0x6fb5d14b…83b0sent to0xf790a5f5…1365·#24,248,889·view on Etherscan
Hey all, I wanted to provide an update on this proposal now that it has been completed.
The shift from sponsoring teams to hosting proprietary events was the defining strategy of the year. While results varied by market, the "Nouns" brand became a central pillar in the Smash community.
Event Circuit Recap
Nouns Bowl (Canton, Ohio): Successfully tested the market at the Pro Football Hall of Fame with ~200 entrants.
Tipped Off 16 (Atlanta, GA): Our peak success. With 800+ attendees and tens of thousands of online viewers, it solidified itself as a premier "Supermajor."
Fast Fall (Niagara Falls, NY): Rebranded from "The Staredown," this was a smaller, experimental event at Seneca Resorts to test regional growth.
Nounsvitational (Tokyo, Japan): A "once-in-a-lifetime" experience at the Red Bull Gaming Sphere. It featured a legendary Ken vs. Bombsoldier rematch and deep community integration.
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Nouns.GG: Technical Success vs. Organizational Friction
Rounds & Quests: Over 6,000 unique users participated. These features successfully funneled non-crypto-native gamers into "onchain behavior" via rewards and level-ups.
The Struggle for Focus: We attempted to be an events company and a software startup simultaneously. This split narrative led to a significant lack of focus.
Centralization vs. DAO: We found that high-stakes execution requires clear vertical leadership. Without a singular "boss" to enforce deadlines and accountability, the flat structure made it difficult to scale the software arm effectively.
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Community Sentiment & Toxic Subcultures
Despite injecting hundreds of thousands of dollars into a grassroots scene, we faced a "vocal minority" that remained hostile toward the crypto-native origins of the project. This toxicity was a major factor in our team's decision not to re-engage for another year.
In hindsight, the proposal was likely too large. Focusing exclusively on events rather than splitting resources with the Nouns.GG platform would have allowed for better focus and a more sustainable "ask" from the DAO.
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2026: Moving On
As of 2026, I have decided to take a step back from Nouns Esports. I will let Sam, Sasquatch, and Ohan speak for themselves regarding their future involvement. Ultimately, I have a desire for a more structured professional environment and a narrower focus.
While Nouns.GG may not have become a standalone, venture-backed startup, the events created memories and brand loyalty that will last for years within gaming culture.
Nouns.GG can still be utilized in the future and does not need to be sunsetted. That being said, it does incur monthly costs to keep it online. My understanding is that Sasquatch is working on a proposal for this year to support its infrastructure costs and additional rounds for the Nouns community. I am told this will be submitted by the end of January.
We are immensely grateful for the opportunity to have brought Nouns to the heart of gaming culture.