The Internet Loves Ghibli... But Not Enough to Pay? | Internet Explorers Ep. 73

Ghibli memes took over the internet. But the studio captured none of the value. In this week’s Internet Explorers, Jess and Josh break down how OpenAI’s viral Ghibli-style image launch became a masterclass in attention-hijacking — and why crypto, NFTs, and tokens still fail to help artists and IP holders capture their fair share. From meme coin spikes to the role of protocol design, they unpack how this moment exposed crypto’s biggest cultural opportunity (and blind spot). Later, Priyanka from Tribute Labs joins to debut ADIN, their new AI-native investment DAO. The crew explores whether AI agents can outperform VCs, how 10% carry for deal submissions flips sourcing on its head, and why this might be the most compelling new DAO model since 2021. Plus: buy-and-burn backlash, Solana’s Nikita play, and the accelerating weirdness of AI-powered internet culture. This episode unpacks: OpenAI’s viral Ghibli-style image generation Attention, IP, and meme-driven value gaps Can crypto help creators capture cultural upside? Buy-and-burn vs. dividend token models When ownership still matters in token design Tribute Labs introduces ADIN, an AI VC DAO AI agents evaluating early-stage investments Deal flow incentives with 10% carry for submission Can AI replace human VC decision-making Nikita Bier joins Solana to fix crypto UX Chapters: 0:00 — Intro and a classic throwback 4:07 — Crypto the Game segment: Upcoming content and winners 6:05 — Studio Ghibli style image launch impact 9:26 — Valuation of IP through crypto tokens 11:43 — Tokenization and IP rights discussion 15:04 — Cultural Dialogue and Internet Theory insights 18:21 — Network dynamics and virality discussion 20:13 — Buy and Burns impact analysis 22:55 — Stablecoins and monetary supply nuances 26:52 — Dividends and market expectations implications 30:38 — Consumer-facing infrastructure debate 34:02 — Tribute's role in investment DAOs 36:51 — DAO structure and Aiden's role 40:54 — Project types and data input discussion 43:05 — Founder tools and improvement recommendations 46:35 — Emergent projects and agent opinions Internet Explorers is a weekly rundown show where extremely online individuals broadly explore (romanticize, even) new consumer Internet experiences. Join us⁠ live on Twitter/X, Fridays 10am PT / 1pm ET. Seed Club Twitter: https://x.com/seedclubhq Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/internet-explorers/id1756599282 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6iJk3xZoij7pVhlNbTP9qS?si=4cda0ac044dc4c6a Pods.media: https://pods.media/internet-explorers