Today I had the privilege of sitting down with one of the most exciting CEOs and companies operating in the NFT space, Vincent Weckström. Vincent and his company, NORN.xyz, are making fantastic progress in the sharing of information and knowledge on crypto, web3, and everything that comes with the decentralized world.
With the ambition of assisting in the onboarding of the Nordics to the NFT and Web3 world, Vincent and his Co-Founders have gathered an amazing amount of attention in a very short time.
I got to sit down and discuss NFTs, NORN.xyz, and the future of Web3 in the Nordic world with Vincent.
How did you get into Web3 & NFTs?
“Like many others, I dabbled in crypto during the 2017-2018 bull run. At the time, I was a first-year student at university and, to be honest, I didn’t really understand the fundamentals or the potential of the technology. I studied finance as a major which helped me understand DeFi, and it wasn’t until I fully understood DeFi that I could see how much we could do with smart contracts and then decentralization. Since then, I went down the rabbit hole, discovered NFTs, and have pretty much been all-in, eventually co-founding NORN in 2022.
What really fascinates me about NFTs is that I believe they have the potential to serve as the catalyst finally driving mass adoption of blockchain technology. Blockchains and DeFi have been too technologically advanced and abstract for the average consumer to grasp, but NFTs brings a completely new angle… incredibly exciting!”
What is NORN and what is the vision of the company?
“Our Co-Founder, Vahid Toosi, acquired our top-level domains NFT.se NFT.fi NFT.dk, and NFT.no a few years back, and that’s where the vision started taking shape: informing, educating, and onboarding the Nordics onto Web3.”
“We are the Nordic hub for everything NFTs and Web3. We are currently building up our publishing business and media house, focusing on information and education, lifting Nordic projects onto the global stage, and helping global projects gain a Nordic presence. We are shaping the global Web3 landscape with Nordic values, as all of our team members have grown up in Nordic countries and hold our values very dear.”
Where will NORN be in 5 years?
“In 5 years, we will have successfully onboarded the Nordics and will be fully engaged in the process of growing NORN to a global audience for NFT and Web3 media. At this point, we will be 100+ strong and will be the go-to place for everything Web3 in the Nordics.”
“We are building towards a blockchain-based engine that enables true co-creation of news and media. We see that current incentive structures in global media are not in the best interest of users, this becomes painfully obvious with all the puff pieces you see on Sam Bankman-Fried in mainstream media. On the other hand, we see strong momentum in citizen journalism on platforms like Twitter, but misinformation is difficult to avoid on a platform with little accountability. We want to solve this with blockchain technology, and in 5 years, we’ll be at the new paradigm of global media.”
What is your best tip for a Nordic company that wants to enter the Web3 world?
“Due to the underlying technology, Web3 is global and pseudonymous. I would advise all new Nordic ventures to utilize and connect with their local communities, while of course also staying active on the global front.”
“Additionally, I would not underestimate the advice you can get from seasoned Web2 entrepreneurs that have been around to see the shifts from Web1 and built something successful in Web2.”
“Finally, I want to add, that for anyone thinking of building things in Web3, start NOW. Due to the current market conditions, this is the perfect time to start learning, as most of the scammers and marketers have left the building. When financial markets start recovering, the opportunists will be back, and it will become harder for people to tell what is real and what is smoke and mirrors. Start now and utilize your local community.”
What are some of the most promising Nordic Web3 companies to follow?
“Right now, my five favorite Nordic Web3 projects are:
Phaver – driving the paradigm shift in social media
Corite – making it easy for fans and artists to co-create through music NFTs
Rens Original – metaverse wearables with real-world utility
Logcast – the social network for audio creators and their fans
Kleoverse – the platform for work in Web3
There are of course a lot more… head over to NFT.se NFT.fi NFT.dk or NFT.no to learn more about the Nordic ecosystem! We will be launching in English as well very soon!”
Sitting down and talking to Vincent about NORN and the vision for the future was a privilege. Vincent speaks about the possibilities and potential of Web3 and NFTs with vigor and passion. It is going to be an interesting journey watching the NORN.xyz team take on the responsibility of sharing information on an exciting, fast-moving, and often unpredictable landscape.
Keep your eyes on the NORN.xyz team as they take on the Nordics and then the world!