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1/26 In the annals of crypto art history, certain collectors will leave a lasting impression, and @rudyadler undoubtedly ranks among the very best. As a gen-art enthusiast, I've been tracking his journey closely since 2021. Rudy kindly agreed to share his fascinating story 🚀🧵
2/ J: When did you initially get involved in the world of crypto, and what sparked your interest in it?

R: An engineer at my first startup told me about BTC in 2013. It seemed like an interesting experiment, and I’d seen @coinbase @ycombinator demo day presentation, so...
3/ I bought a little BTC as a way to continue learning. I also bought some ETH in 2016 at $8, but ended up selling that at a loss somehow 🤦

J: How did you discover NFTs, and what was your experience with your first minted / purchased token? Can you share the story?
4/R:My first NFT purchase was @beeple “Into the Ether '' in 2020. A fitting title! I paid with a credit card (J:🤯). I think crypto people forget how important it is to onboard new people using tradfi rails. My first native ETH buy was a 1/1 @Yosnier_ on @SuperRare month later.
5/ J: Your collection is extremely broad (~2600 pieces)! What was your “strategy” when you started your NFT journey?

R: I’ve always loved buying art even before NFTs. Outside of traveling, I can’t think of many things I’d rather spend money on than art. I just buy what I like.
6/ J: How quickly did you realize the potential of the NFT space? What was your “aha!” moment?

R: It clicked pretty fast because I’d already been buying physical art through auction houses and galleries around the world and found it difficult to deal with packaging, customs...
7/ warehousing – basically all of the limitations of the physical world. So when digital art appeared, I fell in love instantly. All of the art, none of the logistics.
8/ J: As one of the legendary gen-art collectors, could you share your personal experience and story regarding ArtBlocks and Ringers?

R: I missed the Ringers mint by a day or two, but when I saw the output, I was smitten and had this idea of making a huge grid on my office wall.
9/ I wasn’t thinking about it as an investment. So I started buying the most interesting ones I could find. I went a little crazy and bought 66 of them. That number still surprises me. I think I was in some kind of trance-like state that day.
10/ J: What is your perspective on the future of gen-art, particularly in light of the AI capabilities demonstrated by ChatGPT?

R: AI is just another tool at an artist’s disposal. The convergence of crypto and AI is going to be very positive IMO.
11/ J: You are holding both @XCOPYART 1/1s and limited editions - can you share your X discovery process?

R: I became obsessed with XCOPY after making my first purchases on SuperRare. I can’t remember which one I bought first; I got most of them in quick succession. I started..
12/ bidding on as many 1/1 pieces as I could, but nobody would accept my offers! So eventually, I just started market-buying as many as I could afford. Luckily I was able to snag a few. I remember when “Right-click and Save As Guy” was listed for 99e. I placed a 15e bid...
13/ Two days later @2Yeahyeah swooped in and bought it at market. Everybody was temporarily stunned but obviously a savvy move. (J: 10 months later @2Yeahyeah sold it for 1600e).

J: Have you ever sold NFTs that you now regret selling? If yes - please give us some details.
14/ R: Haha well after you bought my XCOPY’s “Mortal”, I was like hmm did I fuck up? But honestly I don’t regret selling because it allows me to buy from more artists. Actually most of my regrets are related to not buying. I missed out on some historic XCOPY pieces, didn't...
15/ follow @jdh 's advice on buying more Squiggles, and somehow missed "The Goose" Ringer (kudos to @pixelpete ). The list is long.

J: What are the most memorable moments from your journey in the crypto and NFT space? What comes to your mind first?
16/ R: All of the personal anecdotes I’ve heard from artists who’ve had their lives changed by NFTs. There are so many creators who are making a living for the first time selling their artwork. That makes me really happy. I wish more people were able to hear these stories, but...
17/ they get drowned out by big sales and big grifts.

J: At present, which areas of NFTs are you most focused on?

R: First, I’d say @tezos . It’s a lot of fun collecting on TEZ. The community takes itself less seriously (in a good way), and it’s a breeding ground for...
18/ up-and-coming artists. Second, AI art has captured more of my attention – especially the combination of photography and AI. I really admire @rainisto LIWA series because it recreates a photographic aesthetic that I love but in a way that looks both real and unreal. I also...
19/ love @NorrieHarman Sightseers. Photography is a passion of mine. Years ago I did a photography project with two friends distributing disposable cameras to migrants and Minutemen on different sides of the US-Mexico border. I also collect a lot of photography. I recently...
20/ added a @DrifterShoots piece that had been on my list for awhile.
21/ J: Do you believe that NFTs are still in the early stages of adoption?

R: I’ve had the good fortune of learning about the traditional art world from my father. I don’t make grandiose predictions, but I think a sober one would be that the digital art market grows to...
22/ at least the size of trad art. So I expect the art market to at least double over the next 5-10 years. Additionally, I hope to see more of our emerging web3 institutions and artists refrain from seeking validation from the trad art world. While I understand the rationale...
23/ behind it today, in the long run, I believe there will be a growing recognition that the power dynamics have changed.

J: I believe you have some collectors and friends in the NFT space that you follow. Could you share some names?

R: One of the things I love about this...
24/ space is that artists are probably the best collectors, such as @Coldie @ArtOnBlockchain @XCOPYART @MattKaneArtist @dmitricherniak I also look up to people like @artnome @sofiagarcia_io @shayne_coplan @punk4156 @galaxyRTK @NTmoney @seth @katehannah @jdh @andrewjiang ...
25/ @CozomoMedici @co1born @awrigh01 @punk6529

J: What advice would you give to someone who is new to the NFT space?

R: For artists, being authentic is key. Drown out the noise, just do your thing and have a long-term mindset. For collectors...
26/ remember that 99.9% of art is a poor investment. Buy art that you love. Coincidentally, those are the pieces that are most likely to become valuable :)
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Thank you Rudy for sharing your wonderful story and insights ♥️
Vaults: opensea.io/rudya/collected
www.fxhash.xyz/u/rudya/collection?sort=createdAt-asc
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