Getting to Know CNFTs with Paperbag: VBlocks

Well hello everyone! Welcome to the first-ever Tinkerers Meetup, where I talk to other tinkerers to get to know more about them and to learn first-hand what are they tinkering with. First up: the VBlocks squad.

Let’s get this started with a quick ice-breaker to get to know you better: what are your names and favorite snacks?

“I’m Britney and I’d say Oreo double creams are certainly my favorites.”

”I’m Matthieu (eZyH), usually I don’t snack but I’d go crazy for French Macarons!”

“I’m NFT Dropout and really like Pizza with pineapple, deal with it.”

“My name is Theo (PythonLover), and my favorite snack is chicken and rice, every day all day.”

Great options from all of you! Snacks tell us a lot about a person, and I have something really important I need to address with NFT Dropout regarding their choice… I LOVE IT! Here in Fort Gotten there are no rules, so we’re free to choose whatever toppings we want for our pizzas! You’re welcome to come over anytime and chat with us about your project. Why don’t you all tell us a little bit about it? Where did the idea come from?

The idea originated from the realization that we could all buy CNFTs that we love and yet, had no dedicated place to share them at. We wanted to create a space for the Cardano community that encouraged them to do exactly that and give their art the recognition it deserved. As things stand, we allow CNFT holders to show off their collection virtually with anyone, something that hasn’t been possible until now and a concept that we are planning to expand.

That’s such a cool idea! So what NFTs are you showing off at the moment? Any favorites?

Britney: “I am passionate about art, always have been. My wallet does not hold many NFTs at the moment, but I wouldn’t mind adding more El Matadors. They are my absolute favorite and I’m not planning on selling them, ever.”

Matthieu: “I’d have to agree with Britney. I don’t have many NFTs, but my favorite is the El Matador one as well!”

NFT Dropout: “Oh, I’ve got a lot, I lost track of the count but my Spacebudz, Clay, Chilled Kongs, and Lazy Llamas are my top PFPs, but I am also a huge Unsigs fan for example. Anything that has nice colors or has shiny effects.”

Theo: “I love 3D NFTs and I really like my Fort Gotten minting machine.”

That’s quite the list! Especially yours, NFT Dropout. I’d love to take a CNFT tour of your Gallery on VBlocks! Clearly, you have a team passionate about art and NFTs, so what’s next for the project?

We thought “If we can let them show off their art, why not let them do that interactively in a way where communities can unite”. This led us to the next part of this adventure. We are currently working on an open world, of which our first collection’s mint is currently live. The general concept is, to take on things one at a time and build the open-world steadily. We only want to sell what has already been created and can be used. We also made sure to provide a free functioning product before we started the mint to give potential members a sneak peek of what awaits. We want this project to be community-driven, as we believe that getting the community’s input would allow us to improve the product continuously.

I totally agree with that! Here at Fort Gotten, the community is everything to us… without our squads, we would be totally alone. Luckily for us, we’ve been able to meet people behind amazing projects like yours, and of course, our Fort Gotten community has continued to grow as well, spreading across the Beach, Mountains, Forest, City, and Desert.

Speaking of which… if you could pick any of these regions, which one would be your go-to?

Britney: “I grew up in Austria, surrounded by mountains, forests and lakes. It’s where I feel at home, so that’s what I’ll go with. But I wouldn’t say no to a beach trip either.”

Matthieu: “I’d pick the city to live in. And for holidays, I’d choose the Forest for morning hikes and beach for afternoon relaxation!”

NFT Dropout: “All of them except for desert! I’ve no ocean nearby, but we got a lot of lakes around.”

Theo: “Mountains and Forest all the way! Gotta love nature… and French landscapes are amazing.”

Love it! We love a good hike surrounded by nature! These leisure adventures are our way of decompressing after long days at camp. What do you all do to relax and chill?

Britney: “Theo and I have two dogs so we like taking them on hikes when we can. Apart from that, mostly going to the gym.”

Theo: “You got that right. Aside from that, I do heavy squats and deadlifts.”

Matthieu: “I have been taking dance classes for a few years now, that’s my escape room, once I’m in the studio nothing else matters.”

NFT Dropout: “Depends a lot on the weather, but preferably outside. Otherwise, I just enjoy a good movie or buy NFTs while having great food in good company.”

We got quite the active squad on our hands, I see! You have to drop by our camps, we’ll take you on the hike of a lifetime. Our kidz love singing every time they go out on a trek… so what about music? Do you have a favorite song?

Britney: “I’ve never had a favorite song. Judging by my name, you would believe I would say “Toxic by Britney Spears”. At the moment, I listen to “Praying To A God — Mr. Probz, LUKE” on repeat.

Matthieu: “I don’t have an all-time favorite, as it changes over time. But as I have to give one now, I’ll go with White dress — Kanye West.”

NFT Dropout: “Changes every couple of months, but here’s 3 from a recent playlist I listen to a lot: Gang Starr- Above the Clouds, Bonobo — Kiara, Winslow — Mumbles of Grace.”

Theo: “Kid Cudi — Cleveland is the reason.”

Love it! I always love listening to new music in my downtime, I’ll have to check those out! I got a little sidetracked there… Coming back to VBlocks, have you made any collabs yet? Who would you like to collaborate with?

We have previously collaborated with Fort Gotten and are currently in the process of collaborating with EL Matador. We strive to work with many different projects in the future to further expand our open world. We very much enjoyed working with the Fort Gotten team and would love to do it again on something like an avatar or even a village.

We’d also be curious about collaborating with a few 3D projects in the future.

We also really enjoyed working with you guys, let’s make sure to work together again! I know you’re a busy bunch so let me say goodbye with this one last question: What would you say to your inner kid?

Britney: “Don’t stop chasing adventure when you see it.”

Matthieu: “Please never stop talking, I’ll need you all my life by my side.”

NFT Dropout: “Keep calm and HODL!”

Theo: “I don‘t have an inner kid, not even a heart, I’m just a stone.”

Well, there you have it kidz: VBlocks! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me; it’s been great getting to know the people behind such an amazing project. We can’t wait to see what else you bring to life in the future!

For those reading, go check them out. They’ve got something amazing in their hands! If you want to check a sample collection in the Buruka Factory, check it out here.

‘Till next time! Paperbag, out!