Meet the Pinoy crusaders traversing the uncharted world of NFTs.
Collegemates Alfred Someros and Karl Ruelan are crypto stars whose origins sound like the logline of a sitcom called “Bored Punks.” Not too long ago, they were just that.
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Like others their age, Someros and Ruelan squandered their youth in lazy afternoon hangouts with friends as they enjoyed junk food and the latest mobile game together.
Now they’ve earned enough from playing the same game to host their very own networking event in the presidential suite of a five-star hotel in Manila.
“You’re probably wondering how I got into this situation,” the movie cliché-turned-meme goes.
This is the same chaotic energy that possessed Someros and Ruelan when they turned their passion for online gaming into an unexpected but sound investment.
Play to win
They would first research the world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which to the crypto-illiterate would have as much marvel and mystery as the deepest, darkest ocean trenches.
These tokens, however, are simply just digital assets that can be sold or traded in a very competitive online market, the partners illuminated.
Having early on studied the ins and outs of NFTs, beginnings and developments included, Someros and Ruelan grew into learned scholars of the still-nascent crypto industry.
Their big break “unofficially” came when they initially offered 7,640 Avatar-based NFTs that they would later sell out for 25 matic each within a month after the official release.
They soon found themselves finishing top 3 in OpenSea World Rankings in the Polygon Network, where they successfully resold their BPOS NFT for over P510,000 each. At the time, this was one of the highest-registered NFT profits ever made among Filipino investors.
The University of the Philippines college buddies lost count after scoring one crypto hit after another. World domination seemed to be the logical next step, but they decided that helping out their people would be just as cool.
Tutorial mode
Someros and Ruelan turned their attention to creating their own Filipino community. Here, they could advise others on financial literacy, especially making wise or strategic investments in the NFT world.
Through the fanbase they built from previously sharing online gaming tips, they gained a platform where they could share their crypto knowledge gained from firsthand experience.
Further solidifying their audience’s trust is their respective backgrounds in organizational management and as a mechanical engineering major.
“We wanted to help other Filipinos learn about NFTs and how casual gamers can actually go on a much deeper level and engage others to earn a respectable living,” Someros explains.
Bored Punks of Society, fittingly enough, became the moniker of their community-driven social movement and club. Their mission: “educating, thriving, and spreading the beauty of cryptocurrencies, metaverse, investing, and financial literacy to the mass through onboarding and NFTs.”
According to their chief marketing officer, they wanted to help create more success stories for others by breaking down what is still considered a “gray area” among Filipinos into everyday terms.
Indeed, others had success in replicating theirs.
In one instance, a friend who was invited to mint Bored Punk of Society art for only P3,000 was able to sell the same work for an estimated P500,000.
Endgame
Fast forward to today, the Bored Punks can both unfreeze the frame and, in continuation of the meme, proudly say: “Yup, that’s me.”
Their Filipino NFT movement has grown to recruit over 18,000 members and 50 educators.
Meanwhile, their brand holds prestige recognized in the local and international NFT scene, as proven by over 75 brand partners and affiliates offering perks and discounts.
Someros and Ruelan toast cocktails with the likes of Michael Pacquiao, LA Aguinaldo, and Kiyo during their first exclusive event for key investors, partners, and influencers.
At Conrad Manila’s presidential suite, they are able to feel the physical fruits of their digital labor.
The crypto space is very much real and growing, the Pinoy crusaders have proven. And thanks to them, the path to prosperity doesn’t seem so dark and deep.
Banner Photo via Bored Punks of Society
