The Advanced Journey of Web3 Builders: A Complete Record of MVB Season 9 Closed-Door Camp

Author: BNB Chain

Compiled by: Scof, ChainCatcher

During the Hong Kong Web3 Carnival from April 5 to 6, BNB Chain hosted a closed-door offline event for the ninth season of the "Most Valuable Builder" (MVB) accelerator program behind the scenes. This season was co-hosted by BNB Chain, YZi Labs, and CMC Labs, bringing together 16 early-stage Web3 projects for two days of in-depth communication and mentoring.

As a project tailored for builders, MVB is dedicated to gathering the most promising innovators in the Web3 space, promoting early entrepreneurs to turn their Web3 visions into tangible products by providing mentorship resources, technical support, and ecosystem collaboration. As emphasized by Sarah, Head of Business Development at BNB Chain, this season focuses on true builders—those who steadfastly turn Web3 ideals into reality and drive the industry towards "one billion users."

The agenda of this event covered core topics such as trading strategies, listing processes, team building, and culture shaping, aiming to empower these developers who are shaping the future of Web3. Here are the highlights of the event.

Special Guest Dialogue: CZ and Vitalik on Stage Together

One of the most memorable moments of the MVB ninth season closed-door event was the dialogue between two blockchain leaders—Binance founder CZ and Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin.

This season of MVB focuses on promoting the real-world application of blockchain, and the joint appearance of CZ and Vitalik symbolizes the vision of cross-chain collaboration and jointly advancing the popularization of Web3. For the founders of the 16 selected projects, this was a rare opportunity to directly hear the clash of ideas from industry leaders.

In a fireside chat, CZ and Vitalik discussed the future of Web3, expressing high concern for key areas such as AI, which many MVB9 projects are currently exploring. They emphasized the importance of "sustainable, long-term innovation" and discussed the necessity of building scalable, decentralized infrastructure and public goods that serve the masses.

The two also talked about the integration of AI and crypto technology and its positive impact on society. CZ is particularly optimistic about the application of AI in algorithmic trading, such as optimizing MEV arbitrage strategies and identifying liquidity patterns. He also envisioned natural language AI, represented by ChatGPT, becoming part of future trading interfaces, creating a smarter and more efficient user experience in conjunction with on-chain intent architecture.

When discussing decentralized science (DeSci), CZ humorously stated, "First, make sure to get a good night's sleep every day," showcasing his pragmatic attitude towards new trends. Vitalik, on the other hand, focused more on DAO governance and privacy-preserving AI, pointing out that AI-driven DAO governance simulations could help decentralized organizations collaborate more efficiently and overcome current governance coordination issues.

Additionally, CZ announced a $10 million donation to the open-source vaccine initiative supported by Vitalik, demonstrating the potential of blockchain to drive global impact.

This dialogue not only ignited the intellectual sparks of the attendees but also set the tone for MVB 9—breaking boundaries, collaborative building, and driving real-world transformation through blockchain.

Binance Co-founder He Yi: Team and Culture Building

Binance co-founder He Yi delivered an online speech titled "Building Teams and Culture," sharing her experience of building a globally leading blockchain enterprise from scratch with entrepreneurs.

She emphasized the importance of culture, discussing the mindset leaders should possess and her experience in building efficient teams. For early-stage entrepreneurs, this was a rare opportunity to gain firsthand wisdom on team management and value consensus building from Binance's success.

Overview of the BNB Chain Ecosystem

Sarah Song, Head of Business at BNB Chain, introduced the overall ecological layout of BNB Chain and how the MVB projects fit into the growth path of entrepreneurs. She pointed out that BNB Chain is committed to providing full-cycle support for startup projects—from conception to scaling, with the platform ready with infrastructure, funding support, and market expansion resources to help founders grow rapidly.

Introduction to YZi Labs

Ella Zhang, Head of YZi Labs, discussed the team's vision and values, as well as YZi Labs' role in supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs. YZi Labs focuses on cross-innovation in AI, Web3, and biotechnology, emphasizing a research-driven investment approach and accompanying projects from 0 to 1 through rigorous technical assessments and in-depth incubation.

She emphasized that YZi Labs is not focused on short-term profits but on long-term impact. The team prefers to support builders who are willing to navigate through bubbles and truly create value. In the Q&A session, Ella detailed the standards and methods YZi Labs uses to screen and support projects, emphasizing that "support beyond capital" is key to driving social change.

How to Find Product-Market Fit

In a roundtable forum hosted by Sarah Song, Leo Su from Apro Oracle and Wayne Zhang from Meet48 shared their experiences on "product-market fit." They discussed how to find the true market entry point through continuous trial and error and establishing a user feedback loop. For the early-stage entrepreneurs in attendance, this was a profound inspiration "starting from the user."

Funding Strategy Sharing

Alex Odagiu, Investment Director at YZi Labs, gave a thematic presentation on "early-stage financing." He pointed out that founders should prepare for financing around core issues such as team, market, product, user growth, business model, token economics, and valuation.

Alex suggested that founders build a complete financing plan, including a presentation, development roadmap, ideal equity structure, and target investor list. During the financing process, it is essential to clearly articulate the strong connection between the team and the project and to negotiate with a pragmatic and open attitude. He also introduced common financing structures for Web3 projects, including equity, tokens, or hybrid models, as well as standard vesting period designs.

Web3 User Growth and Growth Flywheel

This discussion, hosted by Diana Dai from BNB Chain, featured Amitej Gajala from KernelDAO, Tong Pow from Hologram Labs, and Zhuling Chen from Bedrock, who explored strategies for user growth in Web3 projects. The guests shared insights on community-driven marketing, incentive mechanism design, user retention, and conversion paths, outlining a sustainable growth blueprint suitable for Web3 entrepreneurs.

Trust Wallet's Path to Empowering Web3

Scarlett Zhang from the Trust Wallet business team shared the latest developments of the wallet in supporting Web3 developers and users. She emphasized that Trust Wallet continues to optimize the Dapp interaction experience, providing a more convenient and secure environment for crypto users.

The Role of Trading Institutions

Julie Luo from GSR and Moshe Shen from Wintermute discussed the role of trading institutions in the crypto market, with Alex Odagiu from YZi Labs serving as the host. The two guests talked about basic mechanisms such as market making and liquidity management, and how trading institutions bridge the gap between startup projects and institutional funds. As the market matures, the role of these institutions will become increasingly important.

Expanding Markets Using CoinMarketCap

Jin Choo, Head of CMC Labs, introduced how to leverage the globally leading cryptocurrency data platform CoinMarketCap for market expansion and listing preparation. He showcased how CoinMarketCap's data tools and platform audience can help projects enhance visibility and expand their user base.

Exclusive Networking with Investors, KOLs, and Media

During the event, BNB Chain also organized exclusive social sessions to create opportunities for attendees to connect with key investors, industry KOLs, and media representatives, helping projects expand their resources and influence.

MVB Ninth Season Selected Projects and Demo Day

MVB 9 provided selected projects with opportunities for in-depth communication with industry leaders. These 16 projects cover various fields such as AI, DeFi, DePIN, and gaming, representing the next generation of blockchain innovation:

• AI: BitGPT, Datai Network, Echopy, Eurexa AI, Everlyn, JoJoWorld, Super Protocol, TermiX
• DeFi: BitFi, LIKWID
• DePIN: XPIN
• Decentralized Science (DeSci): Stadium Science, Citadel Labs
• Gaming and Entertainment: Oneverse, TCOM Global
• Infrastructure: Pieverse

These projects will be showcased on Demo Day on April 24, where YZi Labs will select the best-performing projects for investment.