Zeneca_33, pseudonym of Roy, is now a legend in the crypto and NFT world, a real gatekeeper for the industry.

As he says on his website, “I got into the NFT space in February this year (2021). Crypto, and NFTs, very quickly became my full-time job. Prior to Feb 2021, I was a professional poker player for roughly 15 years. I dabbled in crypto in 2016/2017, but when the bear market hit, I left. I didn’t have the conviction then that I do now”.

After a very short stall, he tried again and believed in the NFT world, so in the last 8 months, he has been buying and selling, learning the mechanics, creating his own taste and skills, without FOMO but with patience, as required by the industry.

In this interview, he tells about the beginnings, the difficulties, the missteps to avoid for those who want to start selling and buying collectibles.

​​When did your interest in the NFT world begin?

I first got interested in about Feb/March of this year. Some friends told me about Hashmasks and CryptoPunks, and I obviously thought that thousands of dollars for a jpeg was a scam.

Eventually, I did some research, and that’s when it all clicked for me. I specifically remember reading this article which led to an “aha” moment for me: https://www.notboring.co/p/power-to-the-person

What was your first mint, and why that one?

To be honest, I don’t actually remember. I think it might have been either some low-effort project called “deekhash” or a slightly higher effort but not amazingly thought out project called “rare pizzas.”

Both were largely because I was in a group chat with some friends, and they were being talked about, and I wanted to mint something and didn’t know how else to find out about projects.

In one of your letters, you wrote, “I have lost a lot of money learning some lessons.” Which lessons have you learned?

No aping before coffee! Haha. No, but seriously – I’ve learned to take profits when prices are going parabolic and not to get so greedy. I’ve learned not to buy purely on hype and FOMO and do better research if/when possible before getting into a project.