Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.
Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.
An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.
The MemeX Festival, hosted by Memecore, MemeX, and 852Web3, and co-hosted by Pudgy Penguins, Ton, and Hashkey Exchange, brought together some of the brightest minds in Web3 to discuss a pressing question: How can we onboard more people to Web3? The panel, moderated by Chin, Spaces Host from Unfungible, featured an impressive lineup of speakers, including Anndy Lian, Cheryl Law, Master Chef, and Denton. Together, they shared their insights, strategies, and experiences in making Web3 more accessible to the masses.
This article captures the key takeaways from the panel discussion, highlighting the innovative approaches and actionable ideas shared by the speakers.
The Challenge of Onboarding to Web3
Moderator Chin set the tone for the discussion by emphasizing the importance of onboarding in Web3. “Whether you’re a builder, content creator, or just curious, the question remains: how do we get more people into Web3?” he asked. The panelists agreed that while Web3 offers immense potential, the journey to onboard users is fraught with challenges, including technical complexity, lack of awareness, and skepticism.
1. Making Web3 Fun and Accessible
Master Chef, representing WONTON and Hungry Degens, shared a unique approach to onboarding users by gamifying the experience. He explained how their NFT collection starts in a Web2 environment, allowing users to collect items like Pokémon cards before transitioning to on-chain assets. “We encourage users to collect in a Web2 environment first, like opening a pack of cards. Once they’re engaged, we introduce them to the on-chain experience,” he said. This gradual approach has proven successful, with over 4.5 million users engaging with their mini-app.
Chin praised this strategy, noting, “It’s about creating a familiar and enjoyable experience. People love to collect things, and by making it fun, you’re lowering the barrier to entry.”
2. Show, Don’t Tell
Denton, founder of Moon Ring, emphasized the importance of demonstrating the value of Web3 rather than overwhelming users with technical jargon. “Show people what Web3 can do. Let them experience it,” he said. Denton highlighted the success of Moon Ring, a wearable device that allows users to earn tokens by contributing their data. “People don’t even realize they’re interacting with the blockchain. They just wear the ring, track their biometrics, and earn rewards. It’s seamless and user-friendly.”
This “show, don’t tell” philosophy resonated with the audience, as it shifts the focus from explaining blockchain technology to showcasing its tangible benefits. Denton added, “No more chains, no more gas fees. Just a simple, enjoyable experience.”
3. Leveraging Meme Culture
Anndy Lian, Managing Director of LIFT Ecofund and a bestselling author, brought a fresh perspective to the discussion by advocating for the use of memes as an entry point to Web3. “If you want to grow big, you have to be as degen and as silly as you can,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience. Anndy explained that meme coins and meme culture are powerful abilities for engaging users. “Memes are fun, relatable, and easy to understand. They create a sense of community and excitement.”
He also stressed the importance of showing users how they can benefit financially. “If you tell people how they can make money, they will come. Whether it’s Web1, Web2, or Web3, the principle remains the same,” he said. Anndy’s candid advice to projects was to focus on creating fun and engaging experiences that resonate with users.
4. Building Emotional Connections
Cheryl Law, Head of Asia for Pudgy Penguins, highlighted the role of emotional connections in onboarding users. “Pudgy Penguins is not just about selling dreams and visions. We’re selling physical toys that people can touch and feel,” she said. Cheryl explained that these toys create an emotional attachment, making it easier for users to engage with the brand and explore Web3.
She shared a personal anecdote about onboarding her mother, who initially dismissed Web3 as complex and intimidating. “When she saw the Pudgy Penguin toys, she was intrigued. It’s cute, it’s tangible, and it’s something she could relate to,” Cheryl said. This approach has helped Pudgy Penguins reach a broader audience, including those who might not typically engage with Web3.
Cheryl also emphasized the importance of distribution and visibility. “We’re everywhere—TikTok, Facebook, YouTube. We’re playing the long-term game, building a community, and creating mindshare,” she said. By combining physical products with a strong online presence, Pudgy Penguins has successfully bridged the gap between Web2 and Web3.
5. Simplifying the Onboarding Process
One recurring theme throughout the discussion was the need to simplify the onboarding process. Cheryl shared how Pudgy Penguins uses QR codes to make it easy for users to join their ecosystem. “You scan the QR code, enter your Gmail, and you’re in the Pudgy world. It’s that simple,” she said. This streamlined approach removes the technical barriers that often deter new users.
Denton echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of removing friction. “No one wants to deal with gas fees or complicated wallets. The experience should be as smooth as possible,” he said.
6. The Role of Community and IP
The panelists agreed that community and intellectual property (IP) play a crucial role in onboarding users. Anndy pointed out that strong IP can create a sense of identity and belonging. “Pudgy Penguins is a great example. They’ve built a brand that people want to be a part of,” he said.
Cheryl added that community building is at the heart of Pudgy Penguins’ strategy. “We’re not just selling toys or NFTs. We’re creating a community where people feel connected and valued,” she said. This sense of community fosters loyalty and encourages users to explore Web3 further.
7. The Power of Memes and Mass Adoption
Anndy and Cheryl both highlighted the potential of memes to drive mass adoption. “Memes are universal. They transcend language and culture,” Cheryl said. Anndy added, “Memes are the perfect entry point. They’re fun, they’re relatable, and they make Web3 less intimidating.”
The panelists also discussed the role of meme coins in onboarding users. While acknowledging the risks, Anndy argued that meme coins can be a powerful ability for engagement. “It’s a lot easier to get someone to buy a $1 meme coin than to explain the intricacies of blockchain technology,” he said.
Conclusion: A Multi-Faceted Approach
The panel discussion at MemeXFestival provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities of onboarding users to Web3. From gamification and emotional connections to meme culture and community building, the speakers shared a range of strategies to make Web3 more accessible and appealing.
As Chin aptly summarized, “It’s about creating experiences that resonate with people. Whether it’s through toys, memes, or seamless technology, the goal is to make Web3 fun, engaging, and easy to use.”
The journey to onboard the masses to Web3 is just beginning, but with innovative approaches like these, the future looks promising. As the panelists demonstrated, the key lies in meeting users where they are, making the experience enjoyable, and showing them the value of Web3.
Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.
Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.
An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.
Binance claims no special relationship with Hamas, argues to dismiss lawsuit
A federal judge has not yet issued a ruling on a motion to dismiss a lawsuit, filed by families of victims affected by the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, against cryptocurrency exchange Binance and its former CEO, Changpeng CZ Zhao.
On Jan. 30 in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, lawyers representing Binance presented oral arguments in connection with the companys motion to dismiss the families complaint filed in January 2024. According to reporting from Inner City Press, the exchanges legal team argued crypto was not inherently dangerous, pushing back against allegations that Binance facilitated transactions benefiting Hamas.
There was no special relationship between Hamas and Binance, said a lawyer for the exchange.
Kraken restores staking services in US after 2-year hiatus
Crypto exchange Kraken has resumed staking services for US clients for the first time in nearly two years. Customers ability to stake had been paused since 2023, when the exchange reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission over the services.
Customers in 37 US states will now be able to access staking services for 17 digital assets, including Ether, SOL, and Cardano’s ADA.
Kraken was among the first crypto exchanges to provide staking services to customers, which it began offering in 2019. The exchange agreed to stop providing the services in February 2023 as part of a $30 million settlement with the SEC.
SBFs parents seek pardon from President Trump: Report
The parents of former FTX CEO Sam SBF Bankman-Fried are reportedly exploring the possibility of a presidential pardon for their son, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison last March.
According to a Jan. 30 Bloomberg report citing anonymous sources, Bankman-Frieds parents have already met with lawyers and other figures close to the Trump administration to determine whether clemency was possible.
Once considered to be the golden child of crypto, Bankman-Frieds house of cards fell apart in late 2022 when FTX couldnt fulfill customer withdrawals. The exchange collapsed in a matter of days, revealing a business built on fraud, embezzlement and misuse of customer funds.
Elon Musks dad plans $200M raise with Musk It memecoin
Elon Musks father may be the next influential figure to raise funds through a memecoin amid growing interest in celebrity-backed meme tokens.
Retail investor interest returned to memecoins after President Donald Trump launched the Official Trump memecoin on Jan. 18 and the Official Melania Meme token on Jan. 19 on the Solana network
Joining the ranks, Elon Musks father, Errol Musk, is reportedly looking to launch his own memecoin token project called Musk It.
Musks father hopes to raise as much as $200 million from the memecoin project, which he plans to use to support a for-profit think tank called the Musk Institute, he told Fortune.
MicroStrategy announces pricing of strike preferred stock offering
MicroStrategy announced the pricing of its perpetual strike preferred stock offering at a public listing price of $80 per share and will issue the corporate securities on Feb. 5.
The company forecasts $563.4 million in revenue from the tranche of perpetual strike preferred stock, which features an 8% coupon and a liquidation value of $100.
According to the announcement, the proceeds from the sale will go toward acquiring more Bitcoin and covering operating expenses.
MicroStrategy continues to lean into its 21/21 plan of issuing $21 billion in equity and $21 billion in fixed-income securities to finance Bitcoin acquisitions, and it has become the most prominent BTC-holding firm.
Winners and Losers
At the end of the week, Bitcoin (BTC) is at $102,408, Ether (ETH) at $3,311 and XRP at $3.05. The total market cap is at $3.52 trillion, according to CoinMarketCap.
Among the biggest 100 cryptocurrencies, the top three altcoin gainers of the week are Onyxcoin (XCN) at 63.67%, MANTRA (OM) at 49.60% and Jupiter (JUP) at 24.35%.
The top three altcoin losers of the week are Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) at 36.44%, Fartcoin (FARTCOIN) at 27.96% and Official Melania Meme (MELANIA) at 21.31%. For more info on crypto prices, make sure to read Cointelegraphs market analysis.
Most Memorable Quotations
Bit of a nothing burger FOMC press conference. Not dovish, not hawkish. Walking a very diplomatic line, and I think the market was expecting Powell to be more vocal about Fed independence.
Huf Haus, founder of Pear Protocol and former TradFi trader
I think were moving past what truly felt like an unlawful war on crypto.
Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple Labs
I’m not so sure Musk It will hit the heights some Trump family memecoins have reached. It feels like Elon’s personal stamp is what really gets people excited about these projects.
Anndy Lian, author and intergovernmental blockchain expert
This could mean that Bitcoin still has room for further upside, but traders should closely monitor the ratio of young coins to long-term holdings for potential warning signs of a top.
CryptoQuant
This is a perfect example of the contrasting behaviors between whales and retail traders and it is often considered a better choice to follow whales rather than retail investors.”
Darkfost, pseudonymous CryptoQuant contributor
Bitcoin’s price is less a standalone reflection of its market fundamentals and more tied to broader macroeconomic shifts, particularly in risk sentiment.
Bitfinex analysts
Prediction of The Week
XRPs 50% rally outperforms crypto market in January Is $4 the next stop?
The XRP token staged an impressive 50% rally throughout January, outperforming the wider cryptocurrency market. Technical chart patterns are now targeting a longer-term breakout above $4 in the future.
XRP rose over 50% during the past month, outperforming Bitcoins 13% rally and Ethers near 4% decline, Cointelegraph Markets Pro data shows.
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XRP token decoupled from the rest of the market due to positive regulatory developments for Ripple Labs, which received approval for its RLUSD stablecoin from the New York Department of Financial Services on Dec. 10.
Another reason behind XRPs price surge is its increased adoption by financial institutions, according to Santiment. The crypto intelligence firm wrote in a Jan. 29 post:
XRP has recently been recognized by more major financial institutions and its integration into various payment systems has bolstered investor confidence.
XRPs price may be setting up for a breakout above $4 before the end of February, according to emerging technical patterns shared by popular crypto analyst Dark Defender.
XRP is pending confirmation on 4-hour and 1-day time frames for the breakout. The short-term target is $4 with Sub-Wave 5, and the Support is $3.07,” Dark Defender said.
FUD of The Week
Tether disappointed with rushed actions on MiCA-driven USDT delisting in Europe
Stablecoin operator Tether addressed European cryptocurrency regulations amid exchanges like Crypto.com preparing to delist its USDt stablecoin in Europe tomorrow.
Tether expressed disappointment over market developments in Europe amid changes triggered by the enforcement of the European Unions Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework.
Crypto.com, a global crypto exchange, confirmed on Jan. 29 that it will start delisting Tethers USDt stablecoin and nine other tokens on Jan. 31 to comply with MiCA regulations.
It is disappointing to see the rushed actions brought on by statements which do little to clarify the basis for such moves, a spokesperson for Tether told Cointelegraph.
China convicts BKEX staff for illegal gambling via crypto contracts
A Chinese court ruled that cryptocurrency exchange BKEX engaged in illegal gambling through its contract trading platform and sentenced several employees and agents to prison for their roles in the operation.
The Peoples Court of Pingjiang County, Hunan Province, determined on Jan. 29 that BKEXs contract transactions functioned as a form of online gambling, and those involved were accomplices in the crime of opening a casino.
According to the ruling, BKEX allowed users to place bets using USDt, a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar, and apply high leverage up to 1,000x in some cases to wager on the price movements of Bitcoin, Ether and other cryptocurrencies.
Gemini wont hire MIT grads unless university drops ex-SEC chair Gensler
Crypto exchange Gemini wont be hiring any graduates from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology unless the university drops former US Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler from his teaching role.
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As long as MIT has any association with Gary Gensler, Gemini will not hire any graduates from this school, Gemini co-founder and CEO Tyler Winklevoss said in a Jan. 30 post on X. He added the crypto exchange also wouldnt hire interns for its summer internship program.
Gemini has sparred with the SEC since January 2023 after the agency sued the firm alongside Genesis, accusing them of selling unregistered securities through the Gemini Earn program. Genesis paid $21 million in fines in March 2024 to settle the claims.
Top Magazine Stories of The Week
Korean exchange users surge 450%, Metaplanet buying 21K Bitcoin: Asia Express
Metaplanet aims to buy 21,000 Bitcoin by 2026, DeepSeek spooks Bitcoin, Korean users surge after Trump victory.
9 curious things about DeepSeek R1: AI Eye
The real story behind DeepSeek … or at least a bunch of interesting stuff we found out about it online.
Pectra hard fork explained Will it get Ethereum back on track?
Confused by all the technical jargon used by devs to explain Ethereums Pectra hard fork? Weve translated the upgrades into English for ordinary people.
Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.
Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.
An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.
