Welcome to a new edition of Touch Grass! We’re getting closer and closer to an incredible new Lens. Changing our X handle from @lensprotocol to @LC was just step one of many big changes ahead.

In the coming weeks, you’ll learn more about Lens’ next phase—how to navigate it, what to expect when we migrate to the new chain, and the seamless experience awaiting you once we’re live. Every detail of the new Lens has been designed with our users and builders in mind, and we know you’re going to love it.

But that’s where the updates stop. I have 0 plans to spoil what’s coming, so that’s all you’re getting for now. :)

The past two weeks have been wild for crypto. From euphoria to a major liquidation event (hope you didn’t get rekt, anon!), we're now in a phase of skepticism—quite a shift from the vibes in the last Touch Grass. But no matter how frantic or devastating the mood, people keep building, posting, making great art, and having fun onchain.

Speaking of onchain fun: I recently discussed this with Flaunch, the memecoin launchpad that went live last Friday—at the same time as Uniswap v4 (they were the first to build on it!). Right now, people need fun. Stress-free fun. Positive-sum games for everyone. Memecoin launchers have to get better at delivering this. Luckily, our friends at Bonsai get it. On Monday, they shipped Bonsai Launchpad v2 (coming to the new Lens!). It’s great to see these two alternative launchers building better, staying aligned with web3 principles, and always innovating. The future looks bright.

And for more onchain fun, here’s a short digest:

Podcasts & Music:

• Jessie in conversation with DeFinn, the Lens Holiday Hackathon big prize winner!

• MSTRBSTRD’s existential crisis

• The LosFomos podcast just landed on Lens, new, fresh and funny. 

• The Blockchain Socialist in conversation with Sarah Friend 

• Blake comments on Chappell Roan’s Gautier dress

• Blake again, with Addie Wagenknecht who’s funny and so interesting

• Benjamin Alistairs new video - mint it!

• Spaces by SitioCaos, always a wholesome experience (in Spanish)/

Art:

• Kaiotei’s artwork is too cool

• Kudzu is one of my favorite NFT artworks ever. It’s an NFT virus that never leaves your wallet but that you can pass on to others by transferring them. Now one of the artists behind it, designed a mechanism to burn them, and unleashed chaos by creating a burnathon. 

• Guard’s post-apocalyptic cityscape

• Egor’s photograph 

Read: 

• Kay on online visibility, and how to fix it.

• Benoit on the onchain collecting social apps

• Nemesis’ Ethereum brand analysis

Builders: 

• Lens Reputation is causing a stir! The project graduated from the hackathon and the Lens community loves it. Can’t wait to learn more about it! 

• Handlefinder is getting better and better - I love catching up with crypto news and seeing what my friends are doing for fun onchain through the platform. Give it a shot, it changes everything!
  

Oh before I let you go and enjoy the weekend, the Ethereum Investors Club magazine is out! Featuring articles by Lens frens Post Polar, The Blockchain Socialist & Beth, Kevin Owocki, Benoit and William Peaster to name a few, all wonderfully put together by the editor in chief, Riley :).  I contributed an article on Resilient Social Networks. You can read it for free, mint a digital copy, and buy a physical one!

And for those heading to NFT Paris: while we’re deep in heads down mode, I managed to get a hall pass to visit and speak next week. If you’re there and want to talk about building on Lens—or just meet up—let me know!

Speak soon!