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CX Strategy and Marketing |Speaker
xNike/SNKRS//:Activations and WEB3
xAVØLVE//: Creative Director
xCoca-Cola//: Digital Activation Experience
xZero-Code//: CCO

[Page One @kshv86]

@Zagabond Already on my watch list @Zagabond

[Alex Q. Xu @Zagabond]

Shops around the world are applying to host Azuki TCG tournaments. Just this week we had shops from Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Colombia, Peru... just to name a few.

Meanwhile, the team is setting up our booth at SPIEL Essen in Germany!

We've spent years building these characters and this world, with so many of you here from the beginning. Seeing shops in places I never expected want to bring Azuki to their communities means a lot.

Someone's first introduction to Azuki could be with a game at their local card shop. They can dig into it more and read the manga or rock a pfp and become part of this with us. Very excited for where we're headed.

[Page One @kshv86]

@Azuki has been the only NFT project that has been delivering and been building with their own community. With clear vision and goals, while other projects been all over the place.

#azuki #IKZ

[Page One @kshv86]

@bot @grok get your mailbox

[Page One @kshv86]

@poteto hey @poteto is your pstack always being updated ? also can i get a personal Lauren Tan Bot 🥰

[Page One @kshv86]

@mattyp @13doots @framara Hey @mattyp is their a way to make grokbot your desktop buddy. That assist you and changes shape when certain bots start doing tasks.

[Page One @kshv86]

@poteto @bot Would love to have grok bot living on my desktop (remember clippy from word). Changing shape the moment it starts building

[Alex Q. Xu @Zagabond]

AZUKI OFFICIAL TRAILER ↓

[Sereda @Vic_Sereda]

Azuki manga next!

thanks for another great prompt!⛩️

[Page One @kshv86]

hope you got yours, I know I got mine !

#IKZ

[Azuki @Azuki]

Sold out.

Join the mailing list for future drops: https://t.co/1IPch06t6O

[Alex Q. Xu @Zagabond]

Why Azuki does not put NFTs front and center in every mainstream push like the manga and TCG?

The answer is simple: a lot of manga, anime, and TCG fans still hear “NFT” and make a snap judgment before they ever see the art, story, or product.

We’ve had mainstream publications interested in what we are building, but still unable to work with us commercially because of our NFT roots.

That does not make me less bullish on NFTs. In fact it makes me more bullish bc the mainstream still doesn’t get it yet. I still believe digital art and digital collecting will have another major moment, and Azuki will always be one of the most important anime art collections from this era.

But if we want the world to care about Azuki, we have to meet people where they are today.

Lead with great stories. Great games. Great products. Let the collector layer become something people discover because they fall in love with the world.

I really don’t see this as hiding our roots. I’m one of the longest tenured NFT founders still active so I’m beyond even unc status at this point but I’m very proud of how we got here.

Now it’s about giving the IP the best chance to grow beyond our bubble.

[Page One @kshv86]

Where my @Azuki Family at!

IKZ

Meet Zen and his little friend Mochi !

#azuki #garden #ikz

[•ᴅɢᴛʟ• @dgtlemissions]

https://t.co/47CxlArucT

[Page One @kshv86]

@Zagabond the only (ex)Cel sheet i like to see @Zagabond

[Page One @kshv86]

@betty_nft The best story are often the comback stories.

[Page One @kshv86]

@betty_nft @Deadfellaz I am deadinside so I think i am ready to join the horde @betty_nft

[Alex Q. Xu @Zagabond]

Some ppl think that Azuki isn't doing enough "web3"

I think there’s a common misconception on what we're actually building.

Azuki was built on the idea that the collectible characters belong to the holders. The NFTs are the 1st edition collectibles of this universe, the original characters of the Azuki IP. We care deeply about the art. It's why Azuki has consistently had sales well above floor for rare traits and aesthetics. Collectors are paying for what makes a specific character special.

Today we're building the TCG to take those characters mainstream, followed by the official manga to turn the characters you own into a story millions will fall in love with.

These characters started as PFPs. Today they’re used in trading cards played in tournaments. Soon they'll be in manga panels that people read on the train. They'll be loved by fans who've never owned an NFT.

That IS web3. We're just doing it our way.

The expectation is often that web3 means tokens are at the center of every product, fully onchain mechanics, experimentation at every layer, etc. That's a good fit for some projects. It's not what Azuki is.

When we decided to build a TCG, there were holders adamant it should be digital and run on tokens. Despite gaming tokens mooning at the time, we chose otherwise. We knew that the facts were that 1. TCG players hate crypto. and 2. we have a goated team that has the ability to make a physical game that can compete with the best card games on the market. The right move was to build something players actually want and let the IP carry it. I'm glad that we stayed disciplined and made that call.

That decision was specific to us given our team, our strengths, our constraints. Every team should lean into theirs. There is no single right way to do this.

Going back to constraints for a sec bc it often gets overlooked... If your target audience hates crypto, why tf would you shove it in their face? Really think about that for a sec

I've been very clear about what Azuki is and isn't. Read my pinned article. The NFTs are collectible characters and the original IP of the Azuki universe. The team is building a TCG and a manga from that IP. We work closely with the holders who've internalized this path, and that has been one of the most rewarding stretches of the journey. This path allows us to grow and proliferate the characters owned by holders with products that appeal to a mainstream audience.

Some will disagree. I respect it. It doesn't change my mind.

Azuki isn't built for everyone. It's built for the people who get it. If that's you, come join us.

Azuki

[Alex Q. Xu @Zagabond]

Seeing One Piece TCG x Red Bull’s tournament this weekend reminded me of the Azuki collab with Red Bull a few years ago, before we had a TCG or a broader IP canvas.

TCG is a natural fit for Azuki. On top of fun gameplay, we are passionate about our art, we understand collectibles, and we know how to create events people care about.

The future is bright. IKZ!

[Alex Q. Xu @Zagabond]

I saw a comment on the Azuki TCG art being so good that they thought it was ai 😂

Every single card is meticulously hand drawn.

Watch a master at work 👇

[Page One @kshv86]

Azuki has been building communites as worlds

[Alex Q. Xu @Zagabond]

https://t.co/0HfCyvEHC1