Ownership S1E3: Kru (Umbra)
In this episode of Ownership, 8bitpenis sits down with Kru, founder of Umbra, to unpack a different approach to building in DeFi.
We explore how Umbra launched, the decision to go through MetaDAO, and what it means to rethink capital formation in crypto after the ICO era collapsed.
Kru shares his journey from early crypto cycles to building Omnipair, why traditional fundraising models feel broken, and how $UMBRA fits into a new ownership-first framework.
This conversation covers: • Why ICOs failed• Launching through MetaDAO• The psychology of fundraising in crypto• Building on Solana• Token alignment vs speculation• Lessons from early web3 cycles• Why ownership structures matter
Ownership is a podcast about capital formation in crypto and beyond.
Follow on X: Host — https://x.com/8bitpenis Kru - https://x.com/kru_tweets Produced by — https://x.com/BlockformerLLC Follow for deeper conversations on governance, ownership, and the future of DeFi.
Ownership S1E3: Kru (Umbra)
More from Ownership
Ownership Podcast S2 E02: Kirat (The Inner Table)
Kirat, founder of The Inner Table, on how India’s shifting poker laws have opened a blue ocean for offline studios and why creator-led distribution could be the winning edge. We cover his journey from Goldman and Gather Town to Superteam and Backpack, leaving crypto to build a 600K-subscriber coding channel, and why he is now opening a livestream-first poker studio in Delhi NCR. Plus the economics of a 5% rake, how 100 daily players could generate a $200K monthly topline, why normies attract the best players, raising $100K on Backable, regulation as the biggest risk, and potential token holder perks including zero rake and weekly freerolls. Guest: Kirat, The Inner Table Host: 8bitpenis
Ownership Podcast S2 E01: Tim (The Syndicate)
Tim, founder of The Syndicate, on why crypto gaming keeps collapsing in on itself and how he’s building a game people actually want to play. We cover his path from primary school teacher to Tensor, Vector, Kamino and Backpack, how getting rugged inspired an idle mafia strategy game anyone can play without a wallet, and what crypto adds through true ownership and provably fair pack openings. Plus why the team killed its own in-game token, how a four-month beta proved players would stay without financial incentives, raising through ownership tokens on Backable, and reaching $265K in revenue, 850+ daily active users and 25% 30-day retention. Guest: Tim, The Syndicate Host: 8bitpenis
Ownership Podcast S1 E12: Tony (Epicentral)
Tony from Epicentral on bringing American style options onchain, the Solana Options Standard, and why options are the biggest gap in DeFi. We cover why options have never scaled in crypto, how option pools replace the order book with onchain Black-Scholes pricing, why you can write options without putting up 100 SOL of collateral, and why he calls options the original prediction market. Plus binary options vs real options, the quadrillion dollar market Solana doesn't yet capture, and options as a hedge against impermanent loss. Guest: Tony, Epicentral Host: 8bitpenis