The night was still. All felt well until a biting breeze broke through the trees as I approached the cemetery. Suddenly, fear began to crawl up my back and encroach on my mind. What’s this doing here? I’ve been to this cemetery before, and I knew the area well. Peculiar. At this point, the sound of leaves crunching beneath my feet with each step was the only thing keeping me focused. Crunch…crunch…crunch. Just focusing on the sounds. It took effort to prevent myself from giving in to the fear and just bolting. You see, my beloved canary had died after 10 years of incredible memories. I buried him in this cemetery a year ago today, February 25th. I finally got to the cemetery, but something was different. The name had changed. I walked up to the sign at the front and pulled away the brush, it read “Dead Pets Society”
_____________________________
![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/949610154272374784/IMG_5846.gif)

On February 25th, Dead Canaries rose out of their coffins and the long-awaited Rising had begun. 450 rose on the day of reckoning. A total of 1,000 are planned for the collection with more being revealed on March 18th. Before we continue, let me take you back to when those undead canaries were still in their coffins.

The initial offering of the coffins stemmed from a familiar idea. Similar to Kanaria eggs, you obtain a coffin with the expectation of your canary rising on the expected date – February 25th. Each coffin cost 1 KSM with rarity randomly generated. As an interesting twist, any trading of purchased coffins irreversibly damages your canary, preventing it from rising on reveal day. These coffins were released in batches of 150 until reveal day and around 450 opened up. Check out a few of these incredible canaries!

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/949610173507444766/IMG_5843.png)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/950729566048120832/Chill.png)

Rarity of the canaries is focused on different aspects of the bird. Whether it be a metal beak, a bucket hat, or peculiar feather features. The composition and style of the canaries brings it to life. 

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/939605146038571118/941797361351524433/Rarity_Chart_Mint.jpg)

Everyone loves a surprise and the team plays off that with the loot-box type reveal. It’s exciting that you don’t know what you’re going to get until reveal day; which isn’t over yet. They plan on continuing reveals throughout the year, once every full moon, and the next one is planned for March 18th! Reveal days are referenced by the team as “Rising” events, where unclaimed coffins are airdropped their undead Canary. Every coffin contains one unique canary. Once a coffin is claimed, it will no longer spawn additional canaries from future Rising events.

What sets the project apart is their focus on aesthetics and subculture. Bringing key pieces from their collection to life as tangible, limited edition merchandise and expanding their collection to feature additional dead pets in the near future, the team is teeing up for a handful of promising releases. With large corporations such as Adidas and Nike coming into the space, Dead Canary Club looks like an interesting sub-section of crypto culture on RMRK that’s just getting started. Dead Pets Society is growing their community from the ground up with key supporters and organic outreach. It is clear they are already on their way with support of successful artists and collectors within this space and have no plans on slowing down. Let’s take some time to get to know the team with a focused interview with [Bullish](https://twitter.com/bullishthekid), co-founder of Dead Pets Society.

![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FM2-YFjXsAwGCEo.jpg)


# From the Founder
### What brought you and your crew to the NFT space? 

Dead Canary Club and Dead Pets Society were first created by @Blockchainyeti and I this past January. Yeti is a long time friend of mine and after starting a few NFT ventures of his own, sent me an early design of one of the canaries as a joke. For months I had been telling him to start something on RMRK and this was nothing we both had planned on creating. After that moment, we decided to partner up and bring the project Dead Canary Club to life. 

### Tell me a little bit about your inspiration for Dead Pets Society, your art is very distinct. Anything specific spark your style?

Dead Pets Society started off as a joke and 90s pop culture was a huge influence for both of us growing up. Yeti himself said he got inspiration for the shape of the canary heads from the ghosts on Pac-Man. We love referencing work from artists such as Pendleton Ward when we’re looking for some quirky inspiration. 

### I see that merch is a part of the package with Dead Pets, care to elaborate on this front?

Dead Pets Society will be the umbrella for our NFT collections as well as our merchandise storefront. This is an untouched space we’re VERY excited to navigate. Since Unisocks, there has been little effort in the space to integrate NFTs and apparel. We want to cultivate a culture around our artwork, bridging that with a tangible brand for people to experience and connect over. With our latest announcement, expect us to release a bucket hat lifted from our original artwork collection as well as our Dead Pets Society hoodie (TBA). These pieces will be airdropped and sold as limited edition NFTs that are both claimable (for the real thing) and collectible. Dates for the release will be announced as we solidify timelines from manufacturers. We are not planning on limiting this to only clothing long term. 

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/949715058877952010/image0.gif)

### Any ideas on future pets to feature in the collection?

We have a lot of ideas and don’t want to give away too much yet, but we will hint that canaries have a natural enemy that may make it into our upcoming collection. As far as future pets, we have thought of inspiration from underwater curiosities to four legged friends of different origins.

### Any last thoughts? (Or any alpha?)

We’re excited to announce that our limited edition auctions will begin this March. This is where our imagination will really run wild, expect the unexpected. These will be limited sets of 1/1 canaries outside of the attributes in our collection of 900. They will be auctioned off on our Twitter, announcements will be available soon.
_________________

This collection brings together unique style, exciting reveals and a focus on culture to set itself apart from the rest. As the project develops, I have little doubt of continued success and will be keeping a close eye on their development. 

Follow Dead Pets Society on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/deadcanaryclub) to not miss a thing

RMRK Ambassador | Communications Director at [Alpha Airdrop](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zff0RhU3pXE&t=18s) | Content Creator at [WagMedia](https://discord.com/invite/V5yFkhjC)

Follow my [Subsocial space](https://app.subsocial.network/6110) for more on RMRK, Kusama and Polkadot.


bafyreialcwkmsocs2tlmlf4ca7olvtup5xhjkd2onqvvvgauto3lsriezu

Behind the NFT: Dead Pets Society

bafyreiecyvnwlzliyive26api4vj3jliy4ct2gk6mtquull6hh5nydmxim

Exploring the Paraverse (March 6th - March 12th)

This will be a different type of article. Do me a favor and play along. [Open up this link to a track by ishqqshi](https://ixland.bandcamp.com/track/before-all-time), aka [Matt Hiller](https://twitter.com/ishqqhsi), and listen as you read. This will help open your mind to the general vibe behind Mushroomtopia as you learn about this incredibly immersive and thoughtful NFT project created from the mind of [Rubentopia](https://twitter.com/Rubentopia1) and fostered by the team at [Visionary NFT](https://discord.gg/hrv9QSpNAV). Don't forget to read to the end for some game-changing ***alpha!***
________________________
# The Project
As I learned more about [Mushroomtopia](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia) from my research, I began to realize  this project was bringing something different to the space. This is a clean, fully developed, professional NFT project built to display the tech of [RMRK 2.0](https://app.subsocial.network/@rmrkapp/rmrk-leading-an-nft-revolution-31359) in a unique style and vibe yet unseen in Dotsama. 

This NFT project is built from the ground up with [RMRK 2.0 function](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX5sTLtqCa4&t=9s) in its framework. If you check out [this video on equipping](https://twitter.com/csaint02/status/1500066112054067202) you can see features known to Kanarias: Equippable, multiresource, composable NFTs. This essentially enables a create your own NFT function where you can equip alternate items and create completely different features on the final product - your NFT. Translating to Mushroomtopia, you are able to own discrete mushrooms that are NFTs in their own right, but when equipped onto the “Mirror NFT” you reveal your “true self” - a dynamic composable NFT. Let's break this down even more as this will be one of the first projects showcasing this tech outside Kanaria.

As a collector, who doesn’t enjoy grabbing different versions of a similar type of NFT? Within collections artists may change up rarity, style, classes, etc. to create a sense of uniqueness between the NFTs in a collection. With Mushroomtopia, this standard idea of rarity is preserved with unique standalone mushrooms that you can collect such as these:

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/943199961867227137/946452770519662672/IMG_0334.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/943199961867227137/946452770767114260/IMG_0335.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/943199961867227137/947176359787118682/IMG_0348.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/943199961867227137/947176360223338536/IMG_0349.jpg)

First of all, these are trippy, intricate and mind-bending in their own right. Ruben spends hours creating these 1/1 pieces. As of now there are 1,000 shrooms and 1,000 accesories. I have a ton of respect for an artist that takes the time to create these pieces without leaning on generative art. This takes time, dedication and focus. He has given his focus to his art and is able to create something special with RMRK 2.0 tech. Now if you skipped over it earlier, make sure to [watch this video](https://twitter.com/csaint02/status/1500066112054067202) to understand this next part a bit better. With Mushroomtopia, you can equip these shrooms onto the Mirror NFT and a different feature will be displayed onto your “True Self”. The individual shrooms can turn into an arm, a face, clothes or a hat. Enough shrooms combined, your true self is revealed with many alternate combinations available. To display the "True Self" you need 5 individual mushrooms and the Mirror NFT to complete the set. 

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/943199961867227137/948644299392839690/1_0_GIF_2.gif)

This takes PFPs to an entirely new level. Mushroomtopia is exploring the boundaries of RMRK 2.0 that Kanaria opened the doors to. The tools provided by RMRK 2.0 enable artists to explore their creativity in new and innovative ways in the NFT space. The limit to NFT creativity has expanded and I imagine this makes the process of creation that much more rewarding and freeing. As a delicious cherry on top, each Mirror NFT comes with a unique piece of music composed by ishqqhsi, aka [Matt Hiller](https://twitter.com/ishqqhsi). 

But this isn’t just an article about RMRK’s tech. This project goes much deeper. This depth is highlighted by the way they focus on community engagement and growth. 
_______________
## Building from the Ground Up
Instead of opening up the whitelist to VIPs or Blue Chip projects from the jump, Mushroomtopia has instead chosen to foster a community from the ground up. Reminiscent of how [EVRLOOT](https://twitter.com/EVRL00T) has grown their community, there are challenges released by Mushroomtopia to stimulate deeper engagement. The “shroomlist” aka whitelist is slowly growing in this manner. A few different ways to get whitelisted so far have included consistent contributions and involvement in the server, art competitions such as drawing the most eye-catching and creative mushroom, mushroom naming competition, a “Where’s Waldo” type game and much much more. They aim to engage with the community on multiple levels and provide whitelist spots in unique ways. This has helped foster an easy going spirit in the server and has stimulated the creativity of many members of the community. 
________________
## An Immersive Experience
To add another immersive layer to this groundbreaking project, Ruben has put some deep thought into the lore tying together the project. As alluded to before, these Mirror NFTs will have origins from a certain kingdom within Mushroomtopia. This week, they chose to engage with the community by discussing 7 kingdoms in 7 days. These 7 kingdoms are as follows:

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/938265615343439872/948662865412366366/unknown.png)

Each has a distinct feel and vibe to it and will be tied to underlying lore within this ecosystem. As we walk with Ruben through his journey of creating Mushroomtopia, we will continue to gain insight into each kingdom. The story begins with this…

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/938265615343439872/948662865680818228/unknown.png)

As you can see, even though there are 7 separate kingdoms, each is interwoven into the story of Mushroomtopia and will all grow together. 
____________________
## Ancient
The first of these 7 kingdoms is the [Ancient](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia/status/1503400650863955984). 

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954850498505220166/Ancient.jpg)

I expect an earthy, more abstract style here. This kingdom shows an appreciation for the past and brings it to the present. For the artwork, Ruben gathered his inspiration from the works of [Vsevolod Ivanov](https://weirdrussia.com/2014/06/08/fantastic-art-of-vsevolod-ivanov/) who brought ancient myths to life within his art. Here is an outstanding representation of what you can expect to see if the Ancient Kingdom is for you.

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954847758764884028/Ancient_PFP.jpg)
____________________________
## Solar
The next kingdom incorporates the star that brings us life, [Solar](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia/status/1503763070086225925?s=21). A theme of rebirth runs through this kingdom as Ruben reveals his thoughts on Solar

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954850793213796393/aaSolar.jpg)

Shades of orange and yellow burst through these NFTs and culminate with the PFP

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954847704821952522/abSolar.jpg)
______________________________
## Forest
The [Forest Kingdom](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia/status/1504125356713951232?s=21) is one of my favorites. I crave the outdoors and obtain a sense of calm from being in the wilderness. There is no shortage of this relaxing vibe within the Forest Kingdom. Ruben expands his thoughts on Forest mushrooms here and reveals his inspiration. 

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954851180863954954/aForest.jpg)

Deep greens and browns weave their way through these NFTs as we get a glimpse of what’s to come.

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954847684110471228/aaForesttty.jpg)
_________________________
## Ocean
Here comes the deep blue sea as the [Ocean Kingdom](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia/status/1504487741249175554?s=21) is next. With striking blues and hues of purple, the Ocean Kingdom adds depth and intrigue to this collection. 

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954851451128131595/aaaOcean.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954847784366923806/aDeep_Blue.jpg)
____________________________
## Sky
Hold on tight as we launch into the [Sky Kingdom](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia/status/1504850156306546694?s=21) next. With stellar white and piercing features, the sky kingdom draws inspiration from spires that point upward on notable architectural wonders such as the Taj Majal. Ruben sees the sky as the lofty mediator between the Earth and the Cosmos, bridging the gap between two worlds. 

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954851693986725938/aSKY_lore.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954847665986871336/aaSICKKK.jpg)
_________________________
## Cosmic
As we burst through the sky we reach the stars and land in the [Cosmic Kingdom](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia/status/1505212534864891908?s=21). Here is where Visionary Art truly takes off. Inspiration for the Cosmic is abundant and Ruben takes us to an entirely different plane with his work.

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954851917773815878/Acosmos_lore.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954847736505724958/aCOSMIC_ppsp.jpg)
____________________________
## Heart
Rounding out the kingdoms, there is no other place to complete our journey than back at the [Heart](https://). Take a minute to reflect on the inspiration from which this kingdom arises.

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/945316742861824020/954922089939361852/Story_6_Heart.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/945316742861824020/954917749015052288/Heart.jpg)
________________________________
# From the Founder
Beyond showcasing incredible tech and incorporating intricate lore, Ruben is an established artist with a clear passion for the creative process. He has created Visionary Art for years; you can see more of his work on his [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/rubentopia/) and at [this website](https://www.psynft.xyz/artists/ruben-topia). Before I say too much about Ruben, how about you hear it from him? Check out his vision and learn a little more about the mind behind the project.

> 1. Thank you for taking some time to answer questions about your inspiration and vision for Mushroomtopia. I know you have been creating incredible visionary art for years, could you tell everyone a bit about your personal inspiration and maybe touch on your journey in the visionary art space?

As a creator I have been drawn towards the psychedelic/visionary scene since I saw works of Escher, Bosch and Alex Grey. It is ironic to put yourself in a box named ‘visionary’, when visionary means transcending boundaries. I want to become a great artist and sometimes you have to dress as who you want to be. Something I like to do is gather information from books and experiences and transform them into visual landscapes full of details. These works depict my journey through life and you see my inner thoughts and ideas hidden in symbols and geometry. There are hidden stories and ideas I want to get out of my head on paper. Creating order out of chaos.   

> 2. How did you come into contact with RMRK? Also, was there anything specific about RMRK’s tech that drew you in to create with RMRK 2.0?

Yuri from RMRK invited me to join the Kanaria bird contest somewhere mid 2021. One of these birds won and I sold one of my original works attached to the nft. RMRK is a smaller platform compared to the Ethereum platforms. This is the same as in real life. It might be harder to become a well known artist in a large city than a small one since there are way more people who do the same thing as you. When I was looking for an illustration agency this was the same principle. Agencies with artists focussed on utopian, colorful worlds where occupied and would not need another artist doing the same thing. Opensea is literally a sea where you could drown. And who is going to rescue you?

> 3. Could you enlighten us with your creative process surrounding the lore? Even from an initial look, it feels genuine and unique.

Mushroom Topia is a growing concept. First I wanted to draw 1000 unique mushrooms. These mushrooms are categorized in 7 kingdoms. These kingdoms are related to the chakras. The mushrooms contain special items that can be turned into Mushroom Topians. A matching set of these characters belongs to one of 7 kingdoms. So these kingdoms need background. There is a desert theme centered around the nomads and desert dwellers. An ocean themed mushroom family that lives among the coral. A cosmic mushroom family centered around sacred geometry and the universe. The goal is to grow the mycelium into a stronger network. I want the art to look unique. There is a generative aspect to the project but I don’t want too much lookalikes. I consider this to be an art project just like in art school. For the story lets say all 7 mushrooms together can become enlightened and this might create new species.   

> 4. What are some things about Mushroom Topia NFT project that really get you excited? Maybe touch on something that you didn’t expect to have interest in when starting but have explored more now

I started MT because I wanted to be fully immersed in a new project and let it grow into a family from zero. The mycelium can create a network where other non rmrk-artists and collectors can join and share their fruits. Yuri, theFVK, Mari0, Chekov help me to make decisions and let me focus on creating. When creating I read about mushrooms and I look at various cultures for garment references. This is not about creating trippy mushrooms or another standard project. Mushrooms are a very diverse kingdom that have many usages. I use the mushrooms as the fruits of the digital ntf network. Some of them will be very rough, others more detailed. They come in various colors and live in different environments, just like humans.

> 5. Any parting thoughts? (or alpha?)

Right now I am creating the base layers for this project. I am a human being and I draw more than the average person would consider normal. This is not intended to be a dead end project. I want to link the mushrooms to other parts of my portfolio. And use the pfp Topian characters in larger detailed drawings to give it more depth and story. But remember I am human and not a machine. The end goal would be to create mushroom architecture, temples, wellness retreats, bathhouses, magical buildings and fruit gardens that show new ways of living. For now this is still a dream, but everything starts on paper.  
________________
I truly think Mushroomtopia is an integral spark to build the creative flame that continues to grow in the Kusama ecosystem. While Mushroomtopia is integral to the VisionaryNFT discord, this server is aiming to be a home base to all Visionary Art on Singular. The server already has robust and rich connections developing between members as they share memories of travels, books and varied interests. Artists give sneak peaks of their ongoing work and share between each other ideas on various projects. Community members share music they are listening to or art they find fascinating. The depth to the server is growing in all directions and gives me an ease about the future of the project. Organic growth with a solid foundation is the key to long-term success and the team understands this.

As eloquently put by [theFVK](https://twitter.com/TheFVK) while we were chatting about the project:
> A big part of this collection is the vision to create a visionary art community around singular. To bring together artists, creatives, dreamers in a common space to connect and share their experiences, with Visionary Art NFTs as the common thread connecting the community. RMRK 2.0 functionality and Kusama network "expect chaos" ethos are together the natural home for the most creative and expressional NFTs, since they give the creator the wings and space to truly explore their art. We see Ruben's collection as a vehicle to show the possibilities that RMRK 2.0 can unlock for all creators from all different NFT ecosystems, and possibly bring them into Kusama this way. The end result is a thriving creative community, organically formed, that is birthed after this collection is complete and can form the basis of many more awesome NFT collections to come.

Do I need to say anything else? Stay tuned my friends as this is just phase 1 of the Mushroomtopia story. There will be much more to come and don’t worry, there will be many price points to enter so everyone can be involved. In fact, the first drop will be starting next week as the team aims to launch the first round of drops on March 28th, 2022...**I heard there is SOMETHING special for the first few people who complete the full profile picture set! The team is playing this one close to the chest though...could it be a special shroom, a limited edition banner or *secret* kingdom access?!? Only the team knows the reward so it's just speculation at this point, but who doesn't like *secrets*. Comment below to guess what may be the reward!**

* Make sure to follow [Mushroomtopia](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia) and [Rubentopia](https://twitter.com/Rubentopia1) on twitter to keep up!
* Join in the [Visionary NFT discord server](https://discord.gg/hrv9QSpNAV) to enjoy those relaxing vibes
___________________

Follow my [Subsocial space](https://app.subsocial.network/6110) for more on RMRK, Kusama and Polkadot.

Tips appreciated

KSM
* GL85fwNiFfUqkCcmtrq7eD5DphB1QWJrxkgMme5qdSuFfap

Metamask
* 0x66b9f30B38Cb6d61374D15D8A9D220561E715995

bafyreidwzw4ptktuantqf5uaezpdgq5xj3buljhp6pblkshhju6dmzccne

Behind the NFT: Mushroomtopia

This will be a different type of article. Do me a favor and play along. [Open up this link to a track by ishqqshi](https://ixland.bandcamp.com/track/before-all-time), aka [Matt Hiller](https://twitter.com/ishqqhsi), and listen as you read. This will help open your mind to the general vibe behind Mushroomtopia as you learn about this incredibly immersive and thoughtful NFT project created from the mind of [Rubentopia](https://twitter.com/Rubentopia1) and fostered by the team at [Visionary NFT](https://discord.gg/hrv9QSpNAV). Don't forget to read to the end for some game-changing ***alpha!***
________________________
# The Project
As I learned more about [Mushroomtopia](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia) from my research, I began to realize  this project was bringing something fresh to the space. This is a clean, fully developed, professional NFT project built to display the tech of [RMRK 2.0](https://app.subsocial.network/@rmrkapp/rmrk-leading-an-nft-revolution-31359) in a unique style and vibe yet unseen in Dotsama. 

This NFT project is built from the ground up with [RMRK 2.0 function](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX5sTLtqCa4&t=9s) in its framework. If you check out [this video on equipping](https://twitter.com/csaint02/status/1500066112054067202) you can see features known to Kanarias: Equippable, multiresource, composable NFTs. This essentially enables a create your own NFT function where you can equip alternate items and create completely different features on the final product - your NFT. Translating to Mushroomtopia, you are able to own discrete mushrooms that are NFTs in their own right, but when equipped onto the “Mirror NFT” you reveal your “true self” - a dynamic composable NFT. Let's break this down even more as this will be one of the first projects showcasing this tech outside Kanaria.

As a collector, who doesn’t enjoy grabbing different versions of a similar type of NFT? Within collections artists may change up rarity, style, classes, etc. to create a sense of uniqueness between the NFTs in a collection. With Mushroomtopia, this standard idea of rarity is preserved with unique standalone mushrooms that you can collect such as these:

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/943199961867227137/946452770519662672/IMG_0334.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/943199961867227137/946452770767114260/IMG_0335.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/943199961867227137/947176359787118682/IMG_0348.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/943199961867227137/947176360223338536/IMG_0349.jpg)

First of all, these are trippy, intricate and mind-bending in their own right. Ruben spends hours creating these 1/1 pieces. As of now there are 1,000 shrooms and 1,000 accesories. I have a ton of respect for an artist that takes the time to create these pieces without leaning on generative art. This takes time, dedication and focus. He has given his focus to his art and is able to create something special with RMRK 2.0 tech. Now if you skipped over it earlier, make sure to [watch this video](https://twitter.com/csaint02/status/1500066112054067202) to understand this next part a bit better. With Mushroomtopia, you can equip these shrooms onto the Mirror NFT and a different feature will be displayed onto your “True Self”. The individual shrooms can turn into an arm, a face, clothes or a hat. Enough shrooms combined, your true self is revealed with many alternate combinations available. To display the "True Self" you need 5 individual mushrooms and the Mirror NFT to complete the set. Here are a couple examples of Mirrors that are needed to complete the full set.

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/945316742861824020/954928963443105842/Enlightened_Mirror.png)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/945316742861824020/954928962839121972/Light_Mirror.png)

This takes PFPs to an entirely new level. Mushroomtopia is exploring the boundaries of RMRK 2.0 that Kanaria opened the doors to. The tools provided by RMRK 2.0 enable artists to explore their creativity in new and innovative ways in the NFT space. The limit to NFT creativity has expanded and I imagine this makes the process of creation that much more rewarding and freeing. As a delicious cherry on top, each Mirror NFT comes with a unique piece of music composed by ishqqhsi, aka [Matt Hiller](https://twitter.com/ishqqhsi). that I hope you are getting a taste of as you read this article.

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/943199961867227137/948644299392839690/1_0_GIF_2.gif)

But this isn’t just about RMRK’s tech. The project dives much deeper. This depth is highlighted by the way they focus on community engagement and growth. 
_______________
## Building from the Ground Up
Instead of opening up the whitelist to VIPs or Blue Chip projects from the jump, Mushroomtopia has instead chosen to foster a community from the ground up. Reminiscent of how [EVRLOOT](https://twitter.com/EVRL00T) has grown their community, there are challenges released by Mushroomtopia to stimulate deeper engagement. The “shroomlist” aka whitelist is slowly growing in this manner. A few different ways to get whitelisted so far have included consistent contributions and involvement in the server, art competitions such as [drawing the most eye-catching and creative mushroom](https://twitter.com/ikhaled28/status/1505250026913775621), mushroom naming competition, a “Where’s Waldo” type game and much much more. They aim to engage with the community on multiple levels and provide whitelist spots in unique ways. This has helped foster an easy going spirit in the server and has stimulated the creativity of many members of the community. 
________________
## An Immersive Experience
To add another immersive layer to this groundbreaking project, Ruben has put some deep thought into the lore tying together the project. As alluded to before, these Mirror NFTs will have origins from a certain kingdom within Mushroomtopia. This week, they chose to engage with the community by discussing 7 kingdoms in 7 days. These 7 kingdoms are as follows:

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/938265615343439872/948662865412366366/unknown.png)

Each has a distinct feel and vibe to it and will be tied to underlying lore within this ecosystem. As we walk with Ruben through his journey of creating Mushroomtopia, we will continue to gain insight into each kingdom. The story begins with this…

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/938265615343439872/948662865680818228/unknown.png)

As you can see, even though there are 7 separate kingdoms, each is interwoven into the story of Mushroomtopia and will all grow together. 
____________________
## Ancient
The first of these 7 kingdoms is the [Ancient](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia/status/1503400650863955984). 

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954850498505220166/Ancient.jpg)

I expect an earthy, more abstract style here. This kingdom shows an appreciation for the past and brings it to the present. For the artwork, Ruben gathered his inspiration from the works of [Vsevolod Ivanov](https://weirdrussia.com/2014/06/08/fantastic-art-of-vsevolod-ivanov/) who brought ancient myths to life within his art. Here is an outstanding representation of what you can expect to see if the Ancient Kingdom is for you.

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954847758764884028/Ancient_PFP.jpg)
____________________________
## Solar
The next kingdom incorporates the star that brings us life, [Solar](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia/status/1503763070086225925?s=21). A theme of rebirth runs through this kingdom as Ruben reveals his thoughts on Solar

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954850793213796393/aaSolar.jpg)

Shades of orange and yellow burst through these NFTs and culminate with the PFP

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954847704821952522/abSolar.jpg)
______________________________
## Forest
The [Forest Kingdom](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia/status/1504125356713951232?s=21) is one of my favorites. I crave the outdoors and obtain a sense of calm from being in the wilderness. There is no shortage of this relaxing vibe within the Forest Kingdom. Ruben expands his thoughts on Forest mushrooms here and reveals his inspiration. 

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954851180863954954/aForest.jpg)

Deep greens and browns weave their way through these NFTs as we get a glimpse of what’s to come.

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954847684110471228/aaForesttty.jpg)
_________________________
## Ocean
Here comes the deep blue sea as the [Ocean Kingdom](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia/status/1504487741249175554?s=21) is next. With striking blues and hues of purple, the Ocean Kingdom adds depth and intrigue to this collection. 

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954851451128131595/aaaOcean.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954847784366923806/aDeep_Blue.jpg)
____________________________
## Sky
Hold on tight as we launch into the [Sky Kingdom](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia/status/1504850156306546694?s=21) next. With stellar white and piercing features, the sky kingdom draws inspiration from spires that point upward on notable architectural wonders such as the Taj Majal. Ruben sees the sky as the lofty mediator between the Earth and the Cosmos, bridging the gap between two worlds. 

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954851693986725938/aSKY_lore.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954847665986871336/aaSICKKK.jpg)
_________________________
## Cosmic
As we burst through the sky we reach the stars and land in the [Cosmic Kingdom](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia/status/1505212534864891908?s=21). Here is where Visionary Art truly takes off. Inspiration for the Cosmic is abundant and Ruben takes us to an entirely different plane with his work.

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954851917773815878/Acosmos_lore.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954847736505724958/aCOSMIC_ppsp.jpg)
____________________________
## Heart
Rounding out the kingdoms, there is no other place to complete our journey than back at the [Heart](https://). Take a minute to reflect on the inspiration from which this kingdom arises.

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/945316742861824020/954922089939361852/Story_6_Heart.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/945316742861824020/954917749015052288/Heart.jpg)
________________________________
# From the Founder
Beyond showcasing incredible tech and incorporating intricate lore, Ruben is an established artist with a clear passion for the creative process. He has created Visionary Art for years; you can see more of his work on his [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/rubentopia/) and at [the psynft website](https://www.psynft.xyz/artists/ruben-topia). Before I say too much about Ruben, how about you hear it from him? Check out his vision and learn a little more about the mind behind the project.

> 1. Thank you for taking some time to answer questions about your inspiration and vision for Mushroomtopia. I know you have been creating incredible visionary art for years, could you tell everyone a bit about your personal inspiration and maybe touch on your journey in the visionary art space?

As a creator I have been drawn towards the psychedelic/visionary scene since I saw works of Escher, Bosch and Alex Grey. It is ironic to put yourself in a box named ‘visionary’, when visionary means transcending boundaries. I want to become a great artist and sometimes you have to dress as who you want to be. Something I like to do is gather information from books and experiences and transform them into visual landscapes full of details. These works depict my journey through life and you see my inner thoughts and ideas hidden in symbols and geometry. There are hidden stories and ideas I want to get out of my head on paper. Creating order out of chaos.   

> 2. How did you come into contact with RMRK? Also, was there anything specific about RMRK’s tech that drew you in to create with RMRK 2.0?

Yuri from RMRK invited me to join the Kanaria bird contest somewhere mid 2021. One of these birds won and I sold one of my original works attached to the nft. RMRK is a smaller platform compared to the Ethereum platforms. This is the same as in real life. It might be harder to become a well known artist in a large city than a small one since there are way more people who do the same thing as you. When I was looking for an illustration agency this was the same principle. Agencies with artists focussed on utopian, colorful worlds where occupied and would not need another artist doing the same thing. Opensea is literally a sea where you could drown. And who is going to rescue you?

> 3. Could you enlighten us with your creative process surrounding the lore? Even from an initial look, it feels genuine and unique.

Mushroom Topia is a growing concept. First I wanted to draw 1000 unique mushrooms. These mushrooms are categorized in 7 kingdoms. These kingdoms are related to the chakras. The mushrooms contain special items that can be turned into Mushroom Topians. A matching set of these characters belongs to one of 7 kingdoms. So these kingdoms need background. There is a desert theme centered around the nomads and desert dwellers. An ocean themed mushroom family that lives among the coral. A cosmic mushroom family centered around sacred geometry and the universe. The goal is to grow the mycelium into a stronger network. I want the art to look unique. There is a generative aspect to the project but I don’t want too much lookalikes. I consider this to be an art project just like in art school. For the story lets say all 7 mushrooms together can become enlightened and this might create new species.   

> 4. What are some things about Mushroom Topia NFT project that really get you excited? Maybe touch on something that you didn’t expect to have interest in when starting but have explored more now

I started MT because I wanted to be fully immersed in a new project and let it grow into a family from zero. The mycelium can create a network where other non rmrk-artists and collectors can join and share their fruits. Yuri, theFVK, Mari0, Chekov help me to make decisions and let me focus on creating. When creating I read about mushrooms and I look at various cultures for garment references. This is not about creating trippy mushrooms or another standard project. Mushrooms are a very diverse kingdom that have many usages. I use the mushrooms as the fruits of the digital ntf network. Some of them will be very rough, others more detailed. They come in various colors and live in different environments, just like humans.

> 5. Any parting thoughts? (or alpha?)

Right now I am creating the base layers for this project. I am a human being and I draw more than the average person would consider normal. This is not intended to be a dead end project. I want to link the mushrooms to other parts of my portfolio. And use the pfp Topian characters in larger detailed drawings to give it more depth and story. But remember I am human and not a machine. The end goal would be to create mushroom architecture, temples, wellness retreats, bathhouses, magical buildings and fruit gardens that show new ways of living. For now this is still a dream, but everything starts on paper.  
________________
I truly think Mushroomtopia is an integral spark to build the creative flame that continues to grow in the Kusama ecosystem. While Mushroomtopia is integral to the VisionaryNFT discord, this server is aiming to be a home base to all Visionary Art on Singular. The server already has robust and rich connections developing between members as they share memories of travels, books and varied interests. Artists give sneak peaks of their ongoing work and share between each other ideas on various projects. Community members share music they are listening to or art they find fascinating. The depth to the server is growing in all directions and gives me an ease about the future of the project. Organic growth with a solid foundation is the key to long-term success and the team understands this.

As eloquently put by [theFVK](https://twitter.com/TheFVK) while we were chatting about the project:
> A big part of this collection is the vision to create a visionary art community around singular. To bring together artists, creatives, dreamers in a common space to connect and share their experiences, with Visionary Art NFTs as the common thread connecting the community. RMRK 2.0 functionality and Kusama network "expect chaos" ethos are together the natural home for the most creative and expressional NFTs, since they give the creator the wings and space to truly explore their art. We see Ruben's collection as a vehicle to show the possibilities that RMRK 2.0 can unlock for all creators from all different NFT ecosystems, and possibly bring them into Kusama this way. The end result is a thriving creative community, organically formed, that is birthed after this collection is complete and can form the basis of many more awesome NFT collections to come.

Do I need to say anything else? Stay tuned my friends as this is just phase 1 of the Mushroomtopia story. There will be much more to come and don’t worry, there will be many price points to enter so everyone can be involved. In fact, the first drop will be starting next week as the team aims to launch the first round of drops on March 28th, 2022...**I heard there is SOMETHING special for the first few people who complete the full profile picture set! The team is playing this one close to the chest though...could it be a special shroom, a limited edition banner or *secret* kingdom access?!? Only the team knows the reward so it's just speculation at this point, but who doesn't like *secrets*. Comment below to guess what may be the reward!**

* Make sure to follow [Mushroomtopia](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia) and [Rubentopia](https://twitter.com/Rubentopia1) on twitter to keep up!
* Join in the [Visionary NFT discord server](https://discord.gg/hrv9QSpNAV) to enjoy those relaxing vibes
___________________

Follow my [Subsocial space](https://app.subsocial.network/6110) for more on RMRK, Kusama and Polkadot.

Tips appreciated

KSM
* GL85fwNiFfUqkCcmtrq7eD5DphB1QWJrxkgMme5qdSuFfap

Metamask
* 0x66b9f30B38Cb6d61374D15D8A9D220561E715995

bafyreiginpna4tgunsmwisxymnr4k5biqhu6rerl7svvlmlgjuvelur7sy

This will be a different type of article. Do me a favor and play along. [Open up this link to a track by ishqqshi](https://ixland.bandcamp.com/track/before-all-time), aka [Matt Hiller](https://twitter.com/ishqqhsi), and listen as you read. This will help open your mind to the general vibe behind Mushroomtopia as you learn about this incredibly immersive and thoughtful NFT project created from the mind of [Rubentopia](https://twitter.com/Rubentopia1) and fostered by the team at [Visionary NFT](https://discord.gg/hrv9QSpNAV). Don't forget to read to the end for some game-changing ***alpha!***
________________________
# The Project
As I learned more about [Mushroomtopia](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia) from my research, I began to realize  this project was bringing something fresh to the space. This is a clean, fully developed, professional NFT project built to display the tech of [RMRK 2.0](https://app.subsocial.network/@rmrkapp/rmrk-leading-an-nft-revolution-31359) in a unique style and vibe yet unseen in Dotsama. 

This NFT project is built from the ground up with [RMRK 2.0 function](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX5sTLtqCa4&t=9s) in its framework. If you check out [this video on equipping](https://twitter.com/csaint02/status/1500066112054067202) you can see features known to Kanarias: Equippable, multiresource, composable NFTs. This essentially enables a create your own NFT function where you can equip alternate items and create completely different features on the final product - your NFT. Translating to Mushroomtopia, you are able to own discrete mushrooms that are NFTs in their own right, but when equipped onto the “Mirror NFT” you reveal your “true self” - a dynamic composable NFT. Let's break this down even more as this will be one of the first projects showcasing this tech outside Kanaria.

As a collector, who doesn’t enjoy grabbing different versions of a similar type of NFT? Within collections artists may change up rarity, style, classes, etc. to create a sense of uniqueness between the NFTs in a collection. With Mushroomtopia, this standard idea of rarity is preserved with unique standalone mushrooms that you can collect such as these:

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/943199961867227137/946452770519662672/IMG_0334.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/943199961867227137/946452770767114260/IMG_0335.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/943199961867227137/947176359787118682/IMG_0348.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/943199961867227137/947176360223338536/IMG_0349.jpg)

First of all, these are trippy, intricate and mind-bending in their own right. Ruben spends hours creating these 1/1 pieces. As of now there are 1,000 shrooms and 1,000 accesories. I have a ton of respect for an artist that takes the time to create these pieces without leaning on generative art. This takes time, dedication and focus. He has given his focus to his art and is able to create something special with RMRK 2.0 tech. Now if you skipped over it earlier, make sure to [watch this video](https://twitter.com/csaint02/status/1500066112054067202) to understand this next part a bit better. With Mushroomtopia, you can equip these shrooms onto the Mirror NFT and a different feature will be displayed onto your “True Self”. The individual shrooms can turn into an arm, a face, clothes or a hat. Enough shrooms combined, your true self is revealed with many alternate combinations available. To display the "True Self" you need 5 individual mushrooms and the Mirror NFT to complete the set. Here are a couple examples of Mirrors that are needed to complete the full set.

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/945316742861824020/954928963443105842/Enlightened_Mirror.png)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/945316742861824020/954928962839121972/Light_Mirror.png)

This takes PFPs to an entirely new level. Mushroomtopia is exploring the boundaries of RMRK 2.0 that Kanaria opened the doors to. The tools provided by RMRK 2.0 enable artists to explore their creativity in new and innovative ways in the NFT space. The limit to NFT creativity has expanded and I imagine this makes the process of creation that much more rewarding and freeing. As a delicious cherry on top, each Mirror NFT comes with a unique piece of music composed by ishqqhsi, aka [Matt Hiller](https://twitter.com/ishqqhsi). that I hope you are getting a taste of as you read this article.

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/943199961867227137/948644299392839690/1_0_GIF_2.gif)

But this isn’t just about RMRK’s tech. The project dives much deeper. This depth is highlighted by the way they focus on community engagement and growth. 
_______________
## Building from the Ground Up
Instead of opening up the whitelist to VIPs or Blue Chip projects from the jump, Mushroomtopia has instead chosen to foster a community from the ground up. Reminiscent of how [EVRLOOT](https://twitter.com/EVRL00T) has grown their community, there are challenges released by Mushroomtopia to stimulate deeper engagement. The “shroomlist” aka whitelist is slowly growing in this manner. A few different ways to get whitelisted so far have included consistent contributions and involvement in the server, art competitions such as [drawing the most eye-catching and creative mushroom](https://twitter.com/ikhaled28/status/1505250026913775621), mushroom naming competition, a “Where’s Waldo” type game and much much more. They aim to engage with the community on multiple levels and provide whitelist spots in unique ways. This has helped foster an easy going spirit in the server and has stimulated the creativity of many members of the community. 
________________
## An Immersive Experience
To add another immersive layer to this groundbreaking project, Ruben has put some deep thought into the lore tying together the project. As alluded to before, these Mirror NFTs will have origins from a certain kingdom within Mushroomtopia. This week, they chose to engage with the community by discussing 7 kingdoms in 7 days. These 7 kingdoms are as follows:

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/938265615343439872/948662865412366366/unknown.png)

Each has a distinct feel and vibe to it and will be tied to underlying lore within this ecosystem. As we walk with Ruben through his journey of creating Mushroomtopia, we will continue to gain insight into each kingdom. The story begins with this…

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/938265615343439872/948662865680818228/unknown.png)

As you can see, even though there are 7 separate kingdoms, each is interwoven into the story of Mushroomtopia and will all grow together. 
____________________
## Ancient
The first of these 7 kingdoms is the [Ancient](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia/status/1503400650863955984). 

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954850498505220166/Ancient.jpg)

I expect an earthy, more abstract style here. This kingdom shows an appreciation for the past and brings it to the present. For the artwork, Ruben gathered his inspiration from the works of [Vsevolod Ivanov](https://weirdrussia.com/2014/06/08/fantastic-art-of-vsevolod-ivanov/) who brought ancient myths to life within his art. Here is an outstanding representation of what you can expect to see if the Ancient Kingdom is for you.

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954847758764884028/Ancient_PFP.jpg)
____________________________
## Solar
The next kingdom incorporates the star that brings us life, [Solar](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia/status/1503763070086225925?s=21). A theme of rebirth runs through this kingdom as Ruben reveals his thoughts on Solar

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954850793213796393/aaSolar.jpg)

Shades of orange and yellow burst through these NFTs and culminate with the PFP

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954847704821952522/abSolar.jpg)
______________________________
## Forest
The [Forest Kingdom](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia/status/1504125356713951232?s=21) is one of my favorites. I crave the outdoors and obtain a sense of calm from being in the wilderness. There is no shortage of this relaxing vibe within the Forest Kingdom. Ruben expands his thoughts on Forest mushrooms here and reveals his inspiration. 

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954851180863954954/aForest.jpg)

Deep greens and browns weave their way through these NFTs as we get a glimpse of what’s to come.

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954847684110471228/aaForesttty.jpg)
_________________________
## Ocean
Here comes the deep blue sea as the [Ocean Kingdom](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia/status/1504487741249175554?s=21) is next. With striking blues and hues of purple, the Ocean Kingdom adds depth and intrigue to this collection. 

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954851451128131595/aaaOcean.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954847784366923806/aDeep_Blue.jpg)
____________________________
## Sky
Hold on tight as we launch into the [Sky Kingdom](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia/status/1504850156306546694?s=21) next. With stellar white and piercing features, the sky kingdom draws inspiration from spires that point upward on notable architectural wonders such as the Taj Majal. Ruben sees the sky as the lofty mediator between the Earth and the Cosmos, bridging the gap between two worlds. 

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954851693986725938/aSKY_lore.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954847665986871336/aaSICKKK.jpg)
_________________________
## Cosmic
As we burst through the sky we reach the stars and land in the [Cosmic Kingdom](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia/status/1505212534864891908?s=21). Here is where Visionary Art truly takes off. Inspiration for the Cosmic is abundant and Ruben takes us to an entirely different plane with his work.

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954851917773815878/Acosmos_lore.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/954847736505724958/aCOSMIC_ppsp.jpg)
____________________________
## Heart
Rounding out the kingdoms, there is no other place to complete our journey than back at the [Heart](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia/status/1505574901612261379?s=21). Take a minute to reflect on the inspiration from which this kingdom arises.

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/945316742861824020/954922089939361852/Story_6_Heart.jpg)

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/945316742861824020/954917749015052288/Heart.jpg)
________________________________
# From the Founder
Beyond showcasing incredible tech and incorporating intricate lore, Ruben is an established artist with a clear passion for the creative process. He has created Visionary Art for years; you can see more of his work on his [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/rubentopia/) and at [the psynft website](https://www.psynft.xyz/artists/ruben-topia). Before I say too much about Ruben, how about you hear it from him? Check out his vision and learn a little more about the mind behind the project.

> 1. Thank you for taking some time to answer questions about your inspiration and vision for Mushroomtopia. I know you have been creating incredible visionary art for years, could you tell everyone a bit about your personal inspiration and maybe touch on your journey in the visionary art space?

As a creator I have been drawn towards the psychedelic/visionary scene since I saw works of Escher, Bosch and Alex Grey. It is ironic to put yourself in a box named ‘visionary’, when visionary means transcending boundaries. I want to become a great artist and sometimes you have to dress as who you want to be. Something I like to do is gather information from books and experiences and transform them into visual landscapes full of details. These works depict my journey through life and you see my inner thoughts and ideas hidden in symbols and geometry. There are hidden stories and ideas I want to get out of my head on paper. Creating order out of chaos.   

> 2. How did you come into contact with RMRK? Also, was there anything specific about RMRK’s tech that drew you in to create with RMRK 2.0?

Yuri from RMRK invited me to join the Kanaria bird contest somewhere mid 2021. One of these birds won and I sold one of my original works attached to the nft. RMRK is a smaller platform compared to the Ethereum platforms. This is the same as in real life. It might be harder to become a well known artist in a large city than a small one since there are way more people who do the same thing as you. When I was looking for an illustration agency this was the same principle. Agencies with artists focussed on utopian, colorful worlds where occupied and would not need another artist doing the same thing. Opensea is literally a sea where you could drown. And who is going to rescue you?

> 3. Could you enlighten us with your creative process surrounding the lore? Even from an initial look, it feels genuine and unique.

Mushroom Topia is a growing concept. First I wanted to draw 1000 unique mushrooms. These mushrooms are categorized in 7 kingdoms. These kingdoms are related to the chakras. The mushrooms contain special items that can be turned into Mushroom Topians. A matching set of these characters belongs to one of 7 kingdoms. So these kingdoms need background. There is a desert theme centered around the nomads and desert dwellers. An ocean themed mushroom family that lives among the coral. A cosmic mushroom family centered around sacred geometry and the universe. The goal is to grow the mycelium into a stronger network. I want the art to look unique. There is a generative aspect to the project but I don’t want too much lookalikes. I consider this to be an art project just like in art school. For the story lets say all 7 mushrooms together can become enlightened and this might create new species.   

> 4. What are some things about Mushroom Topia NFT project that really get you excited? Maybe touch on something that you didn’t expect to have interest in when starting but have explored more now

I started MT because I wanted to be fully immersed in a new project and let it grow into a family from zero. The mycelium can create a network where other non rmrk-artists and collectors can join and share their fruits. Yuri, theFVK, Mari0, Chekov help me to make decisions and let me focus on creating. When creating I read about mushrooms and I look at various cultures for garment references. This is not about creating trippy mushrooms or another standard project. Mushrooms are a very diverse kingdom that have many usages. I use the mushrooms as the fruits of the digital ntf network. Some of them will be very rough, others more detailed. They come in various colors and live in different environments, just like humans.

> 5. Any parting thoughts? (or alpha?)

Right now I am creating the base layers for this project. I am a human being and I draw more than the average person would consider normal. This is not intended to be a dead end project. I want to link the mushrooms to other parts of my portfolio. And use the pfp Topian characters in larger detailed drawings to give it more depth and story. But remember I am human and not a machine. The end goal would be to create mushroom architecture, temples, wellness retreats, bathhouses, magical buildings and fruit gardens that show new ways of living. For now this is still a dream, but everything starts on paper.  
________________
I truly think Mushroomtopia is an integral spark to build the creative flame that continues to grow in the Kusama ecosystem. While Mushroomtopia is integral to the VisionaryNFT discord, this server is aiming to be a home base to all Visionary Art on Singular. The server already has robust and rich connections developing between members as they share memories of travels, books and varied interests. Artists give sneak peaks of their ongoing work and share between each other ideas on various projects. Community members share music they are listening to or art they find fascinating. The depth to the server is growing in all directions and gives me an ease about the future of the project. Organic growth with a solid foundation is the key to long-term success and the team understands this.

As eloquently put by [theFVK](https://twitter.com/TheFVK) while we were chatting about the project:
> A big part of this collection is the vision to create a visionary art community around singular. To bring together artists, creatives, dreamers in a common space to connect and share their experiences, with Visionary Art NFTs as the common thread connecting the community. RMRK 2.0 functionality and Kusama network "expect chaos" ethos are together the natural home for the most creative and expressional NFTs, since they give the creator the wings and space to truly explore their art. We see Ruben's collection as a vehicle to show the possibilities that RMRK 2.0 can unlock for all creators from all different NFT ecosystems, and possibly bring them into Kusama this way. The end result is a thriving creative community, organically formed, that is birthed after this collection is complete and can form the basis of many more awesome NFT collections to come.

Do I need to say anything else? Stay tuned my friends as this is just phase 1 of the Mushroomtopia story. There will be much more to come and don’t worry, there will be many price points to enter so everyone can be involved. In fact, the first drop will be starting next week as the team aims to launch the first round of drops on March 28th, 2022...**I heard there is SOMETHING special for the first few people who complete the full profile picture set! The team is playing this one close to the chest though...could it be a special shroom, a limited edition banner or *secret* kingdom access?!? Only the team knows the reward so it's just speculation at this point, but who doesn't like *secrets*. Comment below to guess what may be the reward!**

* Make sure to follow [Mushroomtopia](https://twitter.com/mushroomtopia) and [Rubentopia](https://twitter.com/Rubentopia1) on twitter to keep up!
* Join in the [Visionary NFT discord server](https://discord.gg/hrv9QSpNAV) to enjoy those relaxing vibes
___________________

Follow my [Subsocial space](https://app.subsocial.network/6110) for more on RMRK, Kusama and Polkadot.

Tips appreciated

KSM
* GL85fwNiFfUqkCcmtrq7eD5DphB1QWJrxkgMme5qdSuFfap

Metamask
* 0xFA8f8C0fe69cB954530B42fAc53E0985752cA447

bafyreiezol5bblofetohofycj725yu46h3wr7ik6cqi5xybg2l7cgsxa5u

bafyreie7bmg5vkhvlpqqr7sox5au733if4ngsu4chg7iffr2f3ogoj55mq

It's Up to Us (March 13th - March 19th)

What is up my friends and welcome to another unbelievable week in Dotsama. Amazing updates each and every day. It is incredible to watch these projects grow and get a glmpse into their process as time goes on.  I'd like to take a moment and thank Dodow, a prominent member in the WagMedia server, who helped compile news this week. Thank you fren! This week we have Acala announcing their 250 million dollar aUSD fund to kickstart even further growth in Dotsama, governance participation updates, OAK and Mangata partnering and so much more. Let's get it!
_______________________
# TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK
![](https://app.subsocial.network/ipfs/ipfs/QmXAHFer9rKXuweuDm8i4k9nSvXEctra3RW22EY3LTh2oz?type=.png)

This week it is hard to highlight anything other than Acala's announcement of a $250 million aUSD Ecosystem Fund, [check out](https://medium.com/acalanetwork/polkadot-parachains-and-venture-funds-team-up-to-launch-250-million-ausd-ecosystem-fund-to-grow-1592f925799a) the article for full details. In short, the fund is designed to support early-stage teams building in Dotsama with a strong use case for the aUSD. aUSD is a decentralized, crypto backed stablecoin built to underpin the growing Dotsama ecosystem. When I think of stablecoins I go straight to USDC and USDT, which are two centralized stablecoins with the largest marketcaps. Of course, the exponential growth of UST has highlighted crpytocurrency's desire for a more decentralized solution. 

Terra's growth has mirrored the growth of it's stablecoin in large part due to its decentralized nature, which is resistant to the types of censorship we have seen with USDC and USDT. As UST's integrations throughout Web3 have grown, we have seen network effects increase the demand for both the stablecoin and the primary chain from which it came - Terra. Why am I talking about UST? Well, it's hard to know for certain if aUSD will absolutely take off, but if you are bullish on Polkadot, then you must pay attention here.

The network effects that have evolved through integration of UST are centered on one platform's integration with other chains mostly through bridges. A single Layer 1 integrating piece by piece with other Layer 1s. If you have ever tried to get UST to Anchor protocol, you know what I mean. 

This is where Polkadot's shared security model and XCM come into the limelight. Many different Layer 1 chains have already partnered with Acala to incorporate aUSD such as Astar, Centrifuge, Efinity, HydraDX, Manta, Moonbeam, OriginTrail, Parallel, and Zeitgeist. This is only the beginning as Acala is welcoming [anyone and everyone with a use case for aUSD to apply for funding.](https://acala.network/ecosystem-program). Imagine the network effects of UST multiplied on an exponential scale with shared security and built in bridges for free flow of liquidity....whew. Now bring in bridging to Ethereum, Terra, Avalanche and more. I think it's safe to say the vision of Polkadot's future is taking shape and we are only at the beginning. Dan Reecer, VP of growth and W3F alum, states it well

> Astar Network has launched a hub for WASM + EVM, Acala is providing aUSD as the ecosystem’s native stablecoin via its DeFi network, Moonbeam is providing a fully Ethereum-compatible platform, Manta is providing privacy technology for crypto assets, Centrifuge specializes is real world asset financing, Efinity brings NFT, gaming, and metaverse platforms, HydraDX brings a world-class DEX chain, OriginTrail brings decentralized knowledge graph, Parallel is building a platform filled with multi-chain DeFi products, and Zeitgeist is launching a parachain optimized for prediction markets and futarchy. Once all of these chains begin working together, Polkadot will experience exponential network effects and growth.

# Speed Reading
![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/957239913626083398/bubbles-trailer.gif)

### Nitty Gritty
* OAK & Mangata [annouces a partnership](https://medium.com/oak-blockchain/oak-network-announces-partnership-with-mangata-2122727bad57). Another announcement for Oak, this time for network infrastructure with [Mayhem Nodes](https://medium.com/oak-blockchain/mayhem-nodes-partnership-announcement-9ef556ae6947). Don't forget to watch [this announcement video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGt6Z1GjJQ0) that really goes into amazing detail on how these two mammoths will change the face of DeFi
* [Darwinia & SubDAO](https://darwinianetwork.medium.com/subdao-and-darwinia-will-jointly-explore-web3-0-dao-56558c11bc5d) team up to enhance the Darwinia & Crab ecosystem with DAO tooling such as Game Guilds & Ventures DAO.
* Get the [low down](https://app.subsocial.network/6214/referendum-voting-rewards-the-past-the-present-the-future-32141) on Referendum Voting Rewards as Gabriel takes us through the past present and future of this outstanding initiative
* Choices choices, RMRK is now running a [MOVR collator](https://twitter.com/RmrkApp/status/1505969306835865605) continuing to expand the community based collators!
* Did someone say [Pizza Airdrop](https://commonwealth.im/edgeware/discussion/3679-pizza-airdrop)? 
* Check out Peaq Network [testnet functionalities](https://twitter.com/peaqnetwork/status/1506236192219672577) as they gear up to launch their bid in the coming weeks
* Authtrail (built on Moonbeam) [integrates](https://medium.com/kilt-protocol/authtrail-integrates-kilt-protocol-dids-using-didsign-2f1a40651b68) Kilt DIDsign. This brings a decentralized identifier to a platform providing integrity to enterprise data
* Here is a nice read [comparing heterogeneous chains](https://medium.com/@arikan/a-comparison-of-heterogeneous-blockchain-networks-4bf7ff2fe279) such as Polkadot, Cosmos and Avalanche
* Here is more information on a [possible approach]( https://kusama.polkassembly.io/post/1424/) for solving the block degredation issue on Kusama for the parachains.While asynchronous backing will likely improve this substantially, the Parity team has pivoted to fixing this now as to prevent worsening of the issue with onboarding more chains. Learn more in that thread above! Feel free to comment below with more questions
* Kylin listing to suggestions of [bonus for reach 10K](https://twitter.com/kylin_network/status/1506642514123624456), as they look to get back to the KSM crowdloan auction board
* [Check out this article](https://app.subsocial.network/@subsocial/why-subsocial-is-the-best-32132) explaining why Subsocial is the best social networking protocol in crypto. Additionally, they have put out a [roadmap update](https://twitter.com/SubsocialChain/status/1506746870252675078) and a community update on what the team is [actively working on](https://app.subsocial.network/@subsocial/a-community-update-32151). Look out for SUB to be listing soon on Gate.io
* Newly formed [Crust Relation](https://medium.com/@RelationLabs/crust-network-%EF%B8%8F-relation-labs-collaborate-to-integrate-data-storage-solution-54f771cf26da) involves utilizing Crust storage and opens the doors for integrating even further with other Dotsama projects
* Highly encourage to read InvArch Education Series [2](https://invarch.medium.com/invarch-eduseries-2-blockchains-bright-light-a-shining-future-for-ip-rights-164b7a4eaba5) and [3](https://invarch.medium.com/invarch-eduseries-3-web3s-super-highway-the-future-of-transporting-ip-rights-ce1368800927). Furthermore, checkout this lengthly [legal walkthrough article](https://invarch.medium.com/invarch-and-the-ip-revolution-c14ca4e6c09d) covering implications of the new technological solutions that they bring. 
* Auction winner [Parathread 2003](https://twitter.com/kusamanetwork/status/1507023545121091587) was Karura!   
* Edgeware have posted their 2022 [community roadmap](https://blog.edgewa.re/edgeware-2022-community-roadmap/) for further updates on their growing ecosystem
* Kraken to be listing Robonomic's token, XRT! Learn more about this launch [here](https://blog.kraken.com/post/13421/robonomics-xrt-trading-starts-march-24-deposit-now/)
* Check out the [Robonomics article](https://blog.aira.life/examples-of-web3-data-based-on-robot-as-a-service-use-cases-62a98b8c074f) that provides data examples on Robot-as-a-service use cases
* Asteroid is a [decentralized content management system](https://twitter.com/AsteroidDAO/status/1503648028904857600) 
* [XDAO](https://twitter.com/xdaoapp/status/1503644226575388674 ) is a dApp focused on "DAO tooling" to provide easy to use tools for DAOs to succeed. They are now present on Moonbeam, Astar and Shiden 
* Great initiative to [meetup in Amsterdam](https://twitter.com/bsx_finance/status/1507335480140091401?t=FHHV0UNSjWTyb00SrP3D0g&s=19) next month headed by Basilisk!
* If you haven't had your eyes on KILT in a while, they continue to grow their fundamentals and offer a little insight into the [vision for decentralized identities](https://twitter.com/Kiltprotocol/status/1506748514289782788)

### What's in your wallet?
* Check out Talisman's [Astrological Audit](https://twitter.com/wearetalisman/status/1505848300796547074) that was held prior to beta launch
* [Nova Wallet](https://twitter.com/NovaWalletApp/status/1505879372116508674) adds support for Interlay, Efinity, HydraDX, Centrifuge, Integritee and Nodle expanding their reach further and further in Dotsama with [40 different networks](https://twitter.com/NovaWalletApp/status/1507387959871430664)
* Multichain Ambrie wallet integrates with [Moonbeam and Moonriver](https://blog.ambire.com/ambire-wallet-launches-moonbeam-integration-the-first-polkadot-parachain-on-ambire-94b71604b5ba)
* Be sure to watch this episode of Girl Gone Crpyot as Agyle and Riri [chat](https://youtu.be/l41vQIWv5z4) about Talisman 
* Mathwallet now [supporting](https://twitter.com/MathWallet/status/1506935044174061568) Subsocial tokens!
 
### AMA round-up
* Bifrost and Talisman AMA coming up [March 30 @ 15:00 UTC](https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1yNxaYqDgalxj)
* Phala to host “The Future of Web3 Infrastructure” on [March 31 @ 09:00 UTC](https://www.crowdcast.io/e/the-future-of-web3/register )
* Composable’s Brainjar Sofa Series - [Trustless Bridging and Beyond ft. Web3 Philosopher](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZcpEmSIaaM) 
* Talisman Public Beta Launch Crowdcast - [Unlock Dotsama With Talisman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsMrjA4yZuk)
* [Polkadot Ecosystem talks - Parachains & beyond](https://www.meetup.com/Polkadot-Paris/events/284828804/) panel discussion on April 13th at Paris Blockchain Week. Representation from Astar, Nodle, Parallel, Phala, Unique, and Polkadot will all be there!

# NFTs and the Metaverse: The Heartbeat of Dotsama
![](https://app.subsocial.network/ipfs/ipfs/QmYKx3ZX8Aq2EUEKbiP1N4sRj3wyARFPaJqp3zPsaRKKkT?type=.png)
*Governance Participation reward shelf*

### RMRK
* Don't forget about RMRK's new [MOVR collator](https://twitter.com/RmrkApp/status/1505969306835865605?t=BHE9uYEBOVnsf9yPGGmrCA&s=19)
* Referendum NFTs - [The cat is out of the bag!](https://singular.app/collectibles/11910970-14e49237401d9ee509-SHELF_TEST-PR-0) RMRK2 shelf and trophy NFTs are ready! To be safe, I would vote with 0.2 KSM on referendums for here on out and be sure to follow the [governance participation Twitter to stay uptodate on NFT rewards!](https://mobile.twitter.com/GovPartRewKSM/status/1506019457444945921)
* [Moonglade's](https://singular.app/collections/e0b9bdcc456a36497a-MNGLD?page=1&forsale=forSale&sortBy=priceAscending) first batch is sold out! In case you missed it, check out [this video explainer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32GXYmItmWs&t=23s) and [this deep dive article](https://app.subsocial.network/@rmrkapp/introducing-moonglade-reforestation-nf-ts-32016) on this incredible NFT project from RMRK
* RMRK has started a roundtable series through twitter spaces to help bring the community up to speed with updates in the ecosystem! The first week was [with the founders](https://twitter.com/RmrkApp/status/1505974509479809040) and this coming week will be with prominent artists in the community such as [TrickyNFTart, ChaosCollective, and EVRLOOT](https://twitter.com/RmrkApp/status/1507745845478932481). Tune in to hear more on Monday at 6:00pm CET

### Dotsama NFTs and GameFi don't stop there
* NeonCrisis [Game Room](https://twitter.com/NeonCrisisNFT/status/1507096685599678478) ships in a fun and truly addicting memory game we all remember from our childhood. Check it out and try to beat my high scores
* Be sure to catch up on Enjin/Efinity's [session](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUkjLzbUCH8) to introduce the first 5 Dot Parachains “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. Couldn't agree more!
* DPS have accepted Moonsama's [invitation to join](https://twitter.com/TheDPSproject/status/1506254345486192644?s=20&t=3KiFWOUxZ3h8N0qxnTc_dA) up! More and more projects are being brought into the fold as Donnie continues to open the doors to Moonsama's Kusamaverse.
* Here are hatching [instructions](https://docs.planetneo.com/dino-x-dino/the-great-hatching) for those fortunate Dino x Dino GOD egg owners
* Exiled Racers [partners](https://blog.exiledracers.com/exiled-racers-partners-with-moonbeans-nft-marketplace-to-bring-high-fidelity-nft-art-to-the-d3046ef869ba) with Moobeans Marketplace. Looks like there will also be a private ultra-rare EXR NFT auction coming soon. 
* New Houses of Rome [Tokenomomics](https://app.subsocial.network/5897/houses-of-rome-tokenomics-2-0-32153). Additionally, a snapshot proposal Rome to explore other blockchains is [taking place](https://snapshot.org/#/romedaofi.eth/proposal/0x9a38be207167a10c9c64b23b36f976fb126ba2731d0a5725c513b302ace7ecc6)
* MetaDojo offers a [sneak peek](https://twitter.com/MetaDojo_IO/status/1507232538632548359) and it looks like treasure hunt coming in April
* If you are a Kanaria holder and have been whitelisted for Exosama, be sure to head over to their [discord server](https://discord.gg/gDJNDcTWan) to list your GLMR address!

For more news on NFTs follow [RMRK’s weekly NFT update](https://news.nft.review/) 

Want to know sooner? [Daily RMRK Updates](https://twitter.com/1am_mari0/status/1484981883167510530?s=21) courtesy of MARIO 

# DeFi
![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/957601688733245490/Kintsugi.gif)
*Kintsugi brings a trustless BTC bridge to Kusama*

* Kintsugi [with HUGE news](https://twitter.com/alexeiZamyatin/status/1507041575154638854) as kBTC is now live on Karura and Moonriver bringing decentralized and trustless BTC to Dotsama. I liken this to USDC and USDT v. UST as described in top news above. Bringing a truly decentralized solution to the idea of wrapped BTC. Explore more on this through their recent crowdcast
* Genshiro [Liquidity Bootstrap event](https://medium.com/equilibrium-eosdt/genshiro-liquidity-bootstrap-event-is-starting-on-march-22-1a8044176479) is announced! Be sure to dive into that article to learn more about the unique offerings Genshiro brings with their DeFi platform...I'm interested to learn more about their "bailout pool" mechanism
* Taiga News - taiKSM/TAI pool now launched. [Check out the article]((https://medium.com/taiga-protocol/taiksm-tai-pool-launch-e878fd7a5a35)) for more details on the benefits of taiKSM, an LP explanation, and a brief guide
* Kagla Finance, a native Astar AMM, [is coming](https://medium.com/@kagla_fi/kagla-astar-native-amm-for-stable-swapping-98b9fcf3a26b) at the end of March
* Be sure to read up on Composable’s latest article covering just-in-time [liquidity bots](https://composablefi.medium.com/defining-good-behavior-for-just-in-time-liquidity-bots-a5e4c113587f) on Mosaic
* First Cosmos [launch](https://stellaswap.medium.com/first-cosmos-atom-launch-on-polkadot-via-stellaswap-stake-atom-to-get-double-rewards-917484e88a25) on Polkadot via StellaSwap, which is built on Moonbeam
* Quite a bit of DeFI development on Astar this week. [Orcus Fi and Alnair FI](https://orcusfinance.medium.com/orcus-finance-x-alnair-finance-partnership-announcement-14d977a3fb93) partner up. Also, Alnair aims to provide a launchpad among their additional services. Another lesser known project, Libra Finance (an algorithmic stable coin), is [on the way](https://twitter.com/LibraAstar/status/1507263642513063941) 

# Rumors and Alpha
### Do Your Own Research! These finds are unconfirmed alpha in Dotsama
* Voxelle's FLOX collection may have some interesting utility and growth in the coming weeks. He's been knee deep in Exosama, but curious to see what erupts when his creativity is let loose with RMRK 2.0. Check out the [collection and backstory here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiSAI9EXk98)
* Bannerverse theories abound as the RMRK team teases more integrations. Sprout banner holders were dropped Moonglade seeds, could we see more of this with other banners in the future?
* Will Moonglade have [utility in Skybreach](https://twitter.com/bitfalls/status/1507289465919782913?t=b8eAtA2ahPzfW4kPGxJVJA&s=19)? No promises, but the team at RMRK appeared to lean in to this
* Interesting integrations of aUSD abound and the team at Acala and Karura are promising some big updates in the next days to weeks...
* [Phala World and Skylab partnership?](https://twitter.com/marvin_tong/status/1507214606170787840) It appears that Skylab has been branching out their research and development sector.
* [Public Pressure](https://www.publicpressure.io/) has many Dotsama partners, could this be the launch of a Music NFT revolution?
* I hesitate to post this, but if true, [could be interesting](https://twitter.com/DotsamaMax/status/1507981487139921921)

# Beginner's Guide
New to Polkadot? Or maybe you have some friends who keep coins on a CEX but haven't become a part of a community yet? Share this with them to get them started! It will be updated weekly with new content and is open for changes. Feel free to leave a comment and I'll add in content that's needed. 

**[The Hitchhiker's Guide to Dotsama](https://app.subsocial.network/6110/beginner-s-guide-31297)**
________________
Another mindblowing week! Our WagMedia discord is the primary source for most of the content in this newsletter – thanks a ton fam! This is just the highlights, for more in depth news join the discord and get incentivized to learn more about the ecosystem and provide news, alpha and content to us all. As always, I’m open to feedback and I hope you find this helpful. Looking forward to yet another week of exponential growth in the DotSama ecosystem.

* [What is WagMedia?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLZmbo-ZsHk&t=5s)
* [WagMedia Discord](https://discord.gg/YUXqjVXWtp)
* [Jay Chrawnna](https://www.youtube.com/c/JayChrawnna) provides us all with extremely entertaining updates on everything DotSama

Tips appreciated

KSM
* GL85fwNiFfUqkCcmtrq7eD5DphB1QWJrxkgMme5qdSuFfap

Metamask
* 0x66b9f30B38Cb6d61374D15D8A9D220561E715995

bafyreihiu27553e45s553ecvw6lknatv2o2xwkgs32ry7fveqovtwudqwe

Kickstarting Growth with aUSD (March 20th - March 26th)

What is up my friends! Continued growth within Dotsama feels as if it is culminating into something truly special. Cross chain use cases continue to come forward and these bridges and relationships between parachains are strengthening daily. Amsterdot was this week and many teams joined together to enjoy IRL interaction secured by the relay chain of our community, Polka Haus. This week was littered with growth of DAOs in the space that are spreading out in the ecosystem and bringing value to its members. Take a look at what they are DAOing this week. Let's get it!
_______________________
# TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK
![](https://app.subsocial.network/ipfs/ipfs/Qmezz44grJ822n7qez1hXXK7RST4Yo4ARxDDajujtv3jJf?type=.png)
*Imbue Network*

DAOs are starting to show their force in Dotsama as communities are becoming more organized and focused at curating and developing their brand. As they grow, their business plans have become focused on specific use cases and are leveraging the strength and wisdom of the masses. Here are some examples of DAO-related news that's turning our heads 

* [Imbue Network](https://www.imbue.network/) is a DAO focused on crowdfunding approaching their business model similar to a decentralized venture capital fund. They plan on integrating [Acala’s aUSD as the default stablecoin](https://medium.com/acalanetwork/imbue-network-integrates-ausd-as-its-default-stablecoin-for-crowdfunding-on-polkadot-63d459d43220) while claiminf their approach is all-around beneficial. Not only does this promote the usage of aUSD, but the funding also avoids price volatility risks, whilst the platform provides an opportunity to initiate the next wave of ideas to allow Web3 to flourish and encourages accountability

* Automata [provides](https://medium.com/atanetwork/anydao-helping-daos-do-what-they-do-best-73faab45cd08) some perspective on DAOs while discussing their AnyDAO product. [AnyDAO](https://www.anydao.app/) is expected for public beta testing in Q2 with features includeing aggregation across different chains (currently limited to EVM & Substrate chains), zero-cost to cast votes, adjustable multi-tier privacy levels, and flexible parameters (such as voting with NFTs, LP tokens, etc).

* Ser, have ya heard of [Citizend](https://medium.com/acalanetwork/citizend-and-acala-partner-to-bring-its-natively-built-token-launch-platform-to-karura-for-the-a16a8b6e3fbd)? They claim to be a community-driven Launch Platform to facilitate the growth of new projects within Dotsama. If interested, join the Citizend DAO waitlist quickly as there will be a limited number of spots. Founders include RMRK, Outlier Ventures, Unique, Fractal, Subvisual, and Acala. aUSD will be integral to creating a pool with all new project tokens prior to full launch. they will also focus on pairs with the platform’s CNTD token to freely trade all connected tokens. The three core values of the platform: Openness (token holders with the minimum threshold can list/vote/contribute), Transparency (there is no hidden information with any member of the DAO able to report additional findings), Community (DAO members contribute on the same terms)

* Parastate is going for a Polkadot auction slot via their [Geminis Network chain](https://geminis.network/) and [here they provide](https://medium.com/ethereum-on-steroids/decentralized-autonomous-organization-the-parastate-dao-business-model-5b0b8227df4d) some insights about DAOs and their own view on DAO business models

* PolarisDAO is a community-managed DAO serving the Dotsama ecosystem. They [have started](https://twitter.com/polaris_dao/status/1516326073184624644) and now completed a LP bootstrapping event on [Karura DEX]( (https://medium.com/@polarisdao/polarisdao-launches-on-karura-swap-with-over-700-000-aris-in-liquidity-mining-rewards-51e3be0d9168)

* [Check out]( https://youtu.be/R00LGw9ZNlw) Doctor Preposterous’s chat with the ADAO team on how Dapp Staking can galvanize communities on the Astar Network, and how DAOs can leverage this relationship to improve and enrich the network's ecosystem

* Also NFT DAOs getting busy with voting to spend up to 50k USD and 25K USD respectively on [Manga NFT auctions](https://twitter.com/PromoTeamPD/status/1517034651008839685) hosted on tofuNFT for Eren the Southpaw

* Dico, an ICO chain for DAOs, has been busy. They have removed the [Sudo for their Kico parachain](https://medium.com/@DearICO/kico-network-completes-sudo-permission-removal-and-parameter-initialization-a26978114b77) and will look to start on-chain governance. Also their [DEX is online](https://twitter.com/DICONetwork/status/1516662425264791557) and farming is [coming](https://twitter.com/DICONetwork/status/1516663836220137474)

# Speed Reading
![](https://app.subsocial.network/ipfs/ipfs/QmawD5c7njuDSuAVj4p1q9n7ouaysm5ziUEvSu3A1YchMA?type=.png)

### Some quick messages from the Treasuries
* OKX started $ASTR [Margin trading, USDT-Margined Perpetual Swaps (Up to 75x Leverage), and Savings](https://twitter.com/okx/status/1516700727703633924?s=20&t=-LMYEuMcBcjm2HLzl6qfDw)
* The [Astar Portal UI](https://portal.astar.network/#/dashboard) has been updated. Now it has become much easier for you to check TVL and other important information

### Nitty Gritty
* Siacoin announces [Skynet integration](https://twitter.com/SkynetLabs/status/1512491751092547585) with Polkadot. Skynet provides decentralized storage and app hosting, with a grant from the Web3 Foundation
* Here is an [informative review]( https://daox.notion.site/My-Crypto-Profile-2-0-d1097b1332924e78927ddd6025871738) with a great video on Litentry's My Crypto Profile. You even get to have a glimpse of the cross-over use case with PhalaWorld - the more identities you aggregate the more potential for rewards
* It's here! XCM is going live on DOT in an upcoming runtime upgrade. Here is an absolutely [bullish thread]( https://twitter.com/rphmeier/status/1515702596433944576) from Rob Habermeier
* What’s next for Phala? [Check out]( https://medium.com/phala-network/one-step-closer-to-the-decentralized-computing-cloud-phalas-launch-plan-after-polkadot-236c7cb99b4) the article covering Phala’s launch next steps. In short, there is expected removal of Sudo and token transfer in May, with a full launch in June.
* Fat Contract is a core product founded by Phala Network. You may have heard of the references to it when the Phala World metaverse has been discussed. That being said, the first application of this [tackles Web3 Analytics]( https://medium.com/phala-network/redefine-web3-analytics-and-provide-customized-data-analytics-service-on-web-3-0-eeef4293a2b9)
* Astar has a new stablecoin – [$JPYC](https://jpyc-blog.medium.com/japanese-stable-coin-jpyc-is-now-on-astar-network-celebrating-156f72073f27), a Japanese yen-pegged stablecoin now on Astar. It is a prepaid stablecoin backed by Circle Ventures
* Astar is doing an [Easter Egg Hunt campaign](https://twitter.com/AstarNetwork/status/1516770976536530949), expect more from Astar with more planned staking bonuses
* Do you ever look at stakingrewards.com? Over 400K unique users do monthly, and they are now having [a listing vote](https://twitter.com/MoonbeamNetwork/status/1516892086183866372) that includes Moonbeam & Moonriver. Voting ends on May 4th, 2022
* Moonbeam [has opened an educational Academy](https://twitter.com/MoonbeamNetwork/status/1517512357479690242). This Academy aims to be a learning hub for developers looking to build on Moonbeam or Moonriver. The curriculum covers Substrate, Polkadot, developer tools, and more. There will be plenty of tangible experience with apps and hands on teaching
* OnFinality's free API service [is now](https://twitter.com/polkadex/status/1516142339927908352) live on the Polkadex network!
* Robonomics [officially launches](https://twitter.com/AIRA_Robonomics/status/1516099865729769476) the ambassador program
* [You can now](https://twitter.com/CrustNetwork/status/1516031494736662530) claim your CSM from ERC20 to Crust Shadow
* BEEFY is [now merged]( https://twitter.com/0xbrainjar/status/1516778367344951307) into Rococo, which is a huge milestone. Once complete this is expected to come to the Composable ecosystem first and foremost
* Deeper Network ($DPR) is [now listed](https://twitter.com/StealthEX_io/status/1516093874820861963) on Stealth Exchange
* [Did you see](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-H-7FDKqkg) InvArch is doing its weekly update in VR? Here is their revamped [website](https://invarch.network/) which goes more into their protocols. Dakota also hints that there are plenty of partnerships in the pipeline with some of the biggest players in the ecosystem
* [Check out](https://medium.com/sora-xor/april-20-2022-ecosystem-updates-for-sora-polkaswap-and-fearless-wallet-3bffe108803) the latest update article on all things Sora including Sora Wallet, ecosystem protocols, RFPs, Polkaswap DEX, and Fearless wallet.
* T3rn [going live](https://twitter.com/t3rn_io/status/1516895977319325696) on rococo
* Ternoa a L1 Blockchain for NFTs [has announced](https://twitter.com/Ternoa_/status/1516799489633361927) a partnership with Phala. In particular, this focuses on the Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) to enhance security and scalability
* Batman from Yield Bay is planning a special NFT airdrop. [Here’s](https://twitter.com/yield_bay/status/1517071083244953603) what to do
* Manta Network announces a Zero-Knowledge Proof [challenge](https://twitter.com/MantaNetwork/status/1517108610530222080) with a 1 Eth prize
* SubQuery [announces](https://twitter.com/SubQueryNetwork/status/1517065616053530625) a new website to accurately reflect the current progress of the project and its status as a leader in data indexing
* Energy Web has [announced](https://twitter.com/energywebx/status/1517497201102106626) the Green Proofs Platform. It’s a solution for organizations tracking low-carbon products efficiently. As the importance of climate change grows, this addresses the importance of providing verifiable ESG reporting and sustainability claims.

### Crowdloan Updates


### What's in Your Wallet?

 
### AMA and IRL Events Round-up


# Governance


# NFTs and the Metaverse: The Heartbeat of Dotsama


### Now, Onto the Flurry of NFT Updates


For more news on NFTs follow [RMRK’s weekly NFT update](https://news.nft.review/) 

Want to know sooner? [Daily RMRK Updates](https://twitter.com/1am_mari0/status/1484981883167510530?s=21) courtesy of MARIO 

# DeFi


### The DeFi Details


### Wag-Media Defi Creators

# Rumors and Alpha
### Do Your Own Research! These finds are unconfirmed alpha in Dotsama


# Beginner's Guide
New to Polkadot? Or maybe you have some friends who keep coins on a CEX but haven't become a part of a community yet? Share this with them to get them started! It will be updated weekly with new content and is open for changes. Feel free to leave a comment and I'll add in content that's needed. 

**[The Hitchhiker's Guide to Dotsama](https://app.subsocial.network/6110/beginner-s-guide-31297)**
________________
Another mindblowing week! Our WagMedia discord is the primary source for most of the content in this newsletter – thanks a ton fam! This is just the highlights, for more in depth news join the discord and get incentivized to learn more about the ecosystem and provide news, alpha and content to us all. As always, I’m open to feedback and I hope you find this helpful. Looking forward to yet another week of exponential growth in the DotSama ecosystem.

* [What is WagMedia?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLZmbo-ZsHk&t=5s)
* [WagMedia Discord](https://discord.gg/YUXqjVXWtp)
* [Jay Chrawnna](https://www.youtube.com/c/JayChrawnna) provides us all with extremely entertaining updates on everything DotSama

Tips appreciated

KSM
* GL85fwNiFfUqkCcmtrq7eD5DphB1QWJrxkgMme5qdSuFfap

Metamask
* 0x66b9f30B38Cb6d61374D15D8A9D220561E715995



bafyreif5salbbngwnna2ltqxqxksz77dfizfwfoyeraeubagverxaoa3o4

WagMedia Draft

bafyreib7jz7dxr5syk4o5w3our42anpuhwbxa4kl76pfc4hrczwwnvhyb4

AstarSeason is in the Air (March 27th - April 2nd)

bafyreifxrckbs2tq3nc3kk6gqopi6nhhzfjpzr2mb3jxolzsxu7rftsjze

Skybreach on the Horizon (April 3rd - April 10th)

bafyreihnjxwqhabcqdibf3ydgujn74basokefdc3qo4nal6mrzwebreo74

A Wave of Stablecoins (April 11th - April 16th)

bafyreihxkoyryze5a2r55amco4iphjppje6s52pcdcyhhe3sp3eeco4nre

DAOing the Most in Dotsama (April 17th - April 23rd)

For many investors, especially those braving the cryptocurrency frontier, [Total Value Locked](https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/what-is-total-value-locked-2021-09-29) (TVL) is a key indicator of success of a Decentralized Finance (DeFi) project or protocol. Many keep a close eye on total value locked and factor this in their decision on whether to invest or not. 

Before we dive any deeper, let’s define TVL. 

It’s a combination of all the crypto assets deposited within a DeFi protocol including staking, lending and liquidity provision (pools/farming). Since it is a measure of the amount of crypto assets locked, deposits and withdrawals will naturally affect the TVL. Also remember, the price of the token locked in these protocols will change the TVL when we denominate in USD. We have all suspected this definition of TVL may or may not be used strictly by a number of protocols in Web3, but here it is. It is, however, undeniable that this measure is used as an indicator of overall success of a protocol by investors, businesses and media. 

I hear it often

> “That project is on fire! Man, look at the TVL!”
> 
> “Will it be the next 100x?”
> 
> “The TVL/MCAP is so low, it’s completely undervalued. Maybe I should buy now?”

This sentiment is common within Dotsama and I have observed it frequently in Web3, but there’s really one big question behind it all…how do we know if the reported TVL is true? Buried in this question lies a plethora of subsequent questions that surround this idea, especially in Polkadot and Kusama (Dotsama).

Within Dotsama, projects typically utilize Kusama parachain slots as a live testing ground to flesh out new and exciting protocols that are meant to be pushed to the limit. Many parachains, with heavy doses of DeFi, are already live today including Moonriver, Karura, Parallel Heiko and Kintsugi. While each of these platforms offer alternative experiences in terms of UI/UX, there are also a number of unique DeFi use cases that have drawn some intelligent degens to this space. What really sets Dotsama apart is that these parachains communicate through ultra-secure bridges, dubbed XCM, allowing for their native chain assets and liquidity to flow freely. This frequently transfers the liquidity of one parachain to the next. In ecosystems other than Dotsama, this would be a sign the protocol is losing steam.

Imagine millions in USD flowing from Terra to Ethereum as some new Uniswap innovation brings significant interest and promise of high APY previously unavailable on Terra. Comical, I know, but this is entirely possible and if liquidity flows from Terra to Ethereum, the TVL of Terra would naturally decrease and many would see this as a competitive advantage of Ethereum over Terra. This does become more nuanced with stablecoins such as DAI or UST, as these assets are native to Ethereum and Terra respectively and have propagated to the furthest corners of Web3 bringing more interest to these chains and stretching the tentacles of their reach and frequently bringing liquidity back to their chain; thus, increased TVL. 

Over the course of 2021, there has been movement of liquidity out of Ethereum and into other protocols. This is visualized well on [defillama.com](https://defillama.com/). You can see how TVL has moved from almost exclusively within Ethereum (green) to Terra, Binance Smart Chain, Avalanche and Solana - in that order. 

![](https://app.subsocial.network/ipfs/ipfs/QmP3nj9gp3gheaTqP1taCPVEYWajYha9WvNF9q5GgPhvZx?type=.png)

*Source, DeFi Llama*
_______________________________
# Dotsama DeFi
Now let’s dive right into Dotsama. Something I have noticed in reporting of TVL in Dotsama, apart from how TVL is calculated (that’s an entirely different article), is that it’s typically vastly underestimated, disjointed and simply falsely reported on reputable tools such as DeFi Llama. 

![](https://app.subsocial.network/ipfs/ipfs/QmU6tVRdiHRDRb4damWgbMwaHNE7Nk9njkzHAku8GiVthA?type=.png)
*Source, DeFi Llama*

For example, you can see here that the TVL of Parallel Finance is reported as upwards of 700 million USD and they are ranked at 16th, but the TVL of Polkadot is a mere 4.4 million and they are ranked at 82nd. 

![](https://app.subsocial.network/ipfs/ipfs/QmTfxKKmMyCKYovJyqz3JTX14uiqnaNtnWdwrkQDTDxU6a?type=.png)
*Source, DeFi Llama*

Parallels can be drawn for Kusama, but interestingly the TVL for Kusama is 104.7 million ranking it at 44th and higher than Polkadot. It appears this TVL is due to DeFi Llama incorporating BiFrost, which is a parachain within Kusama, as contributing the lion’s share of TVL.

![](https://app.subsocial.network/ipfs/ipfs/QmfXfKh38LNgBBtnHgoy33tXN71QreCwJ4CRc1sUStvYta?type=.png)
*Source, DeFi Llama*

This is a problem; you can’t have it both ways. Many legitimate DeFi-focused individuals, businesses and investors utilize DeFi Llama and TVL to decide where to invest. The health of a protocol is in many ways tied to liquidity within a protocol and the total value locked. With weak numbers such as those reported here, many, especially newcomers, would brush off the ecosystem after a quick look.

Shouldn’t DeFi Llama stay consistent in their reporting of TVL? Maybe this is a lack of understanding of how Dotsama works, but I’m not sure it is. Whatever the reason, I hope DeFi Llama reconsiders the way they are reporting these numbers. Let me give a few examples of ways TVL could be reported, and then give you an idea of what TVL within Dotsama actually looks like.

# The Numbers
Source: https://defillama.com/chains

If you take the numbers for Kusama and Polkadot strictly from DeFi Llama here is how they shake out:

### Sorted by Chain and Ranked by TVL
To give you an idea of where Dotsama ranks when compard to the top two in TVL, Ethereum and Terra

> Ethereum - 106.7B (1st)
> 
> Terra - 27.46B (2nd)
> 
> Kusama - 105.4M (44th)
> 
> Polkadot - 4.4M (82nd)

### Kusama’s Individual Chains
> Moonriver - 223.22M
> 
> Bifrost (counted within Kusama) - 104M
> 
> Karura - 33.76M
> 
> Sora - 10.23M
> 
> Shiden - 644K

**Kusama TVL** = 371.85 Million USD (23rd)

### Polkadot’s Individual Chains
> Parallel - 726.77M
> 
> Astar - 332.08M
> 
> Moonbeam - 113.86M

**Polkadot TVL** = 1.17 Billion USD (14th)

With this set of data, you can see, there is a pretty significant difference between what DeFi Llama has reported as the TVL of Kusama and Polkadot and what the actual TVL is.

### Kusama
**TVL Difference:** DeFi Llama = 105.4M v. Parachain Total = **371.85M**

**Rank:** 44th -> 23rd

### Polkadot
**TVL Difference:** DeFi Llama = 4.4M v. Parachain Total = **1.17B**

**Rank:** 82nd -> 14th

Quite a significant difference. To take it a step further, I think we should combine TVLs of Polkadot and Kusama as there are many dApps that leverage both chains. With Zenlink, you can interact with Moonriver and Moonbeam within the same interface. While exchanging assets between these two chains within the dApp is not possible as of now, this feature will no doubt be integrated with either the incorporation of 3rd party bridges or completion of Kusama </> Polkadot bridge. 

Apart from dApps, the flow of assets is natural between these two chains, and the silos between them are much softer than those between most other chains. They’re sister networks and the teams that build these chains are one in the same. 

*So how about we combine them? *

**Dotsama TVL = 1.5 Billion USD which would rank Dotsama as 12th**

This is all before XCM is fully live, Terra is brought in, Wormhole is incorporated and Uniswap v3 deploys (voting begins today). There are surely more opportunities actively being developed as you read this article. 

# From the Chains
Finally, I wanted to see how DeFi Llama’s reporting of TVL compares to the parachains self reporting of their TVL at the time of writing. This research ended up incorporating Acala and significantly increasing the TVL of Polkadot, although it did not move up the ranking very much.

### Kusama’s Individual Chains
> Moonriver - 207.3M
> 
> BiFrost - 104.7M
> 
> Karura - 65.29M
> 
> Shiden - 13.1M
> 
> Sora - 10.23M
> 
> Genshrio - 8.4M
> 
> Heiko (reported in Parallel total)
> 
> Kintsugi - 2.11M

**Kusama TVL** = 411.13M (21st)

### Polkadot’s Individual Chains
> Acala - 497.76M
> 
> Astar - 983.8M
> 
> Parallel - 727.4M
> 
> Moonbeam - 131M
> 
> Centrifuge - 84.27M

**Polkadot TVL** = 2.42B (10th)

As above, let’s combine Polkadot and Kusama’s TVL when gathered from parachain's self reporting on their dApps. This would put **Dotsama’s TVL at 2.83B which would rank it as 9th in TVL**. 

This is a much different picture than what is painted by one of the most reputable reporting tools in the space. I hope this has been as eye opening to you as it was to me. As Dotsama’s DeFi season starts up with the development of novel use cases, it will be interesting to evaluate how the DeFi world views this burgeoning chain.
__________________________
Now a few questions for you to think over. What about how TVL is reported? Do chains do this well? Should we actually report TVL under the umbrella of Dotsama? What about liquid staking derivatives, how should they be counted? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
___________________________________
Tips appreciated:

KSM:

* GL85fwNiFfUqkCcmtrq7eD5DphB1QWJrxkgMme5qdSuFfap

bafyreibxxmz5vxos25y2rjh6sa3mgau5kmawsecag6skup7ht7pcgu6bgy

TVL Reporting in Dotsama: An Uncertainty

*GIF (had it pasted, but was killing my brain watching it on a loop….)*

After months of planning, weeks of painting and 102.9 MOVR totaling about $6.1K at the time of donation, MovrPlace was an outstanding success. 

The primary aim of MovrPlace was to bring together a multitude of communities, regardless of chain preference, to create a collective piece of art that lives on the blockchain forever. We wanted to showcase the ethos of collaboration that resides deep in the hearts and minds of those in the Dotsama ecosystem and, at the same time create, an opportunity for those outside the ecosystem to see what Moonriver can do.

The community did not let us down!

*Community contributors pic*

A total of 23 different communities contributed including Astar Degens, our beloved Neons, Moonbeans, Kusama Kings and The Damned Pirates Society as top contributors. These communities came out in force to support our initiative and for that, we are truly thankful. Of course, there were many contributors to the canvas, and we are forever grateful to you as well.

Besides the warmth of our thanks, we will be be airdropping rewards in the following way with dates TBD

Neons that contributed to MovrPlace Beta will receive a special NFT
All MovrPlace participants will receive an NFT
The top community, Astar Degens, will be receiving special rewards as well

Now where did all these donations go?

During the development of MovrPlace, the world was shocked with the tyrannic actions of Russia as they waged war on Ukraine. As these tragic events unfolded, we quickly realized that MovrPlace could not only showcase Dotsama’s culture but also help bring together the community to support people Ukrainians. This became our focus.

However, to keep it open, we also provided different options for those to donate to other charities. The list of these charities you can see below

*List of charities with amount donated here*

And for full transparency, here is a list of transaction hashes to confirm donations

*Transaction Hases Here*

The Future of MovrPlace

We at Neon Crisis have begun fostering deeper relationships with the community at large through this initiative. As we develop more and more relationships within the ecosystem, we truly believe we will bring each other up together. 

Know that MovrPlace has sparked initiatives that are developing innovative cross-community collaboration for the benefit of all of Dotsama. More to come here.

Finally, let us be clear, MovrPlace is not done. We plan on hosting this charity event every year and will continue to improve the user experience and set of features. We are excited to continue development.

We will always create experiences that last and continue to bring value to the community and especially our Neon Crisis NFT holders. 

Thank you!
________________

What is Neon Crisis?

The team behind MovrPlace is Neon Crisis, the original cyberpunk, techno-dystopian NFT project in the Dotsama ecosystem. Being builders at heart, we aim to create long lasting experiences that will reach far beyond today. 
Our lead developer is Cicada, who is hard at work developing RMRK’s newest NFT standards written in solidity to be compatible with EVM chains such as Moonbeam and Ethereum. As such, we will be the first independent NFT project to utilize RMRK 3.0, the most advanced NFT technology on Earth. This technology allows for many alternate ways of interacting and using NFTs, one of which is being able to equip and own other NFTs.
To learn more about Neon Crisis, follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the alpha. Secondary sales are available on Moonbeans.io, Moonriver’s top NFT Marketplace. Any questions? Feel free to join the discord and the community will be happy to answer.

Composed by Csaint02, follow me on Twitter for educational content, NFT alpha and more


bafyreifejqszhjog66hdotqjlmw6yn5l5fgxpviwsm5wkf2yzknw6m224e

After months of planning, weeks of painting and 102.9 MOVR totaling about $6.1K at the time of donation, MovrPlace was an outstanding success. 

The primary aim of MovrPlace was to bring together a multitude of communities, regardless of chain preference, to create a collective piece of art that now lives on the blockchain forever. We wanted to showcase the ethos of collaboration that resides deep in the hearts and minds of those in the Dotsama ecosystem and, at the same time, create an opportunity for those outside the ecosystem to see what Moonriver can do.

![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/941362696874500149/978123795351105536/MOVRPLACEGIF1.gif)
# The Community Did Not Let Us Down!
A total of 23 different communities contributed including Astar Degens, our beloved Neons, Moonbeans, Kusama Kings and The Damned Pirates Society as top contributors. These stellar groups came out in force to support our initiative and for that, we are truly thankful. Of course, there were many other contributors to the canvas, and we are forever grateful to you as well.

Besides the warmth of our thanks, we will be be airdropping rewards in the following way with dates TBD.

* **Neons that contributed to MovrPlace Beta will receive a special NFT**
* **All MovrPlace participants will receive an NFT**
* **The top community, Astar Degens, will be receiving special rewards as well**

![](https://app.subsocial.network/ipfs/ipfs/QmaaiBcrXHUq4vrkBHfc7BLQ6KnLQa82o9L6ajGwutZWyf?type=.png)

# Now where did all these donations go?

During the development of MovrPlace, the world was shocked with the tyrannic actions of Russia as they waged war on Ukraine. As these tragic events unfolded, we quickly realized that MovrPlace could not only showcase Dotsama’s culture but also help bring together the community to support Ukrainians. This became our focus.

However, to keep it open, we also provided different options for those to donate to other charities. The list of these charities you can see below

![](https://app.subsocial.network/ipfs/ipfs/QmThHuLecRDwShAptnPFBZrF3A2JZkFY6A1WvT79vzhNhU?type=.png)

For full transparency, here is a list of transaction hashes to confirm donations. Etherscan donations are direct swaps to USDC according to the charities' request

### Ukraine Military Aid (Super Colony)
* https://moonriver.moonscan.io/tx/0xe79bc3fcfa3d95e7a120a15e018c26d1826746ac495305526b9e682cfe37a5bc
* https://moonriver.moonscan.io/tx/0xd0c6aba88141b8986be24558c177d1f65fa9def3b0f8a6ca9d70436ae63e698b
* https://moonriver.moonscan.io/tx/0x883e29620840979ba607fde7cbadf9abb7282b5430fbf344164aa4e4f766b7c4
* https://moonriver.moonscan.io/tx/0x3106de2fb4dbd86195eceeae3790893d37309efb188604c15f2a12a8f5151a64

### Girls Who Code
* https://etherscan.io/tx/0x852abd06e303bd78d2e28b2dbc8d207d392548997a3c9f6c1823d04ec21e7740

### Ukraine Humanitarian Aid (Super Colony)
* https://moonriver.moonscan.io/tx/0x650e7f999817bf8cf5d0ebcef2045c344b2007e0b8ca7b8ff00c84d8df1244ac
* https://moonriver.moonscan.io/tx/0xf08775f334403e8161cc18b47b3afe93cebca25b3db3681cb19c89bff0276d09
* https://moonriver.moonscan.io/tx/0xad5f4e3f2b8130145b9e4e9d0722c8b7c9affa5bfe04c619d045f083979008ad
* https://moonriver.moonscan.io/tx/0x2ac184f6a89545485f245e0924824a95c5010181aa6461d5e408fbf169122b93

### Care
* https://etherscan.io/tx/0xec6db954373c01d3e2b7cba15b1936e159a0c3403172b7bc3e36d845017760c3

### World Central Kitchen
* https://etherscan.io/tx/0xfdf1df508768a93ceeff4619c1d5b04251d88ced2b5ff3336cc5dd23c453ed1e

### Global Fund for Children
* https://etherscan.io/tx/0x8b5278d4bc6a5b88a59f01438717014c6d0822ad5a2f534413af1e123c0ecb05

### Direct Relief
* https://etherscan.io/tx/0x90ba73169017e58f9746aa0ddc6b896105fb9f6d85bda94b99c92953d3c39960

### Gorilla Doctors 
* https://etherscan.io/tx/0xf5a167e78268d19da8a26baa2859af89b5ebeb190a0e075cd218853ef609f773

### The Danish Refugee Council 
* https://etherscan.io/tx/0xd936ff7624836e73e503df72dd5086d955ba8aed6b67bdf6dff632ff5189de48

### Lawyers for Good Government 
* https://etherscan.io/tx/0xc6e600806a0b046162720e3cacdc88279ad2bb19e4d3c19ab3e01fc87c37af8c

# The Future of MovrPlace

We at Neon Crisis have begun fostering deeper relationships with the community at large through this initiative. As we develop more and more relationships within the ecosystem, we truly believe we will bring each other up together. Know that MovrPlace has sparked initiatives that are developing innovative cross-community collaboration for the benefit of all of Dotsama. More to come here. Finally, let us be clear, MovrPlace is not done. We plan on hosting this charity event every year and will continue to improve the user experience and set of features. We are excited to continue development.

We will always create experiences that last and continue to bring value to the community and especially our Neon Crisis NFT holders. 

Thank you!
_________________________
![](https://app.subsocial.network/ipfs/ipfs/QmXz2MpFhRLLYMxNWjK7zzhKV6CM7YUny1g8XSbfgaLWEs?type=.jpg)

What is Neon Crisis?

The team behind MovrPlace is Neon Crisis, the original cyberpunk, techno-dystopian NFT project in the Dotsama ecosystem. Being builders at heart, we aim to create long lasting experiences that will reach far beyond today. Our lead developer is Cicada, who is hard at work developing RMRK’s newest NFT standards written in solidity to be compatible with EVM chains such as Moonbeam and Ethereum. As such, we will be the first independent NFT project to utilize RMRK 3.0, the most advanced NFT technology on Earth. This technology allows for many alternate ways of interacting and using NFTs, one of which is being able to equip and own other NFTs. To learn more about Neon Crisis, follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the alpha. 

Secondary sales are available on Moonbeans.io, Moonriver’s top NFT Marketplace. Any questions? Feel free to join the discord and the community will be happy to answer.
___________________________
Composed by Csaint02, follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/csaint02) for educational content, NFT alpha and more

bafyreihuktebsuh5v4djedt2zi5xolzzcffdpp77ygqheg456lzeyodgre

The Inaugural MovrPlace

## **Welcome Neon**

---

It is undeniable the state of the market has unveiled the underbelly of the overleveraged crypto investment funds, exchanges, DAOs and NFT projects. Many in Web3 have sputtered, lost interest or simply rugged their communities. In Neon City, we embrace and thrive in dystopia and have continued to build through it all.

We are proud to announce that we are dropping the very first EVM compliant RMRK NFTs in history. We are honored to be breaking ground on this next step in NFT technology.

See the [website to mint here](https://neoncrisis.io/ncverse/back-alley)

If you haven’t heard of [RMRK](https://www.rmrk.app/), it is a visionary team developing a standard for the most advanced NFTs in the world. Bold, we know, but you should pay attention to this one. The standard utilizes [5 core primitives, dubbed legos](https://docs.rmrk.app/lego1-nested). These primitives can be mixed and matched to create true multimedia experiences in the form of NFTs. To learn more about RMRK’s standard watch this video below and if you are of a technical mind, take a look at their github here.

Check out a [quick video on RMRK NFT Legos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX5sTLtqCa4&t=1s) courtesy of [Alpha Airdrop](https://twitter.com/AlphAirdrop)

## Multi-Resource NFTs

---

The first lego deploying to EVM will be Multi-Resource NFTs, which we are taking full advantage of with this drop

We encourage you to think of this lego as multimedia. With Multi-Resource NFTs, we are able to incorporate multiple versions of one NFT into the same NFT. For example, a single NFT can be rendered as a PDF, an mp3, a JPEG, or even a web application that renders an arcade game.

For our drop, we leverage this by incorporating these features in our posters linked above.

As you interact with these posters, take note of the music, the voice over lore and the stellar take on Neon City through our art director’s eyes. This entire experience we incorporate into one NFT - the poster itself. On purchase of the poster, you now own each of these pieces of art in one single NFT.

> There is truly no other NFT like this in the world

While this is absolutely groundbreaking, we want to highlight those incredible artists that made this possible. The music was composed by members of the Chaos Collective, Leifwyn and Terra Incognita. The art is courtesy of our outstanding Art Director Nene Tsukiko and we want to bring special attention to the lore itself developed by Silas Crane and a member of our core team Pnin. And also, a special shoutout to Canary Network Agency for helping us with the sprites for “Neon Runner”.

As we build out Neon City and our world begins to take shape, the story behind the Neons will be central to the future of our project. We want Neon holders to be immersed in the universe we cultivate and experience NFTs like they never have before.

This is just the beginning

## Minting Details

---

We aim to assure our project is accessible by keeping the barrier of entry low. So we have priced the posters in the following manner.

Common Posters = 2 $MOVR each

* Cerebrus

* The Prodigy

* Berserker

Legendary Poster = 4 $MOVR

* Neon City

Holders of Neon Crisis NFTs were able to [claim tickets](https://neoncrisis.io/drops) about a month ago (you still can if the Neon you own hasn’t claimed it.) with a promise of a drop, and it is now here! Tickets will give a 2 MOVR discount per ticket to be applied at time of purchase.

* Common Posters = 1 ticket

* Legendary Poster = 2 tickets

If you only have one ticket, you could use it to either mint one of the common posters for free or use it cover the remainder in $MOVR. This logic is applied throughout the drop.

* Legendary Poster = 1 ticket + 2 $MOVR

We also opened up the secondary market for the tickets, so if you choose to undercut the 2 MOVR mint price and sell your extra tickets you can do so!

[Secondary market for tickets can be found here](https://moonbeans.io/#/collections/ncrtickets)

## Downloadables

---

Once you own a specific poster set, you can go to your collection page and a “download’ button should appear for that poster set. This will allow you to download the different types of resources that your NFT has.

*Important note*

**The mint will only be open until July 5th.**

## Final Thoughts

---

As mentioned earlier, this is just the beginning. While we encourage you to think of Multi-Resource NFTs as multimedia, they can do much more…and this is only lego 1 of 5. We plan to prepare our NFTs to be compatible with multiple metaverses, incorporating equipping of items, be upgradable and compatible with multiple collections.

Without our lead dev, Cicada, working constantly on RMRK’s new standard none of this would be possible. A huge shoutout to the dev who has worked tirelessly for Neon Crisis and the Dotsama ecosystem, Kenji. His frontend work is integral to making these wheels turn. Finally a thank you to RMRK for giving us the vehicle to ship this drop and giving us the greenlight to the first independent project utilizing the EVM compatible RMRK standard.

Owning a Neon Crisis is a gate to the future and the beginning of a true NFT experience unlike any other.

## About Neon Crisis

---

![](https://app.subsocial.network/ipfs/ipfs/QmeUDqvjCEDtjD3QesnBTQSRupBPE3TkHmD7mwwT2DaURn)

Neon Crisis is the original cyberpunk, techno-dystopian NFT project in the Dotsama ecosystem. Being builders at heart, we aim to create long lasting experiences that will reach far beyond today. One of our lead developers is Cicada, who is hard at work developing RMRK’s newest NFT standards written in solidity to be compatible with EVM chains such as Moonbeam and Ethereum. As such, we will be the first independent NFT project to utilize RMRK 3.0, the most advanced NFT technology on Earth. This technology allows for many alternate ways of interacting and using NFTs, one of which is being able to equip and own other NFTs. To learn more about Neon Crisis, follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the alpha.

Secondary sales are available on [Moonbeans.io](http://Moonbeans.io), Moonriver’s top NFT Marketplace. Any questions? Feel free to [join the discord](https://discord.gg/XZHnm2ayUP) and the community will be happy to answer.

bafyreidfys7k5p5ts3od63rra3q54s7fwwjrutjhqpmtc3ykczh3hx645u

The First Multi-Resource NFT on EVM

## **What is the Route to Mass Adoption?**

A constant theme traversing the zeitgeist of crypto land is the concept of mass adoption. Many enjoy the debate of the route to mass adoption, and a few frontrunners come to mind.

---

**Will it be gaming?**

---

Ownership of in-game assets is alluring to many gamers, but the lack of interoperability creates a small incentive for current gamers to fully dive into the NFT scene. Not to mention, many gamers see NFT integration as a push for greed and more capital lining the pockets of gaming studios rather than benefitting the user. Here is a quote from a [NY Times article](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/15/technology/cryptocurrency-nft-gamers.html) on GSC Game World, the makers of S.T.A.L.K.E.R, who attempted to integrate NFTs into their upcoming sequel to their uber successful FPS:

> In the new game, GSC said, players could buy and sell NFTs of items like clothing for their in-game characters. The company heralded the move as a “transformative step” toward the virtual world known as the metaverse.
>
> Mr. Lantz was incensed. He joined thousands of fans on Twitter and Reddit who raged against NFTs in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.’s sequel. The game maker, they said, was simply looking to squeeze more money out of its players. The backlash was so intense that GSC quickly [reversed itself](https://twitter.com/stalker_thegame/status/1471620399997886472?s=20) and abandoned its NFT plan

It appears it’s too early for gamers to be sold on NFTs and the metaverse. Many are already on edge with in-game purchases causing some games to become nerfed from new players being able to buy their way to the top. In reality, the NFT tech in its current form is too far off from bringing the vision of fully interoperable, future-proof and fully owned assets. [RMRK’s tech](https://twitter.com/bitfalls/status/1534413718611800064?s=20&t=tp2Tp1j-I2T-aHw0aWdjRQ) is not too far off, and there are many solutions aiming to bring high fidelity games with tokens or NFTs baked right in, [such as Ajuna](https://ajuna.io/).

However, with this market downturn, even the most successful crypto games, like Axie Infinity, have lost their luster

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/j-IC4fXF9rpCRI6_y5dN2zQCxda2ZrQkfmqbNUW_SZUMY9GkOoZj0lUtRCywMESLFd21M3xpzZcmXn24bTlEG-OGcVWhA25WaUtdhcYRHaCt-g5OFnerLgEDmbPURLzGvKmaEIJWiQUCR2eDDg)

*Messari Anayltics on Axie Infinity Revenue*

---

**Will it be the metaverse?**

---

In a similar vein, the metaverse - in its mainstream form - is a far cry from the decentralized metaverse many in this space aim to build. Virtual headsets cause some heads to spin with the possibilities, or is that just the vertigo? Meta’s vision for the metaverse may lead to mass adoption as they are innovating the hardware through which people may choose to experience it - Oculus. The Oculus has mixed reviews, but so did the iPhone initially. Even with fine tuning of the user experience, do we really want another big-tech, monopoly-focused, and data hoarding entity to guide our future? How much will blockchain actually be used since centralization is the key to power in this race?

The decentralized version of the metaverse has to be that much greater in order for users to adopt it, and despite the pitfalls of centralization, it is a high hill to climb for decentralized solutions to achieve mass adoption and market share from these giants. Just take a quick look at [techradar’s report](https://www.techradar.com/news/meta-quest-2s-2021-success-could-spell-doom-for-psvr-2) on Meta’s sales of Oculus in 2021:

> According to new market research, Meta’s Quest 2 sold 8.7 million units in 2021, that amounts to almost double the total number of VR headsets sold in the previous year

---

**What about Finance?**

---

At the core of the *reason* for creating Bitcoin, decentralization of finance (DeFi) has been gaining steam since Bitcoin’s inception in 2009. Many who have done their due diligence in the space understand the thesis behind Bitcoin decentralizing finance which sparked a revolution within finance. To those who don’t, as big banks were bailed out from default and bankruptcy in the US housing crisis in 2008, Satoshi Nakamoto and his cyberpunk colleagues created an alternative system to create value and began a revolution of thinking about what ownership truly means.

Fast-forward to the advent of Ethereum and the common use of smart contracts, DeFi has taken another leap forward. However, the ingenuity of smart contracts and the use of solidity has begun to reach its limits. The market is saturated with similar DeFi offerings and degens bounce from chain to chain looking for arbitrage opportunities and the highest APY, then promptly move their bags right on to the next chain. But this hasn’t stopped many institutions from dipping their toes in, making finance arguably the best bet for mass adoption.

While the cryptocurrency market has caught the attention of smart money, the asset class is still very young. Look at these comparisons to the traditional market [provided by ngrave.io](https://medium.com/ngrave/too-big-to-fail-crypto-market-size-vs-traditional-assets-eff4bb2ec529)

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/T1fTWCe5ikfqISQWSMXXU6RuMZEWM_o7v6ZoBrAUdLJC-0U08KW5WuK2nBwYHISUjX8NKi7MEL-ZoqSSAKJ0_4PKkmWu6EO65ylS9KHto33Digzpl_IBFRjNh19nFR3BukmrezQuX5d34Y7ytw)

---

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/l22qKkjz1VWCjvSupeDu0cWSQJhuEkviCJCIQYjdSVgmQ1NuXfHs5E4yg-Ek3KEPmdn5Iv5CbGF9l9SnmO_5mSQHE2TKNqHGFIwOOrwV3vg1lG9luCuAnOE-ora8y_PRZa9TRB7mZcNkqcJ6BQ)

---

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/eHvAG5SrXOI8enghqukg7AtgsOlNBx8FNUaPLhXiuvYBRt_DZHtbuVhG_FpQ66FiLuPI0heo4gScitHiL1oSChWEMs4oFbDot2RpYMQnps-UV0QsDo0a3px0qgRGLHqabdrlXuy5N4gEbau4qw)

---

Painting a grim picture? Well it *is*the bear market.

Despite the massive hurdles ahead, every nascent industry faces these types of challenges. But it’s the innovators, those who dare to think differently, that may take web3 to new heights. This is the general feeling that arises when thinking of Composable Finance. A daring vision with the gumption to attack DeFi’s problems of fragmented liquidity and poor user experience head on. If the future is multichain, then multichain finance will likely be the key to mass adoption as a financial focus has brought many users into the blockchain ecosystem despite these hurdles. Composable Finance has put this at the center of their vision and is a top bet to achieve the interoperability of DeFi. Let’s take a stroll down the path of DeFi’s journey to mass adoption through the eyes of Composable Finance.

## **The Vision**

Said best by the CEO and Founder, 0xbrainjar:

> By improving one limitation (fragmentation), we can impact and improve the others. More specifically, if we create a more unified DeFi industry, we can together enhance interoperability and ease of use and resultantly increase the appeal to retail users.
>
> This is why Composable Finance has made it our goal to seamlessly connect the DeFi space and, by doing so, abstract away complexity, unleashing enhanced interoperability and utility. **By unifying the DeFi space, we can push interoperability as far as it can go and make the space the most conducive to widespread retail usership.**

---

**But what exactly is Composable Finance?**

---

It aims to be the glue to fuse together the best parts of Web3 and DeFi to create a cohesive user experience that intuitively connects multiple ecosystems. They aim to achieve this vision with three main pillars

1. Cross-Chain Virtual Machine (XCVM)

2. Multiple DeFi Focused Pallets (Plug-ins for substrate based chains)

3. User Interface/Experience (UI/UX)

---

**XCVM**

---

The cross-chain virtual machine can be seen as the “orchestrator” that can execute multiple smart contracts and functions across consensus systems including Cosmos, Polkadot, NEAR and EVM based chains such as Polygon. It does this by providing the execution layer to the user’s desired function and abstracting away the details.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/cMTQBr7tSYhAtFI3N_R2LZx4jYT_tTX3CHfOGUSrWK9R75EGhGkbOxuaeEZdMKRLplXPLjSh6cu37y0ijq1Ddb4IIvKzdMeCtxrDWHyq82VLGlD2oV6Q240qR0iAdiWvEjGldaXdNWZJRCFyIw)

When their vision is complete, no longer do you need to learn a Cosmos based wallet, find the best APY in that ecosystem and execute your strategy. You can reside within Composable’s UI, request the best interest rates for loans, highest APY, most stable strategy, options and more and let the tech work for you. They even envision this extending from finance as the XCVM is the cross-chain execution of contracts and function rather than only assets.

Imagine cross chain gaming, metaverses and movement of NFTs. Cross chain governance becomes a reality especially for those such as Sushi that have deployed on multiple chains, but in doing so, divided voting power. While these appear to be further in the future, the vision for XCVM is near as Composable revealed XCVM at their Unchained conference in Berlin that occurred right after Polkadot Decoded. This conference included the likes of Polkadot co-founder Robert Habermeier, Comos Hub lead Billy Renekamp and others from Nomad, Polychain, Subquery and more.

Watch the demo of PICA being transferred and swapped for USDC on Ethereum and returned to Picasso (Composable’s canary network) [here](https://twitter.com/0xbrainjar/status/1542942837779714048)

While this iteration of code may not be impressive to a user, the vision of leveraging DeFi dApps on multiple chains into one UI using XCVM is coming into focus. It essentially utilizes protocols such as Cosmos’s IBC and Polkadot’s XCM for secure communication, relayers to assure the messages are understood by appropriate parties, and a cascade of functions that originates and returns assets to Composable’s chain in the Polkadot ecosystem.

---

**Multiple DeFi Focused Pallets**

---

This is a doozy, and for many not worth exploring, but pay attention because it contributes to the grand vision.

Composable’s mantra, “Ship or Die'', has become somewhat of a meme in the Dotsama ecosystem as Composable and Picasso have taken longer than many crowdloaners and general fans expected for their product to ship. While the UI isn’t in our hands as of yet, I would argue that Composable has done a ton of shipping.

Take a look at their [github profile here](https://github.com/ComposableFi/) which shows multiple pallets, pull requests and active contributions to developing sound solutions. If your argument is that they aren’t shipping, you may want to jump in a different boat. Token release is an entirely different story that may need an article of its own.

Regardless, the pallets Composable has developed are able to be deployed on any substrate based chain and will inherently result in interoperability with those chains that choose to integrate these pallets. For example:

1. [Cubic](https://medium.com/@Picasso_Network/pallet-revolution-how-cubic-sets-the-standard-for-vault-infrastructure-in-dotsama-3a2f6cbf6783)\- the first DotSama vault infrastructure similar to Yearn Finance

2. [Apollo](https://medium.com/@Picasso_Network/pallet-revolution-how-apollo-sets-the-standard-for-oracles-in-dotsama-d852a0615f67)\- an MEV resistant oracle solution

3. [Mosaic](https://medium.com/composable-finance/introducing-mosaic-phase-2-10d1bfe5f6f8) - the transfer availability layer (MEV driven)

4. [Centauri](https://medium.com/composable-finance/centauri-facilitating-communication-between-interoperable-networks-5c1a997f9154) - Substrate-IBC bridge infrastructure (such as Polkadot </> Cosmos+)

There are more pallets, but the point is that these are meant to provide a comprehensive DeFi solution within Dotsama. Furthermore, this comprehensive solution will not only provide a full suite of products, but suck in liquidity from outside DotSama right into the ecosystem. Granted this liquidity can flow right back out, but with Composable’s vision it won’t matter where the liquidity is, but where the best tools lay, and they are pushing out some interesting ones.

![](https://app.subsocial.network/ipfs/ipfs/QmTsGRCjFfq4hbskUn7CtQjCdZsSn1sFLNRtXPaef8UqLW)

---

**UI/UX**

---

What we’ve all been begging for. Polkadot has been promising some interesting updates to the UI, and in fact recently announced [an update to the staking interface](https://twitter.com/Polkadot/status/1544360352384794625). As UI works its way front and center for the development of successful ecosystems, Composable intends to lead that charge with their intuitive interface. With a plethora of solutions under the hood, Composable wants to abstract all of this away from the user and provide a simple interface to complete complex tasks.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/cXhq5rKylgOjY9KpqIAEgzaXH9b42Wv_i9UdkI4qQYkNQ9fD4_mCDBVg6pWN5HSPpUpoJFtoeMJwACVTu_MWG8w2BZMKNE4dPaj-qF_8kHgkfwva3l2cG0OZAUcNEYxQxsQWUhtBN87dDp9EKQ)

Don’t let the simplicity of the UI fool you. Here we have Dotsama, Ethereum and Cosmos wallets all connected and a swap has now turned into a composition as the XCVM underlying this UI will orchestrate the transfer, swap and return of whatever assets lie within these three ecosystems.

A strong element of mass adoption arises from the simplicity and intuitive nature of the UI. As this continues to improve with multiple iterations, the complexity many are now used to in the DeFi space will all go under the hood.

## **Modular Functionality**

Composable has used this term to denote the future of DeFi. Utilizing multiple dApps, chains, smart contracts and other DeFi functionality through XCVM allows them to leverage these entities and create a consolidation layer that can compose these siloed parts into one UI. This is the true beauty of what Composable aims to build.

> A complex system presented by an intuitive experience

It’s bold and far reaching, but it will be interesting to watch them strive to complete it. There are many moving parts, but Composable’s vision has stayed the same, and this is what gives me hope that they can achieve what they have set out to do.

Solving fragmentation, chipping away at chain maximalism, and embracing an interoperable future.

Ship or Die

---

## **From the Founder**

While it is valuable to have alternate perspective on a project and it’s place in the Web3 ecosystem, it’s also invaluable to hear from the founders themselves. 0xBrainjar was able to take some time out of his schedule to answer some questions about the vision of Composable Finance, XCVM and maybe even a bit of alpha at the end

**Composable Finance’s vision for interoperability is ambitious, but you and your team seem to be putting the pieces together very well. In your vision, do you see the user as the center of Compoasble’s vision or the developer? How can you address both?**

> Creating an environment for users in DeFi that abstracts complexity but also sufficiently mitigates risk, lies in a seamless user experience. Users must feel that their assets are not being mishandled, understand the risks they are undertaking, and must still feel in control of how assets are deployed. But they should also feel the use of DeFi is both fluid, accessible, and efficient.
>
> We are open-sourcing the user experience and creating something referred to as a stepper that will allow people to understand what is happening on the backend, show them error handling and callbacks, indicate when messages fail and allow users to make their own decisions as to whether assets should revert, etc, among other features. Overtime we will make this stepper more robust and inclusive of additional functions. Minimizing the number of signature transactions is also a priority for the XCVM. See 0xslenderman’s presentation at unchained for more on this.
>
> Trustless bridging is a key component of our vision and technical stack where developers and users do not have to depend on a third party to ensure finality and objectively prove asset transfers between chains. In general, the bridging infrastructure we are working on is to ensure users avoid bridging assets manually, thereby integrating the cross-chain functionality directly into any protocol. We are building the infrastructure for developers to build cross-chain applications that ultimately benefit the end-users.

**Did you draw any inspiration for XCVM from the theory behind the future of XCM? If so, how is your version different?**

> The XCVM is a virtual machine whereas XCM is a cross-chain messaging protocol. The XCVM is not an alternative to XCM as they work together. The XCVM is bridge agnostic therefore, the XCM can be used a transport layer for cross-chain smart contracts to interact with other parachains. Furthermore, the XCVM uses XCM inspired messages to transfer messages across different chains.

**From a high level, what about Cosmos’s technical stack was necessary to help make your vision come to pass?**

> The IBC protocol is what the standard of trustless and sustainable cross-chain communication looks like outside of the Polkadot ecosystem. It supports cross-chain contract calls, asset transfers, artibirtary cross-chain data transfers and more.
>
> CosmWasm is the only framework that currently facilitates building across multiple chains and migrating to other chains with built in, permissioned, pre-contract migration.

**Many in DotSama are curious about TGE and crowdloan distribution, is there anything you can tell us about when that may be?**

> I would have to redirect you to our devlogs.

**Who is Brainjar outside Composable? What do you enjoy apart from theorizing about DeFi’s future?**

> A simple family man. I rarely get the chance to leave the metaverse and when I do, I spend my free-time reading and researching evolving concepts in DeFi such as MEV,

**Any parting thoughts? Maybe some alpha?**

> [XCVM.dev](http://XCVM.dev) - looking into the future of DeFi

Password: **unchained**

Feel free to poke around and get a feel for Composable’s UI and let me know your thoughts in the comments below. This is just to play around with and get a feel for the UI. There is limited functionality…but whew, it’s slick.

Enjoy

---

To learn more about Composable Finance, [follow them on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ComposableFin), [visit their Website](https://www.composable.finance/), or [dive into their Medium](https://composablefi.medium.com/)

bafyreiewtlqgpmtgfcd2ea7bo2lcfyinfng76ps3w2uzjahk6tjfn3z4pa

Mass Adoption: A Composable Vision

Hello Neons,

We’ve had our heads down simply building, but in Web3, building isn’t just development and product design. Although we do love our roots. Through the early bear, we are continuing to foster relationships and build completely new ones, explore alternative means of revenue generation and, of course, finish development of [RMRK’s](https://twitter.com/RmrkApp) EVM standard.

Neon Crisis is a place of innovation by pushing the boundaries of what is possible with NFTs even further, and we are humbled that others in the ecosystem see this in our project. As we grow and learn more ourselves, we always want to pass this knowledge to our holders, our partners, and the community at large. We feel responsibility by being members of the Polkadot and Kusama ecosystem to have collaboration and open source constantly at the forefront.

In this vein, we are exploring new relationships with many NFT projects in the ecosystem. You have seen a few of these collaborations with our outstanding Art Director and North Star, Nene, as she has created wonderful pieces with [Canary Network Agency](https://twitter.com/CanaryAgency), [Bowser Staxx](https://twitter.com/BowserStaxx) and his incredible new [Vol. 3 Album](https://twitter.com/BirbTapes/status/1562226298994442240) through his work with Chaos Collective, and many other collabs in the works. On a more technical level, we envision lending our expertise, where feasible, to teams who have an interest in building out on the [RMRK x EVM standard](https://github.com/rmrk-team/MultiResourceEIP). We believe this standard has the potential to change the space, and we plan on being heavily involved.

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fa4jYgdWIAAI2iq?format=jpg&name=large)*Nene’s album cover artwork for BowserStaxx’s Birb Tapes: Vol 3*

This ties directly into our exploration of revenue generation. We are continuing to experiment with alternative ways of generating revenue for the project and have gone through trial and error on a few iterations already. Although we are staying in stealth mode for now, we will release more information when the time is right on the ways we plan to fund the project at a sustainable level. The bear market is difficult for everyone in Web3, but we’re here for the long haul.

RMRK’s EVM version has the Multi-Resource lego already live which we showcased with our recent drop. You can learn more about this drop by [checking out this article](https://app.subsocial.network/@neoncrisis.nft/the-first-multi-resource-nft-on-evm-34201). We are really proud of this one! We appreciate all the positive feedback, but remember…this is just the beginning of what we can accomplish. Here’s an excerpt from the article linked above

> We encourage you to think of this lego as multimedia. With Multi-Resource NFTs, we are able to incorporate multiple versions of one NFT into the same NFT. For example, a single NFT can be rendered as a PDF, an mp3, a JPEG, or even a web application that renders an arcade game.

As we help complete the EVM version of RMRK we will ramp up the development of Neon Crisis and we can’t wait to take our community with us. We look forward to equippables, battle contracts, collaboration with high-profile blockchains, merchandise and more. Thank you Neons.

**Embrace the chaos**

### About Neon Crisis

---

Neon Crisis is the original cyberpunk, techno-dystopian NFT project in the Dotsama ecosystem. Being builders at heart, we aim to create long lasting experiences that will reach far beyond today. One of our lead developers is Cicada, who is hard at work developing RMRK’s newest NFT standards written in solidity to be compatible with EVM chains such as Moonbeam and Ethereum. As such, we will be the first independent NFT project to utilize RMRK 3.0, the most advanced NFT technology on Earth. This technology allows for many alternate ways of interacting and using NFTs, one of which is being able to equip and own other NFTs. To learn more about Neon Crisis, [follow us on Twitter](https://twitter.com/NeonCrisisNFT) to stay up to date on all the alpha.

Secondary sales are available on [Moonbeans.io](http://Moonbeans.io), Moonriver’s top NFT Marketplace. Any questions? Feel free to [join the discord](https://discord.gg/XZHnm2ayUP) and the community will be happy to answer.

bafyreiept5o7hawprzjllideuu6hhqwwkjlasvthmfbozwwi6xhofb72zu

Embrace the Chaos

What does the Polkadot eco need to do to gain tangible end users? We’ve got many enterprises, some backend for big games, and more. But should we be focusing on retail? And how?

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Misinformation. Fake News. Algorithmic Bias. What can you really believe in a world that is becoming increasingly more digital? In short, truth has been increasingly more difficult to ascertain. Our world is now continually filled with half truths sold as facts. To make matters more difficult, artificial intelligence has been introduced, further blurring the distinction between truth and reality. In the modern age it is far too easy to confirm our own bias with echo chamber filled content, but Futarchy aims to cut through deceit by leaning on the wisdom of the crowd who puts their money where their mouth is.  

For centuries, governments have dealt with misinformation in various ways. Some have taken to force, others to propaganda, and a few to forums of discourse. To some effect, the style of delivering “truth” to the masses depends on how your people organize themselves. There are, of course, numerous well-known forms of governance that have historically defined how we organize ourselves and determine the future of our societies. Socialism, communism, democracy, authoritarian, oligarchy; the list goes on. 

Within these larger forms of governance are even more specific subtypes typically reformed to fit the needs of a particular group. It would not be a stretch to describe this plethora of forms as living experiments that morph with our society and adapt as changes to our world occur; whether they be physical, cultural, financial or otherwise. One such form of governance is Futarchy. While seemingly complex, the premise of Futarchy is that the free market is almost always right; to cut to the chase, it typically is. But before we dive into the details, let’s simply break down what Futarchy is, some data behind its success, and some interesting implementations of governance within blockchain networks  

## **What is This Futarchy?**

In plain terms, the people bet on the outcome of a proposal and are rewarded based on their bets. It’s the practical implementation of putting your money where your mouth is. Proposals come in many forms such as technical, elections, sporting match outcomes, and more. In some respects, betting on elections have been in place with under-the-table bribes, hedging of the financial market based on anticipated election outcomes, and various other second order “bets”. Futarchy puts it right in your face.  

Let’s take an example from The United States of America. While general elections are not a prediction market, the Iowa Electronics Market (IEM) has run alongside elections since 1988 and have included universities around the nation including Harvard, MIT, Michigan and Northwestern. [These](https://iemweb.biz.uiowa.edu/about-iem/previous-market-performance/iem-and-poll-accuracy-2008-presidential-race/) markets have often been more accurate than traditional mainstream media polls in anticipating the outcome of elections. Two other prominent examples in practice are [PredictIt](https://www.predictit.org/), from the University of Welington in New Zealand, and a less academic [Kalshi](https://kalshi.com/).  

Sourced from the New York Times, Kalshi runs prediction markets on inflation, unemployment, oil prices, Federal Reserve policy, government shutdowns, the temperature in Austin, and even who may win the Oscars. You simply anticipate the outcome of a market, vote by purchasing shares of said outcome, and are compensated based on the actual result. Go with the crowd, you may win, but have less reward. Go against the current because you might know something others don’t? The stakes are higher. You can even trade your shares once the market turns in your favor; making a profit before the final result. Anyone have a market for Robert Kennedy Jr.?

![](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/qm2msdZQe_EQ3V2g0UVE14fI-YEGJm2ZUfpgjJT_9w20Ws0fRSIrF7KWh4zuNcoV9ZpYeawxG1xi3W8kn2ZlGZid45GJGjg2Ix_-Gp4do1GjfzYdRUv8okTim6n0aNMFixJ6acpJyXJJr5Vq4TSPOAA)*PredictIt market on Republican presidential nomination*

## **But Do Prediction Markets Work?**

Data says, yes they do. According to numerous [academic](https://www.jstor.org/stable/40467652) papers analyzing the comparative data it is clear. Prediction markets are consistently more [accurate](https://repository.arizona.edu/bitstream/handle/10150/666656/azu%5Fetd%5Fhr%5F2021%5F0133%5Fsip1%5Fm.pdf?sequence=1) at predicting outcomes than simple polls. While this is important in an election of representatives, it is also crucial to understand the accuracy of these markets if they are to be implemented to more broad functions.

Take a moment to appreciate these graphics and tables with more information than words can provide:

![](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/fO31iA66QrRNodTnep89yKTVSd125Jcx9Z84MEqXDcS-fhbzORJ-31QERBvGkpQ1xlQm0BNdtykxkEkgqBd_jdMF6B2y8msy0OWAaFQA4l-LtMwKZopltULD9B8Q45ct1c_1nv_TsWj1FpFMch5f35w)*PredictIt 2020 Joe Biden Election Market by Date*

![](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/89WMigx3otIkwicAlcuZfD1uE10CQh5ZDqfHrzvfXcuc4uljbUCBuUPRdNhrTceREkYXMAE7K3GdbOJc1XwNHm5yCZSUu5IBNsjitTscuru44xDlL9_DfSuyDJTj7JxW9fkUs078LiZuTDd2KuASHvY)*PredictIt Total Volume Divided By Candidate*

![](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/2WlcrBdPaMuDhVRK2O-Sr002Cdmb8tAeUKXmxWu4d29BmFMKQJjNF4_Vkd78yGY6S60EFEQ0R3NfsCVcL5dVIldiZsLF_u5CbSYJZPSqy-_WRK8t2GvlZTAWuZB0e2IBnu7IHT2ikIhXXKYvbslpSQg)*IEM graphic visualizing the accuracy of IEM v. traditional polls in 2008 presidential election*

## **Blockchain Networks**

Under heavy regulatory pressure, many networks have notoriously struggled to be in compliance in an uncertain landscape. Many have attempted to thread the needle by interpreting existing legal framework to the best of their ability. 

The rise of DAOs have been an attempt at organizing a largely disorganized group of people to put useful work into these blockchain networks. There have been numerous attempts at mobilizing the hundreds of thousands of users of these networks with innovative solutions such as [Polkadot’s OpenGov](https://polkadot.network/features/opengov/), [Curve Wars](https://www.techopedia.com/definition/the-curve-wars), and in many cases [off chain voting](https://uniswap.org/governance) to implement on chain solutions. Token-weighted governance is prominent throughout the blockchain industry, but the main issue with this solution is putting the power in the hands of the few richest of the network such as Venture Capitalists (VCs) or founding team members. 

Counterproductive to the concept of decentralization where the aim is to prevent one point of failure within a network - governance in crypto has been a hard nut to crack with decentralized theater prominent. The theater is so comical that some “DAOs” have even been [looted by their most prominent members](https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2023/07/21/defi-project-parrot-puts-fate-of-over-70m-treasury-prt-token-to-vote/). As a quick aside, Polkadot’s efforts are interesting by countering the token weighted problems with solutions such as:

1. **Conviction Weighted Voting - Those with less tokens can lock their tokens in for defined periods of time and in effect increasing the weight of their votes up to 6x**
2. **Delegations - If you have less time, interest, or expertise, you can delegate your vote to experts based tracks. Spending, technical, social, etc. It is a more granular example of representative democracy where experts can have more influence by harnessing the power of those who delegate to them**

Interestingly, a project built with the Polkadot SDK, [Zeitgeist](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FQdBqBJN00), has [recently proposed](https://polkadot.subsquare.io/referenda/502) incorporating prediction markets into the bare bones of Polkadot to help increase voter participation and experiment on implementing prediction markets more deeply within a major blockchain ecosystem.  

## **MetaDAO**

Built on Solana, MetaDAO is one of the first organizations on Earth putting the theory of Futarchy fully into practice. Instead of relying on traditional systems that have failed us time and time again, [MetaDAO](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbhzbPy-nJc&t=2s) aims to be better. Futarchy does well to solve the issue of voter apathy around the world. It does not aim to be perfect, but a *better* system than what we trudge through each day.

Without diving into the technical details, on [MetaDAO](https://app.themetadao.org/) a market is opened by an individual proposing a solution to the DAO which then opens up a market to trade the outcome. Once the market is open, you can mint conditional tokens that represent pass and fail derivatives.  

Deposit 1,000 USDC = receive 1,000 pass (pUSDC) + 1,000 fail (fUSDC)

or

Deposit 10 META = receive 10 pass (pMETA) + 10 fail (fMETA)

You then trade these pass and fail tokens on the open market based on your opinion of the value this proposal brings to the DAO. If you think it’s trash, buy up that fail because once finalized all the “fail” tokens (fUSDC or fMETA) will be realized into actual tokens rather than conditional (USDC or META). On the other side of the trade, if the proposal fails all the conditional “pass” tokens are burned. 

So if you minted 1,000 USDC and ended up buying a bunch of pUSDC based on market value - you may have had 5,000 pUSDC and only 100 fUSDC left. Once that market is finalized as fail, you're only left with 100 USDC from your original 1,000\. If it’s confusing, no worries. It is not easy to grasp from reading alone. Take a little USDC or META and go to their app and get to trading. You’ll get the hang of it soon enough.

![](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/t6L0GRLvJ6QgQh1ctQLO8fZ3eilqQ8NMnoTpsYcqqtA5luedbMe-MDP7_Wh39DbKDdTXxUuzwY-zu_E85yFy6_zjOWaGcthztHZgF5MeZTKM6ig8Ecg3u9T_CMtUux1GF89ivxnp4u6NNowQJM7iEcs)

## **Savvy?**

Blockchains are great at aligning incentives and Futarchy takes that another step further. It is a complex topic with many intertwining industries such as finance, government, computer science, and more. While not a simple concept, Futarchy aims to provide the common person with the tools to help shape their future and benefit from participating in the network. Start participating today, and maybe make a buck or two.

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Futarchy: Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

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WagMedia

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The Hitchhiker's Guide to Dotsama

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Swader

Polkadot Eco Enthusiast, follow for insights on connecting the DOTs, shitposts, and general shenanigans

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