Introducing Kevin Lu, the CEO of Friendzone, a social capital marketplace and a super-app to consumer Web3 applications.

Can you give us a background of what you do?

My Web3 journey began in 2017 when I co-founded Helis Network the first recurring payments protocol on Ethereum, backed by industry leading investors such as Woodstock Fund and NGC Ventures.

Moving into 2019, I joined Sequoia Capital and Binance backed Band Protocol, a leading cross-chain data oracle platform as the Growth and Business Development Lead. Over the course of my three year journey with Band Protocol from an new early startup to established leader in decentralized oracles, I led the team to over $25 billion in total value secured at its peak, successful Binance Launchpad event, Coinbase listing and Google Cloud partnership.

We then launched Scalene, a Web3 Native Venture Builder, starting with an Academy Platform and Talent Engine, that offered placement programs for top-tier talent into exceptional teams or a showcase opportunity at an industry-leading event. Our shift at Scalene to consumer-focused and mass-market products is a strategic answer to the changing landscape of Web3. Our goal is to draw a new wave of users and transform the digital world with impactful, user-centric experiences.

Currently, our debut and flagship product, Friendzone (FZE), marks a significant milestone in Scalene's journey. It embodies and is the first stepping stone on our mission to empower the entire consumer frontier of Web3, capitalizing on the now matured infrastructure landscape, leveraging advancements made available recently like ERC4337 and Privy.

What made you interested in Web3?

My interest with Web3 was sparked by the concept of programmable money - a trustless and decentralized system where financial transactions are not just secure but inherently transparent and autonomous. In 2016, just as the ICO Era was about to unfold, a friend explained to me the Ethereum ICO, demonstrating a world where participation in digital finance was being redefined and borderless. Despite the ICO boom eventually settling down, the foundational idea that Ethereum's smart contracts could enable the development of new platforms and instruments to address real-world challenges captivated me.

This conviction led me to co-found Helis Network in 2018, establishing the first protocol for recurring payments on Ethereum. My subsequent role at Band Protocol, alongside my venture investments and advisory positions, brought me deeper into the Web3 ecosystem where it became part of my identity. The dynamic, ever-evolving nature of Web3 combined with the hands-on experiences I gained and the fact there there is ‘never a dull day in crypto’ helped me find purpose, excitement and passion. I’ve never looked back since 2016.

How is working/building in Web3 different from other industries?

Reflecting on my career trajectory, which began with a foundation in Actuarial Science and Finance acquired during my university years, I've been privileged to experience the corporate sphere, particularly in management consulting. This background has afforded me a broad perspective to appreciate the unique dynamics of Web3 in contrast to more traditional industries.

One of the most striking aspects of Web3 is its foundational principle of open-source development. Unlike any other field, Web3 thrives on composability—where projects are not only encouraged to build upon each other but celebrated for doing so. This ethos of collaboration is a reflective of Web3’s innovative spirit, breaking down barriers not just in participation and development, but also in communication.

In Web3, the accessibility to connect with founders, executives, and influential figures can be unlocked with a simple direct message on platforms like Twitter or Discord which can open doors to conversations and collaboration. Whereas in traditional sectors, might take months of networking and formal introductions. This level of accessibility accelerates the pace of work and development within Web3, enabling the structuring of collaborations and partnerships that are unparalleled in any other industry.

Working and building within Web3 is commitment to a more open, collaborative, and accessible world.

What’s your proudest achievement in Web3?

One of my proudest achievements in the Web3 space is the creation and launch of Friendzone, which is fast becoming known as Polygon's premier social capital marketplace. At its core, Friendzone is a novel platform designed to transform social interactions into valuable, monetizable assets within the Web3 ecosystem. Our vision for Friendzone is not just to be a marketplace but to serve as a super-app — an accessible onboarding platform for the mass adoption of Web3 technologies. By enabling people to use their social media sign-ins instead of traditional wallets like MetaMask, we're simplifying the entry into Web3, making it as easy as logging into a familiar app to begin interfacing with a world of decentralized applications.

Friendzone is pioneering in its approach first with an open and permissionless Web3 social capital marketplace. This means anyone can monetize their social graphs — the network of connections one has — and even invest in the success of others' networks through a unique and innovative platform. We're enabling a new way for users to engage with, earn rewards and benefit from their online relationships, creating a space where every interaction has the potential to generate value.

The foundation of Friendzone lies in its ability to address and overcome common hurdles like scalability issues and the intensive capital demands typically associated with traditional bonding curves. We've developed an adaptive model that dynamically adjusts to market supply and demand, ensuring a truly inclusive environment where anyone can participate, no matter when they choose to join.

Our commitment extends beyond just creating another social finance (SocialFi) platform; we are laying the groundwork for a comprehensive ecosystem that supports the development of new consumer applications and the integration of existing ones. Through a user-centric development process, we're focused on developing the infrastructure and middleware necessary for leveraging on-chain social graphs, thus positioning Friendzone not merely as a platform but as an inenvitable force that sets new standards and opens up unprecedented possibilities in the industry.

If there’s something you would like to change in your Web3 journey, what would it be?

Reflecting on my Web3 journey, if there's something I would like to change, it would be to have started focusing on consumer-focused and mass-market products to build the rails towards mass adoption.

While launching innovative protocols like Helis Network and contributing to Band Protocol was crucial for establishing foundational infrastructure in the Web3 space, the shift to Scalene's consumer-centric approach marked a strategic evolution in response to the changing landscape of Web3. By launching Scalene and its flagship product, Friendzone (FZE), we aimed to empower a broader audience and transform the digital world with impactful, user-centric experiences.

What’s the biggest problem that you think Web3 can solve?

In Web3, one of the most significant opportunities lies in transforming how value is distributed across social platforms. Today's consumer and creator platforms generate billions of dollars in revenue, a substantial portion of which is derived directly from the activities of end users. Yet, the distribution of this immense value is disproportionately skewed, with the majority funneling towards the platforms themselves, a smaller share to creators, and, more often than not, little to nothing making its way back to the end users whose engagement and contributions fuel the ecosystem.

This imbalance is precisely what we're aiming to disrupt with our approach. We envision a new world enabled through Friendzone where the value generated within online communities is equitably shared among all participants - platforms, creators, and users alike. By leveraging toolkits like Privy and protocol level account abstraction, we're crafting win-win scenarios that foster engagement, reward distribution, and gamification, ensuring that every stakeholder sees the value of their contributions appreciated and rewarded - all without the users knowing they are engaging with blockchain technology.

Friendzone is designed as an equitable space where creators and users not only benefit from but also have ownership in the governance of the ecosystem. With the introduction of Friendzone tokens, we're confirming a direct path from engagement to ownership. Friendzone points, earned through participation and contribution, will translate into Friendzone tokens, enabling a tangible stake and say in the platform's direction and governance. Yes, this is confirmation that points will equate to tokens to support of earliest users!

What’s your BTC price prediction in 2030?

While I won’t speculate on Bitcoin’s price for 2030—because, let's face it, predictions are often a shot in the dark, and more likely than not, both you and I are likely to be wrong—the ongoing developments in the Bitcoin ecosystem provide a compelling narrative for its future beyond just a store of value. Notably, the emergence of ordinals and advancements in Layer 2 (L2) solutions exemplify Bitcoin’s expanding utility and its potential to seed a more versatile and efficient blockchain network.

As for long-term value, I hold a strong conviction that Bitcoin will continue to capture a significant portion of the market cap of traditional stores of value, like gold, over time. The trajectory of its development and adoption suggests an expanding role in the global financial system, hinting at a future where Bitcoin's relevance extends well beyond its current perceptions.

How cool is programmable digital gold be? Digital gold being Bitcoin.

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