Flame X Hall – Cointelegraph Magazine

Who is this guy anyway?

Irene Zhao, CEO of Simp-Queen and Crypto Twitter influencer behind the SO-COL platform, explains that having a celebrity in your corner can increase your NFT collection.

Zhao's first Symp DAO and NFT set, IreneDAO, launched with a floor price that was essentially pocket change in ETH.

“I think about the zero-point-thing ETH,” Zhao recalls.

However, the game changed for Zhao when controversial YouTube star Logan Paul dropped nearly a quarter of a million dollars in January 2022.

“The next day, I woke up and Logan Paul bought about 20 pieces or something and the price of the floor had gone up five times. I was shocked,” she says.

I can't fix it 👉👈 pic.twitter.com/oyMLut3S2F

— Irene Zhao (@Irenezhao_) November 4, 2023

After Zhao billionaire crypto investor Mike Novogratz posted on Twitter, Paul revealed that he had stumbled upon the project. This began a friendship with Paul.

“After Logan bought NFTs, he followed me on Twitter and Instagram,” Zhao said, adding that they never failed to keep in touch.

“I was going to go to Los Angeles, but at the time he was somewhere in Puerto Rico. So in the end we couldn't meet. But we have discussions about NFTs.

Rubbing virtual shoulders with big names like Paul is a regular day in the life of a crypto influencer. Zhao boasts 194,300 Twitter followers, runs her own Web3 NFT platform company, SO-COL, and globe-trots to speak at crypto conferences.

“I meet a lot of good and successful people, and they all have very interesting qualities. Otherwise, you won't choose crypto as a career because it's a very dynamic and fast-paced career field.

What made Twitter famous?

Zhao had a following as a social media influencer on the Web2 space, and like Bitcoiners gathering orange friends, she introduced many of her followers to NFTs.

I am building my own personal branding as a key opinion leader on various social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube. So, I now have almost half a million followers across all platforms.

She jumped into crypto because she wanted to control her own content. She only supplemented by monetizing her content by promoting products, which is how web2 influencers make a living.

“I've developed deep relationships with many big brands, but it's sad because even though I have a huge following on all social media platforms, I'm not getting the most out of it. I do not own the content or my community.

Zhao founded one of the first Simp DAOs, where NFT buyers can join her Irene DAO fan club and get closer to their Simp reign. She later developed this idea for the SO-COL platform.

It is the age of wealth in my health

I'm so ready for a road trip with @truck_memecoin pic.twitter.com/2Wh1TqsIps

— Irene Zhao (@Irenezhao_) November 1, 2023

She joked that Zhao is a big deal in Asia but can move under the radar in the West.

“They know me especially in Asia, but in the West, white people don't really know Asian people. They think everyone looks the same,” she laughs.

What content can people expect?

Zhao is not a fan of the harsh tone of some in the crypto world. In her view, people who enjoy technical or business discussions may not be the most attractive minds in the crypto community.

“I think I love posting the shot. It's so funny; it's so fun to see all the memories.”

Zhao believes that making crypto memes requires a bigger brain than sharing trading tips:

“It's a very smart move because you have to understand the market, and you have to understand the audience to come up with the right meme that people want. So, it's a rare talent to have.”

Nasty Beef: The Lady of Crypto

Zhao had a public spat with crypto influencer Lady in December 2021.

The controversy erupted after Zeo lightly mocked her with a thoughtless tweet on Twitter.

“You were predicting the price of bitcoin or something, but there was a very clear trend. So, I was like, ‘You're stating the obvious,' and then she got mad.

Responding to some offensive comments about Zhao's English skills, the Crypto Lady said, “In your videos, you can string two words together.

Zhao didn't let it get to her personally and thought it was “very funny”.

Ever the businessman, Zhao was more interested that the post had accumulated to “4 million views”.

Predictions?

Zhao's predictions are conventional and consistent with received wisdom. Bitcoin is looking forward to reaching the $100,000 mark.

However, she is betting big on real-world properties taking off next year.

“Obviously, I'm still bullish on BTC, Ethereum and all the fundamentals. People are talking a lot about RWA. I think real-world assets could be big in the next 12 months.”

She also believes that NFTs still have room for growth because many celebrities have yet to dive into the group.

“I think it's going to be a real boost for creators NFTs very soon because we haven't really experienced it yet,” she explained.

“I'm still worried about social clusters because we haven't got all the Web2 innovators on board to NFTs yet. So I think there's still a lot of room for that.”

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Ciaran Lyon

Ciaran Lyons is an Australian crypto journalist. He is also a freelance comedian and has been a radio and TV presenter on Triple J, SBS and The Project.