In recent years, Filipinos are optimistically venturing into cryptocurrency, play-to-earn (P2E) games, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with the desire of safekeeping their assets in the blockchain and through decentralized financing. The inevitable change in the blockchain technology sparked the idea for Miggy Azurin, a 29-year-old serial entrepreneur, to set up The Mega Maxi to be the premier hub for the highest-quality content for anything and everything NFTs and P2E games.
Azurin recently closed an angel investment round to finance the making of The Mega Maxi, a web3 media company that delivers the latest news and events about crypto, NFTs, P2E gaming, and Metaverse, with the hope of providing high-quality content to inspire and educate users.
A passion project
In the past two years, a surge of interest and money flowing into the “space” has been reported, especially in the Philippines through the rise of P2E games like Axie Infinity. The frenzy of buying P2E games and NFTs documented how Filipinos actively buy, sell, trade, and own cryptocurrencies.
His idea started in early 2021 when he discovered NBA Top Shot—the official NFT project of the National Basketball Players Association. He then started playing Axie Infinity and is currently an ambassador for another blockchain mobile role-play gaming called “Guild of Guardians.” He is also involved in other smaller communities in the NFT space.
His interest in cryptocurrency, web3, and NFTs made him realize the potential of NFTs and how brands can utilize the technology to reach more fans, build engagement, and connect with different people on a virtual level.
“In my deep dive into NFTs, I realized that there is so much information needed to digest, and I had a hard time figuring that out on my own,” Azurin said.
Discovering the complex world of cryptocurrency ignites Azurin’s passion for sharing his knowledge through The Mega Maxi, where he aims to create a community of billion users.
“And with the drive to educate and share all the knowledge and experience I gathered, I feel that I am now well-placed to provide an avenue for people to consume high-quality information through The Mega Maxi,” he added.
Empowering users through information
According to the 2021 Finder Crypto Report, the Philippines ranked fifth worldwide, with 28% of citizens declaring owning a cryptocurrency. With the increasing number of Filipinos investing in these new currencies, The Mega Maxi will empower its readers by providing a haven of information.
As a marketer, Azurin loves how NFTs can bring people together over shared values and mutual love for the art or artist they support. As a passionate educator, he believes that knowledge is both power and profit. With The Mega Maxi, he wants to help people gain insights they need to take action and improve their lives in P2E gaming and the rising industry of Web 3.
The Mega Maxi is actively educating crypto enthusiasts through the content they upload on their Facebook and Twitter pages. They regularly do live audio conversations on Twitter Space to discuss topics related to P2E, NFTs, Web 3, and everything in between.
Failure is not fatal
Before setting up The Mega Maxi, Azurin failed multiple times in growing his own startup companies in different industries after graduating from college until he joined his peers in the corporate world and worked as a freelance before finding his passion in marketing.
“I jumped into entrepreneurship right after graduating from college. I attempted to start several startup companies in different industries, but none of them took off,” Azurin stated.
He started his career in marketing by doing work for free until he transitioned into paying clients after building his portfolio. His newfound love for marketing made him dream bigger by forming his own marketing consulting company, Huskee Digital.
“I remained relentless and persistent. I used my previous business failures as learning opportunities to guide me in delivering marketing services to my clients,” he said.
In 2021, he became a Chief Marketing Officer for 4Gives, a fintech startup offering a “buy now, pay later” payment plan to customers or users with equal installments to buy products at 0% interest.
Furthermore, being an advocate of getting enough sleep for seven to eight hours, Azurin ventured into running a sleep health e-commerce business called Better Sheep, which offers products that help sleep better at night, including blankets, loungewear, lavender-scented balm, and care kits.
As an active startup entrepreneur in Manila, Azurin’s father, Jojy Azurin, influenced him to enter the business. Growing up in that household, he was exposed to and given insights on how to get started in tech.
The Future of Metaverse and Web3
Azurin said that now in Web2, big tech companies like Apple, Facebook, and Google have defined the experiences for the longest time and had to play by their rules. In Web3, most companies building in the Metaverse will be “community-first.”
“The community will have more influence over experiences, and the products brands will be building,” Azurin said.
One of Web3’s core tenants is decentralization; the users will have more freedom over data and digital assets, as it will give organizations less power and allow users to participate more actively.
“The best Web3 brands will be ones that give users true ownership over assets – whether that be art, collectibles, gaming items, or experiences,” he stated.
Metaverse is a virtual space where people can socialize, shop, play, and work, while Web3 is a new kind of internet service built using decentralized blockchains that aren’t controlled by a single company or governed by any rules.
The Next Generation of Tech Savvies
With the emergence of the virtual community, Azurin said that web development and community management would be the two biggest career opportunities. The art of creating and managing smart contracts will be in demand as more businesses tap the technology.
“People who are social media savvy and command a deep knowledge of community building will also see countless opportunities as businesses invest in growing their online communities,” he stressed.
In addition, he wanted to inspire the young generation who aspire to start their own tech company to go out of their comfort zones and explore the industry by building their networks through attending events.
“For young graduates, I would start by attending the many networking events throughout the country. Plenty of passionate and intelligent people work in the tech sector here. There’s so much to learn about the space, and it becomes financially and professionally rewarding to follow your curiosity,” Azurin said.
