we fundamentally believe that this technology is going to redefine how creators in their communities create and share value across every single category. Everything we saw over the past year with digital collectibles and digital art, it’s two great use cases but fairly scratching the surface. There are so many more that come to mind from music to literary NFTs, TV, film, all the utility-based projects, even more, mundane and uses like government documents, deeds to land, houses, or cars, the list goes on.
The other thing that is important to stress is that the last thing we ever wanted NFT Now to be is a traditional Web2 media company covering NFTs. I've had a career in the legacy media world. I believe that the media model is broken fundamentally. It has prioritized weak ties at the top of the funnel. Audiences have become loyal to the headline, not the brand. The ad-based model misaligns incentives to the point where publications are more concerned with serving their advertisers than they are in their community.
It's the whole trick with Web2 where the Web2 model is about building an audience as a means to the end to monetize it indirectly as a middleman for brands. With Web3, you can build community as an end in itself and directly monetize by sharing the value that you're creating together. We've always believed in applying that model and that mindset to the media space. There's a lot we have in the works on that front.
A little bit I can say is that one of those initiatives involves membership. We are going to be launching our NFT membership pass in 2023 so we'll have more details coming there. Stay tuned. If you're at The Gateway, I highly suggest you obtain the pro up. Keep an eye out there. We're excited about that. We've launched a number of franchises that over the past years were excited to continue to build.
The first one that comes to mind is Next Up. We are committed to providing a platform for rising artists in the space. It was funny when we did our first Next Up list. If you look back on it, it was the top of 2022. If you'll look at it, you'll be like, “These aren't rising artists,” like Alpha Centauri Kid, Diana Sinclair, and Drift but they were at the time. That shows to show how fast things can evolve and move. We always want to be providing that platform. It turned into a monthly series where we'd spotlight different creators and we have some big things planned for 2023 that I'm excited about.
It's very close to my heart. We also unveiled the NFT100, which is our flagship editorial franchise. We revealed that with an event at the Rainbow Room during NFT NYC. We recognize 100 of the most influential artists and creators. They’re not ranked. It was important to us that it wouldn't be anything arbitrary. It's not one apple or orange. This is more of a celebration. It's not about competition.
We also are excited to build that special community and to continue to welcome new people into it. We have some big things planned there. With NFT Now, there's never a dull moment and we still got to get through The Gateway. That's my prime focus now. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves but very excited about everything to come.
It's been great chatting with you about all this stuff. I'll throw in one of our Quick Hitter questions for fun. What is the first thing you ever sold?
The first time you asked me was purchase and I was like, “That's easy.” It was a Live Paul McCartney album. My dad is a huge Beatles fan. I'm clearly trying to buy time to think of this now but what I will say is my mother because I already gave my dad the shout-out. Sorry dad, your episode got lost in the ether. I understood NFTs because I understood how he collects music memorabilia. It clicked for me immediately, so thank you, dad. My mom is amazing at spotting bargains and the like. We call her the estate sale, garage sale queen. She'll find the most incredible things. I grew up doing a yearly garage sale and a neighborhood garage sale as well.
I'm pretty sure that the first thing that I ever sold was in that garage sale. It probably was something that she convinced me to sell or sold without my explicit approval. It had something to do with a video game console, a Game Boy, or something that I wasn't using. With toys, she'll hold on to physical toys and things like that.
She's like, “These can be valuable one day.” The whole collecting mentality made a lot of sense in my space. She collects antiques. I'm thinking the first thing I ever sold probably wasn't my choice. That come across in my NFT approach. I am someone who airs on the side of hoardling. I'm much more likely to hold something to zero than to sell too early.
Thanks for playing the game with us and doing an impromptu answer, even though you had it practice the first time around. Let people know explicitly where to follow and keep up with you before we wrap and we'll walk us out.
For all things NFT Now, NFTNow.com. We are @NFTNow on every social media platform from Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and beyond. If you're interested in coming to The Gateway, you have a friend who will be down there, a friend in Miami, or anything, NFTNow.com/TheGateway. I encourage you to come and share it. RSVP is free and it's going to be a special vibe. For myself, if you want to follow along on all the Web2 media social platforms, I'm @MattMedved. For the Web3 ones, I was able to secure @Medved. I look forward to connecting with all of you.
We've reached out our limit here at the show for this episode but thanks for sharing this time with us. We've got more event space for adventures on the starship. We want people to invite their friends and recruit some cool strangers that will make this journey also much better. They can go to Spotify and iTunes right now. Rate us and say something awesome or go to EdgeOfNFT.com to dive further down the rabbit hole. Look us up on all major social platforms by typing @EdgeOfNFT and start a fun conversation with us online and look out for more great NFT content next time. Thanks for sharing this time with us, Matt.
Thank you, guys, for having me. This has been a great conversation. I think the second time was even better, honestly.
It always is.
Important Links
- NFT Now
- NFTLA.live
- Modern Luxury
- Spin
- Billboard Dance
- Art Basel
- Mana Common
- MoonPay
- The Gateway: Web3 Metropolis
- 9dcc
- Adam Bomb Squad
- Art Blocks
- Christie's
- RTFKT Clone X
- FaZe Clan
- MetaMask
- Porsche
- WME
- Micah Johnson - Twitter
- Keith Grossman - Twitter
- Latasha - Twitter
- Julie Pacino
- Poetry NFTs
- Gareb Shamus - Twitter
- Deepak Chopra
- Rafi Lounge – Previous Episode
- dGen
- @NFTNow – Twitter
- Instagram – NFT Now
- TikTok – NFT Now
- @MattMedved - Twitter
- Spotify – Edge of NFT Podcast
- iTunes – Edge of NFT Podcast
- @EdgeOfNFT - Instagram
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