CaesarEon, an industrial capital incubator, announced a $10 million committed investment in INK, a Bitcoin IP-focused NFT project.
2024.04.25
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CaesarEon, an industrial capital incubator, announced a $10 million committed investment in INK, a Bitcoin IP-focused NFT project.
This article will be long, but trust me, by the end, you'll feel a sudden enlightenment.
2024.04.25 - 10:08:44
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsThis article will be long, but trust me, by the end, you'll feel a sudden enlightenment.
Author: Metabape
Translator: CatCat
Introduction:
INK, an IP-focused NFT project within the Bitcoin ecosystem, recently announced a $10 million funding commitment from CaesarEon, an industrial capital-backed incubator. This investment aims to support INK’s brand strategy and IP expansion.
Renowned for its originality and artistic excellence, INK is the first 10K art collection inscribed on legacy sats. These NFTs not only showcase the fusion of art and technology but also highlight blockchain’s potential in modern digital art.
Metabape, the legendary Chinese entrepreneur behind INK’s investment, recently shared his business logic and strategic vision for backing the project. He emphasized that INK’s innovation lies in tightly integrating cultural influence with technological advancement. With CaesarEon’s industrial resources in IP, gaming, film, and culture, INK is poised to become a truly decentralized brand.
The raised funds will enhance INK’s market presence, expand its IP universe, and strengthen the brand’s uniqueness and appeal. Additionally, this investment will empower INK holders to develop their own commercial potential through the platform.
Metabape is highly optimistic about INK’s future, believing this investment will significantly accelerate its global growth and impact.
This article concludes with Metabape’s deep reflections on this pivotal investment.
Below is the translated version:
Are you ready? This article will be long—but trust me, by the end, you’ll feel like you’ve had a eureka moment.
### The Pain of the Past
As I once said on Douyin: IP businesses play a crucial role in my industrial empire. While it’s definitely not the most profitable venture, as an old dreamer overflowing with ideas and eager to collaborate with brilliant artists worldwide, IP development is undoubtedly my personal favorite.
The sole reason I chose to explore Web3 is that I believe it’s a magical tool—enabling me to build great IPs in a decentralized way. I firmly believe this approach is far more effective than traditional methods because it reshapes how people collaborate and how value is distributed.
It was precisely this allure of decentralization that led me, over the past two years, to spend vast sums acquiring so-called "blue-chip projects," attempting to leverage my influence to build something meaningful. But as you all know, it backfired—turning me into a laughingstock 🤡
### My Reflections
At the time, I felt deeply defeated—not because of financial loss; I can’t even recall how much money I have anymore, as most of my assets exist in equity stakes across various companies and VC funds. What crushed me was the self-doubt it triggered regarding my fundamental philosophy of building IPs.
I was heartbroken. I couldn’t understand why exceptional IPs with amazing communities ended up delivering such terrible performances—like a 2.0 rating on Douban.
Where did it go wrong? Was the entire idea of using blockchain and NFTs to build brands in a decentralized manner fundamentally flawed?
Impossible. In real life, I’ve invested in several consumer brands operating under franchise models. Their success stems directly from collaboration between the brand and franchisees.
There’s nothing new under the sun. The so-called “decentralized” brand-building model in Web3 is simply an evolution of the traditional “franchise business model,” enhanced with financial liquidity—transforming franchise rights into tradable assets, increasing efficiency, and allowing the most loyal contributors to earn handsomely.
I finally understood why those blue-chip projects that promised grand visions in IP development ultimately failed:
- Their brands were never truly “decentralized.” Naive founding teams encountered vampiric investors, causing them to lose control once the project matured. Capitalism inevitably appoints obedient puppets as proxies—otherwise, investors can’t feel secure. Meanwhile, these founders act as if they hold absolute authority over the brand and IP, treating holders merely as “customers.” As a result, the brand becomes less Web3, less crypto-native, and holders gradually leave…
- These founders had never achieved real-world success substantial enough to free them from financial concerns or inspire full dedication to making the world better. None had ever built an IP from zero to one, one to ten, ten to a hundred…
- Of course, this is normal. If they already had everything, why would they bother running a startup from scratch? They just need wise mentors to guide them through the ups and downs.
- When NFTs first emerged, driven by capital and compelling narratives, they became pigs riding风口 (the wind), instantly elevated to heights they didn’t deserve;
- They were empty-headed, utterly ignorant of business, yet suddenly blessed with unimaginable wealth. This apparent luck often brings pain and anxiety over being “unworthy of their position”—which is completely understandable. So naturally, handing operations to others while enjoying retirement seems like the obvious choice.
- Of course, this is tragic for holders who believed in these founders. But all we can do is sigh and comfort ourselves: “Well, at least it’s better than them growing greedier and continuously draining the community.”
### My Solution
After this deep introspection, I made up my mind: I would search for a new PFP project. Its founders must be excellent, grounded, and kind-hearted—free from foolish greed. Then, I would pour all my industry resources and influence, my understanding of decentralization, my business wisdom, and yes, my financial capital, into helping this team create something truly cool.
I wanted to help a good project not only meet but exceed holder expectations—and make them wealthy and proud.
When I first shared this idea with one of my partners, she was shocked and challenged me:
“Since we already possess such rare industrial resources, why don’t we just build our own IP project?”
My answer was simple:
“What’s the point of me building another IP? Over the past 12 years, I’ve already created enough trends. Now, I want to help good people win. I want to set an industry benchmark in Web3—a proof point that with smart strategy and solid execution, Web3 is the best place to nurture new brands.”
She was convinced. And so, I began searching… and searching… and searching…
### My Story with INK
Two months ago, the brilliant artist Joey’s work struck me like lightning. Coincidentally, my friend Wudu saw my praise tweet and introduced me to Zetman, INK’s co-founder.
February 27th—that was the day I first chatted with Zetman. Fortunately, he’s a big talker. Within minutes, he spilled everything—how the four lovely founders met, and their decision to do something cool on Bitcoin.
Do you know what shocked me the most?
When I first saw the project they built, based on my understanding of the IP industry, I assumed there must be at least 20 professionals behind it. It looked exactly like a top-tier Web2 studio production—exceptionally polished! The truth blew my mind: the team consisted of just four people and a cute little dog named Frenchie (who can chat with the community and ban users on Discord).
Their story—their dream of creating an immortal IP on Bitcoin—deeply moved me.
But as a businessman, I knew that artistry alone wouldn’t carry a project far. The four naive founders believed art was the key to IP success. Yet, I actually liked their naivety—it showed they still had pure, childlike hearts, untouched by Web3’s dark and dirty side.
This was it. This was the project I’d been searching for.
I thought to myself. Still, as an experienced businessman, I wouldn’t reveal my affection for the project or its team too quickly.
Yes, I deeply care for Steven, Brunno, Joey, and Zetman. Though I’ve called you idiots countless times, you’ve won my heart and earned my unwavering support.
Fortunately, Zetman also realized that without backing from a major player, the odds of success for their ambitious IP project were nearly zero.
So, he cautiously probed whether I’d be interested in investing. I replied: “I’m interested, but I want to be your advisor first—I need to observe you for a while.” That’s how I initially got the title of “intern advisor” for INK. I wanted to watch the team closely, see how they handled challenges—because actions reflect core values.
From the pre-mint hype, to coordinated FUD attacks, floor price crashes, to Zetman and the team turning “FUDDING INK” into a brilliant performance art piece—creating viral memes like “Brunna,” “Soft Rugger,” “The Most Hated Collection (so damn cool)”—during all these phases, I provided no resource support. Some battles founders must fight alone. It was necessary mentorship—to let them grow through hardship.
I watched these four founders treat INK like their child, willing to protect it at all costs, treating every holder like family, responding to almost every message.
Everything perfectly matched my initial judgment.
So, on the day of Bitcoin’s halving, my lawyer finalized the investment agreement. At that sacred moment, we five signed our names. The story feels too romantic, too dreamlike to be real.
### What Will INK’s Future Look Like?
In short: together with all of you, we will turn this into real art.
INK now has a hardworking founding team and an incredibly united community. But to achieve the dream of becoming a great IP, we need four things:
1. A genuine philosophy of building a decentralized brand;
2. Funding to hire top talent and operate the project;
3. Massive resources from the IP industry;
4. Clever business strategy.
#### First, let’s talk about the true philosophy of building a decentralized brand:
As we all know, INK IS FOR THE PEOPLE.
1. When we say "PEOPLE," we mean not just builders, but flippers, art collectors, entrepreneurs, air-droppers, and even fudders. Everyone is welcome to join INK, experience what we’re doing firsthand—and yes, give fudders fresh material for “FUDDING INK” (lol). In crypto, we don’t take things too seriously—we just chill and have fun together.
2. Founders must never see themselves as owners of INK or try to play “God,” dictating right and wrong. That’s just ugly human greed for power.
3. INK belongs to everyone—founders, whales, art collectors, small holders, builders, and even me. Each person contributes to the brand’s vision, forming countless tributaries that eventually merge into an endless ocean. Our entire journey building INK will become the most romantic symphony echoing across the Bitcoin ecosystem.
4. When INK’s “art” becomes real and gains recognition in both Web2 and Web3, believe me, rich people eager to display their taste will become our exit liquidity. That’s how we win together. (Yes, let’s keep building INK so I can proudly brag to my elite friends and lure those ultra-rich bastards to buy in!)
5. To prevent the disasters seen in other so-called blue-chip projects, the founders and I have a perfect contingency plan—very simple: if I ever do something wrong, they unite to kick me out; if they betray the community, I rally the community to force them down. Three words: fairness, fairness, and damn fairness.
6. No matter how big or small INK grows, we will never become a stupid corporation. We were born with Web3 DNA, and we’ll keep it. We’ll never accept greedy capital that demands community exploitation just to report returns to their LPs. In terms of money and resources, I am more than enough.
#### Next, let’s discuss funding and resources:
As I said, this is the last thing we need to worry about.
Though my family office fund announced a $10 million investment, my actual total cost exceeds $10 million. I spent an additional “██ million” (another huge sum) buying out early equity shares to ensure I am INK’s sole investor and mentor.
Moreover, the $10 million is only for INK’s first year.
Of that, $2 million is allocated to daily operations—modest compared to other NFT projects.
But the real magic lies in the remaining $8 million.
This sum will serve as a quota for accessing all the resources within my IP empire to support the INK brand.
This includes animation, mini-games, music festival collaborations, luxury brand partnerships, multi-platform ad campaigns, and even physical clubs...
This funding will provide INK with resources that would make even Web2 IP companies green with envy.
Remember this:
Cash is actually the cheapest chip in business. Truly scarce foundational resources cannot be bought—they belong to people who are already rich and powerful enough. And I, as INK’s only external investor and strategic advisor, will pave a golden road for INK to enter mainstream society and achieve mass adoption.
I won’t spoil more—I don’t want to ruin the surprises prepared for holders. From now on, we’ll let results speak.
We each have our own things to build—you build yours, I build mine—and together, we’ll become an unstoppable force.
#### Now, let’s talk about clever business strategy:
Want to see a roadmap?
Sorry, we don’t have one. Great projects never make roadmaps—those are for college startup competitions.
The real business world, especially competitive markets, is wildly unpredictable. Why limit future actions with a “compass” based on assumptions from a single moment in time?
What we should do is keep our eyes fixed on the destination, constantly adjusting our surfing posture amid storms, until we succeed.
As the wise co-founder Steven said:
WE ADAPT TO THRIVE.
There will come a time when we ride the wind and waves, hoist the sails, and cross the vast sea.
That’s why we only need two things:
Vision and means.
I’ve explained this before:
INK’s vision is:
Luxury, club, IP universe;
To make it real, our means will be:
Builders, technology, art, culture.
I won’t elaborate further—actions speak louder than words. Let the team cook freely. I’ve already prepared many incredibly cool things you’ve likely never seen.
But let me emphasize one more thing:
I know some lovely holders care deeply about token airdrops. Many left the community due to lack of “free money” promises. So why not do some airdrops? I love free money too—if I hear there’s a few dollars off during dinner, I get excited like a 30-year-old kid. Isn’t that part of crypto culture?
So today, on this sacred day of Bitcoin halving, as chairman of @caesar_eon, I officially promise all INK holders: you will receive endless airdrops from all protocols I’ve invested in and will invest in. Enjoy this overwhelming fortune!
The only caveat? My protocols won’t be “air.” Hope you don’t mind~
Some might say: I’m impatient! I can’t wait, Brother Ape!
Simple. During the wait, use INK’s strong umbrella to create something cool and become legendary yourself. Is that enough to pass the time?
My greatest hope is that every holder who contributes to INK will not only enjoy its success but also achieve their own.
I hope each of you will have a regret-free, proud story permanently inscribed on the great Bitcoin network.
One day, when we’re old and can’t go anywhere, we’ll still sit in rocking chairs, telling this magnificent tale to our grandchildren.
INK IS FOR THE PEOPLE.
Don’t worry—I’ll cover all costs required to keep INK great.
ONE MORE THING
The community once voted, hoping I’d sweep INK’s floor;
And this—this is how I “sweep the floor.”
So, am I someone who never lets you down? (Seems someone already calls me “Ape God”?)
These adorable illustrations of me trolling Zetman were created by the talented artist @jinghuaBTC.
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