IOSG OFR Istanbul | Autonomous Arcade & Mass Adoption Event Recap
IOSG 10th Old Friends Reunion — — Autonomous Arcade & Mass Adoption in Istanbul was an astounding success on Nov 14th. With dynamic participation of industry experts presenting 12 talks & 6 panels, the one-day event unfolded flawlessly!
The success of the event can be attributed to the collective efforts of founders, developers, industry experts and all participants who generously shared their invaluable insights on Autonomous World, Raas, Web3 Social, Layer 2 applications, and more. The energy and enthusiasm displayed by everyone in attendance were truly inspiring.
We extend our deepest appreciation to each one of you who contributed to making this event a grand success, and we anticipate more opportunities to collaborate and further contribute to the growth of this dynamic industry.
🎙️ Road to Mass Adoption — Gokhan Er, Managing Director of IOSG Ventures
Gokhan gave a warm welcome speech navigating the Road to Mass Adoption and investment thesis of IOSG. Currently there are two problems with Web2: Centralization of the internet and high take rates compared to blockchains. Thanks to the blockchain’s permissionless nature, the Crypto industry has its major benefits in building applications, charging lower take rates, tokens help bootstrapping & gaining users and no rug pulls from open-sourced platforms. Obviously there are still challenges to overcome, such as scaling, smooth user experience, and efficient dev toolings.
IOSG Ventures has been investing heavily on infrastructure because we believe the blockchain industry needs to build up its foundation first. Now we are leveraging the intertwined relationship between developments of infrastructure and Dapps (Gaming & Web3 Social) to capture Alpha. We’re excited to see fully on-chain games as the decentralized source of trust syncing the game state globally, and for Web3 social landscape will be eventually built on open data.
🎙️ Mom, Why are People Putting Games on the Blockchain? — Sylve, Head of Vibes of Dojo
Sylve answered the burning question “Mom, Why are People Putting Games on the Blockchain?” with two main points:
Blockchain serves as a legitimacy machine, shifting the paradigm from trusting individuals to relying on transparent and tamper-resistant code. In this decentralized landscape, the assurance of legitimacy becomes intrinsic to the construction of a multiplayer world. This revolutionary approach not only fosters a more secure and accountable environment but also opens up new possibilities for global collaboration and innovation.
The concept of permissionless composability further enhances the transformative potential of blockchain in the gaming realm. This unique characteristic allows individuals to create games that seamlessly mix and match various components, leading to the emergence of a diverse and dynamic gaming ecosystem. Through incentivized modding, the network of games expands organically, creating an ever-growing universe of interconnected experiences.
🎙️ Why Are Onchain Games Hard and How Can We Make It Better? -- Kooshaba, Game Developer of Lattice
Kooshaba delved into the complexities and future potential of on-chain games. Standing in the perspective of gamers, Kooshaba discussed the unique appeal of on-chain games, emphasizing their independence from monopolistic control.Using Runescape as an example, he outlined the challenges faced, such as NPC roles, character movement verification, world data storage, randomness in game design, and ecosystem development. One of the most pressing issues highlighted was the prohibitive gas fees required for even small-scale games. Kooshaba concluded by underscoring the need for blockchain solutions capable of handling large transactions, a fundamental requirement for the advancement of on-chain gaming.
🎙️ Panel: Reconcile the Ambition for Autonomous World
- David Amor — CEO of Playmint
David delves into the evolving landscape of fully on-chain games, recognizing their current lack of parity with traditional games. He sees an upward trajectory in their quality and emphasizes the necessity to focus on the distinct aspects of on-chain games. In response to a query from Simon, David contemplates the possibility of creating ‘godless’ games, free from central operation, and challenges conventional game design. Addressing infrastructure challenges, he notes blockchain throughput limitations and discusses Playmint’s transition across various chains for scalability, currently utilizing a specific version of Op Stack.
- Loaf — Core Contributor of Dojo
Loaf approaches on-chain games with a perspective shaped by his full-stack engineering and crypto background. He advocates for building unique gaming experiences that traditional methods can’t replicate, centering on novel and basic experiences with blockchain elements. Confronting infrastructure hurdles, Loaf suggests leveraging zk for constructing autonomous worlds and acknowledges the rapid evolution of infrastructure. He notes significant improvements in the development experience for on-chain games, underscoring the ease of prototyping and sharing games.
- Kevin Zhang — Co-founder of Curio
Kevin shares his endeavor in developing social diplomacy games and infrastructure products. He values composability and the high-stakes nature of crypto games, focusing on attracting users through these features. Kevin discusses Curio’s use of app-specific rollups and the Keystone project, which combines a traditional game server with EVM. He highlights operational, business, and marketing challenges in Web 3 games, particularly the lack of distribution strategies, as significant obstacles in the developer experience.
- Kooshaba, Game Developer of Lattice
Kooshaba, with his background in DarkForest and Sky Strife, emphasizes setting a baseline protocol for on-chain RTS games to ensure both competitive integrity and enjoyment. He expresses concerns about the user experience when moving between blockchains and the need to improve latency in games. Highlighting Lattice’s upcoming announcement, he stresses the importance of seamless transitions between chains. In terms of developer experience, Kooshaba speaks to the uncertainties in developing on-chain games, citing a lack of historical examples for comparison.
🎙️ The Future of Software Development is Community Driven — Aidan Hyman, Co-founder & CEO of ChainSafe
Aiden, from ChainSafe, emphasized the role of community-driven development in achieving mass adoption of Web3 technologies. He highlighted ChainSafe’s contribution in building open-source protocols and tools, specifically mentioning their library, Web3 unity. His talk centered around the idea that while technology is advanced enough to realize the visions conceived a decade ago, the true essence of success in the Web3 space is fostering a community-driven approach. He stressed that the intrinsic value of a community cannot be replicated and is essential in democratizing the web, and concluded by advocating for honesty in acknowledging the challenges in Web3 development and the necessity of aligning principles and values within the community.
🎙️ Taking On-Chain Games to Production on App-Specific Rollups — Parker Jou, Co-founder & CTO of Caldera
Parker Jou, Caldera’s Co-founder and CTO, presented a compelling overview of the evolution and future of on-chain games with a focus on the role of application-specific rollups. Highlighting the journey from early experiments with games like Dark Forest, Curio, and Axie Infinity, Jou underscored the challenges faced, such as insecure bridges, high costs of computing and storage, and non-performant blockchains. Jou stressed that while technologies like Solana and Cosmos chains offer potential, the choice of app rollups represents a strategic bet on the Ethereum ecosystem, combining performance with the security and decentralization of Ethereum. He also touched on the trade-offs between app rollups and monolithic chains or Cosmos app chains, arguing that app rollups offer unique advantages for on-chain gaming environments. Looking forward, Jou highlighted the development of dedicated execution engines like Argus and Curio and the ongoing efforts to improve interoperability and reduce costs, suggesting that app rollups are likely to be a key driver in moving on-chain games from testnet to production phases, securely hosting real-world assets.
🎙️ What ZK Unlocks for Gaming? — Savio Sou, Product Manager (Noir) of Aztec
Savio Sou, from Aztec, delved into the transformative potential of Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) for on-chain gaming, underscoring the challenges in current blockchain games such as limited creativity and a critical lack of privacy. He proposed ZKPs as a solution to create more engaging and secretive gameplay experiences, similar to popular games like Among Us and Hearthstone, where hidden strategies and roles are pivotal. Explaining ZKPs’ ability to validate game actions without revealing sensitive details, Sou illustrated one example in scenarios like poker on blockchain, enabling private gameplay and trustless mechanics. This approach, he suggested, will not only preserve privacy but also revolutionize Web3 gaming by introducing more complex and immersive experiences, showcasing the untapped potential of ZK technology in enhancing on-chain gaming dynamics.
🎙️ Panel: Redefining On-Chain Gaming with RaaS
- Parker Jou, Co-founder & CTO of Caldera
Parker Jou, shared insights on the evolving landscape of blockchain technology, specifically in the context of rollups as a service (RaaS). Parker highlighted Caldera’s role in facilitating the deployment and hosting of highly customized optimistic rollups, an innovative approach allowing for greater scalability and customization in blockchain applications. He emphasized the importance of RaaS providers as the gateway to the ecosystem, providing critical infrastructure such as graph indexers and bridging providers. Parker also touched on the balance between customization at the node level versus off-chain or smart contract-based solutions, advocating for a nuanced approach that prioritizes practicality and safety while fostering innovation.
- Matt Pearing — Product Lead of Offchain Labs
Matt Pearing, Product Lead at Offchain Labs, underscored the significance of avoiding centralization risks, particularly in key management for smart contracts, emphasizing the importance of not owning the multisig keys in gaming scenarios. He critically addressed the current emphasis on infrastructure over game development, advocating for a balanced approach where both infrastructure development and game innovation receive equal focus. Matt’s insights extended into the realm of business models in gaming, stressing the necessity for Web3 games to offer distinct advantages over traditional models to truly compete and succeed in the industry.
- Michael Lee — SVP of Growth, zkSync
Michael Lee, the SVP of Growth at zkSync, made a substantial contribution to the panel on “Rollup as a Service,” highlighting the significant gap between current web3 gaming models and their potential market impact. He emphasized that while the technical infrastructure of rollups and blockchain is crucial, the real challenge lies in creating a web3 game that can attract and sustain a massive user base, something that hasn’t been achieved yet.
- Hilmar Orth — Co-founder, Gelato
Hilmar Orth, Co-founder of Gelato, provided insightful commentary on the topic of “Rollup as a Service” during the panel discussion. He highlighted Gelato’s role in enabling projects to deploy their own rollups, offering unique features like smart contract automation and account abstraction for zero gas rollups. Hilmar emphasized the importance of making blockchain interactions seamless for users, advocating for chain abstraction where users can engage with games without necessarily being aware of the blockchain mechanics.
🎙️Leverage Web3 Loyalty Program for Community Building–Charles Wayn–Co-founder of Galxe
Charles Wayn, Co-founder of Galxe, shared insights on leveraging Web3 loyalty programs for community building at a recent event. He highlighted Galxe’s journey from its initial design to a comprehensive tool for Web3 brands to engage communities through quests and loyalty programs. Charles emphasized the importance of product-market fit, clear marketing strategies, and choosing the right tools, including traditional and Web3-native platforms. He noted the competitive nature of Web3 and the shift from user acquisition to retention, underscoring the value of loyalty programs in differentiating and retaining users in a crowded market.
🎙️ The Road to Mass Adoption Starts with the Wallet–Christian Montoya–Senior Product Manager of MetaMask Snaps
Christian Montoya, the product lead for MetaMask Snaps, discussed the crucial role of wallets in onboarding the next billion users to Web3. He emphasized that wallets are more than just financial asset managers; they are digital companions assisting users in navigating the decentralized web. Montoya stressed the importance of personalization in technology adoption, citing examples like Geocities and MySpace. He introduced MetaMask Snaps, a platform allowing developers to create apps that users can install into their MetaMask wallets for a personalized experience. These ‘snaps’ enable features like multi-chain support, messaging, and decentralized identity management, transforming wallets into comprehensive tools for digital interaction.
🎙️ Panel: Path Ahead for Wallets: AA & Beyond
- Lukas Schor — Co-founder, Safe
Lukas explained Safe’s approach to account abstraction, focusing on smart accounts’ modularity and programmability. He highlighted the value of on-chain modularity for composability and auditability. Schor envisions a future where smart accounts can evolve and adapt, offering a wide range of functionalities to users and developers alike. Schor sees intent-based structures as a means to integrate more sophisticated permission systems within accounts. He emphasizes the importance of user-friendly, hybrid custody systems, where users can transition from custodial to non-custodial models, enhancing flexibility and control over their digital assets.
- Christian Montoya — Senior Product Manager, MetaMask Snaps
Christian discussed MetaMask’s focus on evolving beyond traditional seed recovery phrases. He emphasized the importance of snaps for modular wallet customization, signaling a move towards varied account management options. Montoya sees a future where MetaMask adapts to different wallet primitives, enhancing user experience and security. He believes in simplifying user interactions through intent-based structures, highlighting the potential for AI in interpreting user intents and streamlining wallet operations. Montoya advocates for a standardized approach to paymasters and bundlers for a seamless experience.
- David Sneider — Founder, Lit Protocol
David highlighted the significance of user experience improvements in wallets. He mentioned the potential of embedded wallets and domain wallets, where Web 2 credentials could be used for Web 3 account access, thereby simplifying the user journey in the Web 3 space. Sneider is intrigued by the possibilities of intent-based systems and their ability to combine off-chain and on-chain compute for innovative wallet functionalities. He sees the potential for integrating advertising models into wallet operations, suggesting creative avenues for user engagement and transaction sponsorship.
🎙️ Advance the Smart Account Transition–Lukas Schor–Co founder of Safe
Lukas Schor, co-founder of Safe, discussed the advancement of smart accounts and the role of Safe in this ecosystem. Safe focuses on creating modular smart accounts, extendable through various plugins for diverse functionalities like roles, spending limits, or session keys. The development suite, Safe Core, addresses challenges in integrating account abstraction and is already being utilized by various applications for solutions like transaction management. Future developments include account recovery options and a focus on network, payment, and security abstraction to enhance the overall security and versatility of smart accounts in the Web3 space.
🎙️ Web3 Profiles with ENS — Muhammed Tanrıkulu — Full Stack Developer of ENS
Muhammed highlighted the evolution from simple, functional online identities to dynamic, interconnected representations shaped by social media. He introduced Web3 profiles as a paradigm shift towards user-centric, privacy-respecting digital identities. These profiles, anchored in blockchain technology, consist of public keys and metadata, facilitating seamless identity usage across various decentralized applications. Muhammed elaborated on ENS’s role in this shift. ENS simplifies Ethereum transactions by mapping human-readable names to machine-readable identifiers, enhancing user experience and reducing error. It also acts as a versatile tool for identity management in the Web3 space, linking various cryptocurrency addresses and metadata to create cohesive digital identities.
🎙️ Panel: Building for the SocialFi Bull Run
- Muhammed Tanrıkulu — Full Stack Developer, ENS
Muhammed discussed the challenges of user experience in blockchain, particularly addressing the complexity of public addresses. He explained how ENS simplifies this by replacing long strings with understandable names. He emphasized ENS’s expansion beyond basic address resolution to a more comprehensive profile and login system, aiming to solve key blockchain usability issues. He recommended experimentation with new technologies for experienced developers and encouraged newcomers to immerse themselves in blockchain development, emphasizing community feedback and engagement.
- Bradley Miles — Co-founder & CEO, Roll
Bradley spoke about the evolution of social tokens into SocialFi, stressing the significance of interoperability and composability in this domain. He hinted at future developments in SocialFi, focusing on a more unified approach where one token could potentially be used across multiple platforms, enhancing user experience and market feasibility. He highlighted the ongoing debate between investing in infrastructure versus applications, suggesting that long-term value lies at the protocol level.
- Yilan Huang — Head of Global Development, CyberConnect
Yilan outlined CyberConnect’s journey and its focus on social protocols. He highlighted the shift towards smart account systems for easier user onboarding and detailed their approach to balancing speculation with genuine social interactions. Huang underscored the importance of building experiences beyond speculation, aiming to foster real connections and enjoyable experiences in the Web 3 space. He emphasized the need for a balance between tech infrastructure and user-centric applications. And he urged embracing
🎙️ The Real Reason Behind the Rise of Community Driven Security — Trebien — Account Director of Code4rena
Trebien, from Code4rena, elucidated the dynamics of community-driven security in the crypto sphere, emphasizing its alignment with intrinsic human nature. Trebien outlined Code4rena’s innovative approach to security audits, which employs a competitive, community-driven model engaging various participants — sponsors, wardens, and judges. This model, he noted, effectively taps into several human qualities through game-like mechanics, such as balanced difficulty levels, rewarding systems, and social features, fostering engagement and efficiency. By drawing parallels between game mechanics and their audit process, Trebien demonstrated how this method aligns closely with human tendencies for challenge, progress, and collaboration.
🎙️ Panel: ZK Coprocessor
- Yi Sun — Co-founder, Axiom
Yi Sun, along with other industry leaders, discussed the evolving landscape of blockchain applications enhanced by ZK coprocessors. Yi highlighted the continuous need for innovation in ZK proof systems to improve performance and make these technologies more accessible to developers. Yi’s insights particularly focused on the importance of enabling developers to harness the power of ZK without delving deep into its complexities, thus democratizing access to advanced blockchain functionalities. He also underscored the potential of ZK coprocessors in revolutionizing blockchain applications by providing secure, efficient, and versatile computation capabilities.
- Ismael Hishon-Rezaizadeh — Founder, Lagrange
Ismael Hishon-Rezaizadeh, founder of Lagrange, emphasized how ZK coprocessors enable large-scale, trustless computation on blockchain networks by leveraging the vast amount of data encoded in blockchain states. His focus on providing trustless applications that can access and compute over extensive blockchain data points to a future where blockchain applications can operate with enhanced capabilities and security, echoing the broader industry’s commitment to evolving blockchain technology to its next, more sophisticated phase.
- Kacper Koziol — Co-founder, Herodotus
Kacper Koziol, co-founder of Herodotus, sees ZK coprocessors as crucial for offloading computation from blockchains as applications become more sophisticated. Herodotus focuses on storage proof technology, enabling access to both current and historical on-chain data, thereby empowering developers to build applications with cross-chain elements and access to vast historical data. Kacper highlighted the potential of ZK coprocessors in enhancing applications that require large data sets, such as those in decentralized finance (DeFi), and how they can transform the capabilities of blockchain technology.
- Manasi Vora — VP Product Growth, Risc0
Manasi Vora, the VP of Product Growth at Risc0, emphasized three key application categories for ZK Coprocessors. The first involves accessing historical on-chain data in a trustless manner, enabling analytics and computation previously unattainable. The second category pertains to enhancing smart contract complexity. The third category she highlighted is the novel capability of accessing off-chain data, like KYC or identity information, and integrating it securely on-chain using ZK proofs. Manasi Vora’s input showcased how Risc0’s developments in ZK Coprocessors can significantly expand what’s possible on Ethereum and other blockchain platforms, from simplifying complex computations to bridging the gap between on-chain and off-chain data.
🎙️ Scaling Data and Compute on Ethereum with the Axiom ZK Coprocessor — Yi Sun — Co-founder, Axiom
Yi Sun, Co-founder of Axiom, highlighted the significant challenge faced by smart contracts on Ethereum, which are currently limited to accessing only current state data. Axiom’s solution involves the use of ZK proofs to verify large computations off-chain, while ensuring their integrity on-chain. A key innovation presented was the universal aggregation circuit, which simplifies the developer experience by allowing any ZK circuit and its proofs to be verified against a single on-chain verifier. The presentation also included a demonstration of Axiom’s REPL interface, which facilitates the creation of client-side proofs in a user’s browser, showcasing Axiom’s practical application for accessing on-chain data and writing basic ZK circuits in JavaScript.
🎙️ Panel: L2 Application
- Misha Komarov — Founder, Nil Foundation
During the panel discussion on L2 applications, Misha underlined the importance of aligning L2 solutions with specific use cases, rather than focusing solely on market conditions like bull or bear trends. He pointed out that the success of L2 applications hinges on market fit and the ability to address high-load use cases, even in a bear market. Misha highlighted the need for robust, application-specific strategies to drive adoption and underlined that the real excitement in the L2 space comes from the development of innovative use cases, rather than just technological upgrades.
- Marcin Michalski — Chief Protocol Architect, Matter Labs & zkSync
Marcin Michalski, representing Matter Labs and zkSync, discussed the essential trade-offs in L2 solutions, particularly in response to Ethereum’s scalability limitations and the impact of EIP 4844. Marcin emphasized the importance of customizability and security in L2 development, highlighting zkSync’s focus on enabling developers to run their own app chains with modifications, while maintaining zk proofs for security. He also touched on the diverse needs of different applications, such as gaming and finance, and the need for L2 solutions to accommodate these varying requirements.
- Mamy André-Ratsimbazafy — ZK Engineering Lead, Taiko
Mamy emphasized the importance of balancing the needs of applications and users in the L2 space, acknowledging the inherent “chicken and egg” problem of needing both applications and users for successful L2 adoption. He discussed Taiko’s focus on being a versatile rollup, leveraging Ethereum’s Layer 1 validators for security and decentralization while also exploring innovative solutions like their “booster rollup” for enhanced throughput. Mamy underscored the significance of reducing friction for developers through investment in documentation and workshops, and for users by building a strong community presence online and at events.
- Lea Schmitt — BD Lead, Scroll
Lea Schmitt, shared her insights on Layer 2 (L2) applications during the panel. She emphasized the need for robust infrastructure and ease of use in L2 platforms. Lea highlighted Scroll’s approach of choosing bytecode-level compatibility for their rollups to simplify the porting process for developers and ensure seamless integration with existing tools and audits. Additionally, she addressed the limitations of grants in creating sustainable ecosystems, advocating for a deeper understanding of project cycles and targeted support. Lea also mentioned the importance of accommodating various applications, including gaming and traditional finance, which may require different setups than typical L2 solutions.
Closing Words
As we draw the curtain on this remarkable event here in Istanbul, we find ourselves at the intersection of innovation and collaboration. The path ahead is filled with challenges and opportunities, and it is through Old Friends Reunion like these that we collectively shape the future of decentralized world.
Thank you all for making this event a resounding success. Until we meet again, whether at future events or in the ongoing evolution of crypto world, let the bonds forged here continue to inspire innovation and progress.
About IOSG Ventures
IOSG Ventures is a pioneering crypto fund founded in 2017 that invests in the future of Web3. As a thesis-driven firm, we assist founders in developing community-driven protocols that are primed to transform the crypto landscape. Our portfolio comprises a wide range of innovative and high-potential investments, including ZKRU (Scroll, StarkWare, Arbitrum, zkSync), Security Auditing(Runtime Verification, Hexens), MEV (Flashbots, Blocknative), DeFi/NFT-Fi (1inch, MetaMask), FOG (Big Time, Illuvium), and a number of industry leaders including Arweave, Cosmos, Celestia, EigenLayer, Scroll, zkSync, Nil Foundation, and Mina, etc. We are passionate about investing in crypto-native paradigms that have the potential to transform the future of the industry, whether you’re building infra, middleware, security, gaming, or social platforms.
If you would like to cooperate with us or contribute to this event in any way, please feel free to let us know. Kindly email us at hello@iosg.vc. Follow us on Twitter to stay tuned to us!
