[00:00:00] Joe Benso: Welcome everyone to the Casper podcast, where we take a deep dive and why is it so important for a multi-chain future?

[00:02:25] Nir Blumberger: So, that's a great question, and I would break it into two small cells. So, the NFT bridge side of things is the ability to move NFTs from one blockchain to another in a very secure way. To make sure that that transaction is done in the most easiest and most compelling way and a very smooth experience to move basically one NFT from one side to the other.

[00:02:52] Nir Blumberger: And the second part of the answer is that what does it mean the multi-chain NFT bridge, in terms of how we approach it It is, again, moving NFTs from one chain to the other, but the whole idea here is that the only future for the crypto markets, the only future, and we said it from day one of the expert talk, is a unified future.

[00:03:11] Nir Blumberger: So that means that in order for basically the crypto space, there are no real competitors. The only way to do it is to connect with bridges, all of those isolated islands, which are the blockchains, right? So, if for example, blockchain A only has 1000 users, it's a new blockchain of indie developers that are building up this amazing new tech and that blockchain could possibly be the best blockchain for something specific for games, music NFTs, for, you know, you name it.

[00:03:44] Nir Blumberger: Then blockchain has a very low solubility or even exposure rate for any matter. And what happens, those big islands, like for example, Ethereum are basically the comfortable option because everything is there, everything becomes, you know, they will first introduce the smart contracts and all of that.

[00:04:05] Nir Blumberger: And because of that, they are sort of monopolizing the market. And with creating those bridges, it becomes redundant, which blockchain was first or which blockchain is, you know, you name it. So, the bottom line is the ability of any NFT application from our side, of course, it can be applicable to other utilities as well, but any NFT application that tomorrow wants to start and wants to build and wants to mint NFTs. They don't have to do it on a specific chain. That means they can come to Casper tomorrow morning and mint it on Casper, create a whole project, get the Casper grant, build with an amazing Casper community, and basically create the whole project as a Casper project, and get only the benefit from that and not the limitations that are not specific to Casper.

[00:04:56] Nir Blumberger: Those limitations are to any blockchain that is basically isolated just to the Casper community, right? So that project can now work with all of the communities and can send NFTs to all of the different blockchains just as much as if those NFTs were originally minted on, for example, Ethereum.

[00:05:12] Nir Blumberger: So that gives both to the AL project and to the Ethereum community, the ability to work together. And so that project that just minted on Casper has full access to all of the user base of Ethereum, and the Ethereum user base has full access to the Casper project. That is creating this exchange of data, NFTs, and value that we believe, and this is why we call it the “multi-chain NFT bridge”. And not just NFT bridge, right? So, because this is the only way for the market to actually strive and push forward, that this is beneficial to all blockchains and to all users alike.

[00:05:50] Joe Benso: So on the website, it says XP Network's motto is, your NFT future is multi-chain and that resonates so much with me as well. There's a lot of potential in bridging communities across different blockchains, but could you share your vision for how NFTs and bridges like XP Network can connect these communities and unlock new possibilities? For example, Ethereum has its strengths, but Casper's low transaction fees are a huge advantage, especially for NFT gaming projects. Can you explain how XP Network leverages these best aspects of multiple chains?

[00:06:25] Nir Blumberger: So XP Network has about 35 blockchains in the connection list. So that makes XP Network the biggest NFT bridge in space. And this is also benefit of, again, having the privilege of being first and having an amazing development team that is truly supporting, not everyone knows this, but really supporting different kinds of blockchains.

[00:06:48] Nir Blumberger: Different kinds of smart contracts with every connection we have with every blockchain that we put on, on, on our website, and on the availability of the bridge of the bridge itself. And we are going through an entire partnership procedure that is creating the security audits, creating the development communication, testing with both sides, testing internally, testing externally. So we're doing it from A to Z completely. This is how we feel secure to deliver to the community a reliable product.

[00:07:22] Joe Benso: So I noticed XP Network has integrated with multiple blockchains, and there's a live feed on your website showing cross-chain NFT transactions happening in real time. That's super exciting. Could you highlight a few real world examples or NFTs being bridged between chains using XP Network?

[00:07:40] Nir Blumberger: It's actually a tough question, Joe, to be honest, it's a tough question. Just like you said, we have it all live on explore.xp.network, which is, by the way, the first multi-channel NFT explorer in the space. You can actually see all the transactions are done from one chain to the other. And aside from that, I would say that the biggest benchmarks that are coming to mind right now are one of the first, very first transactions that we ever had. And it was a transaction that actually showed the power of value, just from economic side, not even talking about sophisticated things like items and games and different kinds of collateral. I'm talking just about the simple way of moving NFT from one chain to the other.

[00:08:18] Nir Blumberger: For example, we had an NFT that moved from Multiverse X to Ethereum, or the other way around, from Ethereum to Multiverse X, and that NFT, just in that transaction, basically 10 times its price. So, on the marketplace Multiverse X, it was worth 10,000, like 10 times more. And that was a sort of basic NFT, no blue chip NFT and nothing. And it's not only worth it, it was actually transacted and there was a complete transaction on that highest price. And the reason for that is because something that could be a commodity on one chain is becoming a reality on other chains.

[00:08:57] Nir Blumberger: So this is just like, you know, the simple understanding of how important it is to bridge and how important it is to make things that are closed on one place available on the other place. And if a chain has a problem, like for example, there was a chain that I won't name, but there was a chain that was on the way to cease from existing completely.

[00:09:19] Nir Blumberger: And that put a lot of NFT projects on the verge of like, okay, what are we doing now? We basically getting a new fundraise and rebuilding everything new development team and you know, so all of that mess. Simply, they just came over to XP Network and removed the whole connection and integration. Everything, just as much as if they were minted on another chain. So they moved it all, basically exported that connection to a different chain, making it available there and keeping the whole project alive because of that.

[00:09:50] Nir Blumberger: So this is something that we are very proud of. Bottom line, the fact that anyone from any blockchain can come over to any utility of NFTs. Let's take a game, for example. They can click connect, they can choose, and then they are basically using the XP Network API. And then they can choose any wallet that is supported by XP Network ecosystem.

[00:10:09] Nir Blumberger: Let's say it's a Casper project and anyone, any user can come, for example, from MultiverseX or from Ethereum, for example. Come over to that Casper project, click connect, and select MetaMask, for example, or select any other wallet. Even if it's a non-EVM like Algorand, they can select an Algorand wallet and then they can just interact with that project in a complete way, right? So the NFTs from that Casper project can actually fit down in the Algorand wallet without the user even thinking about it. So you don't have to go to a different converter or to a different bridge or anything like that. This is the kind of seamless experience that we are aiming and building to create with the bridge.

[00:10:51] Nir Blumberger: So users don't even feel that they have different chains going for them. Only what matters is whatever work is comfortable for the user, they can connect to whatever project, no matter where it sits. And this is, I would say, the goal, a benchmark for XP Network altogether.

[00:11:06] Joe Benso: So there's been a lot of buzz around NFTs and what they really are, but there's a fair amount of skepticism. Many people still don't understand the full potential of the technology. What are some of the biggest misconceptions that you've encountered?

[00:11:20] Nir Blumberger: Well, the first misconception that I think about is really the fact that NFTs are just images. One of the biggest things that we are making sure to communicate is just like you said, when we started, the fact that NFTs are holding so much utility in them. And the showcase for that is all of the major blockchains are supporting them, investing in them and nurturing projects and giving grants for projects that are NFT based. You know, the biggest notion is really that NFTs are, I would say simple, but they are not simple at all.

[00:11:53] Nir Blumberger: NFTs can do so much. Games can onboard users without even connecting a wallet. Users can come over, start playing the game and have interactions with all of those things that are NFTs. It's not like some code, right? It's NFTs, if it's cards, if it's a lottery, whatever, right? It's all of these NFTs.

[00:12:11] Nir Blumberger: The users are interacting with them. And then when the users want to cash in, for example, or do any kind of interaction, then that user is prompted to create a wallet and set up the crypto side of things. But NFTs are really given the ability to do that, to be free of the crypto side.

[00:12:28] Nir Blumberger: Because it's visual, it's simple, it's clear, and it doesn't have to be, you don't have to be like crypto head to interact with it. And this is, I would say, the biggest misconception that NFTs are either too simple or too complex because it's crypto, right? So it's labeled as crypto and not labeled as just images.

[00:12:49] Nir Blumberger: It's much more than that. So I would say this is a very solid misconception that we are also working to debunk in some cases.

[00:12:57] Joe Benso: So it's clear the NFT space is still early, but we've seen rapid growth in areas like DeFi, meme coins, and gaming. Where do you see NFTs playing a role in the future of Web3, and how do you think they'll contribute to onboarding the next wave of users?

[00:13:14] Nir Blumberger: I and the XP Network team believe that there will be so many NFTs, NFT projects that might even completely push the boundaries of what it means to be a user in the crypto space. These kinds of integration, getting users without the whole process of setting up wallets, could be really the key to unlocking true mainstream, any average Joe that is coming for the benefit of the project and for the benefit of the utility without any interest in the crypto side.

[00:13:47] Nir Blumberger: So this is what we see in terms of the future of NFTs, like complete detachment from the crypto side of things. And complete onboarding just based on utility. And of course, the crypto onboarding is the big challenge, not just for XP Network, but for everyone in the space to make sure that it's becoming easier and easier once they're actually hooked into the project or the utility itself.

[00:14:10] Joe Benso: Wow! It sounds like you've built an incredible foundation for NFT projects to thrive in a multi-chain world, where I think that is where we're naturally headed. And as you look ahead, what's next for the XP Network? Any new developments or milestones you're particularly excited about?

[00:14:29] Nir Blumberger: First of all, in a very short time, we are launching the complete decentralization of the bridge. So that means that, to this point, we've been working on a semi-decentralized model, which allowed us to control the security of the bridge to the full extent that we felt was right and secure for the bridge and to our users, to build the trust around the brand of XP Network and the bridge itself. And now we feel secure enough.

[00:14:53] Nir Blumberger: And we are trusting enough with the technology to push the bridge to full decentralization, which will bring a vast number of new opportunities and abilities to the bridge and its users. And this is something that's coming in the next couple of months, so it's really imminent. In terms of the integration and the availability of XP Network, the biggest thing that anyone can expect is to see XP Network integrated in the majority, or even every NFT project, to the point that it makes it super easy for everyone to interact with any NFT project that is coming to the market.

[00:15:27] Nir Blumberger: The growth of the NFT market is the growth of XP Network. And we are very much keen and looking forward to seeing what the future holds in terms of new projects and utilities. We are making sure from our side to push and integrate XP Network behind the stage of every project to make sure that every project is fully multi-chain ready and available to interact with different communities on different blockchains.

[00:15:51] Joe Benso: Nir, it's been an absolutely delightful conversation. I love the multi-chain vision you're building with XP Network, and I'm excited to see how your integration with Casper continues to grow. So thank you so much for joining us today.

[00:16:05] Joe Benso: Well, that's it. We're pretty much out of time, but if you'd like to be on the Casper podcast, send us a message. We'd love to hear what you're building and what you're working on. Keep building and we'll see you on the other side.