CryptoKitties crashed the Ethereum network in 2017. That was simultaneously our greatest marketing moment and the moment we realized we needed to build our own blockchain.
A LeBron James dunk sold for $208,000 as a digital clip. People called it insane. But a physical LeBron rookie card sold for $5.2 million and nobody blinked. Digital collectibles aren't crazier than physical ones — they're just newer.
We didn't build NBA Top Shot for crypto people. We built it for sports fans. If you have to explain what a blockchain is before someone can use your product, you've already lost.
The market went from "you're insane for betting on digital collectibles" to "you're a genius" to "you're insane" again in about 18 months. Building in crypto is not for people who need external validation.
We let people buy NFTs with a credit card and a regular email login. No MetaMask, no seed phrases, no gas fees. That one decision brought more new people into crypto than any whitepaper ever written.