Joe Rogan Is Not a Crypto Fan

Joe Rogan’s podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE), continues to be one of the most popular and influential shows, with standout episodes

Renowned podcaster Joe Rogan recently shared his thoughts on Bitcoin and NFTs during an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) with conservationist Paul Rosolie, sparking reactions from the crypto community.

Rogan and Rosolie began discussing meaningful work and money, expressing their skepticism about Bitcoin and NFTs as legitimate investments. They questioned the logic of spending "real money" on what they perceived as "weird f*cking imaginary money."

The conversation shifted to NFTs, highlighting the 2021 boom sparked by Beeple's $69 million NFT sale that propelled NFTs into the mainstream. However, they also noted the market crash following the initial frenzy.

Rogan further disclosed turning down crypto and NFT endorsement deals, stating, "I don’t even know what it is."

He also expressed his disdain for Bored Apes, dismissing them as "a sh*t cartoon." Rogan argued with his producer, Jamie Vernon, about the intrinsic value of physical art compared to digital art, which can be easily screenshotted.

Highlighting this point, Rogan stated that the original Mona Lisa is more valuable than an image of it.

Several digital asset advocates quickly responded to Rogan and Rosolie's statements, aiming to clarify their misconceptions.

YouTube channel Altcoin Daily countered their argument by explaining the significance of digital ownership, using Bitcoin as an example. They pointed out that while anyone can screenshot a public Bitcoin address, it doesn't grant them ownership of the Bitcoin associated with that address.

Altcoin Daily also argued that Rogan's perspective missed a crucial point, stating, "What Bitcoin did for money, NFTs are doing for identity and community as younger generations embrace digitalization.”

Steve Kaczynski, coauthor of The Everything Token, agreed with Rogan's criticism of the NFT bubble but added that NFTs extend beyond artwork, serving practical purposes in ticketing, gaming, loyalty programs, combating AI fakes, and establishing proof of ownership.

Despite these efforts, global weekly NFT sales from September 30 to October 6 totaled $84.7 million, showing a steep 96% decline from the August 2021 high, indicating a significant cooling of the NFT hype with little sign of recovery.