Hosted by brothers Chris and Tom, Rock the Kaspa is a news outlet that provides monthly video recaps of all things Kaspa to over 1,000 subscribers. Chris has been a voice in the Kaspa community since the beginning, currently acting as an official Kaspa Ambassador, with a large presence on X (formerly Twitter).  Rock the Kaspa has been acknowledged by the official Kaspa website and received praise from core developer Shai Wyborski, who mentioned that he watched the show during an interview for The CryptoFactor YouTube channel. 

Kaspians can watch Rock the Kaspa episodes on YouTube and check  out their latest posts on X. In addition to listening to and consuming their media, users can support Rock the Kaspa by purchasing Kaspa-themed merchandise from their website, with 10% of the profits going toward the Kaspa Community Marketing Fund (CMF). Supporters are able to purchase products such as light-up phone cases, and tee shirts with sayings like “Stack Somps” using KAS currency. In addition to having general Kaspa-themed clothing, there is also merchandise for various KRC20 projects, including Nacho and KasPaw the BlockDA(W)G. 

We’re thrilled to share this exclusive interview with Chris and Tom, introducing you to their incredible show and their contributions to the Kaspa community.

Personal 

You’ve commented that you are brothers; Who is older? And who first discovered Kaspa?

TOM: Chris is the older of us, although I think most people think it's the other way around! Chris discovered Kaspa first, and when he told me, I spent the next three months trying to find any flaws until I realized it was everything it claimed to be.

CHRIS: I found Kaspa just scrolling through X (formerly Twitter). At first, I didn't give it the attention it deserved because I saw people claiming it had solved the trilemma. I'd been in crypto long enough to become skeptical of everything, and I thought it was just a hype claim, so I ignored it. I saw it a few more times on my feed, so I decided to dedicate some time to researching it. Needless to say, after I did, I was hooked and never looked back.

Were you involved in crypto before Kaspa? What is it like working with your brother?

BOTH: We've been involved in crypto since 2019 and have, most of the time, learned everything the hard way! Luckily, we get on very well and understand the typical problems that arise when working with family, which means we are quick to address any potential issues and sort them out before they become a problem.

What is your professional experience outside of Kaspa?

TOM: We work mainly in the construction industry, but we have started and continue to run successful businesses in social media and e-commerce. Oh, and I'm also a ski instructor!

CHRIS: We work very well together because we are chalk and cheese. Tom is very methodical, and I'm impatient and just want to get things done. This actually balances us out nicely! 

What was it about Kaspa that made you focus on Kaspa?

BOTH: We were initially drawn to Kaspa for solving the trilemma. This is a much bigger achievement than I think a lot of crypto users realize. Now, Kaspa is looking to solve even more problems in the crypto space, like the MEV problem, for example. It is fair to assume Kaspa will be the standard.

Chris is an official Kaspa Ambassador and has been active in the community. Tom, do you think you will apply to be an ambassador in the future?

TOM: I'm definitely not against becoming a Kaspa Ambassador, and I'm incredibly thankful to the current Ambassadors who do such an incredible job! As you know, Chris and I work well as a team, and he does a fantastic job as a Global Kaspa Ambassador whilst I run the Rock The Kaspa merch shop and our other social media businesses. I am always happy to help in any way that I can to promote the growth of Kaspa.

Have you worked together before? 

TOM: We have worked together for the past 12 years, and it's been an amazing privilege to grow multiple businesses with him. Chris is very focused, and when his mind is set on something, it's incredible to see what he can achieve. We work well together, and our strengths blend well to make an unstoppable team.

Do you have any advice for our readers considering starting a Kaspa - themed social media channel?

BOTH: Yeah, just do it! As the owners of multiple successful social media channels, all we can say is to post often and not be afraid of having your own opinions. Often, the posts you think will cause a stir or are unsure of performing the best. Social media users definitely enjoy a strong character!

Rock the Kaspa

The name Rock The Kaspa is great. What inspired you to choose it? 

TOM: When Chris convinced me to take a deep dive into Kaspa, and I did my research, the song "Rock The Casbah" by The Clash popped into my head. It wasn't long before we were both singing "Rock The Kaspa." Chris made a post celebrating Kaspa and played the song in the background. Chad Ballantyne from Rhubarb Media saw and loved it. He then contacted us to see if we would be interested in hosting a Kaspa news channel.

How did you decide to create a Kaspa news channel when you did - around Testnet 11, right before the transition to rust? 

BOTH: It was just down to potluck and being open to opportunities. We jumped at the opportunity as soon as Chad reached out to us. So, there wasn't really any thought to the timing of it. That being said, we could have started at any time, and it would have been around a huge Kaspa event, thanks to the core dev contributors. It seems we have one every month! 

What goals are you looking forward to achieving with Rock The Kaspa?

BOTH: We would love to see Rock The Kaspa become a go-to source of Kaspa news and merchandise for the whole community. It has become a household name in the Kaspa space and can provide our awesome fans with the latest Kaspa news and updates. One of our favorite pieces of feedback was from Shai, who said that he loves watching the show as it helps him keep up to date with all the amazing things the community is doing while he is working hard. As the channel grows, it would be incredible to be able to give back more to the community from better content to bigger giveaways. We've both enjoyed helping local businesses set up to accept KAS as payment; having some form of in-person merchant spotlight would be epic. We also proudly donate 10% of profits made from the merch store to the Kaspa Community Marketing Fund (CMF); the bigger we become, the more donations are made to the CMF! 

Your videos, all under 40 minutes, feel the perfect length - engaging without being overwhelming, much like a TV Show. Do you plan to experiment with shorter or longer content in the future?

BOTH: We would love to experiment with all types of content in the future, but the monthly news and development videos will always remain at the core of Rock The Kaspa. If we can grow the channel to the point that it is monetized so we can dedicate more time to it, we'd be producing more content. We would like to do all sorts of short-form content and then long-form content like interviews and merchant spotlights.

What made you decide on the cadence of monthly video uploads?

BOTH: A month seemed like a good period of time for Kaspa updates. The idea was to have one piece of content absolutely packed with awesome Kaspa news rather than more frequent content with fewer updates. Having experience in social media channels, we have learned that it is easy to fall into the trap of content for content's sake, just to keep consistent with posts. 

With so much happening in the Kaspa ecosystem, do you think you will have to start making videos more frequently to keep up with all the Kaspa developments?

BOTH: We definitely want to produce more content. As the channel and Kaspa's community grow organically, this would be on the cards. We may have to hard fork from one episode to ten episodes per month. 

Are you looking to partner with other Kaspa media outlets or projects in the future? 

BOTH: We're always open to potential partnerships, and I think it is an ethos that all Kaspa content creators should follow. Kaspa is a truly decentralized L1 and needs an active community working together to reach its true potential. The more we can all push together with the same goal, the quicker Kaspa adoption should spread. Kaspa's core marketing team has done an incredible job organically growing an active and educated community; we want to follow in their footsteps. 

You seem to be on the pulse of technical developments and social media buzz about Kaspa. How do you find and keep track of all the Kaspa updates that you share each month?

BOTH: Most of our updates come from soaking up as much information as we can from X. We then start to organize the information we gather into their respective sections of the RTK show. We also go to as many Kaspa events as we can and have built great friendships with many key Kaspa community members. The official Kaspa Currency X is an incredible source of information and educational posts; our search usually starts there! 

Your production quality is outstanding. Are you responsible for your video animations and editing, or do you collaborate with others?

BOTH: The production quality, animations, and editing are all down to the team at Rhubarb Media. Chad and Josh do phenomenal work turning the raw footage we shoot into the engaging, entertaining, and professional show that we upload to YouTube. One of our favorite features is the dictionary pop-ups that define our British jargon! 

Do you have plans to develop on Kaspa in the future, or would you prefer to pursue journalistic endeavors?

BOTH: Ideally, we would be able to do both! The more the Rock The Kaspa channel grows, the more content we can create. If we can work a way for Rock The Kaspa to develop on the Kaspa network in the future, I would 100% do it!

Kaspa Community

Was it your idea to create the Wolfy’s Bar Kaspa meetups in London?

TOM: Chris spearheaded the Kaspa meetups in London, and before we knew Wolf, we held an event in a different venue. Wolf and Chris then met on X, and when Wolf said he would be interested in accepting KAS as payment, we both went straight to Wolfy's Bar and set them up on KAS. Using Wolfy's Bar as a hub for London Kaspa meetups made perfect sense. If a business owner accepts Kas, we should support that as a community!

CHRIS: The great thing about holding the meetups at Wolfys Bar is that it has big floor-to-ceiling windows all along the front of the building, and many people live around the area. We don't just want to live in an echo chamber; we want to show the world Kaspa so when people walk past, they can see what a great time we are having and may want to get involved! It's all focused on adoption, and what better way to introduce someone who is new to Kaspa than to buy them a coffee with KAS at Wolfys Bar!

How has it been interacting with the Kaspa community in London?

BOTH: It's been great! The Kaspa community is a great bunch of people, and it's always been a pleasure to meet more Kaspians! 

You have had exceptional branding from the start, having worked with Rhubarb Media. How did that partnership come about?

BOTH: Rhubarb Media has absolutely smashed the Rock The Kaspa branding out of the park. It started with Chad seeing one of Chris' X posts. Chad thought we would be good hosts for a Kaspa news show. He asked if we would be interested, and here we are! 

What are some of your most used applications built on the Kaspa network?

CHRIS: I often watch the KGI, and it is amazing to have a visualizer to see how Kaspa's BlockDAG architecture works. I also use Kaspium as my hot wallet. The UI is very user-friendly. I'm always looking at Kas.fyi, Kasbay and Kaspalytics too. I've also dabbled with some KRC-20, which has been great. The KsprBot minting and marketplace have been awesome to use. I've also used Kaspa.com's trading platform, which is extremely user-friendly. Change Finance has also been good for adding liquidity, etc. Recently, I pointed out my miner at KatPool, Nachos's open-source mining pool. The Kaspa space is already thriving, and we've only just begun. Kaspa won't just live in Cryptoland; it will also thrive in the real world.

What is the most unique or interesting use case for Kaspa that you have come across?

BOTH: Kaspa Kii has some very unique and interesting use cases for Kaspa in real-world situations, taking Kaspa from crypto land to the real world. If you haven't already seen their plans, they are well worth looking into. 

Where do you see the Kaspa ecosystem in five years?

BOTH: With 10 blocks per second and smart contracts around the corner, I can see Kaspa exploding into the spotlight. Building on the Kaspa network is an absolute no-brainer if they are implemented correctly. It's only three years old and has already solved the largest problem in crypto and continues to solve problem after problem. There's no saying where it could be in five years! 

You’ve posted giveaways for your subscribers. Why is it important for you to give back to your supporters while also sharing the Kaspa merchandise?

BOTH: Kaspa is a community-driven project, and Kaspians helping Kaspians will drive Kaspa to new heights. We've always been huge fans of merchandise, and being in a position to give some Kaspa merchandise to the global community is amazing. Plus, when we wear Kaspa merchandise, we are like a walking billboard advertising Kaspa to the world!