Onchain Growth Club: Crypto & Web3 Marketing Talks

Privy's wallet infrastructure is embedded in apps that millions of people use - and most of those users will never know Privy's name. For Debbie Soon, Head of Marketing at Privy, that's not a problem to solve. That's exactly the point.Debbie joined Privy as employee #25 and its first marketing hire, bringing a background spanning traditional finance, a mixed martial arts organization, and the creator NFT space. Last year, Stripe acquired Privy as part of what might be the most interesting crypto infrastructure play in fintech right now - putting Debbie and a two-person marketing team inside a 10,000-person company.This episode gets into what it actually means to market infrastructure that's designed to disappear, how Privy splits attention between crypto-native developers and enterprise buyers, and what the real enterprise pipeline looks like - with customers like Klarna and Kraken already building on their rails. We also get into AI agents needing programmable wallets, how Bridge fits into Stripe's crypto stack, and where stablecoins might eventually unlock the broader onchain experiences people have been promising since 2021.Timestamps:0:00 Introduction0:56 Debbie's background: finance, MMA, creator NFTs3:23 What Privy does4:28 Fastest growing use cases: stablecoins, fintech, trading6:09 Marketing wallets nobody sees8:12 Developer-first brand vs. consumer visibility10:04 Privy Home goes viral with zero campaign12:54 Developer marketing + AI agents needing wallets16:03 Segmenting from solo devs to enterprise18:31 Marketing org: employee #25, two-person team21:18 Vibe coding with Privy23:09 The Stripe acquisition: from 30 to 10,000 people27:40 Operating inside Stripe, Stripe Commons29:11 50/50 crypto-native vs. enterprise31:48 Enterprise use cases: Klarna, Kraken, payroll, treasury35:13 Stablecoins and the future of onchain39:27 How Bridge fits into Stripe's crypto stack41:20 What's next for DebbieAbout the OGC Podcast:The OGC Podcast tackles crypto's biggest unsolved challenge: growth. Host Norman Wiese sits down with founders, growth leaders, and crypto marketers sharing strategies and frameworks driving real results in web3. Learn more at https://onchaingrowth.xyz/Connect with Debbie:• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debsoon• Twitter/X: x.com/debsoon• Privy: http://privy.io/ Connect with Norman:• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/normanwiese• Twitter/X: x.com/normanwiese• Onchain Growth Club: x.com/onchaingrowthSubscribe and Review:• Spotify: Listen on Spotify• Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcasts• Youtube: youtube.com/@onchaingrowth

Most crypto ecosystems still treat hackathons like weekend coding events. Solana treats them as five-to-six-week global startup competitions with millions in prize money, equity investment from its venture arm, and structured founder support after the fact. It's one piece of a broader model that no other chain has replicated at scale: country-level community teams running their own operations to source talent, support founders, and build local ecosystems from scratch.Patricia Albrecht leads one of those teams. Before crypto, she built her career across major organizations in Web2 and finance, funded her Oxford MBA with early crypto gains, and joined web3 full-time in 2023. She now runs Superteam's operations in Germany - one of the most active nodes in Solana's global network.In this episode, we break down how Solana's ecosystem engine actually works operationally, what "wartime vs. peacetime" means inside Superteam, how they measure success through hard startup KPIs, and why Europe's structural challenges around regulation and capital access are pushing its best founders to build elsewhere. Plus: where Patricia sees the biggest opportunities in RWAs, prediction markets, and stablecoin infrastructure.Timestamps:0:00 Introduction and This or That2:49 Patricia's background and path to Solana4:37 What ecosystem building actually means day-to-day5:52 H1 2026 priorities: hackathons, the Accelerate Tour, institutional events9:05 Target audiences across the Solana ecosystem10:45 How Superteam measures success and tracks KPIs13:18 Web2 talent flowing into crypto - a growing trend17:46 The state of Europe: regulation, capital access, and talent flight21:59 Cultural differences - risk aversion vs. go-getter DNA25:13 Verticals to watch: RWAs, prediction markets, stablecoin infrastructure29:17 The hype problem - why marketing outpaces product in crypto30:12 The founder journey through Superteam's programs34:35 Patricia's current rabbit hole: longevityAbout the OGC Podcast:The OGC Podcast tackles crypto's biggest unsolved challenge: growth. Host Norman Wiese sits down with founders, growth leaders, and crypto marketers sharing strategies and frameworks driving real results in web3. Learn more at onchaingrowth.xyzConnect with Patricia:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pattiruss/• Twitter/X: https://x.com/pattiruss_• Superteam: https://x.com/SuperteamDEConnect with Norman:• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/normanwiese• Twitter/X: x.com/normanwiese• Onchain Growth Club: x.com/onchaingrowthSubscribe and Review:• Spotify: Listen on Spotify• Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcasts• Youtube: youtube.com/@onchaingrowth

Grants were supposed to grow crypto ecosystems. Instead, hundreds of millions disappeared into a black hole - no accountability, no results, no clear strategy. The industry is still recovering from it.Mashal Waqar has been studying this problem longer than most. With a background in media, security, and serial entrepreneurship, she co-authored some of the most referenced research on crypto grants funding before joining Octant - one of Web3's most underrated experiments in sustainable ecosystem growth. Now CMO of the newly independent Octant Labs, she's building a model where yield funds operations, communities guide capital allocation, and ecosystems can finally measure what they're getting for their money.In this conversation, we unpack the full arc of grants in crypto, what ecosystems like Solana and Stellar are actually getting right, and why crypto marketing is finally growing up - beyond CT, beyond conference season, and toward real web2 playbooks.0:00 Introduction1:00 Mashal's Background: Security, Media & Getting Crypto-Pilled4:10 What Octant Is and How the Funding Model Works8:25 Octant V2 and the Octant Labs Spinout13:10 The History of Grants in Crypto: From Bounties to Black Holes19:30 What Good Ecosystem Growth Looks Like Today22:35 Octant's Vault Products and Open Ecosystem Model28:45 The State of Crypto Marketing Right Now33:05 Conference Culture, InfoFi, and What's Actually Working38:30 DEVCON Location Debate: Accessibility vs. Capital Hubs42:50 Where to Find MashalCONNECT WITH MASHAL:Mashal on X: https://x.com/ArleryOctant: https://octant.app/CONNECT WITH NORMAN:X: https://x.com/normanwieseLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/normanwieseOnchain Growth Club: https://x.com/onchaingrowthABOUT THE OGC PODCAST: The OGC Podcast tackles crypto's biggest unsolved challenge: growth. Host Norman Wiese sits down with founders, growth leaders, and crypto marketers sharing strategies and frameworks driving real results in web3.Visit www.podpage.com/ogc for all episodes!

Most crypto growth content is either too technical or too basic. Few people bridge serious web2 growth expertise with crypto-native insights. Fewer still build audiences from scratch and scale them to real businesses.TPan (Thomas Pan) spent 3.5 years building "web3 with TPan" from zero to 8,000 subscribers - writing 386+ essays dissecting everything from WIF meme coin mechanics to Blast's seven-layer airdrop burrito. Now as Head of Growth at Milk Road, he's scaling a media platform with 30-50x that audience across crypto, macro, and AI investing.In this conversation, we unpack the solopreneur journey, what makes content actually resonate in web3, why growth is about sustainable numbers (not just "number go up"), and how Milk Road is building a freemium media business with multiple revenue streams in a market where most media companies struggle to survive.0:00 Introduction2:13 TPan's Background: From Mobile Gaming to Crypto8:30 The NFT Entry Point & Finding Web313:01 Launching "web3 with TPan" Newsletter16:25 Content Strategy & What Resonated Most22:30 Best Performing Content: WIF, Blast, Stablecoins28:06 Joining Milk Road: The Transition32:14 Milk Road's Business Model & Structure36:05 Growing a Media Platform: Freemium Strategy41:48 Expanding Into AI: The Emerging Tech Thesis45:57 Where to Find TPanABOUT THE OGC PODCAST: The OGC Podcast tackles crypto's biggest unsolved challenge: growth. Host Norman Wiese sits down with founders, growth leaders, and crypto marketers sharing strategies and frameworks driving real results in web3.CONNECT WITH TPAN: TPan on X: https://x.com/TPan____Milk Road: https://milkroad.com/ CONNECT WITH NORMAN: • X: https://x.com/normanwiese• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/normanwiese• Onchain Growth Club: https://x.com/onchaingrowth SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40h808BdpcWIhgXXQNQR52Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/onchain-growth-club-crypto-web3-marketing-talks/id1833519944 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onchaingrowth

The crypto market moves fast. Metas change weekly. One day it's DeFi, the next it's meme coins, then AI agents. How do you build a sustainable marketing business in this chaos?Danny Gazit, CEO of Hype, has been navigating crypto marketing since 2017. From ICO boom to NFT mania to AI meta, Hype has scaled to 100+ people while most agencies didn't survive a single cycle.In this episode, we dive deep into the business of crypto marketing - the behind-the-scenes of running an agency, how to structure teams, what clients actually want, and why most projects fail at staying relevant.TIMESTAMPS: 1:07 Introduction and Welcome8:00 Navigating Volatility as a Business Leader11:00 Scaling Challenges and Structure Pivots18:45 Top Marketing Objectives Clients Actually Want21:14 Marketing in Crypto vs Traditional Marketing23:12 Crypto Native vs Mainstream Audiences24:05 TikTok Experiments: Case Study Deep Dive28:33 Marketing Metas: The Loaded Question35:52 Market Outlook and Marketing in Downturns41:00 Conclusion and Where to Find HypeABOUT THE OGC PODCAST:The OGC Podcast tackles crypto's biggest unsolved challenge: growth. Host Norman Wiese sits down with founders, growth leaders, and crypto marketers sharing strategies and frameworks driving real results in web3.CONNECT WITH DANNY:X: https://x.com/0xDannyHype Hype X : https://x.com/HypePartners Website: https://hy.peCONNECT WITH NORMAN:• X: https://x.com/normanwiese • Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/normanwiese • Onchain Growth Club: https://x.com/onchaingrowthSUBSCRIBE & REVIEW:• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40h808BdpcWIhgXXQNQR52?si=a4249f90aff3425b • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/onchain-growth-club-crypto-web3-growth-talks/id1833519944 • Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onchaingrowth

Malte Landwehr, CMO of Peec AI, talks about the evolving landscape of marketing in the age of AI and large language models (LLMs). We discuss the transition from traditional SEO to AI-driven discoverability (GEO), the challenges of traffic attribution, and the current state of LLMs in the market. Malte shares insights on how brands can optimize their visibility in LLMs, the importance of understanding user behavior, and the practical tactics that can be employed to influence LLM outputs.—0:00 Introduction and Welcome04:53 Transitioning from SEO to AI and LLMs11:08 The Evolution of Search and the Role of LLMs13:11 Adoption Curve of LLMs 15:38 Understanding Traffic and Attribution Challenges19:47 Current Landscape of LLMs and Their Market Share21:22 Manipulating LLMs: Tactics and Strategies29:39 Introduction to Peec AI and Its Offerings32:22 Recommendations for Marketing Leaders36:59 Conclusion and Key Takeaways—EPISODE LINKS: • Malte on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/landwehr• Malte Landwehr on X: https://x.com/MalteLandwehr • Peec AI Website: https://peec.ai/ CONNECT WITH NORMAN:• X: https://x.com/normanwiese • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/normanwiese/• Onchain Growth Club: https://x.com/onchaingrowthSUBSCRIBE & REVIEW:• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40h808B... • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id...• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@onchaingrowth

Shaun van Vuuren, Head of Marketing and Comms at ChainFlip, breaks down how they're building cross-chain DeFi beyond the hype - native Bitcoin ⇄ ETH⇄ Solana swaps with no bridges or wrapped tokens.  As the space matures, ChainFlip shifted from narrative-driven marketing to product-led growth, focusing on user retention over vanity metrics.  Sean explains their multi-chain user segmentation strategy, how the $FLIP token secures the network while driving community engagement, and shares real tactics for building trust through transparency in DeFi's interoperability future.—00:00 Introduction and Welcome 01:22 This or That Icebreaker 03:02 User Retention > TOFU Campaigns 05:24 Understanding ChainFlip's Role in the Ecosystem 11:08 User Segmentation and Market Insights 16:39 Interoperability and Its Importance 23:07 Marketing Strategies at ChainFlip 28:44 The Role of the Token in ChainFlip's Strategy 32:45 Final Thoughts and Future Directions—EPISODE LINKS:• Shaun Janse van Vuuren on X: https://x.com/bento_shaun • Chainflip website: https://chainflip.io/ • Chainflip on X: https://x.com/ChainflipABOUT THE OGC PODCAST:The OGC Podcast tackles crypto's biggest unsolved challenge: growth. Host Norman Wiese sits down with founders, growth leaders, and crypto marketers sharing tactical strategies and frameworks driving real results in web3.CONNECT WITH NORMAN: • X: https://x.com/normanwiese  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/normanwiese/ • Onchain Growth Club: https://x.com/onchaingrowthSUBSCRIBE & REVIEW:• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40h808B...  • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id... • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@onchaingrowth

Brett Li, VP Marketing at Flipside, breaks down why web3 growth is finally maturing beyond hype-driven tactics. As institutional money flows in, protocols are ditching vanity metrics for real business fundamentals like user journey mapping and retention. Brett explains Flipside's stratgic shift to AI-powered intelligence, shares how Avalanche used onchain data to design smarter incentive programs, and talks how he sees AI tools being integrated into his team's workflows. --- 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 02:13 This or That Icebreaker 04:46 Flipside's Strategic Shift to AI Intelligence 09:39 Making On-Chain Data Accessible Through AI 13:41 Marketing to Protocols: ABM in Web3 15:38 What's Top of Mind for Protocol Teams 18:31 The Maturation of Crypto Growth Strategy 22:05 User Journey Intelligence: Avalanche Case Study 26:25 AI Integration: Platform and Personal Use 31:06 Future AI Automation and Agent Strategies 32:39 Final Thoughts and Resources --- EPISODE LINKS: - Brett Li on X: https://x.com/bretttheli • Flipside Crypto: https://flipsidecrypto.xyz • Flipside AI Chat: https://flipsidecrypto.xyz/chat • G Squared Growth Collective: https://t.me/gsquaredgrowth ABOUT THE OGC PODCAST: The OGC Podcast tackles crypto's biggest unsolved challenge: growth. Host Norman Wiese sits down with founders, growth leaders, and crypto marketers sharing tactical strategies and frameworks driving real results in web3. CONNECT WITH NORMAN: • Twitter: https://x.com/normanwiese • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/normanwiese/ • Onchain Growth Club: https://x.com/onchaingrowth SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40h808BdpcWIhgXXQNQR52 • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1833519944 • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@onchaingrowth

Ovie Faruq (OSF) went from trading distressed credit at Barclays to minting 150 Bored Apes in a drunken late-night session - a move that set him up to build one of crypto's most interesting brand experiments. As co-founder of Rekt Brands, Ovie is pioneering the "brand coin" concept: tokenizing brand sentiment while selling actual drinks in 7-Elevens across America. From launching Rekt Guy as a purposely expectation-free NFT to giving equity to holders to creating a meme coin that rewards drink purchases, Ovie breaks down how traditional finance principles apply to crypto volatility, why DAOs are terrible for running companies, and what happens when normies start buying crypto-branded energy drinks without knowing they're earning tokens. A masterclass in evolving with the market while building something genuinely new.00:00 Introduction and Welcome01:46 This or That Icebreaker04:35 From TradFi to Crypto Transition08:54 The Infamous 150 Bored Apes Story15:52 Becoming a Creator and Building Following19:44 The Rekt Guy Free Mint Philosophy22:24 Evolution to Rekt Brands and Token Launch24:14 Equity Distribution to NFT Holders26:20 Brand Coins vs Traditional Loyalty Programs30:44 Token Treasury and Reward Mechanisms32:38 Crypto Company or Drinks Company?34:28 Mainstream Adoption and 7-Eleven LearningsEpisode Links:• Ovie Faruq (OSF) on X: https://x.com/osf_rekt • Rekt Brands: https://rektbrands.com/ • Brand Coin Thesis (Pinned Post): https://x.com/osf_rekt/status/1924828742196539745About the OGC Podcast:The OGC Podcast tackles crypto's biggest unsolved challenge: growth. Host Norman Wiese sits down with growth leaders, marketers, and founders sharing tactical strategies and frameworks driving real results in web3.Connect with Norman:• Twitter: https://x.com/normanwiese • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/normanwiese/ • Onchain Growth Club: https://x.com/onchaingrowthSubscribe & Review:• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40h808BdpcWIhgXXQNQR52 • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1833519944 • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@onchaingrowth

Justin Vogel, co-founder of Safary, breaks down crypto's bizarre marketing reality: why traditional growth playbooks don't work when your entire addressable market is just a few million people. From the rise and fall of airdrops to the current "InfoFi" meta flooding Twitter with AI-generated content, Justin reveals the underground strategies actually moving the needle. Plus: how Safary built crypto's most exclusive growth community and why their $500 certification program doubled in price with zero drop in demand.00:00 Introduction and Welcome  03:20 This or That Icebreaker05:30 Building a Community of Crypto Marketers09:35 Mental Models to Navigate the Space12:57 Driving Traffic and Mindshare 15:55 Unpacking InfoFi and Other Marketing Metas23:40 Learnings from Building Safary Club27:54 Crypto Marketing Education ProgramEpisode Links:• Justin Vogel on X: https://x.com/jkey_eth• Safary: https://safary.club/• Safary's Web3 Growth Stack: https://blog.safary.club/p/the-state-of-web3-growth-2024About the OGC Podcast:The OGC Podcast tackles crypto's biggest unsolved challenge: growth. Host Norman Wiese sits down with growth leaders, marketers, and founders sharing tactical strategies and frameworks driving real results in web3.Connect with Norman:• Twitter: https://x.com/normanwiese• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/normanwiese/• Onchain Growth Club: https://x.com/onchaingrowthSubscribe & Review:• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40h808BdpcWIhgXXQNQR52• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1833519944• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@onchaingrowth