In the event you had gotten into crypto earlier, you’d in all probability be a millionaire by now. At the least, that’s the widespread sentiment shared by those that missed the boat on the 2013 and/or 2017 Bitcoin booms. Hindsight is sort of at all times 20/20, however we can not change what has occurred previously. Somewhat, we are able to solely use our expertise to organize for and construct for our personal future.
That is exactly the perspective of Daniel Maegaard, higher identified within the NFT house because the influential collector and investor Seedphrase. Having made a small fortune by investing in Bitcoin and altcoins almost a decade in the past, he not has to take a position whether or not or not his investing targets are attainable. His story has been told, and he’s change into considerably of a mannequin of prosperity in Web3.
But, whereas the excessive life undoubtedly fits him, Maegaard has discovered himself figuring out with the standard rags-to-riches narrative much less and fewer. So as a substitute of stepping to his cue as a poster baby for crypto-trading success, he’s now shifting in a path that appears considerably left-field for somebody of his distinctive stature. In 2023, he says he can be actively making an attempt to reshape his longstanding id.
Seven Trait, Sensible Cash Danny, Seedphrase, no matter you might name him, Maegaard’s id as a crypto savant is simple. Identified all through the NFT house because the proprietor of CryptoPunk #8348, a.okay.a (arguably) the rarest of all CryptoPunks, his accolades as a collector, builder, and general proponent of blockchain tech are identified to all who traverse the tokenized aspect of Web3. However over the previous yr, a brand new aspect of Maegaard’s id has been launched to the general public.
Seedphrase the DJ, which the NFT group (and, to a lesser extent, the digital music group) is bound to have witnessed behind the decks at quite a lot of exhibits and festivals, has slowly change into synonymous with Web3 social gathering tradition. A personality that coincides with Maegaard’s influential Party Degenerates NFT mission ecosystem, Seedphrase — a DJ who presents himself clad in a helmet that’s visually equivalent to Punk #8348 — has began to tackle a lifetime of his personal.
“When it all started, it was only meant to be this one-off thing. Seedphrase was just going to show up to a party and start DJing,” Maegaard mentioned in an interview with nft now. “But after that first night, and seeing the reaction from people and receiving just such an incredibly positive response, I realized that I might have something here. That was kind of the birth of Seedphrase, when I actually realized, ‘Okay, I can take this somewhere.’”
Having been featured in the New York Times shortly after that first social gathering in November 2021, Maegaard leaned into the concept of turning Seedphrase into one thing palpable. However whereas the primary few appearances of the CryptoPunk DJ at worldwide exhibits and festivals may’ve felt random, Seedphrase’s newest surge in recognition is something however. Now that Maegaard has entered talks with some main manufacturers and metaverse gamers, he’s taken time to push previous being labeled a “Web3 version of Marshmello,” and conceive a multifaceted existence for his burgeoning alter-ego.
NFT collector, CryptoPunk DJ, or one thing extra?
Over the following yr, Web3 will possible see quite a lot of Seedphrase. Collaborations with legacy trend homes, a slew of stay exhibits, and ventures in artwork, gaming, and extra are however a couple of of the pit stops on the proverbial roadmap for the rising DJ. For Maegaard, although, the growth of the Seedphrase model is the fruits of his work behind the scenes compartmentalizing his identities and solidifying what his new platform will stand for.
“People either know me as Daniel Maegaard or Seedphrase. I kind of want to use this moment to illustrate the difference between the two. They coexist, but there’s obviously a man behind the mask as well,” mentioned Maegaard. And though he went on to notice that separating the character from the person is less complicated mentioned than executed, someway, Maegaard nonetheless appears to be thriving inside this division.
Lately, Seedphrase was reintroduced to the artwork world as a part of WME’s pop-up at nft now x Mana Frequent’s The Gateway in downtown Miami. There, he graced the DJ sales space, curated the vibe, and appeared alongside a wide range of influential Web3 creators. However whereas partygoers might have witnessed the DJ break character, revealing a sharp-dressed Maegaard beneath, the 2 had been nonetheless perceived as completely completely different folks.
On the one hand, Seedphrase, who was launched as a “manifestation of today’s fringe culture,” was on the job. He posed for photographs, hit a couple of dance strikes, and voicelessly floated across the venue because the face of the night time. However on the opposite, a joyful Maegaard, the early-stage crypto investor and distinguished NFT collector, hugged his longtime mates, exchanged pleasantries with the who’s who of NFTs, and carelessly sipped on craft cocktails.
Oddly sufficient, whereas Maegaard might have got down to create a significant model, he’s additionally now completely illustrating the malleable nature of digital id, one thing that others like multidisciplinary artist Snuffy have additionally taken nice curiosity in. Whereas id is a very troublesome idea to know — very true in a realm like Web3 and the NFT house the place nameless and pseudonymous people typically reign — Maegaard success in sustaining his sense of self whereas giving life to his on-line persona might present an archetype for others endeavoring to do the identical.
It’s necessary to notice, although, that Maegaard’s need to capitalize on his Seedphrase id didn’t come frivolously. In keeping with the influential collector, whereas that aforementioned preliminary social gathering helped kick off the DJ’s id, his longstanding ethos and excessive hopes for the way forward for Web3 had been the true catalysts behind the Seedphrase model.
“At the end of the day, Seedphrase is meant to embody this sacred mentality of what each of us holds dear in this emerging tech space. And to serve this sort of cutting-edge voice that feeds the community with knowledge, experience, and wisdom,” mentioned Maegaard. “Your seed phrase, like your actual wallet seed phrase, is a gateway, a key to what you hold dear. That’s what I’m trying to create now with the Seedphrase brand itself. A person that you can look to as a guiding light in the community.”
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