Living in one house with your team: crypto co-founder explains why it’s the only way to succeed

Key Takeaways

• OpNet implements native smart contracts on Bitcoin layer one, enabling Ethereum-like DApps without bridges; prioritize primitives first—assets, oracles, DEX, lending—to activate Bitcoin DeFi.
• Ordinals drove record miner fees and revealed demand for Bitcoin-native assets; lasting DeFi success requires on-chain liquidity and base-layer primitives, not separate sidechains or wrapped tokens.
• The team practices intense co‑living in an Abu Dhabi hacker house—daily collaboration accelerates execution but needs clear roles, conflict management, and sustainable routines.
• Hiring remains a bottleneck: balance hiring crypto-capable talent, train less-experienced hires, and favor developers who value mission over purely mercenary pay.
• Conference strategy matters: target specific partners and side events, choose hotels deliberately, and prioritize curated meetings over booths to maximize ROI.
• Founders weigh anonymity for safety—pseudonyms reduce physical and legal risk but complicate trust and fundraising; assess transparency tradeoffs carefully.
• Sustain narrative conviction: avoid chasing trends, focus early on a single paradigm-shifting narrative, and build foundational tech before pursuing market hype.

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