Key Takeaways
- Jacob Horne is the Co-Founder and CEO of Zora Labs, a platform that uses blockchain to help creators directly monetize and control their digital work.
- Before founding Zora, Jacob worked as a Product Manager at Coinbase, where he gained experience with crypto products and user-owned platforms.
- Zora Labs offers an open-source protocol focused on decentralized auctions, marketplaces, and creator royalties.
Who Is Jacob Horne?
Jacob Horne is the Co-Founder and CEO of Zora Labs, a platform that uses blockchain to help creators sell and share digital art fairly and directly. Under his leadership, Zora Labs has become a key player in Web3, giving artists more control over their work and income. Jacob supports decentralized platforms and believes blockchain can change how art and media are owned and shared.
Early Career At Coinbase
Jacob Horne has a background in design and product development, focusing on making products simple and easy for people to use. Early in his career, he focused on creating better user experiences, always striving to make technology more accessible. His time at Coinbase, where he served as a Product Manager, provided him with a closer look at the rapidly growing world of cryptocurrency.
There, he noticed the significant control that large, centralized platforms held over digital markets, often limiting opportunities for individual creators and users. This experience shaped his view on the need for more open, creator-friendly systems in the digital economy.
Co-Founding Zora Labs
Jacob co-founded Zora Labs to build a more open and fair system for creators. He and his team made a platform where creators can mint, sell, and collect digital assets without middlemen. Zora Labs has revolutionized the digital art and media world by enabling creators to sell their work directly to fans.
This gives artists more freedom and helps them earn from the growing value of their work. Zora is open-source system is a key component, allowing anyone to build upon it. This supports a more open and flexible space where creators are not limited to one platform.
Growth and Impact of Zora Labs
Since launching, Zora has become a major Web3 platform for creators. Artists like Pak, RAC, and Latashá have utilized this platform to release their work directly to fans without the need for intermediaries. In 2023, Zora launched its own Layer 2 blockchain on Ethereum, enabling faster and cheaper NFT creation and trading.
It supports millions of transactions with low fees, helping creators and communities save money. Zora’s growth shows that more people want open, creator-first platforms where they can truly own their work.
The Future of the Creator Economy
In an episode of the Bell Curve Podcast, Jacob Horne, Co-founder and CEO of Zora, talks about how Zora is reshaping the creator economy using blockchain. He explains the rise of tokenized media, new royalty models that better support artists, and how cryptocurrency is building a new internet where content, value, and attention converge. Jacob also shares insights into Zora’s design and gives a preview of upcoming features designed to make the platform even more creator-focused.
Jacob Horne’s Role in Web3
Jacob is an active speaker and writer in the Web3 space, sharing his thoughts on decentralization, creator ownership, and how blockchain can build a fairer internet. He believes the future of the internet will be community-owned, open-source, and more creative, and he’s working to make that happen through Zora.
A Vision for the Creator Economy
Jacob Horne’s vision for Zora and Web3 goes beyond marketplaces. He sees Web3 as a chance to rebuild the internet with ownership, freedom, and community at its core. Jacob sees a world where everyone can own their content, data, and the networks they use.
He believes creators should own their work and the platforms they use through decentralized models. For Jacob, blockchain is more than just technology — it’s a means to transform the way value is created and shared online.
Final Thoughts
Jacob Horne’s journey, from working at Coinbase to leading Zora Labs, is all about giving creators control and ownership. With Zora, he’s helping artists, musicians, and communities rethink how to own and share value online. Focused on open tools, decentralized ownership, and empowering creators, Jacob is a key leader in the Web3 space. His work shows how blockchain can change culture, creativity, and community. As Web3 grows, Jacob’s leadership will continue to shape a fairer, creator-friendly digital world.
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