Solana Diaries #3

Ho, ho, ho, it's 🎅.sol again, and today I'm thrilled to be sitting down with Leon.abc, a dedicated builder and crypto enthusiast whose journey in the digital assets realm began back in 2013! Since then, he's been a key player in the industry, contributing to the boom of Solana domains and advocating for a neutral, open, and democratic name system. But there's so much more to his story. Join me as we delve into his experiences, insights, and his fascinating take on the future of crypto.

Santa: Hey Leon, lovely to have you. Your Famous Fox deriv PFP is a banger! So, tell us how did you get into this space? What made you stick around?

Leon.abc: First of all, thanks for considering me for your interview series. If I remember well, I got into crypto around 2013. I heard about this Bitcoin thing, and I was fascinated by two characteristics of it: its massive investment return for early adopters and its potential as the internet of money. The reason that got me to stick around is simple, even if you don't make money on the internet, you still use it because it's the evolution of communications, same with the internet of money.

S: What’s your proudest win?

L: To be honest, I don't feel like I have had a big win in crypto. I think I was one of the major contributors to the boom of Sol domains last year, but I don't feel proud about it.

S: Biggest ‘facepalm’ moment or regret?

L: When the Stellar network launched, I rushed to accumulate a big bag of its token. That was in 2014. The bear market of that cycle was so bleak, and I was so broke that I gave up on them and sold my bag really cheap. In the bull run of 2017, that stash would have been worth serious money. It took me like one year to get over it.

S: What’s the most exciting thing [in crypto or beyond] right now? Spill the tea.

L: Solana and its lightspeed consensus. We face really challenging issues with the people who control some of the standards in Solana, but I haven't seen another chain with the performance, affordability, and user experience. It feels like the Facebook moment of blockchains, and I think it's not too far until ordinary users join us (I can see my aunt paying for her shopping with Solana).

Enjoying this interview?

^{thank you} 🎅

S: What are you building? Why does it matter to you?

L: I'm a builder with little to no discipline, I get distracted easily. But right now, I'm interested in ANS protocol and all the possibilities that it has unlocked. I think it's important to have a name system that is neutral, open, and democratic. Imagine Google or Microsoft having the monopoly of dot coms; that would be too much power in a single entity.

S: As you look ahead, what personal goals are you chasing?

L: My adult life has been a rollercoaster. I've earned a fortune, wasted it, earned it again, gambled it and lost it on crypto. But what really drags me down is distancing myself from the people I love. My personal goal now is to forge meaningful relationships, support the friends I've met here in crypto, cheer them when they win, comfort them in difficult times, share opportunities (alpha) with them, and even try to make jokes and have a good time.

Rapid fire:

• I’m bullish on: Web3 domains (specially ANS)

• I’m bearish on: Protocols taxing digital property

• Undervalued: DegenPoet’s art

• Overvalued: DeLabs

• My degen secret: Specialization, you don't get good deals by overwatching the market.

• When next BTC ATH: One year after the money printer goes brrrr, maybe in 2025

• Next SOL ATH value: $1000 devalued dollars

• Everyone should follow: The radical @0xMert_

• I want to see interviewed next: My homie @DeFiLegal

And that concludes our insightful conversation with Leon.abc! I extend my heartfelt gratitude to him for sharing his journey and candid thoughts about the crypto world. His commitment to building meaningful relationships and driving progress in the blockchain community is truly inspiring. Leon, personally, I wish you success and a pinch of optimism!

We're already looking forward to our next interview, so stay tuned as we prepare to delve into the experiences of DeFiLegal!

Until next time, keep exploring the Solana universe and remember to smash that subscribe button ho ho ho!