Mad News #21 📰 Breakpoint 2023 Has Arrived
Mad Lads are descending on Amsterdam for Breakpoint 2023, The Roster adds it's first cold weather athlete, new 1/1 artwork is released and Solana Labs launches a startup incubator.
Welcome back to the Mad News! 🗞️
the latest 1/1 Mad Lad artwork
new Roster member roars 🦁
Amsterlads descend on Breakpoint 2023
OPOS campaign kicks into hyperdrive 🌌
Solana Labs launches startup incubator
the first Crypto Policy Bootcamp recap
trade US Treasury bills on Solana
…and much more!
View the full Table of Contents here.
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Breakpoint events with the Lads team 🗓️
Oct 31 | 5:45PM Shopify, Powered by Solana (Gonzalo)
Nov 1 | 1:45PM Explorers, Interpreting Information for the Masses (Armani)
Nov 2 | 11:35AM Backpack Keynote Speech (Armani)
Nov 3 | 10:00AM The Scoop Podcast Live (Armani)
View the full speaker’s agenda here.
“The world Chico, and everything in it.”
Lads released a 1/1 love letter to a pop culture powerhouse that personifies the “fock it” mentality.
Scarface is a 1980s film that chronicles the tale of Tony Montana, a Cuban refugee seeking his fortune in America.
Embodying the possibility of a person rising from the bottom of society to the top, Tony Montana has become a cultural icon, as well as one of the most iconic film characters of all time.
The Mad Lads reported “there are 33 unminted 1/1s” on April 23rd.
Since then then they have released multiple ‘honorary’ NFTs for influential Solana figures like Meltem Demirors and Austin Federa as well as theme based 1/1s like Davey Jones.
Hear me roar! 🦁
Professional snowboarder Lyon Farrell has joined The Roster.
Lyon Farrell has action sports stardom in his genes. Lyon's father is a legendary big-wave surfer and his mother was a two-time Windsurfing World Champion who won a gold medal at the first-ever X Games.
Lyon is the first “winter sports” athlete to join The Roster and is currently working to qualify for the Winter Olympics on Team New Zealand.
The Roster is filled with exciting creators that express the “fock it” mentality and are working to bridge the gap from web2 content consumers to activated web3 fans.
In an era saturated with content creators, The Roster stands out as a beacon of audacity and originality.
Staying true to the Mad Lads philosophy, they fearlessly venture into uncharted territories, delivering content that is bound to captivate audiences beyond Web3.
Mad Skulls on fire (literally and figuratively)
Subcommunities are cooking. The Mad Skulls, a group of Skull trait holders, dropped their first announcement regarding the Council of Five.
We are excited to announce that Retired Chad Dev, Kadense, and Sin have been elected as the first Skull Council members, along with Tristan Yver and Legend as non-voting members.
It is unclear exactly what the Mad Skulls are up to but we know one thing for sure, it’s going to be mad!
The Lads inspire change as waves of new holders onboard
Increasing hype about X, Backpack and what it means for Mad Lads holders has spurred a buying frenzy.
In many cases, Mad Lads are the first Solana collection that they ever purchased. For others Mad Lads artwork is the first time they’ve been represented.
I love the Mad Lads community. For starters, this is the only PFP I have ever really related to.
LAD OF THE WEEK: SoL_G
Our LOTW’s earn their title for a wide variety of reasons.
Some create, some build, while others inspire.
SoL_G supports.
He supports the Mad Lads and Backpack mission unconditionally with daily actions that lift up the team and community.
It is rare to come across a Mad Lads related post that SoL_G has not already interacted with or leveled up with a piece of content.
He is an active presence in the various group chats and always has a good word for all fellow NFT holders.
Backpack wallet gains more and more mindshare
The Sleuth is a popular web3 blog that focuses on the Solana ecosystem. Backpack appeared in a recent post titled “Solana Starter Pack”
New users have began to share their experiences with Backpack technology.
I've used a lot of wallet clients over the years, but Backpack is an entirely different experience.
We are staked, LOCKED, moisturized, and buckled in for the ride.
Integrations with NFT projects and Solana applications are steadily increasing.
Amsterlads gear up for action-packed week at Solana’s Breakpoint 2023 conference
November 1st is loaded with Mad Lad’s events, strap in!
Big Brain Super League matches
Amsterdam Boat Mixer
Mad Lads holders party
Brackets for the Big Brain Super League tournament were released a few days ago, the Mad Lads will battle it out against Claynosaurz in the first round.
The event is being held at the “Footy Park Amsterdam”.
X marks the spot in the Stoned Apes Treasure Hunt
The Lads will be adventuring throughout the city in the hunt for Treasure Spots, a place where you scan a QR code to claim a cNFT.
Stoned Ape Crew organized the week long event that rewards players with pockets full of stamps and (hopefully!) a bag filled with fantastic prizes.
Armani on Black Box stage
Armani Ferrante is scheduled to deliver the Backpack keynote speech on November 2nd at 11AM.
You can find more information on the Breakpoint mobile app.
Breakpoint event locations all on same campus
All panels, presentations, workshops, dining and rest locations are within walking distance of each other.
I think the biggest difference is that all stages will be located on the same campus.
Lisbon was an awesome city to host the first two conferences, but Breakpoint grew to the point where transportation between venues became cumbersome.
Amsterdam has the infrastructure and layout to accommodate more attendees.
Only Possible On Solana adverts pop up all over Amsterdam
Berlin was papered with #OPOS advertisements leading up to Solana’s Hacker House Berlin earlier this year.
It looks like the events team is executing the same strategy in Amsterdam as early arrivals discover the campaign.
#OPOS video campaign kicks into high gear
Only Possible On Solana has been the theme of the summer and fall.
What started off as a throwaway line by Solana dev 0xMert (featured above) has turned into the most aggressive marketing campaign that Solana has ever seen.
Solana’s most notable builders and brands are sitting down to explain what the blockchain means to them and why Solana is a smart option to develop on.
HYPERDRIVE Hackathon winners selected..sort of
The *official* Hyperdrive hackathon winners have not been announced yet (it’s suspected that this will come out during Breakpoint).
That hasn’t stopped Superteam Germany from selecting their own internal winners.
Keks won the Backpack prize (one Mad Lads NFT) for their white label merch service.
Superteam UK also sponsored their own Hyperdrive prize tracks. More than forty projects were launched during the hackathon from Superteam UK originated teams!
Solana Labs launches startup incubator
Solana Labs doubles down on their commitment to support fledgling blockchain builders and businesses.
If you're aiming to create the next great company in Web3, we're here to build alongside you. Get hands-on engineering, go-to-market, and fundraising support from the Solana Labs team.
Applications are due by November 30th, if accepted you will receive:
Hands on development support
Design and go-to-market planning
Fundraising support, access to VCs
Connection to Labs’ network
Amplification on the Solana Labs marketing channels
Learn more about the incubator program here.
First ever Crypto Policy Bootcamp held in Washington D.C.
The Solana Foundation collaborated with Polygon Labs to organize the first Crypto Policy Bootcamp this week.
Crypto founders, CEOs, VCs and other stakeholders heard insights from policy experts and Congressional aides on:
the state of key legislation
different types of advocacy
how to communicate value propositions for the blockchain
Learning to effectively engage in the political process is foundational to a healthy, functioning democracy. I’m proud that we were able to collaborate across industry to educate builders on becoming engaged citizens.
-Amira Valliani, Head of Policy at The Solana Foundation
Learn more about what was covered in the Bootcamp here.
Squads brings US Treasury bills to Solana blockchain
Squads, a developer and treasury management tool for SVM products, aligned with Maple to provide secure access to U.S. Treasury bills on Solana.
The process is simple for Squads users:
Connect a Squads multisig using SquadsX to Maple's web-app to lend USDC;
Next, click on 'Lend Funds' to initiate a transaction that requires multisig approval;
Once approved and executed by the multisig members, the funds will be deposited into Maple's pool.
Learn more about the integration here.
Podcast Corner!
Lightspeed Podcast
Garret and Mert chat with Joel Monegro from Placeholder.
In this episode, we cover Joel's Solana thesis, upcoming infrastructure consolidation, app-specific L2 use cases, Joel's updated thoughts on The Fat Protocol Thesis, finding your investment edge and more!
The duo also sat down with Jon Charbonneau of DBA.
Jon Charbonneau joins us to discuss how integrated and modular chains are on an inevitable path toward the same endgame. Jon is an investor and the most prolific researcher in the space who understands the nuances and tradeoffs of the Solana and Ethereum ecosystems.
Chewing Glass
Chewing Glass is a Solana driven podcast that is hosted by Chase Barker. This weeks episode features Chris Heaney, Lead Developer of Drift.
Validated
Austin Federa and Amira Valliana talk with Dante Disparte of Circle to talk stablecoin adoption and regulation.
Dante envisions a promising future for stablecoins as he explores fundamental questions about their ultimate objectives and distinct applications in the world of payments.
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Table of Contents
Mad Lads/Backpack
“The world Chico, and everything in it.”
Hear me roar! 🦁
Mad Skulls on fire (literally and figuratively)
The Lads inspire change as waves of new holders onboard
LAD OF THE WEEK: SoL_G
Backpack wallet gains more and more mindshare
Amsterlads gear up for action-packed week at Solana’s Breakpoint 2023 conference
X marks the spot in the Stoned Apes Treasure Hunt
Armani on Black Box stage
Podcast Corner!
Solana
Breakpoint event locations all on same campus
Only Possible On Solana adverts pop up all over Amsterdam
#OPOS video campaign kicks into high gear
HYPERDRIVE Hackathon winners selected..sort of
Solana Labs launches startup incubator
First ever Crypto Policy Bootcamp held in Washington D.C.
Squads brings US Treasury bills to Solana blockchain