Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
In the 63rd episode of Colors of Web3 and Entrepreneurship, Lam sits down with Marco van den Heuvel, co-founder of Beam Labs, to discuss the evolving landscape of Web3 gaming. Marco shares his fascinating journey—from discovering Bitcoin during college to co-founding Beam Labs—and highlights the incredible innovations driving the future of gaming and blockchain integration.
Together, they dive into the challenges and breakthroughs in Web3, including building decentralized gaming infrastructures, fostering vibrant communities, and creating ecosystems that empower developers and gamers alike. Marco also unveils exciting announcements for 2025: Beam Layer 1 upgrades, Beam Ventures, and the role of AI in gaming.
Whether you're a Web3 enthusiast, an entrepreneur, or simply curious about the intersection of gaming and blockchain, this episode is packed with insights you won't want to miss!
⌛ Timestamps:
00:00:00 Episode trailer
00:00:28 Introduction and self-introduction of Marco van den Heuvel
00:02:00 Marco’s journey into Web3 and early Bitcoin discovery
00:03:06 Building communities in Web3 and lessons learned
00:09:05 How Marco discovered about Bitcoin
00:10:59 Marco's fascination with terrarium
00:16:32 Background of Beam Labs from Merit Circle days
00:20:00 What Beam does: a 360-degree overview
00:23:55 The significance of Beam Nodes and validator rewards
00:26:00 Origin of the name Merit Circle and the rebrand to Beam
00:31:04 Transition from an Avalanche subnet to Beam’s Layer 1 blockchain
00:36:24 Web3 tech requirements for games
00:39:05 Beam’s tech stack: NFT marketplace, wallet, and SDK
00:40:59 Beam Ventures: $150M gaming and AI investment fund in Abu Dhabi
00:44:31 Marco discusses competition and Beam’s unique approach
00:46:05 Beam's business models
00:50:24 Challenges facing Beam Labs
00:52:46 Evolution of Web3 gaming and the need for mainstream adoption
00:54:45 The people behind Beam Labs
00:59:30 Marco's take on a multi-chain world
01:01:30 How Web3 gaming will evolve in the future
01:04:16 Marco's favorite Web3 games
01:08:02 Marco’s advice for Web3 founders building gaming infrastructure
01:09:57 Where to follow Marco and stay updated on Beam Labs
01:11:01 Episode outro and final thoughts
Follow Marco and Beam:
Beam Labs X/Twitter: https://x.com/buildonbeam
Beam Foundation X/Twitter: https://x.com/BeamFDN
Marco's X/Twitter: https://x.com/Marco_Beam
Beam website: onbeam.com
Beam telegram: t.dot/buildonbeam
My social media:
Twitter/X: twitter.com/LamWeb3
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lamweb3/
Website: https://lamtrinh.xyz
My old article about the 2-3 prevailing narratives of 2024-2025: substack.com/home/post/p-143541984
If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to stay updated on our upcoming episodes with industry experts and innovators in the Web3 and Entrepreneurship spaces. Thank you for listening!
In the 63rd episode of Colors of Web3 and Entrepreneurship, Lam sits down with Marco van den Heuvel, co-founder of Beam Labs, to discuss the evolving landscape of Web3 gaming. Marco shares his fascinating journey—from discovering Bitcoin during college to co-founding Beam Labs—and highlights the incredible innovations driving the future of gaming and blockchain integration.
Together, they dive into the challenges and breakthroughs in Web3, including building decentralized gaming infrastructures, fostering vibrant communities, and creating ecosystems that empower developers and gamers alike. Marco also unveils exciting announcements for 2025: Beam Layer 1 upgrades, Beam Ventures, and the role of AI in gaming.
Whether you're a Web3 enthusiast, an entrepreneur, or simply curious about the intersection of gaming and blockchain, this episode is packed with insights you won't want to miss!
⌛ Timestamps:
00:00:00 Episode trailer
00:00:28 Introduction and self-introduction of Marco van den Heuvel
00:02:00 Marco’s journey into Web3 and early Bitcoin discovery
00:03:06 Building communities in Web3 and lessons learned
00:09:05 How Marco discovered about Bitcoin
00:10:59 Marco's fascination with terrarium
00:16:32 Background of Beam Labs from Merit Circle days
00:20:00 What Beam does: a 360-degree overview
00:23:55 The significance of Beam Nodes and validator rewards
00:26:00 Origin of the name Merit Circle and the rebrand to Beam
00:31:04 Transition from an Avalanche subnet to Beam’s Layer 1 blockchain
00:36:24 Web3 tech requirements for games
00:39:05 Beam’s tech stack: NFT marketplace, wallet, and SDK
00:40:59 Beam Ventures: $150M gaming and AI investment fund in Abu Dhabi
00:44:31 Marco discusses competition and Beam’s unique approach
00:46:05 Beam's business models
00:50:24 Challenges facing Beam Labs
00:52:46 Evolution of Web3 gaming and the need for mainstream adoption
00:54:45 The people behind Beam Labs
00:59:30 Marco's take on a multi-chain world
01:01:30 How Web3 gaming will evolve in the future
01:04:16 Marco's favorite Web3 games
01:08:02 Marco’s advice for Web3 founders building gaming infrastructure
01:09:57 Where to follow Marco and stay updated on Beam Labs
01:11:01 Episode outro and final thoughts
Follow Marco and Beam:
Beam Labs X/Twitter: https://x.com/buildonbeam
Beam Foundation X/Twitter: https://x.com/BeamFDN
Marco's X/Twitter: https://x.com/Marco_Beam
Beam website: onbeam.com
Beam telegram: t.dot/buildonbeam
My social media:
Twitter/X: twitter.com/LamWeb3
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lamweb3/
Website: https://lamtrinh.xyz
My old article about the 2-3 prevailing narratives of 2024-2025: substack.com/home/post/p-143541984
If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to stay updated on our upcoming episodes with industry experts and innovators in the Web3 and Entrepreneurship spaces. Thank you for listening!
