From: thepipeline_xyz
The Monad community has developed extensive lore and a rich tapestry of memes and notable events over the past two years, becoming a formidable and well-known organization in the broader cryptocurrency community [00:00:19]. This article takes a deep dive through various elements of this lore, answering questions about character origins and the source of prevalent mimetics [00:01:09].
It’s helpful to view Monad lore through the analogy of an iceberg, where much of the mass lies beneath the surface, hidden from plain sight [00:02:49].
Top of the Iceberg (Widely Known)
These are the most prevalent elements of Monad lore, widely recognized within and beyond the community [00:03:03].
Ganad
Ganad is one of the most obvious “calling cards” of Monad [00:03:30].
- Origin: The first Ganad tweet, a simple “GM,” was sent in December 2022, shortly after control of the Twitter account was handed over [00:03:54].
- Art: John W Rich Kid, a friend with no initial affiliation to Monad, created the art for the purple Pepe Ganad sticker packs [00:04:05].
- Pronunciation: There are multiple pronunciations like “gonad” and “ganad,” but no definitive right answer [00:05:06]. The first recorded “gamanad” in the Discord was from Bill Monday [00:05:21].
Monad as a Layer 1
Monad is fundamentally a layer one blockchain [00:05:57].
- Origin: In late 2021/early 2022, when founders Keon and James left Jump, many projects were trying to start layer 2 blockchains [00:06:44]. However, Keon and James made specific design choices that favored a layer one, opting to go “upstream” against the prevailing trend [00:07:06].
100% EVM Compatible
This was a significant design choice made in January 2023 [00:07:32].
- Significance: Unlike some scaling solutions (e.g., ZK sync) that required code changes, Monad aimed for 100% EVM compatibility down to the bytecode level [00:08:03]. This allowed full leverage of the resources and collateral built for the Ethereum ecosystem [00:07:58]. The decision to achieve 100% compatibility, rather than 97%, was an important conceptual play [00:08:40].
10,000 TPS
The number 10,000 is important in the Monad community, primarily for its original application as a performance benchmark [00:09:15].
- Origin: Ethereum typically handles about 10 transactions per second [00:10:59]. Monad aimed for four key performance improvements, anticipating a three-orders-of-magnitude increase [00:11:02]. The initial pitch was to be 10,000 times faster than Ethereum on similar hardware, leading to the 10,000 TPS benchmark [00:11:12]. This target was suggested by Jack, leading to a “reverse-engineered” approach to achieve 10x at four different layers [00:11:53].
Below the Surface (More Nuanced)
These elements provide more specific insights into Monad’s culture and development.
Mandac
The beloved Mandac, a purple hedgehog, emerged as a prominent figure [00:12:37].
- Origin: Sapphire dropped a picture of the purple hedgehog into the Discord, and Bill Monday later picked it up and popularized it [00:13:09].
- Usage: Early usage involved photoshopping Mandac into historical photos to suggest its omnipresence [00:13:32].
- Name: The name “Mandac” came from the file name “mandak PNG” when downloaded [00:14:16]. Months later, it was discovered that “landak” means “hedgehog” in Indonesian, combining “Mo” (for Monad) and “landak” [00:14:43].
Memes of the Week
- Origin: Inspired by Greg’s recurring “good morning” tweet chain [00:16:06]. It was designed as a weekly tweet to showcase the four best memes of the week, especially as community art and memes exploded [00:16:20].
- Status: It ran for a year, reaching 52 editions before spontaneously ending, as the volume of memes outgrew the format [00:16:35].
Original Purple Pepe
Before Mandac, the purple Pepe served as Monad’s initial placeholder mascot [00:17:29].
- Purpose: Pepe was a staple of crypto Twitter, and giving it a unique purple color provided a customizable character [00:17:12].
- Creator: John W Rich Kid again created the initial purple Pepe images as a friend before his formal affiliation with Monad [00:18:24]. It set the right tone for future characters like Mandac and Moyak Chog, with similar facial features [00:17:51].
John W Rich Kid the Fry Cook
John W Rich Kid, a friend who created early art for Monad, has his own lore [00:18:21].
- Origin: During the peak 2021 shitcoin season, Tunes mentored John W, giving him trading tips and teaching him fundamentals, essentially serving as his mentor [00:19:15].
Thursday Purge Day
A significant ritual in the Monad community’s early days [00:21:02].
- Origin: The locked Telegram group, established in April 2023, was capped at 999 members [00:20:00]. To make room for new people, Thursday Purge Day was created as a ritual [00:20:12].
- Process: At noon on Thursdays, John W Rich Kid would “execute” members, initially 100 people, then 50, then 20 [00:20:28]. This served to “trim the fat” from the chat and provided a dramatic public event [00:20:45].
Deeper Layers (Specific and Niche)
These elements delve into more obscure or detailed aspects of Monad’s lore.
Chog
A unique variant of the Mandac [00:21:54].
- Origin: Chog is an AI representation of a Mandac, created when Ray J drew a Mandac in an AI program [00:22:10]. The most familiar Chog is called Monal, who is Ray J’s son, making Monal both a Chog and a Mandac [00:22:23]. Chog is defined by its pink under-eye bags/circles [00:22:35]. Research suggests a DNA split from the Mandac species occurred about 1.8 million years ago, leading Chog to become its own species [00:23:13].
- Chog Thoughts: Chog’s brain was uploaded into a computer, becoming the first real AI Twitter account, predating the current AI meta [00:23:35].
Poker Nights on Discord
- Origin: Started as “Ports poker,” named after Port who has run it for over a year [00:25:43]. The idea, initial setup, and blind settings were designed by Youngest Peso and have remained largely unchanged [00:25:53]. It is considered the first weekly event that has maintained its relevance [00:26:16].
Intern Locked in the Bathroom
A memorable incident involving Kevin [00:26:30].
- Event: While working in the office, Kevin entered a bathroom with a broken door handle [00:26:56]. He was accidentally (or perhaps intentionally) locked inside for about 25 minutes [00:27:18]. Kieran and James eventually kicked down the door to release him [00:27:39].
Mon Hats
A key element for “monifying” memes [00:29:44].
- Origin: The original was the “Dapper Pepe” bowler hat [00:28:47]. Later, a beanie with “nipples” on top, inspired by observations in New York, was created by Han River [00:29:08]. These hats have had good staying power, with people wearing them in real life and incorporating them into memes [00:29:27].
Danny Pipes Come Up (The Pipeline Podcast)
The podcast itself has become part of the lore [00:30:29].
- Origin: Danny spent significant time in the Monad community in early 2023, appreciating its refreshing vibes and learning about Monad’s technology [00:31:05]. He found it difficult to get accurate, consistent, high-level information about different chains [00:31:49]. This led him to create a podcast and media arm, “The Pipeline,” to provide daily updates, news, and alpha on Monad for the community [00:31:39].
Salmonad
A character often described as useless and empathetic [00:32:42].
- Description: Salmonad is a salmon with “no real defining skills or traits,” and “no direction” [00:32:51]. It has been adopted by the developer community, perhaps out of pity [00:32:57]. Salmonad tends to resonate with “extreme empaths” and is humorously referred to as “homeless” [00:33:22].
The Mooch
- Origin: Simply a reference to the French [00:33:35], particularly reinforced by frustration with the overpowered French team in FIFA [00:34:04].
The Cake Punch Incident
A memorable event in the Monad community [00:34:22].
- Event: Claire, an active Korean ad and talented baker, created a beautiful, ornately decorated Monad cake with the logo [00:34:44]. She then livestreamed or recorded herself punching her fist through the cake, a provocative act that “got the people going” [00:35:06].
MonMemGenerator.com
A tool to facilitate meme creation within the community [00:35:28].
- Origin: The initial idea was to easily add the “Dapper Pepe hat” to other images to “monify” memes [00:35:42]. Jack (the intern) used old, “shitty” GitHub code that allowed drag-and-drop stickers [00:35:54]. It initially only had the Monad bowler hat and allowed users to upload a background [00:36:01]. As AI tools became popular, it was adapted to incorporate AI-generated backgrounds and other Monad characters [00:36:15]. Jack self-taught enough coding using GPT to add multiple picture support [00:36:37]. The site has since been taken over by Contribution DAO and is now a “nice functioning site” [00:36:49].
Fake One Fone
- Origin: “Fake One Fone” was an LA rapper with thousands of “street tweets” [00:37:56]. His account was hacked, and his profile picture and name were changed to Keon, making it appear as if Keon had tweeted years of rap-related content [00:38:06].
Port is Not Real
- Lore: In the early days, there was speculation that Port was not a real person [00:38:53]. However, it was later confirmed that “he is real” [00:38:51]. This also ties into the concept of “AI Port,” who has made notable appearances [00:39:02].
Beads Day
- Event: A very exciting holiday in the Monad community where everyone changed their profile picture to “beads” and pretended to be beads for a day [00:39:58].
Live Laugh and Monad
- Origin: This phrase originated from a non-native English speaker in the Discord who simply commented “I love Monet so much,” which was then adopted wholesale [00:40:36].
Madel
A “mon animal” that never gained popularity [00:40:49].
- Description: Madel is described as looking like a transitional animal from the history of evolution—like a fish crawling on land [00:41:25]. It was quickly abandoned by the community and is seen as the “awkward middle school pictures” of the Monad community’s animal representations [00:42:05]. It’s also compared to a Mandac plushy put in a dryer [00:41:51].
Monal Weasley
- Origin: Ray J called Chog “Monal,” but people pointed out that “Monal Weasley” existed first [00:42:29]. It was a failed character based on Harry Potter that never took off, and the name was later recycled [00:42:45].
Shrimp Posting / Shrimp Decks
One of Ray J’s earliest obsessions [00:42:57].
- Origin: In the “crypto winter” days, Ray J explored alternative income sources, specifically high-density aquaponic shrimp farming [00:43:17]. This led to ideas around “shrimp decks,” “shrimp NFTs,” and general “shrimp posting” before other animals became popular [00:43:32].
Tunes You’re Fired
- Origin: A running joke where Kevin frequently tells Tunes he would be “fired” for his actions in any other industry or company [00:44:16]. Tunes is aware he has a “50 strikes” allowance and is currently only at around 37 [00:44:25].
Moss Fatu
Another failed “mon animal” from the deepest parts of the lore [00:44:57].
- Description: Its name, pronounced “Nosferatu,” is a reference to the Dracula/vampire lore [00:45:06]. It’s also linked to an early 2000s SpongeBob episode where a Dracula-like character called “Nosferatu” is flickering lights [00:45:37]. Despite some creative origin, it, like a vampire, “died” once it touched the sunlight of broader community exposure [00:45:58].
Bill Monday Equals Plant
- Origin: When Bill Monday would stream, he would place a camera on a plant as his stream feed, changing plants each week, to maintain his anonymity [00:46:18].
Mcraft
Gaming was a fundamental part of early Monad community events [00:46:40].
- Origin: About 13 months prior to the discussion (around early 2023), a custom Monad-themed Minecraft server was created [00:46:51]. It hosted “Bean ads” themed happy hours and encouraged people to create Monad-themed dwellings, sculptures, and statues [00:47:04].
Dong Dang Do Mr Bill
- Origin: This phrase comes from an AI video by Ray J, where Bean ads would say “Please don’t beat me Mr. Bill” [00:47:42]. The phrase was translated into Vietnamese, leading to the bastardized pronunciation “Dong Dango” [00:47:51].
Samantha
The deepest and most mysterious element of Monad lore [00:49:17].
- Description: Samantha is known to be redheaded and an ex-girlfriend [00:48:21]. Her exact identity and story remain largely unknown, shrouded in mystery [00:48:35]. A shrine to Samantha was built in Mcraft in the early days to try and lure her back, but it was unsuccessful [00:48:55].
Conclusion
The Monad community has fostered a unique and extensive collection of lore, memes, and events over its two-year history [00:50:03]. This deep dive reveals the creativity and shared experiences that have shaped its identity.