Written interviews with NFT projects on the Cardano blockchain
Link to the interview on my Medium
This week’s guest on the Cardano NFT Column is an Alpha Group created by Lorenzo, who has been working as an NFT Analyst & Researcher on multiple blockchains: TGT Alpha.
The previous guest was a project that is building an ecosystem that connects art and gaming, releasing its Mission 1 as a single player FPS grinding game.
This initiative is a point of reference for NFTs on Cardano and every week or two we will invite someone to answer some questions and give us an update directly from within the Cardano community.
Hey, glad to have you here. Please introduce yourself.
Hey everyone — Lorenzo here, founder of TGT Alpha. I’ve been working in the tech startup business since 2018, shifting my focus specifically to NFTs for the past two where I worked as an NFT Analyst & Researcher on multiple blockchains.
What is TGT Alpha? How did the idea come about? And why have you chosen Cardano?
TGT Alpha is the culmination of my experience as an NFT researcher, analyst & networker. The idea of an Alpha Group isn’t novel, but I feel like we’ve taken it to the next level.
From the “mint”, where we onboarded each member individually over 4+ months without relying on a Public Mint, to the in-depth reports members can find within the group, to the incredibly active community.
TGT is the one-stop-shop for everyone who wants high-level information, in-depth analysis about all things NFTs & beyond, within a small, curated community.
Floor price of The Hand by TGT Alpha at the time of writing
Can you share your thoughts about the NFT space in general? What about Cardano NFTs in particular? What important differences do you see?
I come from the Sneaker/Streetwear reselling business where I witnessed the power of Community within a subculture and the impact that had on the market.
As the Firm TD Cowen referred to the sneaker reselling market “a booming alternative asset class” estimating the global resale market to expand from $6 billion to $30 billion by 2030, I see a very similar path occurring to digital collectibles, the main difference being this revolution will have a much broader spectrum of use cases.
I expect the more ‘speculative’ side will keep growing as the subculture around it grows, while the specific USPs will become more and more relevant to the average consumer.
The main obstacle being friction. We need to make these NFT-powered products as friction-less as possible for true global adoption.
I’ve researched NFTs on Ethereum, Solana, Polygon and recently Bitcoin with the Ordinals craze. I see Cardano as the true underdog here. There are countless benefits to why I chose Cardano, even though there is still lots of work to be done, specifically in the communication & accessibility side of things.
Cardano NFTs are native assets, not references within a smart contract, they’re affordable to mint/issue, they are less prone to hacks/drains, and ultimately there is a real opportunity for me to experiment in a less-crowded/saturated environment.
When I explain “Why NFTs?” to the average person who hasn’t had experience with digital collectibles, I always bring up the famous Gary Vee interview “Do you play Videogames? Have you ever bought a skin of virtual things for a game? That’s an NFT.”
The amount of use-cases is so overwhelming I feel like we need to focus on a few we can easily push first, and the rest will follow. Every single industry, from the more obvious Videogame sector, to value chains across global markets, can benefit from NFTs and blockchain technology and I want to make sure I’ll be there to witness it.
Great contribution. Any final thoughts? Where can people stay in touch?
I really appreciate the opportunity; if you’re passionate about NFTs, but also value high-level networking, I encourage you to check out the work we’re doing at TGT Alpha.
I also consult businesses across web3, specifically for Strategy and Marketing, so feel free to also reach out to me directly at @thenftake on Twitter.
Disclaimer: The opinions and views of the people interviewed are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Cardano Foundation or IOG. Moreover, this content is for educational purposes, it doesn’t constitute financial advice.