From Crypto Nerd to Rarible Star: Meet Alex Salnikov

• Alex Salnikov co-founded Rarible to empower creators through decentralized NFT tools and user-owned marketplaces.
• Frustration with traditional finance led Alex to build accessible blockchain platforms from early crypto days.

While most people were still wondering what a digital wallet was, Alex Salnikov was already annoyed by the complicated online payment system.

At that time he was still a student in Russia, and one thing that bothered him: why did it have to be so complicated just to send money? His account was often frozen due to KYC issues, which made him think, “Why can’t there be a system that can be trusted, but doesn’t require permission here and there?”

From there he began to immerse himself in the world of crypto. In 2012, when Bitcoin was still a whisper in the corner of the forum, Alex had already read its whitepaper.

Alex Salnikov: From Digital Garage to Rarible

Not only curious, Alex tried to build. Before anyone knew what NFT was, he was already playing on the blockchain. Together with his partner, Alexei Falin, he founded Rarible in 2019.

Initially, not many people understood their purpose. NFT marketplace? What’s that? But for Alex, this is not just about selling funny pictures or digital avatars. Behind it all, there is a passion: empowering creators, not placing them as a complement to the system.

They made Rarible like the “Shopify of NFTs,” not just a digital storefront. On that platform, anyone can create their own store. Want an indie artist? Go ahead. Want a big brand? You can too.

The important thing is, you are in control. That’s what he fought for. In fact, he even got to code the backend directly, maybe because he couldn’t get over the itch when he first got frustrated with the old system.

On the other hand, Alex didn’t stop there. He pioneered the use of the RARI token, as a way for users to help determine the direction of development. “We are not an ordinary store, we are a community,” he said at a conference. Furthermore, he pushed for the DAO (decentralized autonomous organization) model, where users have a voice, not just passive customers.

When the Bear Market Isn’t a Problem

When the crypto market was down, and many people panicked, Alex looked relaxed. For him, falling prices did not mean everything had failed. “This is just a filter,” he said. Those who survive are those who really have the intention to build. If we were to compare it, he would be like someone who continues to renovate a house even though it’s a storm, instead of running for cover.

A few months ago, he appeared at a conference in New York, sitting on a panel with industry heavyweights. However, his style remained relaxed. He joked that most of his assets are now in digital form. Home? He said, just have a healthy crypto wallet first.

Lately, Alex has been busy pushing new projects from Rarible, one of which is RaribleX, a kind of “NFT marketplace in a box” that anyone can install. There is even “Mintle” for creators who want to create NFTs without the hassle of technical matters. In short, he is trying to make the Web3 world not only dominated by people who can code, but also those who are good at creating works.

Maybe not many people know, but behind his figure, who now often appears on the international stage, Alex still has his original passion: to create a fair system that can be accessed by anyone. In one interview, when asked how he sees the future of NFT, he replied, “If everyone will live in the metaverse, at least we will have a place to buy and sell there.”