Will Every Failed Crypto Idea Work? - The Chopping Block

Summary

Crypto investors discuss whether failed crypto ideas (TCRs, DAOs, creator coins) will eventually succeed. Nemil Dalal from YC is more bullish than ever, citing regulatory clarity and institutional adoption, and highlights Coinbase's converging exchange strategy. Haseeb Qureshi argues crypto's core is finance, while the group debates AI agents, on-chain reputation, and Base's pivot from consumer to real-world assets.

• Nemil Dalal states he has never been more bullish on crypto, driven by regulatory clarity, institutional integration, and market cycles.
• Coinbase's 'everything exchange' strategy is cited as a key beneficiary of the converging crypto and traditional finance worlds.
• The panel debates Imran's thesis that every failed crypto idea eventually works, with Haseeb calling it toxic positivity and emphasising that crypto is about money and finance.
• Haseeb argues non-financial use cases like NFTs, DAOs, and gaming tokens have not proven product-market fit and are unlikely to succeed soon.
• Coinbase's Base chain pivots from consumer/social to RWAs and prediction markets, acknowledging the earlier bet was wrong for now.
• AI agents are discussed as a potential game-changer for payment flows, web monetisation, and the creation of new financial products.
• Tom Schmidt sees on-chain reputation and proof of humanity as increasingly relevant due to AI-generated content.
• Nemil highlights Y Combinator's focus on solving user pain points and the importance of 'why now' when evaluating crypto startups.