Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
The Bull Market Operating System: Mastering the Psychology of Crypto Investing
In this mindset-driven session, Travis Thomas & Ben Simpson break down the psychological frameworks required to navigate bull markets effectively. From emotional discipline and decision-making under pressure to avoiding common behavioural traps, the discussion explores how mastering psychology can be just as important as strategy when investing in crypto.
🎥 Recorded live at AusCryptoCon 2025.
The Bull Market Operating System: Mastering the Psychology of Crypto Investing
In this mindset-driven session, Travis Thomas & Ben Simpson break down the psychological frameworks required to navigate bull markets effectively. From emotional discipline and decision-making under pressure to avoiding common behavioural traps, the discussion explores how mastering psychology can be just as important as strategy when investing in crypto.
🎥 Recorded live at AusCryptoCon 2025.







![Scaling Base & Onboarding Billions to Crypto: Michael de Hoog, Coinbase | AusCryptoCon
Coinbase is aiming to bring one billion users on-chain!
Michael de Hoog, a key engineer at Coinbase working alongside Brian Armstrong and Jesse Pollak on Base, dives into the groundbreaking work being done to scale Base, Coinbases Layer 2 solution, and onboard the next wave of crypto users.
Learn about the technical challenges of scaling to a gigas per second, the innovative smart wallet and passkey approach for user-friendly onboarding, and Coinbases vision for a future of self-custody.
Attend AusCryptoCon this year & hear from more crypto Innovators! Get your tickets for AusCryptoCon 2025 : https://auscryptocon.com/
Timestamped Chapters:
[0:00] Introduction to Michael Duo from Coinbase at AusCryptoCon - Introduction to Michael Duo, early Coinbase engineer and key figure on Base, at the Australian Crypto Convention.
[0:48] Michael Duos Journey at Coinbase: From 2017 to Base - Michael shares his background, joining Coinbase in 2017 during the ICO boom, and his focus on scaling infrastructure.
[2:36] Base Layer 2 Growth & Origin Story: Coinbases On-Chain Vision - Discussion of Bases rapid growth as the fastest-growing Ethereum Layer 2, its origin story, and Coinbases strategic move on-chain.
[3:54] Coinbases Motivation for Base: Beyond Exchange Revenue Models - Explaining Coinbases need to move beyond traditional exchange and brokerage models and embrace on-chain technologies.
[4:51] Ethereum L2 Selection & Optimism OP Stack: Building Base - The decision to build on Ethereum and the selection of Optimisms OP Stack for Bases development.
[5:59] Scaling Base to a Gigas Per Second: Technical Challenges & Roadmap - In-depth discussion of the ambitious goal to scale Base to a gigas per second transaction throughput and the technical hurdles involved.
[6:58] Addressing L1 Blob Space Limits & L2 Execution Speed for Scaling - Challenges with L1 blob space, L2 execution speed, and potential solutions like state memoization and rollup boost.
[7:46] State Growth & Archive Nodes: Managing Data for Scalability - Addressing state growth challenges, deprecating archive nodes, and moving towards full nodes and state expiration strategies.
[8:24] Horizontal Scaling with OP Stack Interrupt Features: Future Scaling Directions - Exploring horizontal scaling possibilities with OP Stack interrupt features for running multiple Base chains.
[8:50] Smart Wallets & Passkeys for User Onboarding: Melbourne Marathon Example - Discussion of smart wallets and passkeys as crucial for onboarding billions of users, referencing the Melbourne Marathon example.
[9:31] The Logic Behind Smart Wallets: Seed Phrases, Gas Fees & User Experience - Explaining the rationale for smart wallets to overcome onboarding friction associated with seed phrases and gas fees.
[10:09] Coinbase Wallet & Account Abstraction (ERC-4337): Simplifying User Access - Evolution of Coinbase Wallet and integration of ERC-4337 for gasless transactions and improved user experience.
[10:44] Key Space: A Minimal Key Store ZK Rollup for Cross-Chain Wallet State - Introduction to Key Space, a ZK rollup project for managing wallet state across multiple chains and its evolution.
[12:29] L3s on Base & Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs): Reducing Withdrawal Times - Exploration of L3s built on Base using trusted execution environments to significantly reduce withdrawal times to 10 seconds.
[13:06] Composable L3s & Extended L2 Block Space: Vision for App Chains - Vision for composable L3s and how they can extend L2 block space, enabling faster cross-chain interactions.
[14:24] Getting Started Building on Base: Resources & Developer Tools - Guidance on resources for developers to start building on Base, including base.org, documentation, Discord, and GitHub.
[15:14] Exciting Projects in the Base Ecosystem: ZK Proofs & Hardware Acceleration - Michael highlights exciting projects in the ZK space, including Risk Zero, Cinc, and Beest, and their contributions to the ecosystem.
[16:53] Q&A: DeFi Risks & Platform Security - Audience Q&A - Question about risks involved in DeFi, and security considerations.
[17:29] Q&A: Passkeys & User Onboarding: Ubiquitous Technology for Mass Adoption - Audience Q&A - Question about passkeys as a brand new technology to help with mass onboarding and future adoption.
[19:49] Q&A: Self-Custody & Security with Mass Onboarding Strategies - Audience Q&A - Question about the balance between mass onboarding strategies and maintaining self-custody and security. Scaling Base & Onboarding Billions to Crypto: Michael de Hoog, Coinbase | AusCryptoCon](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/D2EFj8I3UCo/mqdefault.jpg)

![Sunday WTF is Crypto Gaming - Michael Hanlon (Playa3ull Games) | AusCryptoCon 2024
Is crypto gaming finally ready for mass adoption?
Michael Hanlon, CEO of Playa3ull Games, shares intel into building successful and FUN Web3 games.
Learn the important differences between Web2 and Web3 gaming models, common pitfalls to avoid (undoxxed teams, overhyped marketing), and Playa3ull Games unique approach to creating immersive, quality crypto games.
Discover the secrets to balancing play-to-earn with genuine player enjoyment and why Playa3ull is poised to be a leader in the evolving world of blockchain gaming.
[0:20] Web2 vs. Web3 Gaming: Centralized Platforms vs. Decentralized Ownership - Michael explains the key differences between Web2 centralized gaming platforms and decentralized Web3 gaming built on blockchain.
[3:49] Gaming Industry Size & Opportunity: A Multi-Billion Dollar Market Ripe for Disruption - Highlights the massive size of the global gaming industry ($585 Billion estimated revenue by 2027) and the opportunity for Web3 disruption.
[4:50] Play-to-Earn (P2E) Gaming & Web3 Examples: Crypto Kitties, Axie Infinity, The Sandbox - Provides examples of early Web3 games like Crypto Kitties and Axie Infinity, and discusses the rise of Play-to-Earn models.
[6:52] Challenges of Building on Blockchain: Ordinary Games & Focus on Fun - Addresses the challenges of building engaging games on blockchain and critiques the prevalence of low-quality clicker games.
[8:56] Balancing Fun & Earnings in Web3 Gaming: Playable Games Approach - Explains Playa3ull Games philosophy of prioritizing fun and engaging gameplay first, with crypto integration as a bonus, not the core focus.
[10:28] Pitfall 1: Chasing Coins and Narratives - Mistake in Crypto Investing - Connects back to the crypto investing theme of the conference by mentioning the pitfall of chasing fleeting trends. This might need to be adjusted to be more gaming-focused if pure gaming SEO is the goal.
[13:19] Pitfall 2: Undoxxed Teams - Red Flag & Lack of Transparency - Highlights undoxxed teams as a major red flag and a common pitfall in the Web3 gaming space, warning of potential rug pulls.
[13:57] Pitfall 3: Overhyped Marketing & Unrealistic Promises - Beware of Empty Trailers - Warns against overhyped marketing and trailers without actual gameplay, advising viewers to be wary of projects promising too much too soon.
[17:16] Pitfall 4: Complicated & Unsustainable Tokenomics - Lack of Clarity & User Understanding - Identifies complicated and unsustainable tokenomics as another pitfall, emphasizing the need for clear and understandable token models.
[18:17] Pitfall 5: Inexperienced Game Development Teams - Questioning Credibility & Track Record - Critiques inexperienced game development teams, particularly young teams without prior game development experience promising AAA-level games.
[20:32] Solution 1: Immersive Experiences & Quality Gameplay - Prioritizing Fun Over Crypto - First solution for successful Web3 gaming: prioritize immersive and high-quality gameplay that is fun and engaging even without crypto.
[21:48] Solution 2: Direct Gamer Input & Community Feedback - Shaping Game Development - Second solution: emphasize direct gamer input and community feedback to shape game development and improve user experience.
[23:02] Solution 3: Ownership & Autonomy - Secure Wallets & Player Control of Assets (Metamask) - Third solution: empower players with ownership and autonomy over their in-game assets through secure wallets like Metamask.
[24:47] Solution 4: Community Engagement & Player Retention - Beyond Initial Hype & Building Loyalty - Fourth solution: focus on community engagement and player retention to build a sustainable player base beyond initial hype.
[26:06] Solution 5: Recognition & Rewards for Loyal Players - Incentivizing Engagement & Community - Fifth solution: implement recognition and reward systems to incentivize player loyalty and deeper community engagement.
[26:27] Playable Games - A Family Business: Unique Approach & Long-Term Vision - Introduces Playable Games as a family-funded business, highlighting their unique, long-term, and independent approach.
[27:03] Playable Games Leadership: Gaming & Crypto Credentials - Experienced Team - Highlights the experienced leadership team at Playable Games, combining gaming expertise (Jet & Sam) with marketing/crypto experience (Mom & Dad).
[28:30] Playable Games Portfolio: 30 Games in 10 Years - Nexus & Orderm Showcased - Showcases Playable Games ambitious portfolio of 30 games over 10 years, highlighting their live games Nexus and Orderm.
[30:06] Playable Games Efficiency & AI Integration: Smarter, Faster Development & Scale - Explains Playable Games strategy for efficient game production through AI integration and agile development, allowing them to produce more games faster. Sunday WTF is Crypto Gaming - Michael Hanlon (Playa3ull Games) | AusCryptoCon 2024](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DJo-K2pqDWE/mqdefault.jpg)
