Meet Cybele, my first @zed_run racehorse

I spent 5 hours this weekend reading, watching, & learning about Zed Run before buying this horse

There's a big learning curve, but the virtual world Zed Run has created is INSANELY COOL

Here's what I've learned

What is Zed Run?

A video game/marketplace/WORLD where you can buy, sell, breed, & RACE virtual for real
Run on ethereum
Entire system of genetics built in
Free & paid races run constantly

Basically, it's owning & racing horses. But online.

It's INSANE

You probably need AT LEAST $350 to get started with Zed Run right now

There are two ways to get a horse:

1. Buy a 'genesis' horse from a drop
2. Buy a horse from someone on the marketplace

The drops are sold out, so you can only buy off the marketplace. Here's how

1. Download MetaMask Chrome Extension
2. Make an account on http://zed.run 
3. "Top Up" (buy) ETH on http://Zed.run  & deposit the ETH to WETH (gas fees apply)
4. use http://zed-nucleus.com/opensea/  to browse horses
5. Pick one and buy using https://matic.opensea.io/ 

So how do you pick a horse? First, READ.

Start here with the basics: https://community.zed.run/2018/09/11/welcome-to-zed/

Learn about all the factors that go into horse performance

Bloodlines
Genotype
Breed Type
Class
Coats (doesn't affect performance)

There's no shortcut, you have to read

Resources

1. Join the Zed Run Discord
2. Watch real races: http://twitch.tv/zed_run/ 
3. I watched this vid from @Doofy_Racing
4. Follow Zed Run people on twitter like @ZedGazette @xBenJamminx @KennyGabbara & many others

Some KEY tips I've received from people like @quadzillatd @JayZedRun @JeffKCollins

1. Don't buy the cheapest horse, look for unraced ones
2. Genesis horses via drops are WAY more valuable
3. Don't spend your whole budget on one horse
4. Breeding is KEY

There doesn't seem to be a lot of quality info out there on evaluating horses & how to price them

It's kind of the wild west out there

There's still a LOT yet to come about how the genetics work. Then again, same with IRL horses

Zed Run vs. Top Shot

1. If TS is in "the bottom of the 1st inning" of their platform, Zed Run is in the top of the 4th(ish)

It's a WAY more expansive world. And well, you can bet money on your horses

Also, Zed Run doesn't have NBA IP. It's its own world.

2. Top Shot is WAY easier to use.

I understand why @dapperlabs built @flow_blockchain

Onboarding friction for Zed Run is HUGE. I never could have started on Zed Run if I wasn't into crypto/TS first. Even still, it took hours to figure it out.

Also, a steep learning curve

HOWEVER: bigger learning curve means a more immersive experience.

It's harder to figure out, but that's part of the fun

Eventually, they'll converge: TS will expand in complexity; Zed will become more user friendly.

Overall thoughts on Zed Run:

1. I LOVE the aesthetic of the platform. It's just fucking cool, guys
2. This makes me EXTREMELY bullish on the future of blockchain WORLDS. This is full blown proof of concept
3. INCREDIBLE engineering
4. Not quite ready for general public

I LOVE watching these races. The core product works.

I also love seeing people building cool stuff. This is the beginning of the future. Seriously.

@threader_app compile