After Danny Maegaard gambled with Bitcoin in its infancy, he struck it rich. Now, seeking to educate others through his art, he’s transitioned into the first-ever masked DJ in the Metaverse.
When Aussie Danny Maegaard turned a $4,000 Bitcoin investment into a $10m profit, he set-off on a global voyage to “have fun.” After traveling to over 40 countries, including 50 states he returned seeking a sense of fulfillment. A pioneer of cryptocurrency, Maegaard decentralized his finance in the summer of 2018, investing in NFT’s, while making $1m a year in derivatives. With his rare CryptoPunk helmet “Seven Trait,” Maegaard morphed into DJ Seedphrase, and is on a mission to intertwine music and NFT’s. I caught up with him to wax lyrical about DJing alongside Steve Aoki, rejecting a $4.2m offer for Seven Trait, and not wanting to be “another DJ in a helmet.”
Sarshar: You were offered $4.2 million for Crypto Punk 8348 (SevenTrait) of which there’s only 10,000 in the Metaverse. Did you decline that offer because you want to market the image as a long-term investment in the music industry?
DJ Seedphrase: I’ve done incredibly well in my Crypto, and also my energy investments so I was looking to define myself within the {crypto} space and had the idea to intersect music and NFT’s. I wanted to be unique and do something that hasn’t been done before.
Building a brand from my own NFT was unheard of, and – while you’re seeing record companies starting to purchase apes (algorithmically-generated illustrations), I’m unique in that I have one of the rarest NFT’s and that puts me in a really good spot to be taken seriously. No one really can replicate that.
I have had a lot of opportunities. I’ve just signed with a big manager, agent and a publicist. And I put that unique selling proposition down to the unique punk I have.
Sarshar: How did you first get into DJing?
DJ Seedphrase: I’ve been primarily invested in Crypto now for almost 10 years, and that’s my bread and butter. I was talking to a good friend of mine, Mike Pero, who organizes the Proof of Party event in New York for NFT NYC and I said wouldn’t it be fantastic if we brought Seed Phrase to life. It’s one thing seeing these NFT’s on-screen but to actually be able to physically see them in person would be an incredible experience.
I started getting lessons to develop my style as well and the rest is history. I debuted in New York alongside Steve Aoki, Don Diablo, Blondish. I also played at Dolce & Gabbana as well at the flagship Fifth Avenue store at a private fashion event.
Sarshar: Is there a story behind the name DJ Seedphrase?
DJ Seedphrase: 12 months ago I was anonymous online. I may have had 150 followers on Twitter. When my Twitter followers started to increase because everyone wanted to follow SevenTrait, I had to decide whether I was going to remain anonymous or expose myself to the public realm. Seedphrase is a common Crypto term, and – surprisingly, it was available. And it just stuck. After the show in New York, people knew me as Seedphrase and that helped me realize what an incredibly interesting space there was on social media for newcomers.
Sarshar: Did you receive any support or face any backlash from Marshmellow or Deadmau5 for sporting the helmet?
DJ Seedphrase: No, I actually know Chris (Marshmellow) quite well. I met him for the first time in New York, and saw him again in Miami. I was actually with him a week ago in LA. So we’re good buddies – and to be honest we haven’t spoken about music. I assume he’s quite supportive (laughs).
I’ve never had the opportunity to meet Deadmau5. But I’m not just another DJ with a helmet, there’s an educational aspect to it as well. I want people to ask questions and get curious about NFT’s and I want that person in the crowd to ask questions about the meaning behind the helmet, as opposed to focusing solely on me.
Sarshar: How would you describe your music?
DJ Seedphrase: Up until now, I’ve focused on a commercial house sound. I enjoy the underground sounds, like deep house. I plan on expanding my style, and incorporating hip hop and other aspects of music as well.
Sarshar: Are there any plans for an album?
DJ Seedphrase: There’s no plans on an album but I am releasing some music by the summer. Those will feature some big names, and I’m looking to expand into festivals, so playing at Coachella and Tomorrowland is my long-term vision.
I really want to traverse Web 3.0 and the music industry as well. I really do want to just be able to blend the two together – the mainstream, and the crypto natives as well. I want to be doing Crypto events, but also the mainstream festival circuits as well.
It would be a dream to collaborate with elite artists, but most importantly I want to have fun. It’s not about the money. It’s about fun, and educating people about NFT’s – along with bringing smiles to people’s faces. I think that’s the most powerful thing about it all.
Media Contact:
Sarshar Hosseinnia, Writer
sarshar@mindfulmediapr.com
