<![CDATA[Merak]]>Fun conversations with people who build, wonder, and make things (happen). Mostly founders, operators, and investors, but also creatives, marketers, growth hackers, creators, scientists, innovators, and anyone living an interesting life and doing cool things.

We go deep on tech, AI, crypto, startups, business, money, and the economy. And we wander into the rabbit holes of philosophy, poetry, the cosmos, and the harder questions about life and meaning.

]]>https://www.merak.fm/Riverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Fri, 23 Oct 2026 01:03:10 GMTMon, 06 Jul 2026 10:59:24 GMT60Kris Kocic (cap.eth)<p>Fun conversations with people who build, wonder, and make things (happen). Mostly founders, operators, and investors, but also creatives, marketers, growth hackers, creators, scientists, innovators, and anyone living an interesting life and doing cool things.</p><p>We go deep on tech, AI, crypto, startups, business, money, and the economy. And we wander into the rabbit holes of philosophy, poetry, the cosmos, and the harder questions about life and meaning.</p>episodicKris Kocic (cap.eth)thecaplevi@gmail.comno<![CDATA[#3 Nick: UFO.fm, Radio Over Algorithms, Music on the Blockchain, & Building Independent Media]]>We discuss the evolution of music consumption, the challenges faced by independent artists, and the innovative platform UFO that aims to reshape the music industry.

We explore the importance of human curation in music discovery and the potential of blockchain technology to address longstanding issues in the music business like supporting artists.

The conversation explores the influence of iconic musicians like Frank Zappa and Devo, the innovative business model behind UFO, and the importance of live radio in connecting artists and audiences.

Chapters

  • 00:00 Introduction to Independent Media and Personal Identity
  • 03:04 The Evolution of Music Consumption
  • 06:01 Discovering New Music in the Digital Age
  • 08:58 Building UFO: A New Music Platform
  • 12:07 The Challenges of the Music Industry
  • 20:54 The Future of Music and Blockchain
  • 30:39 The Evolution of the Music Industry
  • 34:01 The Impact of Streaming on Music Consumption
  • 37:07 Quality vs. Quantity in Music Production
  • 41:17 The Dichotomy of Music Success
  • 51:23 Blockchain's Potential in the Music Industry
  • 57:45 The Influence of Frank Zappa and Devo
  • 01:01:23 UFO: Business Model and Strategy
  • 01:07:58 Connecting Artists and Audiences
  • 01:15:16 The Power of Live Radio
  • 01:20:49 Experimentation in Music and Media
]]>91a922a8-6f70-401a-87ce-507794ba30d7Fri, 16 Oct 2026 17:41:23 GMT<p>We discuss the evolution of music consumption, the challenges faced by independent artists, and the innovative platform UFO that aims to reshape the music industry. </p><p>We explore the importance of human curation in music discovery and the potential of blockchain technology to address longstanding issues in the music business like supporting artists.</p><p>The conversation explores the influence of iconic musicians like Frank Zappa and Devo, the innovative business model behind UFO, and the importance of live radio in connecting artists and audiences. </p><p>Chapters</p><ul><li>00:00 Introduction to Independent Media and Personal Identity</li><li>03:04 The Evolution of Music Consumption</li><li>06:01 Discovering New Music in the Digital Age</li><li>08:58 Building UFO: A New Music Platform</li><li>12:07 The Challenges of the Music Industry</li><li>20:54 The Future of Music and Blockchain</li><li>30:39 The Evolution of the Music Industry</li><li>34:01 The Impact of Streaming on Music Consumption</li><li>37:07 Quality vs. Quantity in Music Production</li><li>41:17 The Dichotomy of Music Success</li><li>51:23 Blockchain's Potential in the Music Industry</li><li>57:45 The Influence of Frank Zappa and Devo</li><li>01:01:23 UFO: Business Model and Strategy</li><li>01:07:58 Connecting Artists and Audiences</li><li>01:15:16 The Power of Live Radio</li><li>01:20:49 Experimentation in Music and Media</li></ul>yes01:15:573#3 Nick: UFO.fm, Radio Over Algorithms, Music on the Blockchain, & Building Independent Mediafull<![CDATA[#2 Thomas Clowes: 6-Figure Domains sales, AI world, .com’s still king, ENS, Web3 domains & identity]]>The conversation explores the intersection of technology, personal experiences, and the implications of AI on society, with a focus on security, the evolution of domains, the impact of wealth on personal values and behavior, and highlights the challenges and opportunities in both web2 and web3 domains.

The conversation delves into Thomas' journey in the domain industry, discussing his early experiences, the evolution of domain names, and the complexities surrounding new generic top-level domains (gTLDs), the evolution of web3 domains, and the implications of ENS (Ethereum Name Service) in the broader context of digital identity and blockchain technology.

The conversation explores the implications of domain tokenization, particularly in the context of decentralized naming systems and the challenges of synchronizing data between traditional registrars and blockchain technology.

Chapters

  • 00:00 Introduction and Personal Updates
  • 02:47 Security in the Age of AI
  • 06:00 The Impact of AI on Society
  • 10:09 Wealth, Power, and Personal Values
  • 13:49 The Influence of Personal Experiences
  • 17:59 The Journey into Domain Names
  • 31:51 From Early Ventures to Domain Sales
  • 34:21 First Steps in Domain Industry
  • 38:00 Understanding Internet Infrastructure
  • 41:26 The Role of ICANN and Governance
  • 44:32 New gTLDs: Announcements and Implications
  • 52:47 Evaluating the Value of TLDs
  • 59:05 The Business of Domain Registration
  • 01:06:23 The Evolution of TLDs
  • 01:10:06 The Rise of Alternative TLDs
  • 01:17:01 Web3 Domains: A New Frontier
  • 01:18:51 Understanding the Value of Web3 Domains
  • 01:28:04 Challenges and Opportunities for ENS
  • 01:39:51 The Future of Digital Identity
  • 01:44:10 Innovative Use Cases in China
  • 01:45:47 The Flexibility of ENS Constitution
  • 01:49:31 Tokenization of Domains: Pros and Cons
  • 01:54:51 Synchronizing Web2 and Web3 Domains
  • 02:11:16 The Balance of Innovation and Caution
]]>8fd581c5-d7c9-452e-9f5c-a2aad8b572b5Thu, 08 Oct 2026 18:15:04 GMT<p>The conversation explores the intersection of technology, personal experiences, and the implications of AI on society, with a focus on security, the evolution of domains, the impact of wealth on personal values and behavior, and highlights the challenges and opportunities in both web2 and web3 domains. </p><p>The conversation delves into Thomas' journey in the domain industry, discussing his early experiences, the evolution of domain names, and the complexities surrounding new generic top-level domains (gTLDs), the evolution of web3 domains, and the implications of ENS (Ethereum Name Service) in the broader context of digital identity and blockchain technology. </p><p>The conversation explores the implications of domain tokenization, particularly in the context of decentralized naming systems and the challenges of synchronizing data between traditional registrars and blockchain technology. </p><p>Chapters</p><ul><li>00:00 Introduction and Personal Updates</li><li>02:47 Security in the Age of AI</li><li>06:00 The Impact of AI on Society</li><li>10:09 Wealth, Power, and Personal Values</li><li>13:49 The Influence of Personal Experiences</li><li>17:59 The Journey into Domain Names</li><li>31:51 From Early Ventures to Domain Sales</li><li>34:21 First Steps in Domain Industry</li><li>38:00 Understanding Internet Infrastructure</li><li>41:26 The Role of ICANN and Governance</li><li>44:32 New gTLDs: Announcements and Implications</li><li>52:47 Evaluating the Value of TLDs</li><li>59:05 The Business of Domain Registration</li><li>01:06:23 The Evolution of TLDs</li><li>01:10:06 The Rise of Alternative TLDs</li><li>01:17:01 Web3 Domains: A New Frontier</li><li>01:18:51 Understanding the Value of Web3 Domains</li><li>01:28:04 Challenges and Opportunities for ENS</li><li>01:39:51 The Future of Digital Identity</li><li>01:44:10 Innovative Use Cases in China</li><li>01:45:47 The Flexibility of ENS Constitution</li><li>01:49:31 Tokenization of Domains: Pros and Cons</li><li>01:54:51 Synchronizing Web2 and Web3 Domains</li><li>02:11:16 The Balance of Innovation and Caution</li></ul>no01:56:452#2 Thomas Clowes: 6-Figure Domains sales, AI world, .com’s still king, ENS, Web3 domains & identityfull<![CDATA[#1 Prem Makeig: The Verified Web, Agent NFTs, ENS and Ethereum, and and the 50x Rule]]>The first episode of Merak, with Prem Makeig (premm.eth), founder and CEO of Unruggable, a longtime ENS DAO service provider, and, as it happens, a friend who's coming to my wedding.

We open with his big idea: the verified web. Prem argues the term Gavin Wood coined needs an upgrade, because once agents start buying things online, every interaction is going to need a cryptographic proof. From there we get into the hard questions: what happens when proof-of-everything gets misused, whether cryptography is a double-edged sword we can never escape, and how ZK proofs could kill the New York broker system that charges you a month and a half's rent just to read your bank statements.

Then we go deep on agent identity. His standards, ERC-8004 and ERC-8217, that bind AI agents to NFTs so ownership and control transfer together. His bet that the NFT stops being a jpeg and becomes an onchain identity, and the 721T primitive he's building to make that real. He also breaks down the 50X rule and the "2% is guaranteed" idea that keeps him shipping standard after standard, and the open-source ID Agents system he uses to run coding agents as teams he calls synthetic workers.

We close on the AI optimism-versus-doom question, where Prem lands somewhere you might not expect: blockchains only exist because of the honest majority, and that's the best argument for betting on good people.

Guest

Merak

]]>c911b78c-a7e6-4d95-b277-823534166fe0Fri, 25 Sep 2026 19:53:20 GMT<p>The first episode of Merak, with Prem Makeig (premm.eth), founder and CEO of Unruggable, a longtime ENS DAO service provider, and, as it happens, a friend who's coming to my wedding.</p><p>We open with his big idea: the verified web. Prem argues the term Gavin Wood coined needs an upgrade, because once agents start buying things online, every interaction is going to need a cryptographic proof. From there we get into the hard questions: what happens when proof-of-everything gets misused, whether cryptography is a double-edged sword we can never escape, and how ZK proofs could kill the New York broker system that charges you a month and a half's rent just to read your bank statements.</p><p>Then we go deep on agent identity. His standards, ERC-8004 and ERC-8217, that bind AI agents to NFTs so ownership and control transfer together. His bet that the NFT stops being a jpeg and becomes an onchain identity, and the 721T primitive he's building to make that real. He also breaks down the 50X rule and the "2% is guaranteed" idea that keeps him shipping standard after standard, and the open-source ID Agents system he uses to run coding agents as teams he calls synthetic workers.</p><p>We close on the AI optimism-versus-doom question, where Prem lands somewhere you might not expect: blockchains only exist because of the honest majority, and that's the best argument for betting on good people.</p><p><b><strong>Guest</strong></b></p><ul><li>Premm on X: <a href="https://x.com/nxt3d" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://x.com/nxt3d</a></li><li>Unruggable: <a href="https://unruggable.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://unruggable.com</a></li><li>ID Agents: <a href="https://www.idagents.ai/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.idagents.ai/</a></li><li>Adapter8004: <a href="https://adapter8004.xyz/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://adapter8004.xyz/</a></li><li>Prem's EthereumZuri.ch 2025 talk on the verified web: <a href="https://cfp.ducttape.events/ethereumzuri-ch-2025/speaker/QYZ3EP/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://cfp.ducttape.events/ethereumzuri-ch-2025/speaker/QYZ3EP/</a></li></ul><p><b><strong>Merak</strong></b></p><ul><li>Website: <a href="https://www.merak.fm/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.merak.fm/</a></li></ul>no01:17:051#1 Prem Makeig: The Verified Web, Agent NFTs, ENS and Ethereum, and and the 50x Rulefull