Last week, we caught up with the creator of ‘Crazy Frens,’ the second NFT collection from the founder of ‘Decentra Dragon,’ Pouyan Roohi. Along with his enthusiastic team, Roohi hopes his latest project, a 6,000 Ethereum-based NFT collection, will spawn a vibrant community that works to develop comic books, blockchain-based games, IRL and digital collectibles, and more.
Based in Dubai, Roohi is a known as a successful bitcoin investor who launched Decentra Dragon in February 2023, a 4,400 NFT set that minted for free. Within three weeks of the drop, some of the NFTs in the collection were selling for as much as $600. In May, news also leaked that Roohi and Decentra Dragon have plans to buy LooksRare, a popular curated NFT marketplace.
Now Roohi is hard at work on his second collection, Crazy Frens, scheduled to mint on the Ethereum blockchain during the first week in September. Let’s take a closer look.
The following interview has been edited for concision and clarity.
Can you tell us a little bit about ‘Crazy Frens’ for readers who are unfamiliar with the project?
Crazy Frens is an NFT project based on a comic book. The story is about two crazy doggie pals named Billy and Jackie who come to Earth from Mars to fight against artificial intelligence that has taken control of the Earth.
We have been working on this project for about one year. The comic book will be written by artificial intelligence and there’s also a collection of 6,000 non-fungible tokens, scheduled to mint on September 3rd, 2023.
What is your role in the project? How big is the team?
I’m the project founder. My role involves brainstorming ideas, setting goals, and outlining project strategies. I’m also responsible for finding the best and brightest minds to bring these ideas to life and guide us toward our objectives. I collaborate with individuals who approach challenges with unique perspectives.
The core project team consists of six members, but we also work with 20 freelancers to create the Crazy Frens game and design toys. So, you could say it’s a team of around 26 people.
What brought you into Web3?
I entered the cryptocurrency world back in 2012. When you make it big in the crypto world, you sometimes feel a sense of emptiness because you haven’t created any real value. I made millions of dollars in cryptocurrency, yet I didn’t contribute anything meaningful. In the realm of Web3, I see opportunities to create and generate value.
Plus, the shortcomings of Web3 projects and their repetitive ideas have made me feel that we can develop a successful project by introducing unique and innovative ideas.
Also, the vibe within the Web3 community is super positive, and I love soaking up that positive energy. Unlike the cryptocurrency communities, where there’s no excitement or positive vibes at all, being a part of the Web3 communities means you’re always energized and enthusiastic.
Our previous project Decentra Dragon was launched as a free mint in early 2023. Its price surged to 0.4 ETH and achieved trading volumes of nearly 600 ETH on platforms like Blur and LooksRare. I fell in love with the positive ambiance of this project, which inspired me to continue in this space.
What are some of the goals in the near future for Crazy Frens?
The NFT market is currently in a downturn because projects have become repetitive and lack original ideas. We aim to show that if a strong and innovative project enters the market, people will become enthusiastic.
We want to bring back excitement to the NFT market and get investors interested again.
Do you have a road map? If so, please explain.
We’ve designed a long-term roadmap.
The first step we’re taking is a surprise: a free NFT Airdrop!
Additionally, we’re planning to write a comic book about Crazy Frens. When you read this story, you’ll experience a genuine connection with the characters, and you’ll find yourself falling in love with Billy and Jackie’s personalities.
Moreover, we want to create a play-to-earn game on Ethereum. This game will engage project holders, keeping them entertained while also allowing them to generate income from it.
What do you think sets this NFT project apart from other projects? What makes Crazy Frens unique?
Experience and long-term planning! Experience is something that money can’t buy. Our team has a decade-long experience in the financial market. We’ve seen thousands of projects, both failures and successes, and we’ve gained a wealth of experience.
Most NFT projects lack a long-term plan, which is why their prices begin to drop after a hype phase.
Describe a day in the life of one of your team members?
We don’t have any routines in our lives. We do whatever we feel like, whenever we want. It could be spending a whole day in the middle of a lake on an inflatable boat, working on our laptops, or anything else for that matter.
The only routine in our lives is exercising and studying financial markets.
What is your vision for bringing long-term value to holders?
The biggest challenge for NFT projects is creating long-term value. We’re addressing this by developing a play-to-earn game on Ethereum. Our project holders can earn income by playing the game. The more NFTs you hold, the higher your potential earnings. This approach ensures that there’s a consistent demand for our NFTs, keeping their value consistently high.
Web3 is a space that moves fast and often unpredictably. What is your vision for where Web3 is headed? Also, what role do you think NFTs will play in the future?
The world is moving toward decentralization. In the future, the power of governments will decrease significantly, while decentralized powers will grow stronger. The first area where government authority is reducing is the financial sector.
Having said that, it’s important to understand that many assets in the future will be bought and sold as NFTs, including real estate, cars, and more. Gradually, governments’ control over financial matters will decrease.
Digital currencies and NFTs are fundamental pillars of the world’s movement toward decentralization.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
One of the main reasons for the current challenging conditions in the market is the heavy reliance solely on the community and belief in NFTs by projects. As time goes on and under current circumstances, investors require a feature beyond belief and community.
For instance, consider the Shiba Inu project’s token, which initially gained traction due to a particular belief and experienced growth. However, as time passed, that belief waned, prompting the project creators to contemplate the creation of a dedicated blockchain and the exploration of additional utilities for the token.
The NFT market also currently requires something beyond community and belief. This ‘something’ can be encapsulated in the project’s utilities — features that can sustain demand over time.
Final Thoughts
We’ll have to wait to see if Crazy Frens is as successful as Roohi’s debut collection Decentra Dragon. But considering Roohi has already proven himself once with NFTs and many times as a crypto investor, Crazy Frens has a head start. The collection’s added emphasis on utility could be helpful to put it over the hump.
As of writing, the NFT market is in a full-blown winter, and no one can say for certain when spring is coming. Perhaps Roohi and Crazy Frens can help the NFT space dig ourselves out of the snow. Only time will tell.
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