As stocks and crypto markets dip, Yuga Labs CEO Garga gave Apes and Voyagers some alpha about the company’s highly anticipated upcoming reward, hinting that it’s “a bit different” and comes with a twist!
Things were anything but boring around the swamp on Monday when NFT Now’s Matt Medved published a new interview with Garga, covering everything from the Guinness World Record-breaking episode of Otherside’s Project Dragon last month to what’s next for the metaverse after the first iteration of its always-on world opens in June.
During the interview, Medved also asked Garga about the secret reward he has been teasing all year.
“With everything that I do, I want to support the people that are supporting us, and my number one priorities at Yuga are Bored Ape Yacht Club and Otherside,” Garga said. “And while we’re working on something, it’s a bit different, it’s a new twist to some things that are in the market. My goal is to always bootstrap any new protocol or network by rewarding our core. I think that’s a tried and true strategy in crypto and so I can’t reveal too much there except that it’s very top of mind for us. Absolutely.”
While nothing is confirmed at this time, the Bored Ape Gazette previously reported that Garga first teased Yuga Labs' secret project, led by PP Man, during an episode of the VeraTheIntern Podcast in January 2025. The project is said to involve AI, a new protocol, and a reward for Apes and Voyagers.
“The secret project is very exciting," Garga said on a recent episode of the VeraTheInten Podcast. “It’s something that we are super stoked about. It’s something that we think will reward for Apes and Otherdeed holders its own new thing. Its something that really tickled Wylie and I. It involves a character that we invited. It involved AI and a crypto product that we are excited about. And anyway, it should be fun!”
At this time, details on the project remain scarce, but whatever it is, it’s expected to launch before the first persistent iteration of Otherside in June.
As we wait for more information, it’s worth noting that Garga and Yuga Labs have been focused on AI since 2024.
Back in December, Garga revealed that Yuga Labs was working with the Wire Network on Otherside AI Agents, sharing a flowchart that outlined how iNPCs (Interactive Non-Playable Characters) could evolve into independent AI-driven entities capable of guiding narratives and generating quests for players.
Then, in January, Garga announced that AI agents built using a16z’s Eliza framework could now interact with $Ape. He also confirmed that Yuga Labs plans to integrate AI into Otherside’s persistent metaverse launch this June.
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