“I foresee a large-scale onboarding of big brands and the emergence of already established web3 companies taking off.”
Dominick Adams, who is better known by the moniker ‘Gentle Tornado,’ is the man behind the Hiped brand. An acronym that stands for happiness, inspiration, positivity, enthusiasm, and dreams, he aims to support teen mental health issues through his endeavors.
A self-confessed dreamer, Gentle Tornado yearns to see the NFT space evolve into a positive environment where people can freely chase their dreams and aspirations. Dabbling in curating collections early on, Gentle Tornado had a keen interest in Pokémon cards, beanie babies, and action figures as a child.
Does Gentle Tornado have a specific strategy in place for curating his collection? He describes his collection as a “delightful mixture of tornados and emotions” that consists of pieces that resonate with him. “I changed the direction to dream boards with quotes on them to embrace the nature of Live Hiped. Focusing on the quotes that resonate with the brand but also can let people dream. I believe this will drive collectibility and also more meaning behind the art.”
What are the three milestones that Gentle Tornado is particularly proud of? His first Twitter space appearance, minting his first NFT, and his first rug.
The potential for growth within the NFT space is mammoth. According to Gentle Tornado, some changes need to be made in order for it to thrive. He states: “There’s no time for BS. There are many fake and dishonest things happening. It is a big issue.”
Considering how fast the space is evolving, it isn’t easy to predict what the crypto art scene will look like three years from now. Gentle Tornado shares his views: “I foresee a large-scale onboarding of big brands and the emergence of already established web3 companies taking off.” He also predicts that web3 native gallery experiences will give real-world galleries and museums a good run for their money before long.
It might come as somewhat of a surprise that most creatives within the NFT space do not perceive AI to be a threat to their craft. Gentle Tornado agrees: “I think it is very interesting. It makes for very beautiful art, and I believe it takes a different kind of talent to curate good AI art.”
Being the people-oriented person that he is, Gentle Tornado ranks being able to connect with people from all walks of life on an intimate level as a huge blessing.
