The Internet Loves Ghibli... But Not Enough to Pay? | Internet Explorers Ep. 73

Ghibli memes took over the internet. But the studio captured none of the value.

In this week's Internet Explorers, Jess and Josh break down how OpenAI's viral Ghibli-style image launch became a masterclass in attention-hijacking — and why crypto, NFTs, and tokens still fail to help artists and IP holders capture their fair share. From meme coin spikes to the role of protocol design, they unpack how this moment exposed crypto's biggest cultural opportunity (and blind spot).

Later, Priyanka from Tribute Labs joins to debut ADIN, their new AI-native investment DAO. The crew explores whether AI agents can outperform VCs, how 10% carry for deal submissions flips sourcing on its head, and why this might be the most compelling new DAO model since 2021. Plus: buy-and-burn backlash, Solana's Nikita play, and the accelerating weirdness of AI-powered internet culture.

This episode unpacks:

• OpenAI's viral Ghibli-style image generation
• Attention, IP, and meme-driven value gaps
• Can crypto help creators capture cultural upside?
• Buy-and-burn vs. dividend token models
• When ownership still matters in token design
• Tribute Labs introduces ADIN, an AI VC DAO
• AI agents evaluating early-stage investments
• Deal flow incentives with 10% carry for submission
• Can AI replace human VC decision-making
• Nikita Bier joins Solana to fix crypto UX

Chapters:
0:00 — Intro and a classic throwback
4:07 — Crypto the Game segment: Upcoming content and winners
6:05 — Studio Ghibli style image launch impact
9:26 — Valuation of IP through crypto tokens
11:43 — Tokenization and IP rights discussion
15:04 — Cultural Dialogue and Internet Theory insights
18:21 — Network dynamics and virality discussion
20:13 — Buy and Burns impact analysis
22:55 — Stablecoins and monetary supply nuances
26:52 — Dividends and market expectations implications
30:38 — Consumer-facing infrastructure debate
34:02 — Tribute's role in investment DAOs
36:51 — DAO structure and Aiden's role
40:54 — Project types and data input discussion
43:05 — Founder tools and improvement recommendations
46:35 — Emergent projects and agent opinions

Internet Explorers is a weekly rundown show where extremely online individuals broadly explore (romanticize, even) new consumer Internet experiences.

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