Venn Oputa: Carving Out a Place for African History on the Blockchain
Venn Oputa, an ideator and co-founder of Afrobubble, is passionate about showcasing the rich history of Africa using the power of blockchain technology. As the creator of one of Africa’s first NFT collections, which aims to immortalize the legendary Queen Amina, Oputa recently sat down with Technext to discuss his journey.
Early Influences and Encounter with NFTs
Oputa, who grew up in Lagos and had his education there, was heavily influenced by cartoons such as Dexter, Samurai Jack, and Tom and Jerry. He also developed a love for anime and manga, which he still enjoys today. Oputa describes himself as an ideator rather than a creative artist, with a passion for stories and putting Africa on the global map.
Oputa’s interest in NFTs was sparked in late 2020 and early 2021 when the tech industry was booming. He used a CryptoPunk NFT as his profile picture on Clubhouse, which gave him access to influential people in the space. He was drawn to the potential of NFTs in onboarding more people into crypto and creating digital memberships with verifiable authenticity on the blockchain.
Launching Afrobubble on Solana
Initially, Oputa and his team set out to build a niche NFT marketplace for African creators, but they realized that the high gas fees on the Ethereum network would not make it a viable product. Instead, they turned to Solana, which had a fast-growing NFT ecosystem with lower gas fees. Oputa and his team decided to create within the space and started with art, aiming to create something unique that represented Africa but also had global appeal. They also crafted a story around the Afrobubble journey, immortalizing Queen Amina with a twist inspired by Samurai Jack and Game of Thrones.
GameFi and Future Innovations
Oputa hints at upcoming updates regarding GameFi from Afrobubble but cannot disclose details yet, as their goal is to innovate and adapt to the space as it evolves. He acknowledges that hype and excitement are important for marketing, but the ultimate goal is to create a compelling and addictive product that stands the test of time.
NFTs as an Avenue for African Creators
Oputa believes that NFTs are a perfect avenue for African creators to raise funds and execute their ideas. He acknowledges that not all talented artists will succeed and emphasizes the need for talent improvement, consistency, and networking within the field to thrive, regardless of geographic location. Oputa also sees NFTs as a solution for real-world problems beyond art and hype, such as verifying authenticity, identity, and combating deep fakes and AI-generated content.
Living in an Attention Economy
Oputa observes that we now live in an attention economy and advises artists and gamers seeking breakthroughs in the art world to promote their works loudly, even if the art itself may not speak for itself. He expresses fascination with future technologies such as AI and the potential for future projects in that space.
Venn Oputa’s passion for showcasing African history through NFTs and his belief in the potential of blockchain technology to solve real-world problems make Afrobubble a pioneering venture in the African NFT space. With his creative vision and commitment to innovation, Oputa continues to carve out a unique place for Africa in the world of blockchain.
