Discover Project Phäros with Founder Matt Monday

Bold web3 projects need a visionary and degen team behind them. Meet Matt Monday, the creative director behind the Anime PFP collection Project Phäros—minting now on Base via Rarible.com.

By blending the intricate storytelling of anime with the dynamic culture of web3, Matt and his team seem to have a great take on where they're going. Check out our exclusive interview for alpha on why Base, upcoming holder benefits, and the lore that rules Phäros.

Tell us about what inspired the creation of Project Phäros. 

Matt: Several things inspired the concept. For starters, the art, lore, and story were inspired by Kentaro Miura's anime "Berserk". The art and storytelling in that series is second to none in my opinion, and it really gave me a blueprint of how I wanted to tell the story of Phäros in extended form.

The themes, foreshadowing, and character development were all things I had not experienced in anime—in comparison to, say, Dragon Ball Z or One Punch Man which are more action-driven.

I'm a very detailed creator and I was captivated by the attention to detail in this series to the point I was motivated to spend hours building the characters and story.

The goal in mind for Phäros was to build a world where holders can get lost and potentially discover something within themselves through art and story. World—building is a top priority, so many of the traits in Project Phäros are tied directly to the lore with other traits paying homage to anime and culture that have inspired me over the years.

I was also inspired by the lack of culture in web3. I've been to many events in web3 where the production was top notch but the taste and curation were lacking in a lot of areas.

You've mentioned a lack of diversity in web3. How does Project Phäros use culture to address this issue?

Matt: My intentions were to build a project that leaned heavy on culture and served as a cultural hub for like-minded individuals to cultivate around the same artistic interest with our foundational themes being anime, sneaker, streetwear, and music (mainly hip hop) culture.

Web3 is a bubble but a somewhat vast one where it can sometimes feel difficult to find others who share interests outside of the obvious monetary play.

Another big issue is: How can we create a solution for more inclusivity and diversity? I believed then as I do now the answer is a strong integration of culture.

This plays into the lighthouse in the Phäros logo having dual meaning: In the lore it is the place where the characters are trapped by opposing tribes, and in IRL it serves as a beacon to send a message to those who share the same sentiment on culture that you have a place here.

What got you Based? Why are you launching Phäros on the Layer 2?

Matt: Base to me is somewhat of a "dream chain" for artists who intend to build products and experiences with the intention to scale.

I appreciate the ability to remain permission-less during wallet-to-wallet interaction keeping to the culture of rewarding holders, but minus the fees.

This holds the value of what was cultivated on ETH but makes it more accessible, especially for those new to crypto and NFTs.

As crypto grows in mass adoption with Base executing their 4 phases this will be a major key in brand and business building, and we look forward to it.

The Anime artwork behind Project Phäros is dope. What can you share about your roadmap that might get our community hyped?

Matt: It's funny because whenever asked about roadmaps I like to quote the great Dr. Emmett Brown.

What's cool about Phäros is we already have existing brands in operation that we intend to scale and offer to the community as a premium product, Cultura Festival being one of them. 

Founded in 2019 in Charleston, SC, Cultura Festival has partnered with Red Bull & Titos to highlight top acts in hip hop, RnB, & Dance music from around the country.

We just wrapped up our third year and next year we plan to be in a position to create the "Phäros VIP" where our holders will have first dibs at VIP tickets with an opportunity to receive a fest experience that's curated specifically for them.

We also have our inaugural collaboration with DJ collective Soulection coming this fall called Off the Walls which will also be a dance experience offered to holders.

Our first NFT Koodos, which was attached to a physical piece, will also be making its return with a Part 2—showcasing a new artist that will make this piece highly sought after once it hits the market.

Those are a few plans with several more in the works that we will keep under wraps and reveal as we progress.

As a brand and company we are less about road maps and more about execution, thus why most of our offerings existed prior to the release of Phäros to avoid speculation out the gate.

How can collectors learn more about Phäros?

Matt: All other info can be found at projectpharos.xyz or on X @projpharos. Thank you for making it this far; I'm grateful!