Normally, when you dig into a crypto project's "team" section, you find three LinkedIn profiles with stock photo headshots and resumes that say "Crypto Enthusiast" and "Early Bitcoin Adopter." So when I started researching Vanar, I prepared for the usual. What I found instead was deeply confusing to my cynical soul.
The "Wait, These Guys Actually Did Stuff" Moment
Look, I've been in crypto long enough to develop a finely tuned skepticism. When a project says "experienced team," I mentally translate that to "someone once bought a domain name." So when I stumbled onto Vanar's leadership, I assumed I'd find the standard fare.
Instead, I found Jawad Ashraf, the CEO. Cool name. Very professional. Then I read his background and choked on my coffee. The man has spent over three decades in tech. Not "crypto years" where one year equals dog years—actual decades. He's founded and successfully exited companies in domains ranging from counter-terrorism solutions to energy trading, mobile gaming, and virtual reality .
Counter-terrorism. Energy trading. Then blockchain.
This is like discovering your Uber driver used to fly fighter jets. The range is absurd.
Then there's Gary Bracey, serving as president. The man has more than 35 years of hands-on gaming industry experience . Thirty-five years. That's longer than some of us have been alive. He was building games when "Web3" sounded like a spider-themed highway.
The "So They Actually Understand Gaming" Realization
This matters because Vanar isn't just another chain slapping "gaming" on their website to attract venture capital. The team has been living and breathing entertainment and interactive experiences since before most of us had internet.
When they talk about integrating augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) capabilities into the chain, they're not just reading a trend report from 2021 . They've probably built these things from scratch, cursed at the bugs, and learned what actually works.
It explains so much about the ecosystem. The focus on Virtua Metaverse and the VGN games network isn't a random business development play—it's the team building in the neighborhood they've lived in for decades .
The Environmental Plot Twist
Just when I thought I had them figured out—"okay, gaming guys building a gaming chain"—they hit me with the Vanar ECO module. This thing provides transparent, real-time tracking of energy consumption on-chain .
They're using Google Cloud's carbon-neutral infrastructure and letting anyone verify the environmental impact in real-time .
A gaming and entertainment chain... caring about carbon footprints?
It's like walking into a gaming arcade and finding a composting station. Unexpected, but honestly? Kind of refreshing. In an industry where "sustainability" is usually just a word in a whitepaper, having actual tracking tools matters for attracting brands with ESG mandates.
The Credibility Check
Here's the thing about traditional industry experience in crypto: sometimes it means they understand business models, user acquisition, and sustainable growth. Sometimes it means they're out of touch and will be disrupted by a 22-year-old in a Discord server.
Vanar's bet is that building a bridge between Web2 entertainment giants and Web3 requires guides who speak both languages. Jawad speaks "tech founder" and "exit strategy." Gary speaks "game development" and "what players actually want." Together, they're trying to build infrastructure that doesn't scare away the people they've worked with for decades.
The Verdict
I went in expecting to mock. I came out... slightly reassured? Don't get me wrong—experience doesn't guarantee execution. But knowing that the people building the chain have actually built things before, in tough markets, with real customers, is weirdly comforting.
They're not just crypto natives trying to reinvent gaming. They're gaming and tech veterans who happen to be building on blockchain. There's a difference, and for once, it's not just marketing copy.
Current status: Still skeptical, but now skeptical with a grudging respect for the resume stack.
