Exclusive interview with Andras Kristof the Galaxis CEO — Road to Donald Trump
Galaxis has come a long way since its launch in 2021. Even during the biggest NFT fever, András Kristóf, CEO of Galaxis, said that beyond the heyday of the digital monkeys, there would be a time when WEB3 and NFT technology would become generally accepted. Today, it seems that this vision is becoming a reality. We have renamed NFT to Digital Collectibles, and utility-based technology has gained significant ground. While AI has become the new darling for fans of the hype, Galaxis.xyz has overcome all challenges with continuous improvements and has gained a leading position in the Web3 world.
Uniqueness and Market Position
How did the collaboration with Donald Trump come about, and what experience did you and Galaxis.xyz gain from it?
The opportunity to work with Donald Trump was indeed a significant milestone for us. We were approached by a colleague who knew the world of celebrities. At the time, he knew many people — athletes and artists — and he noticed our project. LaMelo Ball, Mike Tyson, and the NBA gave each other our “phone number.” So, all of a sudden, an email came in, which later gave birth to the previous three campaigns, in which supporters bought more than 100,000 NFTs.
This fourth campaign must be an absolute record but more important than quantity, we can provide quite a personal value for this campaign. It could be a cocktail party invitation where Trump himself makes an appearance or exciting personal items that will be available specifically only in this campaign.
We were chosen for this campaign because we can provide a platform that can engage a large audience while guaranteeing the integrity and usefulness of the associated digital collections.
What made Galaxis.xyz unique in the Web3 world, and how did you manage to maintain that uniqueness after the NFT hype died down?
Galaxis.xyz has always been more than simply riding the hype wave. From the beginning, we focused on creating utility-based digital collectibles, which already set us apart from other players in the market. While many people focused on the speculative side of NFTs, we focused on creating real value through our technology — building communities, providing access, and creating meaningful interactions. This focus on utility and long-term value allowed us to maintain our uniqueness, even as the market shifted away from the original NFT craze.
We are particularly proud that the positive experience of one key person has slowly turned around a previously negative view of our industry. It is a bit of an achievement to have contributed to making Web3 and crypto an explicit campaign issue in America in the face of previous opposition. The Donald Trump campaign allows us to show the benefits and value of this technology in the right place at the right time. As a technology provider, we have pioneered these projects; fortunately, the feedback has been positive.
What strategies have helped Galaxis to remain resilient amid market volatility, especially with the downturn in the NFT market last year?
Our strength comes from our ability to innovate. Learning from our mistakes, we realized early on that the NFT market would fluctuate, so we focused on creating technology that could be used in different use cases, not just digital art. Our priority has been building a strong community site and creating partnerships to help us weather the tough times and take advantage of new opportunities.
Beyond Celebrities — Custom Projects
Since 2021, you’ve worked with many celebrities. Who would you highlight? Was there a project that you felt particularly close to?
Working with Val Kilmer was particularly special for me because I got to know a very honest person in him. The fantastic thing is that he exudes an incredible level of creativity. His project wasn’t just about creating a digital collectible — it was about sharing a personal story and building a deep connection with his fans. Unfortunately, it received far less attention at the time than it deserved. Perhaps now that he is building a community on the platform, more people will recognize his value.
The Lobkowicz project — the Non-Fungible Castle — was also outstanding. It allowed us to combine centuries of history with modern technology, preserving and sharing cultural heritage in an innovative format. Equally exciting was our project in Transylvania — at the Tickle Museum — which links art and culture with the values and technology of Galaxis.
All three projects are unique because they perfectly reflect what we are trying to achieve at Galaxis: to create value beyond the digital, touching on both the personal and the historical.
What attracted celebrities to the Galaxis.xyz platform? How has this affected the growth of the company?
What attracted celebrities to Galaxis.xyz was that we allowed them to develop a real connection with their fans. Our platform wasn’t just another marketplace — it offered unique tools and technology that allowed celebrities to connect with their fans in new ways that were previously impossible. Celebrities were passing the handle to each other for a while, but the main reason was the NFT craze.
Unfortunately, despite working with several celebrities, we didn’t make the most of it because we were a little late in moving from individual projects to focusing on the overall platform.
At the same time, the projects started by celebrities often had specific needs that encouraged us to innovate and expand the capabilities of our future platform. Whether it was the development of new features or interesting new technology, ultimately, these projects helped us develop and shape our current offering.
Successful Projects, Technology Developments
Of the many projects you have completed, which are you most proud of regarding technology and why?
One of the projects I am most proud of is the collaboration with LaMelo Ball. It wasn’t just about creating an NFT but developing a dynamic, data-driven collectible that changes based on real-world events. This project demonstrated the potential of smart contracts and blockchain technology to create truly interactive and engaging digital experiences. It was a major technological achievement for us then and showed what is possible when we push the boundaries of digital collectibles. The success enhanced our reputation and paved the way for our later NBA project, whose real value also lay in its technological novelty.
But stepping back from the past, I am most proud of our present, where the Galaxis platform allows anyone to take advantage of much of what we have already achieved.
Our main goal now is to continue to develop this.
What is the vision for the future of the Engine technology that Galaxis has successfully used? How do you plan to develop this technology further shortly?
The Galaxis Engine is a key component of our ecosystem, and we have big plans to increase its usability. It has given a new impetus to our company’s development in early 2024. Engine technology is at the core of our platform, and we are constantly working to improve it. At the same time as implementing Engine, I envisioned a decentralized system similar to mining or the work of validators. I also want to connect the Engine with the communities; more specifically, the support for the Engine would help the communities’ goals.
The goal is that what Galaxis can do, the founders of our communities should be able to do, to the point where they can even release their Engines. We want to make the technology available to anyone and encourage current Engine owners to support our communities in exchange for bonuses.
We are looking for new ways to integrate Engine into our platform, such as transactions, staking, and access to exclusive content or features. Shortly, we plan to integrate AI and other advanced technologies to offer more personalized and engaging user experiences. We are also exploring how to extend the utility of digital collectibles, making them even more valuable and useful to our users. We aim to make the Galaxis engine an essential part of the user experience, adding value and encouraging participation in the platform. We must make the communities come alive to become attractive support targets for engine owners.
Present and Future: Innovation and Long-Term Vision
What innovations will Galaxis soon have, especially in AI? New chains will be integrated into the platform, running on Ethereum, Polygon, and Arbitrum. What short-term developments can Galaxis expect?
We are very excited about the new developments that are planned, especially in the field of AI. We’re working on integrating AI into our platform to provide users with more personalized and engaging experiences, for example, through AI-driven content creation.
On our platform, you can create communities on Ethereum, Polygon, and Arbitrum. Integrating these ensures our platform is scalable and accessible to a broader audience. These innovations are central to our strategy to make Galaxis the leading platform for utility-based digital collectibles. In the short term, users can expect new tools for social interaction and enhanced features for creators.
Do you think Galaxis has a chance to move beyond the current crypto bubble and create a real link between Web2 and Web3?
Absolutely. This is the only chance for our platform and, strictly speaking, for the industry. We have always focused on real value creation, not just riding the wave of speculative interest. We are committed to building bridges between Web2 and Web3 by offering tools and experiences that resonate with users in both worlds. We need to make Web3 technology as accessible at the mainstream level as the Internet is to everyone now.
Everybody remembers the dot-com revolution; many companies that suddenly sprang up have disappeared from the scene, but the technology has become commonplace. This is what is happening now in the blockchain and NFT market. We must reach the point where it is commonplace and generally accepted as part of everyday life.
What is the long-term vision for Galaxis.xyz, and how do you envision the company’s future role in the Web3 ecosystem? How do you plan to achieve these goals?
Our long-term vision is for our users to create a community that is not dependent on anyone, not even Galaxis. A community that cannot be taken away from its founder and whose success depends only on the joint activity of the founder and his community. That was the goal from the beginning and is still the goal. We are not a new marketplace but a new opportunity for community builders. We see ourselves playing a key role in the Web3 ecosystem by enabling creators and communities to build meaningful relationships with their audiences. To achieve this, we will continue the development we started in 2021, ensuring that Galaxis remains at the forefront of the industry.
How did Galaxis.xyz’s strategy evolve, and how did the company reach the point where the most famous politician, Donald Trump, chose your company for his campaign?
Our strategy has always been about creating real value through technology and utility, which resonated with high-end customers who wanted more than traditional digital marketing tools. Donald Trump chose our platform because we could provide a unique solution: a secure, scalable, and engaging solution that met the specific needs of his campaign.
This latest collection is also an excellent opportunity to introduce others to Web3 technology and our company.
You’ve worked with some of the best-known athletes, musicians, and even a real-life prince. What’s next? Elon Musk? SpaceX? What secrets can you share from your crystal ball for years to come?
We always strive to push the boundaries; it’s all about exploring new frontiers in technology and creativity. I’d prefer to see a community of hundreds of thousands of us now, where celebrities can play as big a role as anything else. I’d like to see Galaxis become the Patreon, the Kickstarter of Web3, where active community interaction replaces passive funding solutions.
We’re building an opportunity where we offer anyone the chance to create funding opportunities in their community. In the future, we will work to integrate the latest technologies, expand the capabilities of our platform, and continue to set new standards in the Web3 space. Working with celebrities is difficult, so I would much rather see Galaxis become the hub of Web3 community finance, where everyone can find a community of interest and opportunity.
We aim to find our true place in this rapidly evolving industry in the coming years. And who knows? Soon, we may be working with tomorrow’s innovators and taking Galaxis to new heights.
