Live Weekly Roundup With Kevin Ricoy
Live Weekly Roundup With Kevin Ricoy
197 days agoLightspeedBlockworks
Podcast52 min 50 sec
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Note: AI-generated summary based on third-party content. Not financial advice. Read more.
Quick Insights

Owners of the Solana Seeker phone should participate in the on-device points campaign to be eligible for the upcoming SKR token airdrop. As only the second token officially released by Solana Labs, SKR represents a significant speculative opportunity with high expectations for a professional launch. A recent contrarian signal was observed with Eclipse (ECL), which saw its price double from $0.08 to $0.17 after the project publicly acknowledged its poor performance. The broader investment thesis for Solana (SOL) remains strong, driven by its narrative as a hungry and fast-moving competitor to Ethereum. For high-risk memecoins, consider counter-intuitive strategies like selling on good news, as hype often peaks before fundamentals are delivered.

Detailed Analysis

Eclipse (ECL)

  • The podcast discussed Eclipse's new social media strategy, where the project's official account on X (formerly Twitter) has started posting self-deprecating content, including making fun of its own poor price performance.
  • An interesting observation was made: the day Eclipse tweeted its own declining price chart, the token price bottomed out. It has since more than doubled, rising from approximately $0.08 to $0.17.
  • One host described the project's technology—a Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) on Ethereum—as putting a "Lamborghini engine in a turtle," expressing skepticism about the technical premise.
  • The project has significant venture capital backing, having raised around $65 million. This implies that investors are expecting a token launch and subsequent returns.
  • A host noted he would not personally buy ECL due to the large amount of tokens held by early investors and VCs, but acknowledged that from a "pure dollars and cents perspective, it made a lot of sense to buy that dip" after the self-deprecating tweet.

Takeaways

  • Contrarian Indicator: The discussion highlights a potential contrarian trading signal. When a project publicly acknowledges its own failures or poor performance to an extreme degree, it might signal a price bottom as it purges "non-believers."
  • High-Risk Play: Despite the recent price pump, Eclipse is considered a very high-risk investment by the hosts due to its controversial past, unproven technical model, and the significant token allocation held by VCs who may sell their holdings after the token launches.

Solana (SOL)

  • One of the hosts shared his personal trading story, which involved buying SOL at its all-time high of around $240 in November 2021 and holding it through the entire bear market.
  • He recently traded it, selling at $220 and buying back in at $160.
  • The discussion contrasted Solana's culture with Ethereum's. The Solana team, led by Anatoly Yakovenko, is described as "scrappy as hell" and "hungry." This underdog mentality is seen as a key reason for its ability to compete with and gain ground on Ethereum.
  • Anatoly's tendency to experiment and "vibe code" is seen as part of the ecosystem's dynamic and fast-moving nature.

Takeaways

  • Narrative Driven: The investment thesis for Solana is strongly tied to its narrative as the hungriest and fastest-moving competitor to Ethereum. Its success is attributed to a culture of rapid innovation and a desire to win.
  • Volatility: The host's story of buying the top, holding through a massive drawdown, and seeing it recover highlights the extreme volatility of SOL. While it has shown resilience, investors should be prepared for major price swings.

Ethereum (ETH)

  • A major topic was the controversy around developer compensation. A lead developer for Geth (Ethereum's main software client) revealed he was paid only $625,000 over six years, a salary considered very low for such a critical role in a multi-hundred-billion-dollar network.
  • This led to a discussion about Ethereum's culture. The leadership, including Vitalik Buterin, is perceived as being less focused on financial gains and price appreciation, which can be at odds with the desires of the broader community and investors.
  • The hosts believe this "complacent" culture, where key developers might be underpaid and less motivated, created the opportunity for competitors like Solana to emerge.
  • An interesting development to watch is the emergence of Ethereum DATs (Decentralized Autonomous Trusts). These entities are explicitly focused on financialization and making the "number go up" for ETH, which could create a new dynamic within the ecosystem.

Takeaways

  • Internal Tension: There is a growing tension within Ethereum between its original cypherpunk, technology-focused ideals and the financial motivations of its users and investors.
  • Watch for New Influencers: The rise of financially-motivated entities like the ETH DATs could shift the focus of the ecosystem. Investors should monitor whether these new players gain influence over the network's direction and narrative, as it could impact price dynamics.

Solana Mobile & Seeker Token (SKR)

  • The new Solana phone, the Seeker, has a points campaign running on its native wallet application. This is widely seen as a precursor to an airdrop for a new token.
  • The upcoming token is expected to be called the Seeker token (SKR).
  • This is a significant event, as SKR would be only the second token ever officially released by Solana Labs, the first being SOL itself.
  • The hosts expressed cautious optimism, stating it's "hard to imagine that the Solana Labs seeker token is going to be a terrible launch" due to the high reputational risk involved for Solana Labs.
  • Important Note: It was confirmed that Bonk (BONK), which provided a major airdrop to owners of the first Solana phone, will not be doing an airdrop for Seeker phone owners. This means people who bought the phone hoping for airdrops are now heavily reliant on the value of the upcoming SKR token.

Takeaways

  • Airdrop Opportunity: Owners of the Solana Seeker phone who participate in the on-device points campaign may be eligible for an airdrop of the new SKR token.
  • Speculative Bet: The SKR token is an intriguing speculative opportunity. Given its direct affiliation with Solana Labs, the launch is expected to be handled professionally, but its ultimate value is unknown. The success of this token is critical for those who purchased the phone purely for airdrop farming.

General Crypto & Memecoin Strategy

  • The podcast highlighted several counter-intuitive strategies for trading in crypto, particularly with memecoins.
    • "Sell the Good News": One host's best trade was with Bad Idea AI (BAD). He sold his 100x position immediately after the team announced a positive development (a website launch), believing that "fundamentals are bearish in crypto." This implies that hype cycles often peak before tangible products are delivered.
    • "Dumber is Better": The discussion of AI-themed coins noted that Fartcoin, a simple joke coin, was more successful than GOAT, a coin with a more complex narrative about being launched by an AI. The takeaway is that in the memecoin space, simple, humorous, and viral concepts often outperform more serious or complicated ones.
  • The hosts joked that the only things you need for a successful crypto project are "crime and doubt."

Takeaways

  • Trade Against Intuition: In speculative corners of the crypto market, traditional investment logic may not apply. Selling on good news and buying into absurd or "bad" ideas can sometimes be profitable strategies.
  • Simplicity Wins in Memecoins: When evaluating memecoins, the virality and simplicity of the core idea are often more important than any underlying technology or complex narrative.
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Episode Description
Gm! This week Kevin Ricoy (Kyzer) joins the show to discuss the latest happening in crypto this week. Enjoy! -- Follow Kevin: https://x.com/Kyzer Follow Jack: ⁠https://x.com/whosknave⁠ Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq⁠ Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: ⁠https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed⁠ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: ⁠https://t.me/+QUl_ZOj2nMJlZTEx⁠ -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: ⁠https://blockworks.co/newsletter/⁠ -- (00:00) Introduction (03:56) Worst Tweets of The Week (13:31) Our Best Trades (22:23) ETH Devs Are Underpaid (38:37) Why Hasn’t Kyzer Opened His Seeker? -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
About Lightspeed
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Lightspeed

By Blockworks

Lightspeed is a podcast for those interested in how crypto can solve real problems and create products users love. It's a callback to the garage days of Silicon Valley, where builders pushed the limits of hardware and software to build world-changing products. We interview the projects and founders that will make this same impact today.