Cross-Chain Brand Building: Why Pudgy Penguins and Mythical Games Are Proof Polkadot’s Bet on Collectibles Will Pay Off @Polkadot has often been described as the chain of chains. But beneath the technical layers, something more cultural is happening: it’s effortlessly becoming the go-to ecosystem for consumer-facing brands that want to scale their collectibles beyond the blockchain echo chamber. From @LucaNetz turning @pudgypenguins into a global brand, to @johnwastaken expanding @playmythical into mainstream entertainment, more and more collectibles strategies are starting to orbit around Polkadot. Luca Netz: Betting the House on Brand Luca Netz doesn’t mince words when it comes to his philosophy. For him, the product is important, but the brand is everything. When he took over Pudgy Penguins, he wasn’t just reviving another NFT collection; he was setting out to prove that Web3-native collectibles could rival Disney or Pokémon in cultural reach. He said, “I’m a distribution maxi. I believe the biggest companies in the world are brand-led. When you create something people emotionally connect with, the tech becomes secondary,”. That conviction has taken Pudgy Penguins far beyond the confines of the crypto-native audience. Plush toys in Walmart, licensing deals with global partners, and a digital avatar system that doesn’t ask users to understand wallets or gas fees. It’s a masterclass in making Web3 collectibles invisible to the mainstream. The chain itself? Almost inconsequential, as long as the experience feels seamless. But behind the curtain, Polkadot is emerging as the infrastructure that allows such brands to not only exist but also interoperate. For Luca, the long game isn’t about proving blockchain; it’s about proving that Web3-born characters can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with legacy entertainment collectibles. John Linden: Gaming as Invisible Web3 John Linden, CEO of Mythical Games and a DROPS guest, approaches the same problem from a different angle. Where Luca fixates on brand as the emotional anchor, Linden sees gaming collectibles as the Trojan horse to onboard millions into Web3 without them even knowing it. “Our philosophy is invisible Web3. We don’t want gamers thinking about tokens and wallets. We want them playing, trading, and owning inside worlds they already love,” he said. Mythical has already shown that its approach works. With titles like @PlayNFLRivals, @FIFARivals, and partnerships with Pudgy Penguins (@PlayPudgyParty), the company has built game economies where owning and trading digital items feels seamless, not like a tech experiment. And by moving over to Polkadot, with @EnterTheMythos, Mythical is signalling something important: Polkadot’s ability to connect different blockchains and manage rules collectively makes it a stronger foundation for building long-lasting collectibles ecosystems than single, isolated blockchains. Linden’s bet is that gaming collectibles will be the bridge. The characters and assets people already care about, such as NFL or FIFA players or penguins in hoodies, will become the framework for digital ownership. And once again, Polkadot’s multi-chain design makes it the natural habitat for scaling these experiments into global networks. Polkadot as the Convergence Layer What’s striking is how Luca and John, from different industries, are converging on the same truth: collectibles, not infrastructure, are what move people. But infrastructure determines how far that culture can travel. This is where Polkadot’s strategy shines. With its parachain model, Polkadot isn’t asking creators to bet everything on one monolithic chain. It’s offering a flexible, interoperable base where brands can plug in, retain sovereignty, and still tap into a wider ecosystem of users and liquidity. Whether it’s Pudgy Penguins bringing plush toys into Walmart or Mythical Games powering invisible Web3 economies, the common denominator is a need for scalable, secure, and consumer-ready infrastructure. That’s the bet Polkadot is making, and with each new collectible choosing it as a home, the bet looks smarter. The Bigger Picture In the early days of Web3, infrastructure wars dominated the conversation. Today, it’s clear that the next phase of adoption will be won not by the flashiest consensus algorithm but by the strongest consumer assets, such as the characters, stories, and worlds people actually care about. Polkadot’s edge is becoming the preferred convergence point for those collectibles. By aligning with visionaries like Luca Netz and John Linden, it’s positioning itself not just as another blockchain but as the cultural backbone for Web3’s mainstream moment. 👉 If you enjoyed reading this excerpt, head over to When Shift Happens on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform to access the full convo.