Fazri Zubair, CTO and Cofounder at Lucid Sight
On episode 62 of LAB Radio, your host, Chris Groshong chats with Fazri Zubair, a Los Angeles native, about his journey into the blockchain and cryptocurrency space through gaming at Lucid Sight.
Lucid Sight is a gaming development studio, formed in 2015, located Santa Monica and has been building video games with frontier technologies like VR, AR and blockchain. Fazri and the two other cofounders had worked together in the past, had great chemistry and knew they all had to work together.
The entrance into blockchain for Fazri was through a friend of cofounder, Randy Saaf, who introduced them to Ethereum. The use cases for smart contracts and provable digital scarcity was too tempting for them to ignore back in 2015.
Some of the main issues they run into are UX/UI. The crossover from traditional gaming with in-game assets managed by a company producing the game to in-game assets controlled by the end user has a completely different feel. The end user has many barriers to entry, like understanding how to use wallets and obtaining crypto just to get started. Besides hardware, other issues exist like explaining digital scarcity and the basics of blockchain.
Two of Fazri's favorite games being released this year are CSC (Crypto Space Commander), a MMORPG and MLB Champions. MLB Champions is this millenniums version of baseball cards and fantasy sports. They have licensing agreements with the MLB and the MLBPA(MLB Players Association), making it the first of it's kind in the blockchain industry. Both games have marketplaces for items to be bought and sold. The game developer takes a cut from each sale. This marks a paradigm shift in the economics of gaming. The implications for game developers are vast and relatively untouched.
Things you will learn during this episode:
We get perspective from Fazri about growing up and pursuing a tech career in Los Angeles
Where he feels the industry is headed and his plans to stay at the forefront
The command economy vs. a free market economy in gaming
How mainstream adoption barriers need to be lifted
Why digital collectibles are easy for collectors to grasp
What designing and building games with economies entails
What problems may arise from real money economies in a gaming ecosystem
Further Reading and Resources
Lucid Sight Inc. | Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter |
Fazri Zubair, Cofounder and CTO, Lucid Sight Inc.| Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter
MLB Champions | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Discord
Crypto Space Commander | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Discord
Alena Vranova, Strategy at Casa, Inc.
Welcome to the second episode of OG Crypto Series on LAB Radio, with the very talented, Alena Vranova, currently heading up Strategy at Casa Inc. There is no doubt that she is an OG in the world of Crypto and Blockchain. For those of you that don't know her past, she was pivotal to the formation of Satoshi Labs, TREZOR hardware wallet and Slush Pool to name a few.
Alena and I first met in August 2015 after the Keynote 2015 event in Los Angeles at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel. We had some mutual friends in the space already and we instantly connected. I vividly recall how much positivity and good energy she gave off.
After a business success, Alena likes to take some time to scan the field and find out what is calling to her next. And after leaving Satoshi Labs, she eventually landed at Casa, Inc. In this episode you will hear about why she chose Casa and how Casa's solutions are powering a safer and more user friendly environment for Bitcoin users.
Other things you will learn during this episode:
What is the latest from Prague? And why it's a great place for crypto & blockchain innovation
The importance of building strong personal connections in a business setting
Her advice to entrepreneurs in the crypto and blockchain space
Inclusion, Diversity and Global Mentality perspectives
If she could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?
Alena is one the rare gems in this world, so if you ever get a chance to speak with her, do it. Her passion is obvious and she brings a great intensity to the table. She's also very cognizant of the position she is in now and how much good she can bring into the world. In this episode, you will also find out what the younger version of herself might think about where she is now.
Alena says the most important skill to have in business is "Listening". So we hope you enjoy the episode.
Further Reading and Resources
Casa Inc.| Website | LinkedIn | Twitter |
Alena Vranova, Strategy @ Casa, Inc.| Twitter | LinkedIn |