Conversation with Azuki founder Zagabond: To create a community-led animation universe, three major components start the flywheel effect

Author: Nancy, PANews

After going through cycles, disruption is an unavoidable keyword for NFT. How to regain the hearts of players, Azuki, who just celebrated his third birthday, is aiming at the open anime universe. On January 23 , the animation project Animecoin (ANIME), which Azuki participated in as a core contributor, will officially be launched on major mainstream trading platforms. As the utility value of NFT gradually transcends a single small picture narrative and expands into more diverse practical application fields , why does Animechain target the animation industry as an entry point , and how will it use the power of animation to open up a new growth space for NFT?

Recently, PANews conducted an exclusive interview with Azuki founder Zagabond. In the interview, Zagabond made an in-depth analysis of the development, evolution and dilemmas of the animation industry, and pointed out that Animechain will solve the core pain points in the current animation industry, such as the lack of fan loyalty and uneven income distribution among creators, and will bring great benefits to animation fans. A more immersive and interactive experience. At the same time, he also reflected on Azuki’s experience and lessons in brand marketing, and adhered to the strategy of Ethereum construction and ecological expansion.

**With the community at its core, Animecoin will create a flywheel effect

through three major components**

"In 2022, Azuki began to build an open animation universe and pioneered decentralized brand building. Now, with the help of the Animecoin Foundation, we are creating the next chapter of animation, and the season of ANIME is here." Since 2024 After the news of the launch of animation network Animechain was announced in March, new trends finally came recently. The official announced the token economics of ANIME and will officially conduct a TGE (Token Generation Event) on January 23.

ANIME’s tokenomics show that 50.5% of the total supply will be allocated to the community, with 37.5% allocated to the Azuki community as an early supporter of the Animecoin ecosystem and 13% allocated to the DAO treasury for adoption under AnimeDAO Governance proposals to use.

Zagabond pointed out in the interview that "Animecoin is a community-led movement with no VC allocation." He further added that the Animecoin Foundation is the leader in Animechain development and, as an independent entity, is responsible for the governance process of AnimeDAO and is committed to promoting Animecoin ecological growth. It will use its allocated funds to fund start-up and ongoing operations, grant programs, and other initiatives to bridge the gap between Animecoin and the broader global animation industry. Azuki is a core contributor to the Animecoin Foundation, supporting the foundation in fulfilling its mission of managing the ecological development and growth of Animecoin.

As for the reason for the launch of Animechain, Zagabond bluntly stated in the interview that animation has risen from a subculture to a part of mainstream pop culture. Luxury fashion brands like Chanel and Burberry are collaborating with anime brands, athletes are referencing anime in post-game interviews, and rappers like Megan Thee Stallion are sampling anime soundtracks. Still, there are some major structural problems in the animation industry. In terms of fans, although fans spend huge amounts on cryptocurrency, their loyalty and consumption are not effectively attributed. On the creator side, due to the unique financing structure of the Japanese animation industry, many animators and intellectual property holders do not earn huge profits.

Anime 2.0 provides a unique opportunity for cryptocurrencies to revolutionize the anime fan experience by integrating these fragmented fan components on-chain, allowing IP holders to accurately assess fan loyalty and create a platform for higher engagement. Fan base opens up new revenue opportunities.

"Full Stack ANIME" will support the realization of the Anime 2.0 vision by creating a flywheel effect so that each component can promote the growth of other components. Only as more users and developers join will the network become increasingly valuable and self-sustaining.

It is understood that Full Stack ANIME consists of three parts, namely blockchain infrastructure, consumption platform and IP:

Dedicated Infrastructure (Animechain): Animechain is an L3 blockchain utilizing Arbitrum Orbit technology, with Animecoin as a custom Gas token. This setup simplifies the experience for Web2 anime fans: they only need to learn about and purchase Animecoin (reducing the complexity of managing multiple tokens), while also allowing gas-free transactions for seamless onboarding.

Consumer platform and products (Anime.com): Guiding Web2 users through consumer products is the key to triggering the flywheel effect and increasing value. A large user base will attract more teams to build on the network, thus bringing in more users. Anime.com's goal is to do for the anime industry what Discord has done for games - become the dominant social layer for the entire anime industry.

Content and IP (Azuki): IP development provides the foundation to drive cultural energy across the entire ecosystem. The IP layer ties the pieces together and unites the community’s passion for Animecoin.

It is worth mentioning that, according to Zagabond, Azuki has launched in-depth cooperation in the animation field during this process. For example, Azuki has established a cooperative relationship with Japan's leading animation production studio Dentsu; the first episode of the "Enter the Garden" anime anthology series released by Azuki, "The Waiting Man", was produced by the well-known creative producer Taguchi Goro. Participated in "Code Geass" One Piece The Movie "One Piece Film" Red" and so on, the dubbing cast includes Sugita Tomokazu (previously participated in "Gintama"), Kito Akari (previously participated in "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba") and Fukuyama Jun (previously participated in "Code Geass"); Azuki cooperates with AniplexUSA on Anime.com Launching a digital collection experience of the “Fate/strange Fake” IP. The team will be announcing more anime partnerships this year, and some currently ongoing discussions will be shared with you soon.

**Adhere to the ecological expansion strategy and focus on the

construction of Ethereum as a priority**

“Azuki, as a brand, stands for resilience, growth and innovation. We are proud to have overcome many challenges and still stand in Web3. The community trusts the team and works with us to create an open anime universe, which in itself is the best for us. Good proof," Zagabond told PANews.

As a veteran NFT project, although Azuki once became an instant hit with its unique Japanese art style, it especially resonated with anime enthusiasts. But now, NFT projects have to face multiple challenges such as the overall market downturn, market oversaturation, and user aesthetic fatigue. In addition to exploring more feasible paths, NFT projects including Azuki have also begun to address issues in the project development process. Reflect to better connect with audience needs.

For example, in Azuki During the launch execution process of Elementals, especially in terms of marketing and communication, Zagabond believes that Azuki still has room for improvement. He further pointed out, “In the past, Azuki has emphasized mystery and surprise in product launches, but as the market develops, this This approach is no longer appropriate. Elementals taught the team important lessons about transparency and expectation management. I still support the decision to expand the Azuki universe, but we have adjusted our approach to better align with the needs of the community and ensure clear communication. and community involvement.”

However, Zagabond also admitted in the interview that the core strategy of broadening the Azuki ecosystem is still correct, which has been verified by the addition of energetic new community members through Elementals. Azuki Elementals represent the team’s vision to expand the Azuki universe by creating a more accessible entrance into the garden. Azuki has achieved something unprecedented with Elementals – it remains the most complex hand-painted PFP series to date, with a combination of artistic complexity and features unmatched in the industry.

In response to the trend of NFT multi-chain ecology, including many NFT projects starting to choose to expand to other chains, Zagabond said, "My encryption journey began in 2017, when the blockchain ecology was relatively simple. When working at 0x, I Participated in the development of matcha.xyz, a DEX aggregator, we foresaw early on that the future would be multi-chain, and today this vision has become a reality. Each chain has its own active community and unique culture. Azuki has found its home on Ethereum, and its core story and IP naturally align with the chain’s values ​​of ‘technological optimism and decentralization’. The fit. The fit is so fundamental that I often describe Azuki as a 'crypto animation layer' - we're not just building on Ethereum, we're living its philosophy."

“I like to compare Azuki’s growth strategy to a fashion brand. The strongest brands first establish a solid core identity and loyal fan base in their home market before considering international expansion. Now, Ethereum is our home, and we have There is still a lot to do here.” But Zagabond also revealed that Azuki is also willing to make strategic attempts on other chains in the future—but only when the time is right and it is consistent with the vision.

Driven by today's market demand, platform competition and narrative changes, the NFT landscape is undergoing profound changes. NFT projects such as Azuki retain and emphasize their own unique culture while improving their practicality and investment value through the expansion of the animation industry. . This trend may indicate that NFT’s in-depth exploration of actual implementation scenarios will also open up more paths for the flow of NFT assets and the conversion of value.