From: thepipeline_xyz
Kevin, known as “intern,” leads ecosystem growth at Monad [00:00:14]. Monad is an upcoming blockchain (L1) that is highly anticipated [00:03:16].
Community-Centric Philosophy
A key aspect of Monad’s strategy is its strong focus on community, distinguishing it from traditional B2B or B2B2C models where the end-user might be less of a direct focus [00:15:46], [00:16:03]. In the crypto space, particularly for Layer 1s (L1s) and NFTs, the “social layer” is considered paramount [00:18:15], [00:18:30]. As Mert puts it, “an L1 is just a shared computer for a community” [00:18:38], meaning the users on a chain like Ethereum or Solana constitute its community [00:18:53].
Working “In” the Community
Monad emphasizes working “in” the community rather than “on” it, highlighting the importance of team members being active participants and wanting to be part of their own community [00:19:39], [00:19:46]. This approach helps the team understand how everything operates within the community [00:21:28]. The team, including Kevin, dedicates time daily to engage in Discord and make friends with community members [00:24:42].
This community-first strategy has yielded positive externalities:
- The Monad community is known for being very vocal and creative, with many artists [00:19:57], [00:20:02].
- The podcast itself originated from a community member’s idea [00:20:09].
- A strong social layer attracts high-quality partners who recognize its value [00:20:17], [00:20:20].
- Community engagement creates a “flywheel” effect, attracting partnerships and builders [00:23:31]. For example, some partners were drawn in after seeing 40 original art comments on a Monad tweet [00:23:44], [00:23:47].
- The collaborative and friendly nature of Monad and Wormhole is valued by users and projects [00:25:16].
Growth and Partnerships
Wormhole Collaboration
Monad is working closely with Wormhole, especially concerning bridging solutions [00:07:09], [00:07:12]. The initial launch and bridge for Monad are expected to be significantly different and cleaner than early L1s in 2021, thanks to advancements in bridging standards [00:08:07], [00:08:52]. The bridging experience will be a user’s first interaction with Monad, making its success crucial [00:09:05], [00:09:08]. The collaboration between Monad and Wormhole was evident during “Wormhole Wednesday,” where the Monad community actively participated in Wormhole’s Discord and created joint art [00:20:48], [00:20:57]. Wormhole has learned from Monad’s approach to community building, focusing on making friends and adding value [00:22:42], [00:23:03].
Strategic Positioning
Monad takes a uniquely non-competitive stance towards other chains like Ethereum [00:33:57]. Instead of aiming for a takeover, Monad seeks to improve the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and enable new possibilities [00:34:15], [00:34:18]. Monad views itself as an “expansion and supplementation” to the EVM ecosystem, fostering friendly relations with Ethereum and L2s [00:37:58], [00:38:04].
Monad aims to unlock new use cases for the EVM by being fast and cheap, similar to how Solana enables applications impossible on the current EVM [00:39:04], [00:35:05]. This includes enabling applications like sports betting with very low fees (e.g., sub five cents per transaction), making them objectively better than Web2 solutions [00:35:14], [00:35:38], [00:36:31].
Given that most crypto developers (around 95%) use Solidity and the EVM holds the majority of total value locked (TVL), Monad seeks to bring high-throughput, low-fee environments to this large developer and capital base [00:36:56], [00:37:04], [00:37:26], [00:39:27]. The success of chains like Solana validates Monad’s thesis, as it shows the demand for high-throughput, low-fee environments [00:38:39], [00:39:00].
The overarching goal in crypto is to “grow the pie” by bringing in new users and developers, rather than simply moving them between existing ecosystems [00:41:46], [00:42:06], [00:43:19]. Monad’s focus on building for customers and expanding the overall crypto economy is seen as a very bullish signal [00:40:19], [00:40:23], [00:41:24].
Future Outlook
Monad has generated significant attention, and the team is excited about upcoming technical updates and progress that will demonstrate the “meat and potatoes” of their work [00:54:05], [00:54:28]. The project is seen as having massive product-market fit due to its simple yet powerful value proposition [00:41:19].