Last year's Top 10 became my most listened-to solo episode ever. This year's list? Even more surprising. The biggest names didn't win. One conversation. One founder. One community that showed up. That's what it took to reach number one in 2025.
Why This Countdown Matters
Last year, I recorded a simple solo episode: a Top 10 countdown of the stories you loved the most. Ironically, that episode itself became one of the most listened-to solo episodes I've ever published. Not because it was polished. Not because it was promotional. But because it revealed something real. It showed us what actually resonated. What people chose to spend time with. What stories traveled further than others. So this year, I decided to do it again.
The Methodology
This countdown is based purely on downloads. This is not about what I personally think was the best episode. It's not about who I like the most. And it's definitely not about who has the biggest name.
This is about what you listened to. What you shared. And what seemed to matter in a year where Web3, AI, and marketing all continued to collide.
One important note: This list reflects reach and momentum, not depth alone. Some episodes travel far because entire communities show up. Others grow slowly over time and compound quietly. Both are valuable. But today, we're exploring the signal hidden in the numbers.
Number 10: Why 1 Billion Users Are the Untapped Goldmine
Guest: Komal Amin (Koko), GOAT Gaming
Episode: S5 E26
Coming in at number ten, this episode was all about distribution. Not ads. Not funnels. Distribution embedded directly into behavior.
Related Posts:
Komal Amin shared how GOAT Gaming is building AI-powered Web3 games inside Telegram, a platform with more than a billion users.
Key Insights:
- Telegram as product environment, not marketing channel
- Peer-to-peer messaging as a growth engine
- Referral loops that feel native instead of forced
- AI characters acting as community managers
- Content cycles shrinking from weeks to less than 24 hours
This episode resonated because it showed what happens when speed, AI, and distribution align. Not theory. A working system.
Number 9: Navigating Web3 Investments and Strategic Partnerships
Guest: Hatem Elsayed, COO of Advanced Blockchain AG
Episode: S4 E54
At number nine, we move into the investment and partnership layer of Web3.
This conversation offered a rare inside view into how serious Web3 investment decisions are actually made. Not from a hype perspective. But from governance, teams, and long-term alignment.
Key Insights:
- Hatem's journey from ambassador to COO
- What investors really look for when evaluating projects
- How partnerships are formed in Web3
- Why community feedback matters even at institutional levels
This episode stood out because it slowed things down. It reminded us that behind every token, protocol, or ecosystem, there are people making decisions under uncertainty. And that relationships, not decks, are what carry weight over time.
Number 8: Why Smart CMOs Aim for Zero Complaints
Guest: Professor Philip Kotler
Episode: S5 E16
Number eight is a special one. Professor Philip Kotler joined the podcast to challenge how we think about customer complaints.
The Core Insight:
Poorly handled complaints can suppress company revenue by up to 20%.
Instead of seeing complaints as noise or risk, Kotler reframed them as strategic signal. He argued that CMOs should actively surface complaints, review them weekly, and diagnose root causes across people, product, and process.
We even explored the idea of a Chief Problem Officer—not as a gimmick, but as a way to institutionalize learning.
This episode resonated because it was timeless. No tools. No trends. Just a reminder that trust is built by how you respond when things go wrong.
Note: Prof. Kotler also endorsed my book, The Future CMO, which made this conversation feel full circle.
Number 7: How Aeternity Achieved Unicorn Status and What Followed
Guest: Nikola Stojanov, CEO and Co-founder of Aeternity
Episode: S4 E53
At number seven, we revisit one of the early unicorn stories in blockchain.
Nikola Stojanov shared the journey of Aeternity from rapid growth to the realities that follow once the hype phase fades.
Key Topics:
- The challenges of scaling a blockchain
- The pressure of expectations
- The importance of community feedback when building infrastructure
- Hyperchains and encouraging builders to experiment
This was not a victory lap. This episode continues to attract listeners because it offers perspective. It reminds us that success in Web3 is rarely linear. And that what comes after growth often matters more than growth itself.
Number 6: Building Trust in Web3
Guest: Catherine Daly, CMO at Space and Time
Episode: S5 E33
Coming in at number six, this conversation was all about trust—without slogans and without shortcuts.
Space and Time operates in one of the most technically complex corners of Web3: ZK-proven data infrastructure.
Catherine's Approach:
- Clarity as strategic advantage
- Audience segmentation done right
- Telling different truths to different audiences without distorting the message
- Why honesty scales better than hype
The line that stood out: "The simplest solution is really just to tell the truth."
This episode resonated because it grounded trust in behavior, not branding. Delivery. Reliability. Follow-through. Things that rarely trend, but always compound.
Number 5: How Secrets Vault Simplifies Security with Images
Guests: Gerard Cervelló and Jordi Puiggalí, Secrets Vault
Episode: S5 E01
At number five, we move into security with a radically simple idea: protect digital assets using images instead of passwords.
What We Discussed:
- Visual cryptography explained
- Practical use cases
- How this approach reduces friction without sacrificing safety
- Trust, transparency, and expert validation
- Designing for real users, not just technical purity
What made this conversation powerful was its humanity. Security was not framed as fear, but as empowerment.
This episode resonated because security remains one of the biggest barriers to Web3 adoption. And simplicity, when done right, is a competitive advantage.
Personal note: This conversation didn't end when the recording stopped. We stayed in touch, kept exploring ideas, and over time that relationship evolved into a deeper collaboration.
Number 4: From Accidental Entrepreneur to Building One of Asia's Leading Blockchain Firms
Guest: Vikram R Singh, Founder and CEO of Antier
Episode: S5 E34
At number four, we meet a builder.
Vikram R Singh shared how Antier grew into a global blockchain consultancy with more than 700 team members, while surviving multiple market cycles.
What Stood Out:
- Blockchain as trust
- AI as intelligence
- Two forces that work better together than apart
- Why people don't adopt technology—they adopt stories that reflect their needs
- Visibility during downturns determines who wins the next cycle
This episode resonated because it balanced vision with discipline.
Behind the scenes: This conversation became the start of an ongoing collaboration. After the episode, Vikram and I kept talking, comparing notes, and that eventually evolved into a growth partnership. Not because of a pitch, but because the thinking was aligned.
Number 3: From Maze to Movement: How RYO Brings Real-World Payments to Web3
Guest: Lani Dizon, RYO Digital
Episode: S5 E43
At number three, we enter the world of real-world payments.
Lani Dizon shared how RYO is turning Web3 from hype into habit.
What RYO is Building:
- Payments that settle
- Wallets that feel familiar
- Compliance that doesn't kill usability
- Grain settlement pilots
- Life Wallet
- AI companions like RYO-CHAN guiding users safely through Web3
This episode traveled far because it showed Web3 working. Not in theory. But in logistics, trade, and everyday transactions.
Number 2: If Grandma Can Use It, Anyone Can
Guest: Anthony Diaz, Founder and Chairman of Zenza Capital and RYO
Episode: S5 E15
At number two, we zoom out.
Anthony Diaz framed mass adoption through one simple question: Can your grandmother use it?
If not, adoption remains niche.
What We Explored:
- Wallets that actually work
- ATMs for crypto
- AI-driven risk analysis
- Why Japan is the ideal testing ground for consumer crypto
What made this episode resonate was its restraint. No jargon. No evangelism. Just a focus on utility, trust, and familiarity.
Crypto not as an ideology. But as infrastructure.
Note: RYO was also the podcast sponsor in 2025. That wasn't a transactional decision. I only work with sponsors when their mission fits the story this podcast is telling: real-world adoption, simplicity, and trust.
Number 1: Walk and Talk in Sintra with Sweatcoin's Founder
Guest: Oleg Fomenko, Sweat Economy
Episode: S5 E25
And now, number one. The most listened-to episode since the last countdown.
This was a walk and talk in Sintra with Oleg Fomenko, founder of Sweatcoin and Sweat Economy.
The Core Concept:
Bringing the next billion users into Web3 by rewarding something people already do every day: walking.
Instead of chasing capital, Sweat builds for people. Instead of lowering barriers, they remove them.
What We Explored:
- Tokenomics that work
- Activity-based staking
- A future where users can literally pay fees with their feet
This episode resonated because it captured a shift:
- From infrastructure to consumer crypto
- From complexity to experience
- From speculation to participation
Behind the episode: We recorded this while walking through Sintra. And that wasn't accidental. Sintra has become a place where I slow down conversations and think about what's next. It's also where I host the Future CMO Retreat—a small group, deep conversations around AI and marketing, and time away from the noise.
What This Top 10 Reveals
Looking at this Top 10, a clear pattern emerges:
Founders who rarely do podcasts travel further than names who do them every week. Scarcity matters.
Founders who share with their community create momentum. Their people want to know what they're thinking. And when the conversation is engaging, they listen.
Big marketing names? Often brilliant conversations. But they rarely share. They're everywhere, telling the same story. Less exclusive. Less activation.
Builders who engage beat brands who broadcast.
Real-world adoption beats abstraction every time.
For podcasters and marketers, that's not just interesting. It's instructional.
Chase founders with communities, not celebrities with audiences.
What's Next
New conversations are coming in 2026. New builders. New signals.
If you want to be part of these conversations—or if you're building something real in Web3 and want to share your story—reach out.
Subscribe to Web3 CMO Stories on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode.
Until next time,
Joeri Billast
Want to dive deeper? Check out my book The Future CMO or explore the Future CMO Retreat (part of Sintra Synergies).