Who is that this individual anyway?
Irene Zhao, the Simp-Queen mastermind behind the SO-COL platform and a Crypto Twitter influencer, explains that having a celeb in your nook can turbocharge your NFT assortment.
Zhao’s first Simp DAO and NFT assortment, IreneDAO, began with a flooring value that was mainly pocket change in ETH.
“I feel it was about zero-point-something ETH,” Zhao remembers.
Nonetheless, the sport modified for Zhao when controversial YouTube star Logan Paul threw in round 1 / 4 of 1,000,000 {dollars} in January 2022.
“The subsequent day, I wakened, the ground value went up 5 instances when Logan Paul purchased about 20 items or one thing. I used to be actually shocked,” she explains.
I can’t repair you 👉👈 pic.twitter.com/oyMLut3S2F
— Irene Zhao (@Irenezhao_) November 4, 2023
Zhao reveals that Paul stumbled upon the venture after billionaire crypto investor Mike Novogratz posted about it on Twitter. That kickstarted a friendship with Paul:
“Logan adopted me on Twitter and Instagram after he purchased my NFTs,” Zhao says, including, nonetheless, that they’ve by no means managed to fulfill up.
“I used to be going to journey to Los Angeles, however on the time, he was someplace in Puerto Rico. So, we didn’t get to fulfill ultimately. However we do have conversations about NFTs.”
Rubbing digital shoulders with huge names like Paul is only a common day within the lifetime of a crypto influencer. Zhao boasts 194,300 Twitter followers, runs her personal Web3 NFT platform firm, SO-COL, and globe-trots to talk at crypto conferences.
“I meet plenty of cool and profitable folks, they usually all have very attention-grabbing personalities. In any other case, they wouldn’t select crypto as a profession as a result of it’s a really dynamic and really fast-paced profession business.”
What led to Twitter fame?
Zhao had already constructed a following as a social media influencer within the Web2 house, and very similar to Bitcoiners orange-pilling their pals, she has launched most of her followers to NFTs.
“I’ve been constructing my very own private branding as a key opinion chief throughout numerous social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube. So, proper now, I’ve about half 1,000,000 followers throughout all platforms.”
I’ve been an IG influencer since my college days. I acquired fortunate and Folks appreciated my pictures. In six years I now have some 300k+ followers, amongst the highest 10 influencers in Singapore. You’ll suppose I’m comparatively properly to do with such an enormous follower base. However you might be incorrect. pic.twitter.com/UT0A3eDN64
— Irene Zhao (@Irenezhao_) January 20, 2022
She jumped into crypto as a result of she needed to have management over her personal content material. She was fed up with solely monetizing her content material by selling merchandise, which is how Web2 influencers make a dwelling.
“I’ve constructed a deep reference to plenty of huge manufacturers, however it type of sucks, as a result of regardless that I’ve a really enormous following on all different social media platforms, I don’t actually get a lot of the advantages. I don’t actually personal my content material or my neighborhood.”
Zhao arrange one of many first Simp DAOs, the place NFT purchasers may be a part of her Irene DAO fan membership and get nearer to their Simp Queen. She later spun this concept out for the SO-COL platform.
In my well being is wealth period😎
I’m so prepared for the street journey with @truck_memecoin pic.twitter.com/2Wh1TqsIps
— Irene Zhao (@Irenezhao_) November 1, 2023
Zhao jokingly mentions that she’s an enormous deal in Asia however can roam underneath the radar within the Western world:
“They acknowledge me, particularly in Asia, however within the Western world, the white folks can’t actually acknowledge Asian folks. They suppose all people seems to be the identical,” she laughs.
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What content material can folks anticipate?
Zhao isn’t a fan of the intense tone of some within the crypto world. In her perspective, those that take pleasure in technical or buying and selling discussions may not essentially be probably the most interesting minds within the crypto neighborhood.
“I feel I just like the shitposting. It’s fairly humorous; it’s very entertaining to have a look at all of the memes.”
He doesn’t ship me crypto memes anymore, it is over I misplaced him.
— Irene Zhao (@Irenezhao_) May 9, 2022
Zhao holds the assumption that making crypto memes requires a much bigger mind than sharing buying and selling suggestions:
“It’s a very sensible transfer as a result of you must perceive the market, and you must perceive the viewers to provide you with the precise meme that folks need. So, it’s a really uncommon expertise to have.”
Think about spending 1 hour a day making memes and shitposts on Twitter, that’s 30 hours a month.
If you happen to had spent these 30 hours buying and selling crypto. You’ll have missed out on the straightforward joys of shitposting and even lose cash.
— Irene Zhao (@Irenezhao_) November 15, 2021
Nasty Beef: Girl of Crypto
Zhao had a public beef with fellow crypto influencer Girl of Crypto in December 2021.
The feud lit up after Zhao frivolously teased her on Twitter for allotting a no brainer tweet.
“She was predicting the value of Bitcoin or one thing, however it was an excellent apparent development. So, I used to be like, ‘You’re stating the apparent,’ after which she acquired offended.”
The scenario took a bitter twist when Girl of Crypto fired again with some nasty feedback about Zhao’s English expertise, saying, “In your vids, you possibly can barely string two phrases collectively.”
Zhao didn’t let it get to her personally and thought it was “tremendous humorous.”
Ever the businesswoman, Zhao was extra concerned with the truth that the submit collected round “4 million impressions.”
Woman, you are doing such an ideal job with $KONO.
Query although.
In your vids, you possibly can barely string two phrases collectively. But the English in your tweets is 👌, why is that? pic.twitter.com/PSZykRaYd6
— Girl of Crypto (@LadyofCrypto1) December 11, 2021
Predictions?
Zhao’s predictions are just about according to widespread, acquired knowledge. She’s eagerly anticipating Bitcoin to achieve the $100,000 mark.
Nonetheless, she’s additionally betting huge on real-world property taking off within the subsequent yr:
“After all, I’m nonetheless bullish on BTC, Ethereum and all of the fundamentals. Persons are speaking about RWA loads. I feel actual world property are most likely going to go huge within the subsequent 12 months.”
She additionally believes that NFTs nonetheless have room for progress as a result of loads of celebrities haven’t hopped on the bandwagon but.
“I feel NFTs for creators goes to be an actual hype actually quickly as a result of we haven’t actually skilled it but,” she explains.
“I’m nonetheless bullish on social collectibles as a result of we haven’t actually onboarded all of the Web2 creators to NFTs but. So, I feel there may be nonetheless a lot room for that.”
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Ciaran Lyons
Ciaran Lyons is an Australian crypto journalist. He is additionally a standup comic and has been a radio and TV presenter on Triple J, SBS and The Mission.
