VAULTED Art Collector Profile #7 - Basileus
Vaulted is a series where prominent members and collectors in the Tezos ecosystem are interviewed and highlighted.
Vaulted #7 with collector Basileus
“Tezos is the spirit of experimentation it fosters. It’s a space where artists can push boundaries and take risks, yet we’re also seeing the emergence of refined, mature collections. For me, the joy of collecting comes alive on objkt.com—it’s where I have the most fun and feel most connected as a collector.”
Merve : Can you tell us how your collecting journey began?
Basileus: A friend of mine got me to check out Cryptovoxels and I saw Matt Kane’s “One of Us” up at Conlan’s and Alotta Money’s “Rose Nexus” build. From there, I started collecting with this piece on SuperRare.
From there I rented a parcel on Cryptovoxels from Conlan but wanted to buy it and he would only sell it if I had it developed with an elite build so he introduced me to Alotta Money who built the villa $traylight for me to display my growing collection.
Merve: Can you share a story about acquiring one of your favorite pieces or an interesting moment in your collecting journey?
Basileus: I’ve been part of many crazy auctions, but one of my most memorable was a mob battle for an incredible piece by Moxarra titled Influencers.
If you check the activity, you’ll see two of my cryptoart friends—both notable OG crypto artists—bidding like mad for the piece. The frenzy of all of us sharing memes and gifs on Twitter made it one of my favorite experiences in cryptoart.
Sure, I eventually bested these two upstarts, but it wasn’t just about winning. It was the fierce joy of shared recognition, all of us stunned by the genius of the work that our fiendish friend, Moxarra, had just dropped into our midst. A true topical masterpiece that inspired and delighted us.
Merve: What sets Tezos apart in your eyes compared to other NFT ecosystems?
Basileus: Many of my favorite artists were experimenting on Hic Et Nunc, and I was drawn to the incredible work being created there. Curious to explore further, I reached out to Matt Kane and LuluxXX, who guided me through getting started on objkt.com. Right away, it reminded me of the early days of cryptoart collecting—a vibrant, welcoming community. I even received generous gifts from about a dozen artists to kick off my collection.
What I truly love about collecting on Tezos is the spirit of experimentation it fosters. It’s a space where artists can push boundaries and take risks, yet we’re also seeing the emergence of refined, mature collections. For me, the joy of collecting comes alive on objkt.com—it’s where I have the most fun and feel most connected as a collector.
Merve: Who are your three favorite artists/artworks on Tezos from your collection, and what makes their work stand out to you?
Basileus: This is impossible to say definitively because each artist does different things for me emotionally. But if forced to choose for this question, here are three artists whose work inspired me greatly when I encountered it on Tezos :
