How did Netflix go from a DVD distribution company into a media production company? 1) It took a really long time, 2) they did a lot of weird things and took risky bets that most places wouldn't touch, 3) Hands-off (i.e. "decentralized") management styles that gave individual teams enough autonomy to work on the creative ideas they wanted.

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[Summary]

This podcast draws powerful parallels between Netflix's transformative journey and Tezos’ current path in the NFT space.

Netflix began as a DVD rental service, survived a pivot to streaming, and then took seven years to master content creation—driven by the need to escape Hollywood’s royalties and control. They learned to respect creators, embrace risk, and give creative teams autonomy, eventually becoming a cultural powerhouse.

Similarly, Tezos started with DeFi, but unexpectedly became a home for artists and NFTs—not by design, but through community-led evolution. Like Netflix, Tezos is learning that success in art and entertainment requires respecting intellectual property, royalties, and creator incentives—principles the wider NFT industry has largely ignored (e.g., OpenSea removing royalties).

The message is clear: Good things take time. Tezos is one of the few chains still committed to the long-term vision of NFTs as cultural tools, not quick-profit schemes. Despite current market downturns, the community continues to experiment, decentralize, and bridge tech with creative industries.

If Netflix could evolve from DVDs to Super Bowl shows, Tezos—already ahead in fostering a unique, creator-friendly ecosystem—can also turn NFTs into something meaningful. Stay patient. Keep building. The future belongs to those who respect both art and autonomy.

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teia.cafe | Decentralized Radio
teia.art | Arts Collective on Tezos
teia.art/ryangtanaka | Ryan's Music and Artworks


Sustainable Music Northwest (Seattle) | Public Music Concerts and Fair Wages for Musicians [https://www.sustainablemusicnw.org/]

*Episodes are also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, iHeartRadio and most major podcasting platforms as well.

All big breakthroughs in tech start with decentralization.

[Summary]

In this episode, Ryan from teia.cafe explores the essential yet often overlooked link between decentralization and governance. He argues that while decentralization promises transparency and democratic control—exemplified by technologies like blockchain and DAOs—it cannot function sustainably without clear governance structures.

Ryan contrasts the current tech landscape, dominated by founder-led "dictatorship" startups favored for speed, with the collaborative, consensus-driven models of early internet projects like TCP/IP, DNS, and open-source software. These pre-crypto systems thrived precisely because they had explicit, multi-stakeholder governance (e.g., IETF, W3C, ICANN).

He warns that many recent crypto and Web3 projects have neglected genuine governance, opting for centralized control disguised as decentralization. When token distribution or mining power becomes concentrated, the system reverts to a centralized model, undermining community trust and long-term viability. Drawing from his experience with Tezos and the artist collective TEIA, Ryan demonstrates that functional, transparent, and verifiable on-chain governance is not only possible but critical for survival—especially as market hype fades and projects must stand on their actual technology and community.

The episode concludes by connecting these lessons to the broader tech cycle, including AI, noting that transformative technologies start open and decentralized but require deliberate governance to endure beyond speculation and achieve lasting impact.

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teia.cafe | Decentralized Radio
teia.art | Arts Collective on Tezos
teia.art/ryangtanaka | Ryan's Music and Artworks


Sustainable Music Northwest (Seattle) | Public Music Concerts and Fair Wages for Musicians [https://www.sustainablemusicnw.org/]

*Episodes are also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, iHeartRadio and most major podcasting platforms as well.

Is the Metaverse Dead? No, it Just Smells Funny - January 14, 2026

Is the metaverse dead? A deep dive into how cultural perceptions about real-estate and real-life housing affects how the idea of virtual land is perceived. (Featuring Decentraland.)

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2565701/episodes/18508630

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Summary:

Is the dream of the metaverse dead after the crypto crash? This episode argues it's not dead—it just "smells funny." We cut through the hype to examine why the vision of corporate-owned virtual worlds (like Meta's) failed, while a different, decentralized model quietly survives.

The key lies in a surprising place: real-world housing policy. The episode contrasts the Western view of a home as a speculative asset with the Asian model (in Japan and China) where housing is treated as a stable, depreciating place to live. This cultural difference directly explains the metaverse's flop: in regions where physical housing is accessible, there was little urgency to buy into risky virtual land schemes. The metaverse hype, fueled in the West by a generation feeling locked out of real estate, simply didn't resonate in Asia.

We use Decentraland as the prime case study. Unlike centralized corporate projects, it's a truly decentralized, community-governed platform that has outlasted the hype cycle. The episode explores why this model is so hard—governance is slow and complex, like running a digital government—but also why it's resilient. While corporate metaverses became ghost towns, Decentraland has hosted virtual music festivals, art residencies, and maintains a persistent, user-driven world.

The analysis broadens to crypto adoption itself, linking it to economic stability. Countries with hyperinflation see crypto as a vital tool, while in economically stable Japan, public interest remains low despite advanced regulation. This inversion is key: the West has high public crypto interest but low institutional trust, while Asia shows the opposite pattern.

The conclusion is cautiously optimistic. The core idea of a shared digital space isn't gone; it's maturing. The path forward isn't through corporate-owned walled gardens, but through neutral, decentralized platforms that users can truly trust and build upon. The metaverse's future may be less about speculative land grabs and more about practical utility—virtual events, digital storefronts, and creative collaboration—built on a foundation that doesn't disappear when the hype does.

Podcast: Teia Cafe | Host: Ryan | Episode: S2E9

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teia.cafe | Decentralized Radio
teia.art | Arts Collective on Tezos
teia.art/ryangtanaka | Ryan's Music and Artworks


Sustainable Music Northwest (Seattle) | Public Music Concerts and Fair Wages for Musicians [https://www.sustainablemusicnw.org/]

*Episodes are also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, iHeartRadio and most major podcasting platforms as well.

The Return of Crypto Populism in 2026: A Non-Partisan Take - January 10, 2026

Economic turmoil and political turmoil often go hand-in-hand - we can see parallels happening now with what happened during the Great Depression, with the rise of populism on both left and the right that emerged as inequality between the rich and the poor grew further and further apart.

How does crypto and blockchain tech play into things as these events unfold? A deep dive into the idea of Bitcoin and the crypto industry's populist roots.

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teia.cafe | Decentralized Radio
teia.art | Arts Collective on Tezos
teia.art/ryangtanaka | Ryan's Music and Artworks


Sustainable Music Northwest (Seattle) | Public Music Concerts and Fair Wages for Musicians [https://www.sustainablemusicnw.org/]

*Episodes are also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, iHeartRadio and most major podcasting platforms as well.

Art becomes a weird thing during times of economic uncertainty because on one hand, when times get tough, the art budget is usually the first to go.

On the other hand, the hard times itself creates demand for escapism and understanding - which is what the medium itself provides.

The demand for art remains the same. The *types* of art that gets popular changes. You can see society's changing priorities the most clearly by looking at the art of its time.

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[AI Summary]

The NFT space is facing a "Great Depression" moment, with hype cycles dead and markets down. But history shows tough times don't kill art—they transform it. Here’s the shift we’re entering:

From Speculative Asset to Cultural Tool: The VC-funded bubble is over. Projects like Cryptopunks, with little utility beyond status, are losing relevance. The future isn't about flipping JPEGs; it's about using NFTs for what they're good for: verification, access, and preserving culture.

Aesthetic Shift: Darker & More Authentic: Just as Romanticism gave way to darker Modernism pre-WWI, NFT art is reflecting our sobering reality. Look at chains like Tezos: the art is grittier, more direct, and less commodified. This isn't a bug; it's the market correcting towards truth.

The Real Opportunity: Public & Community Utility: The next cycle belongs to builders, not speculators. NFTs will find legitimacy in public sector use (e.g., preserving historical sites) and deep community projects (like Teia's artist-run DAO). This is a return to crypto's "power to the people" roots—decentralization as a tool for transparency and collective ownership, not just get-rich-quick schemes.

Bottom Line: The downturn is a necessary purge. The cheap money is gone. Now, we build the infrastructure for the next era: one where NFTs serve as records, keys to experiences, and the backbone of a new, authentic digital culture. The art that survives will tell the truth about our times.

#NFTs #web3 #cryptoart #Tezos #bearmarket

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teia.cafe | Decentralized Radio
teia.art | Arts Collective on Tezos
teia.art/ryangtanaka | Ryan's Music and Artworks


Sustainable Music Northwest (Seattle) | Public Music Concerts and Fair Wages for Musicians [https://www.sustainablemusicnw.org/]

*Episodes are also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, iHeartRadio and most major podcasting platforms as well.

Did Japan Secretly Control Crypto's Price Action? - January 5, 2026

In this episode, Ryan Tanaka from Teia Cafe examines the provocative idea that Japan has indirectly controlled crypto’s price action through its monetary policy. He unpacks the concept of the "Yen Carry Trade"—where speculators, especially in the U.S., borrowed ultra-cheap Yen to fuel investments in crypto, tech stocks, and AI startups, driving up asset prices while Japan maintained low inflation and stability at home.

Ryan links crypto’s recent downturn directly to the rise in Japanese Government Bond yields, which began climbing in 2022–2023, tightening the flow of cheap money. He notes that while Japan enjoyed being the stable lender, the U.S. became the speculative borrower—and now, as Japan’s bond yields hit 30-year highs, that era may be ending.

The discussion explores the cultural and economic contrasts: Japan’s stable, low-crypto-adoption society versus America’s boom-and-bust speculative cycles. With Warren Buffett moving into Yen and commodities, and the U.S. facing potential dollar inflation, Ryan suggests that diversification—including into overlooked crypto projects—may be wise. Ultimately, the episode frames crypto’s volatility as a symptom of deeper global liquidity shifts, with Japan’s financial policy acting as a hidden but powerful lever.

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teia.cafe | Decentralized Radio
teia.art | Arts Collective on Tezos
teia.art/ryangtanaka | Ryan's Music and Artworks


Sustainable Music Northwest (Seattle) | Public Music Concerts and Fair Wages for Musicians [https://www.sustainablemusicnw.org/]

*Episodes are also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, iHeartRadio and most major podcasting platforms as well.

"How to Thrive in Hyperinflation" - Teia Cafe, Season 2, Episode 5

Host: Ryan Tanaka
Core Thesis: The U.S. economy is heading toward an inevitable hyperinflationary crisis, but there are strategies to not only survive but potentially thrive in the chaos.

• The Inevitable Crisis: Why Hyperinflation is Coming
  • Unsustainable Debt: The U.S. national debt is at historic levels, with annual interest payments now exceeding the military budget.
  • Profligate Spending & War: Continued excessive government spending and new military engagements (e.g., Venezuela) mirror past failed nation-building efforts.
  • Real Estate Bubble: A market crash is imminent, with vacancies rising and prices artificially propped up, threatening a broader economic cascade.
  • AI & Tech Bubble: Stock market and GDP growth are overly reliant on unprofitable, bubble-like sectors like AI.
  • Monetary Policy Failure: The response to every crisis (2008, COVID-19) has been more money printing and debt, a pattern the current administration continues. This "addiction" will lead to hyperinflation as the only apparent "solution."
• The Global Domino Effect
  • As the world's reserve currency, a collapsing U.S. dollar will trigger a global economic crisis.
  • Nations and individuals are already seeking refuge in assets like gold and silver to escape dollar devaluation.
• Potential Strategic Advantages & Survival Tactics
  1. Cryptocurrency's Role:
     • In hyperinflation, crypto may become a necessary haven, as seen in Argentina and Venezuela, despite its current flaws and Wall Street manipulation.
     • A market "cleansing" is coming; projects propped up by cheap debt and speculation will fail, revealing true value and potentially paving the way for crypto's use as a real currency.
     • Caution is needed: Many assets (including some "stablecoins") are dangerously tied to the failing fiat system.
  2. Boost for Exporters:
     • A devalued dollar makes U.S. goods cheaper for foreign buyers.
     • This could revive small online businesses and exporters, though it's a challenge for America's service-heavy economy.
  3. Forced Economic "Un-Sticking":
     • Hyperinflation prioritizes speed, potentially breaking economic stagnation.
     • Wages may finally rise: Employers will be forced to increase pay rapidly to keep pace with living costs, addressing long-term wage stagnation.
     • Oligarchies may break: Industries like real estate, where large players collude to keep prices/rents high, could see this control collapse as the economic reality forces rapid adaptation.
• A Silver Lining? A Shift in Global Power
  • U.S. economic decline could reduce American unilateralism and "imperialism," leading to a more balanced and multipolar world.
  • This may force the U.S. to engage more cooperatively on the global stage.
• Final Takeaway
  • The situation is dire and the path will be extremely difficult. However, by understanding the coming shifts—moving assets into truly independent stores of value, leveraging global trade opportunities, and adapting to a fast-paced economic environment—individuals and business

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teia.cafe | Decentralized Radio
teia.art | Arts Collective on Tezos
teia.art/ryangtanaka | Ryan's Music and Artworks


Sustainable Music Northwest (Seattle) | Public Music Concerts and Fair Wages for Musicians [https://www.sustainablemusicnw.org/]

*Episodes are also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, iHeartRadio and most major podcasting platforms as well.

The main reason why places like Coinbase and Binance did well is because post-Mt.Gox it brought much needed legitimacy in the fiat-crypto exchanges that helped to stabilize the industry's on-ramps - which they were definitely successful in doing. Over time, however:

- Fees became very high, for what you're getting.

- They use a convoluted system for staking that typically ignores the way rewards/governance works on individual projects, often pocketing a huge part of the difference.

- The centralized status makes them easy targets for governments to attack. The banning of crypto accounts in Hawaii (leading to CB and BNB pulling out), banning of staking rewards in California are good examples.

- They claim to have made "significant progress" on the regulatory/political sides of things but all of the legislation that passed is skewed towards benefitting orgs exactly like them, rather than small Web3 projects or individual wallet holders.

- Outside of the Web3 bubble, what the general public actually sees from exchanges are lobbyists trying defend the actions of FTX and $TRUMP-esque rug pulls and other pump-and-dumps, of which @base is a part of because it treats its customers as extraction targets rather than partners to work with.

- What they're actually trying to do with @base and Farcaster is to "making banking social", in order to justify their high fees instead of working on their fundamentals, which most people are not in the mood for right now, given that we're heading into a recession.

This is where competition comes into play - in the last few years there have been dozens - if not hundreds - of smaller fiat-to-crypto exchanges services that you can integrate directly into wallets and platforms which work just as well for much cheaper. You can buy crypto directly from @TempleWallet using Google/Apple Pay or convert it right from @objktcom if you really need to get that NFT on impulse. Metamask has similar access to 3rd party features that does similar conversions for you.

CB and BNB may have served an important purpose at one point in time, but in a new industry that's evolving quickly every day, they might not have what it takes to make it to the next cycle.

When I think of exchanges, I tend to think of those currency conversions you see at airports where you need to convert your dollars to other types of cash that you happen to need. Sure, it needs some money backing it, but it was never meant to be a bank where you would store all of your money in one place at a time. In-app exchanges are closer to what these things were meant to be and I think that in the long run, that is what will end up surviving in the end.

We might be seeing the end of the idea of the "crypto bank" - where you give some entity money to manage your coins for you. What's the point? That's what cash is for. If you're interested in crypto coins, just buy and hold it yourself. Exchanges are there for conversions, not for Storing-Your-Value. (A piece of propaganda that was invented in the last few years.) Not your wallet, not your coins, as they (used to) say.

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teia.cafe | Decentralized Radio
teia.art | Arts Collective on Tezos
teia.art/ryangtanaka | Ryan's Music and Artworks


Sustainable Music Northwest (Seattle) | Public Music Concerts and Fair Wages for Musicians [https://www.sustainablemusicnw.org/]

*Episodes are also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, iHeartRadio and most major podcasting platforms as well.