Most people think successful crypto bros are all about flashy watches and Lambos. But for the co-founder of Web3 tentpole title Axie Infinity, nothing beats insects and butterflies.
“I grew up collecting insects and fossils. My dad collects butterflies as well. So I love to be out in nature,” Jeffrey Zirlin, better known as “Jiho,” tells Magazine during an interview in the Philippines. The co-founder of Sky Mavis and Ronin Network credits his unique fascination with rare bugs and natural creatures for drawing him to Axie Infinity.
He came across the Axie NFT project just a month after it launched in 2018, loved the look of the unique creatures, and joined the founding team, helping turn it into one of the biggest Web3 titles to date.
“That’s part of what drew me to Axie, right? Because I discovered Axie as a community member, and I was a biology champion growing up.”
A character based on Zirlin and his unique hobby features in the laid-back adventure game Pixels, which has become Ronin’s most popular title by active users.
“I’m in Pixels, the game, and I have a butterfly now,” he laughs. Zirlin is used to the spotlight, though, and has built up 515,300 followers on X.
“A lot of my close friends are from the Axie community as well; I think Web3 is a great way to make great friends with like-minded ideas,” he says.
When he’s not being the insect version of Doctor Dolittle, Zirlin says he’s into lifting weights and shooting hoops in his downtime.
How did Jeffrey Zirlin grow his X following?
Zirlin joined X in June 2018, when no one really “cared about NFT gaming or Web3 gaming.”
“I got my first 5,000 followers by tweeting about Ethereum protocol issues,” he says.
He regularly sparred with Ethereum miners over the switch from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake.
(X/Jeffrey Zirlin)
“There were miners back in the day who were against the transition,…
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