How Solana Turns Hackathons Into Startup Engines w/ Patricia Albrecht, Superteam

Hiding the Wires: How Privy Grows a Brand Nobody Sees w/ Debbie Soon, Privy

Privy's wallet infrastructure is embedded in apps that millions of people use - and most of those users will never know Privy's name. For Debbie Soon, Head of Marketing at Privy, that's not a problem to solve. That's exactly the point. Debbie joined Privy as employee #25 and its first marketing hire, bringing a background spanning traditional finance, a mixed martial arts organization, and the creator NFT space. Last year, Stripe acquired Privy as part of what might be the most interesting crypto infrastructure play in fintech right now - putting Debbie and a two-person marketing team inside a 10,000-person company. This episode gets into what it actually means to market infrastructure that's designed to disappear, how Privy splits attention between crypto-native developers and enterprise buyers, and what the real enterprise pipeline looks like - with customers like Klarna and Kraken already building on their rails. We also get into AI agents needing programmable wallets, how Bridge fits into Stripe's crypto stack, and where stablecoins might eventually unlock the broader onchain experiences people have been promising since 2021. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 0:56 Debbie's background: finance, MMA, creator NFTs 3:23 What Privy does 4:28 Fastest growing use cases: stablecoins, fintech, trading 6:09 Marketing wallets nobody sees 8:12 Developer-first brand vs. consumer visibility 10:04 Privy Home goes viral with zero campaign 12:54 Developer marketing + AI agents needing wallets 16:03 Segmenting from solo devs to enterprise 18:31 Marketing org: employee #25, two-person team 21:18 Vibe coding with Privy 23:09 The Stripe acquisition: from 30 to 10,000 people 27:40 Operating inside Stripe, Stripe Commons 29:11 50/50 crypto-native vs. enterprise 31:48 Enterprise use cases: Klarna, Kraken, payroll, treasury 35:13 Stablecoins and the future of onchain 39:27 How Bridge fits into Stripe's crypto stack 41:20 What's next for Debbie About the OGC Podcast: The OGC Podcast tackles crypto's biggest unsolved challenge: growth. Host Norman Wiese sits down with founders, growth leaders, and crypto marketers sharing strategies and frameworks driving real results in web3. Learn more at https://onchaingrowth.xyz/ [https://onchaingrowth.xyz/] Connect with Debbie: • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debsoon [http://linkedin.com/in/debsoon] • Twitter/X: x.com/debsoon [http://x.com/debsoon] • Privy: http://privy.io/ [http://privy.io/] Connect with Norman: • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/normanwiese [http://linkedin.com/in/normanwiese] • Twitter/X: x.com/normanwiese [http://x.com/normanwiese] • Onchain Growth Club: x.com/onchaingrowth [http://x.com/onchaingrowth] Subscribe and Review: • Spotify: Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/40h808BdpcWIhgXXQNQR52] • Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/onchain-growth-club-crypto-web3-marketing-talks/id1833519944] • Youtube: youtube.com/@onchaingrowth [http://youtube.com/@onchaingrowth]

How Solana Turns Hackathons Into Startup Engines w/ Patricia Albrecht, Superteam

Most crypto ecosystems still treat hackathons like weekend coding events. Solana treats them as five-to-six-week global startup competitions with millions in prize money, equity investment from its venture arm, and structured founder support after the fact. It's one piece of a broader model that no other chain has replicated at scale: country-level community teams running their own operations to source talent, support founders, and build local ecosystems from scratch. Patricia Albrecht leads one of those teams. Before crypto, she built her career across major organizations in Web2 and finance, funded her Oxford MBA with early crypto gains, and joined web3 full-time in 2023. She now runs Superteam's operations in Germany - one of the most active nodes in Solana's global network. In this episode, we break down how Solana's ecosystem engine actually works operationally, what "wartime vs. peacetime" means inside Superteam, how they measure success through hard startup KPIs, and why Europe's structural challenges around regulation and capital access are pushing its best founders to build elsewhere. Plus: where Patricia sees the biggest opportunities in RWAs, prediction markets, and stablecoin infrastructure. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction and This or That 2:49 Patricia's background and path to Solana 4:37 What ecosystem building actually means day-to-day 5:52 H1 2026 priorities: hackathons, the Accelerate Tour, institutional events 9:05 Target audiences across the Solana ecosystem 10:45 How Superteam measures success and tracks KPIs 13:18 Web2 talent flowing into crypto - a growing trend 17:46 The state of Europe: regulation, capital access, and talent flight 21:59 Cultural differences - risk aversion vs. go-getter DNA 25:13 Verticals to watch: RWAs, prediction markets, stablecoin infrastructure 29:17 The hype problem - why marketing outpaces product in crypto 30:12 The founder journey through Superteam's programs 34:35 Patricia's current rabbit hole: longevity About the OGC Podcast: The OGC Podcast tackles crypto's biggest unsolved challenge: growth. Host Norman Wiese sits down with founders, growth leaders, and crypto marketers sharing strategies and frameworks driving real results in web3. Learn more at onchaingrowth.xyz [http://onchaingrowth.xyz] Connect with Patricia: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pattiruss/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/pattiruss/] • Twitter/X: https://x.com/pattiruss_ [https://x.com/pattiruss_] • Superteam: https://x.com/SuperteamDE [https://x.com/SuperteamDE] Connect with Norman: • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/normanwiese [http://linkedin.com/in/normanwiese] • Twitter/X: x.com/normanwiese [http://x.com/normanwiese] • Onchain Growth Club: x.com/onchaingrowth [http://x.com/onchaingrowth] Subscribe and Review: • Spotify: Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/40h808BdpcWIhgXXQNQR52] • Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/onchain-growth-club-crypto-web3-marketing-talks/id1833519944] • Youtube: youtube.com/@onchaingrowth [http://youtube.com/@onchaingrowth]

Rethinking Grants: From Black Hole to Growth Engine w/ Mashal Waqar, Octant

Grants were supposed to grow crypto ecosystems. Instead, hundreds of millions disappeared into a black hole - no accountability, no results, no clear strategy. The industry is still recovering from it. Mashal Waqar has been studying this problem longer than most. With a background in media, security, and serial entrepreneurship, she co-authored some of the most referenced research on crypto grants funding before joining Octant - one of Web3's most underrated experiments in sustainable ecosystem growth. Now CMO of the newly independent Octant Labs, she's building a model where yield funds operations, communities guide capital allocation, and ecosystems can finally measure what they're getting for their money. In this conversation, we unpack the full arc of grants in crypto, what ecosystems like Solana and Stellar are actually getting right, and why crypto marketing is finally growing up - beyond CT, beyond conference season, and toward real web2 playbooks. ---------------------------------------- * 0:00 Introduction * 1:00 Mashal's Background: Security, Media & Getting Crypto-Pilled * 4:10 What Octant Is and How the Funding Model Works * 8:25 Octant V2 and the Octant Labs Spinout * 13:10 The History of Grants in Crypto: From Bounties to Black Holes * 19:30 What Good Ecosystem Growth Looks Like Today * 22:35 Octant's Vault Products and Open Ecosystem Model * 28:45 The State of Crypto Marketing Right Now * 33:05 Conference Culture, InfoFi, and What's Actually Working * 38:30 DEVCON Location Debate: Accessibility vs. Capital Hubs * 42:50 Where to Find Mashal ---------------------------------------- CONNECT WITH MASHAL: * Mashal on X: https://x.com/Arlery [https://x.com/Arlery] * Octant: https://octant.app/ [https://octant.app/] CONNECT WITH NORMAN: * X: https://x.com/normanwiese [https://x.com/normanwiese] * LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/normanwiese [http://linkedin.com/in/normanwiese] * Onchain Growth Club: https://x.com/onchaingrowth [https://x.com/onchaingrowth] ---------------------------------------- ABOUT THE OGC PODCAST: The OGC Podcast tackles crypto's biggest unsolved challenge: growth. Host Norman Wiese sits down with founders, growth leaders, and crypto marketers sharing strategies and frameworks driving real results in web3. Visit www.podpage.com/ogc [http://www.podpage.com/ogc] for all episodes!

From Solo Newsletter to Media Startup: Growing in Crypto & AI w/ TPan, Milk Road

Most crypto growth content is either too technical or too basic. Few people bridge serious web2 growth expertise with crypto-native insights. Fewer still build audiences from scratch and scale them to real businesses. TPan (Thomas Pan) spent 3.5 years building "web3 with TPan" from zero to 8,000 subscribers - writing 386+ essays dissecting everything from WIF meme coin mechanics to Blast's seven-layer airdrop burrito. Now as Head of Growth at Milk Road, he's scaling a media platform with 30-50x that audience across crypto, macro, and AI investing. In this conversation, we unpack the solopreneur journey, what makes content actually resonate in web3, why growth is about sustainable numbers (not just "number go up"), and how Milk Road is building a freemium media business with multiple revenue streams in a market where most media companies struggle to survive. * 0:00 Introduction * 2:13 TPan's Background: From Mobile Gaming to Crypto * 8:30 The NFT Entry Point & Finding Web3 * 13:01 Launching "web3 with TPan" Newsletter * 16:25 Content Strategy & What Resonated Most * 22:30 Best Performing Content: WIF, Blast, Stablecoins * 28:06 Joining Milk Road: The Transition * 32:14 Milk Road's Business Model & Structure * 36:05 Growing a Media Platform: Freemium Strategy * 41:48 Expanding Into AI: The Emerging Tech Thesis * 45:57 Where to Find TPan ABOUT THE OGC PODCAST: The OGC Podcast tackles crypto's biggest unsolved challenge: growth. Host Norman Wiese sits down with founders, growth leaders, and crypto marketers sharing strategies and frameworks driving real results in web3. CONNECT WITH TPAN: * TPan on X: https://x.com/TPan____ [https://x.com/TPan____] * Milk Road: https://milkroad.com/ [https://milkroad.com/] CONNECT WITH NORMAN: • X: https://x.com/normanwiese [https://x.com/normanwiese] • Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/normanwiese [http://linkedin.com/in/normanwiese] • Onchain Growth Club: https://x.com/onchaingrowth [https://x.com/onchaingrowth] SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40h808BdpcWIhgXXQNQR52 [https://open.spotify.com/show/40h808BdpcWIhgXXQNQR52] * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/onchain-growth-club-crypto-web3-marketing-talks/id1833519944 [https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/onchain-growth-club-crypto-web3-marketing-talks/id1833519944] * Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onchaingrowth [https://www.youtube.com/@onchaingrowth]

Building Crypto's 100-Person Superagency w/ Danny Gazit, Hype

The crypto market moves fast. Metas change weekly. One day it's DeFi, the next it's meme coins, then AI agents. How do you build a sustainable marketing business in this chaos? Danny Gazit, CEO of Hype, has been navigating crypto marketing since 2017. From ICO boom to NFT mania to AI meta, Hype has scaled to 100+ people while most agencies didn't survive a single cycle. In this episode, we dive deep into the business of crypto marketing - the behind-the-scenes of running an agency, how to structure teams, what clients actually want, and why most projects fail at staying relevant. ---------------------------------------- TIMESTAMPS: 1:07 Introduction and Welcome 8:00 Navigating Volatility as a Business Leader 11:00 Scaling Challenges and Structure Pivots 18:45 Top Marketing Objectives Clients Actually Want 21:14 Marketing in Crypto vs Traditional Marketing 23:12 Crypto Native vs Mainstream Audiences 24:05 TikTok Experiments: Case Study Deep Dive 28:33 Marketing Metas: The Loaded Question 35:52 Market Outlook and Marketing in Downturns 41:00 Conclusion and Where to Find Hype ---------------------------------------- ABOUT THE OGC PODCAST: The OGC Podcast tackles crypto's biggest unsolved challenge: growth. Host Norman Wiese sits down with founders, growth leaders, and crypto marketers sharing strategies and frameworks driving real results in web3. ---------------------------------------- CONNECT WITH DANNY: * X: https://x.com/0xDannyHype [https://x.com/0xDannyHype]  * Hype X : https://x.com/HypePartners [https://x.com/HypePartners]  * Website: https://hy.pe [https://hy.pe] CONNECT WITH NORMAN: • X: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqazFBT0ZsWHJJT0IwZ0lYYWM1cXluSXh4WEZ1d3xBQ3Jtc0trWjc1X096X2tQUXJ5NDdWZXBYem1NMk0wdFFGTlhzS2J6Z2djYk9xVFF2OVJ5N01ya2YwdGxITDduQnh3elBaeFg3RW0xbGR1ZTlNWDVGVDVvanhiTmRHc3RyanBkdXhkSzA4U1JvSDY0MTFwd2JPUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2Fnormanwiese&v=9HjVipe2X0Uhttps://x.com/normanwiese [https://x.com/normanwiese]  • Linkedin: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa28waVM3d000MHl0RnRqWXcyV1psZ0N1Y0tUd3xBQ3Jtc0trdTYwYndmVU9aaGRfX0pIdVE5Sm5jS1lST3FoVVdKR0NYMDRrMmZkdU52OVRPTW96ZElCclhOdklwX21iZVpqRF9TNU9KV2FDYUJ0RTFCbUJNc0xsR2FPQTFLMTY4OWdUX1ZXc1JKYWg1eFNXendzQQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fnormanwiese%2F&v=9HjVipe2X0Uhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/normanwiese [https://www.linkedin.com/in/normanwiese]  • Onchain Growth Club: https://x.com/onchaingrowth [https://x.com/onchaingrowth] SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40h808BdpcWIhgXXQNQR52?si=a4249f90aff3425b [https://open.spotify.com/show/40h808BdpcWIhgXXQNQR52?si=a4249f90aff3425b] • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/onchain-growth-club-crypto-web3-growth-talks/id1833519944 [https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/onchain-growth-club-crypto-web3-growth-talks/id1833519944] • Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onchaingrowth [https://www.youtube.com/@onchaingrowth]