Now that we are in a deep crypto winter, influencers and public figures are perpetuating a negative sentiment towards the crypto industry as a whole, labeling it as one giant scam operation. We take the liberty in explaining how not EVERYTHING in the crypto and web3 arena is being developed by scammers. A lot of what is interpreted to be scams are just projects that have good intentions looking to innovate and experiment, but simply are only able to prove a concept and not sustain their innovations for lengthy periods of time. This is due to the technologies of blockchain, NFTs, tokens, etc being so new, failure becomes a normal part of the growth and maturation of them. We also speak about AI and how it can be applied to spark a new crypto sector to evolve NFTs and DeFi.

First podcast of 2023 we go over the last few weeks of 2022. We recover from the hot ones challenge where we eat a series of progressively spicy chicken wings. OpenAI takes humanity by storm and is now valued at $29 billion because Microsoft intends to invest $10B with a loan when paid back would give them 49% of OpenAI. We look into how the AI craze could have an influence on the crypto industry. We come up with theoretical applications of AI and the ethos of crypto where the community is incentivized to contribute data to an AI with rewarding them with a token. Listen in catch our take on the AI takeover!

In this episode of the Block Runner podcast, the hosts are joined by Javier and TJ to sample various hot sauces from the YouTube series Hot Ones. They discuss the show's premise, which involves celebrities being interviewed while eating progressively hotter chicken wings, and talk about their own experiences with spicy food. The hosts also reflect on the past year and share personal highlights.

The Block Runner podcast discussed various topics related to the blockchain, including play-to-earn gaming, marketing strategies, and the regulatory ecosystem towards crypto and web three. They also talked about Donald Trump's new NFT project, which involves collectible cards that offer access to exclusive events and experiences with Trump as prizes. The hosts debated the definition of utility and whether the project qualifies, ultimately agreeing that it is a low bar. They also briefly discussed the SEC's crackdown on utilities in the NFT space.

The heat is on the crypto and blockchain industry after FTX collapse and now rumors of Binance potentially following suit. Sam Bankman Fried was just arrested in the Bahamas right before he was scheduled to testify in front of congress and explain to the United States government committee what went wrong with FTX and Alameda Research. Instead, the newly appointed CEO of FTX took the stand to try and unravel all the internal mismanagement and lack of accounting present within the SBF ran FTX organization. Speculation is also going around the CZ and Binance will soon be hit with criminal charges for money laundering which would create a collapse many magnitudes greater than FTX if true. We discuss and unpack all of this crypto drama on this podcast, enjoy!