#106- From the Largest Community Airdrop to a Global Brand With Wen

Here are detailed show notes based on the provided podcast transcript for “Solana Weekly” hosted by Thomas, featuring guest Swervor from WEN:

Show Notes: Solana Weekly – Episode with Swervor from WEN

Host: Thomas
Guest: Swerveor, Team Member at WEN
Date: Recorded prior to March 12, 2025 (exact date not specified in transcript)

Guest Introduction: Swervor from WEN

Who is Swervor? An “OG” in the Solana space, a key figure behind WEN, a notable meme coin project. He previously worked on Ovols, a media-focused NFT project with a strong community.
Background: Swervor shares his excitement about joining the podcast and reflects on his journey, starting with Ovols in early 2022. He highlights the fun and community-driven nature of his initial foray into Solana.

Early Days of NFTs on Solana

Timeline: Ovols began development in early 2022, with six months spent building a full marketplace and AMM before launching on Twitter.
NFT Craze: Swervor recalls the peak NFT excitement on Solana (2021-2022), comparing it to the recent meme coin hype. Mint days were major events, driving community engagement.
Evolution: Initially, NFTs were simple digital images with low expectations. Over time, the space matured, with projects introducing roadmaps and utility.

The NFT Craze and Community Building

Community Focus: NFTs fostered tight-knit communities on Solana, with Discord servers buzzing during mints. Swervor and Thomas reminisce about the thrill of reveals and trading.
Personal Anecdotes: Swervor traded NFTs on Ethereum (e.g., owning a Bored Ape) before transitioning to Solana, while Thomas worked toward joining the Solana Monkey Business (SMB) community.
Cultural Shift: Early Solana was synonymous with NFTs, though its focus has since broadened to scaling and broader use cases.

Challenges and Evolution of Solana NFTs

Network Stress: Big NFT mints tested Solana’s infrastructure, often slowing or crashing the network and marketplaces like Magic Eden.
Improvements: These challenges led to innovations like demand hotspots, ensuring NFT mints didn’t disrupt the broader network.
Community Strength: Swervor credits NFTs with building Solana’s unique community spirit, distinguishing it from other Layer 1s and Layer 2s.

The Resilience of Solana’s Community

Post-FTX Recovery: Despite the FTX crash tanking asset values (Solana hit $8-$10), the community remained vibrant, trading NFTs and maintaining morale.
Contrast with New Chains: Thomas critiques newer chains like Monad, suggesting their community-building efforts feel artificial compared to Solana’s organic growth.
Shared Experience: The “shared trauma” of market downturns has forged a resilient, tight-knit Solana community.

The Rise of Meme Coins: Bonk and WEN

WEN’s Airdrop: Launched in January 2024, WEN airdropped 70% of its trillion-token supply to over 1 million wallets, targeting strong Solana communities (e.g., SMBs, Ovols, Saga holders) and Jupiter power users.
Fairness: WEN’s airdrop was uniform (643,000 tokens per wallet), avoiding insider allocations or influencer bias, making it one of Solana’s fairest distributions.
Bonk Comparison: Both WEN and Bonk rewarded communities organically, contrasting with earlier Solana tokens that lacked such distribution strategies.

Innovations in NFT Standards: WNS

WNS Overview: WEN introduced the WNS (WEN NFT Standard), built on the Token-2022 standard for lightweight, composable NFTs. It addressed issues like optional royalties seen in older collections (e.g., Quekz).
Origin Story: WEN’s token is an NFT—a fractionalized poem by Meow (Jupiter’s founder)—split into a trillion pieces, showcasing WNS’s flexibility.
Adoption Challenges: Integrating WNS into wallets like Phantom took time, but support from ecosystem players brought it to life.

Building the WEN Brand

Beyond Crypto: WEN is pivoting from a meme coin to a mainstream brand centered on an adorable cat mascot, targeting cat lovers globally.
IP Strategy: Plans include a “WEN World” with games, merch (e.g., a six-foot plushie), and collectibles, inspired by successes like Pudgy Penguins.
Cat Twitter Power: WEN acquired the world’s #1 and #2 cat accounts (18-20 billion annual impressions), amplifying its reach beyond crypto.

Crypto Community and Solana’s Unique Position

Solana’s Edge: Swervor and Thomas praise Solana’s user-friendly UX, community focus, and accessibility to top ecosystem figures (e.g., Toly, Mert), setting it apart from Ethereum and other chains.
Growth Potential: With regulatory tailwinds (e.g., Solana ETF filings) and high-profile adoptions (e.g., Pudgy Penguins, Doodles), Solana is poised for mainstream breakthroughs.

The Importance of Airdrops

Lessons from WEN: Swerver would scale future airdrops even larger, targeting Ethereum users to onboard them to Solana, inspired by Pudgy’s cross-chain success.
Engagement: Airdrops activate users directly, fostering organic hype and adoption compared to passive marketing.

WEN’s Future Plans and Branding Strategy

Next Steps: Starting in March 2025, WEN will collaborate with a major agency to solidify its IP and brand, aiming to appeal to both crypto natives and mainstream cat lovers.
Long-Term Vision: A robust treasury ensures years of development, focusing on quality and sustainability over short-term price pumps.
Differentiation: WEN seeks to stand out by building a tangible, lovable brand, not just another meme coin.

Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks

Swervor’s Takeaway: He’s excited for WEN’s evolution over the next few months and encourages listeners to watch the timeline for updates.
Thomas’s Closing: Grateful for Swerver’s insights, Thomas urges listeners to subscribe, leave reviews, and share their bags, promising more Solana alpha next week.

Key Themes

Solana’s Evolution: From NFT dominance to meme coin mania, Solana’s adaptability and community strength shine through.
WEN’s Journey: Starting as a fair airdrop, WEN is now building a global brand, leveraging Solana’s infrastructure and its own unique identity.
Community Power: Solana’s tight-knit, resilient community—forged through booms and busts—remains its greatest asset.

Notable Quotes

Swervor on NFTs: “It was so fun because it was so early… the bar for NFTs was so low.”
Thomas on Solana’s Community: “We went through a gnarly thing… now it’s like we’re way stronger because of that.”
Swerver on WEN’s Brand: “We’re extremely excited to watch WEN turn from just this Solana meme coin to this real mainstream brand.”

Call to Action

Subscribe to “Solana Weekly” on your preferred platform.
Leave a review or shill your bags to Thomas.
Stay tuned for WEN’s next moves in the coming months!

These notes capture the essence of the conversation, providing a structured overview for listeners or readers seeking a deeper dive into the episode. Let me know if you’d like adjustments or additional details!

Telegram chat here: t.me/solanaweeklychat

Wen X: x.com/wenwencoin

Swervor: x.com/theswervor

x.com/solanaweeklypod

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