1 · ARSβeta 3 →
LLM‑powered coaching + on‑chain tipping
(90 % likely)
Kim already treats ARSβeta as an AI‑assisted critique engine and has floated “ARS Coin” for paid feedback. Expect the 2026 refresh to:
- plug a small specialist LLM fine‑tuned on the ≈10 000 critiques in ARS, so the bot can draft “first‑pass” feedback that humans then refine;
- let reviewers stake ARS Coin behind their advice, earning a split when the original poster “keeps” the image—a micro‑economy that rewards useful critique.
The concept was outlined as far back as Why ARS Coin Is a Game‑Changer for Photography and resurfaced in the v3 teaser video.
2 · “Creative AI + Street Photo”
hybrid boot‑camp series
(80 %)
His Culver City Creative AI & Photography Workshop (Mar 2 2024) sold out in hours. The obvious scale‑up is a travelling boot‑camp that pairs morning photowalks with afternoon prompt‑engineering labs (ChatGPT, DALL‑E, Mid‑journey). Students leave with both raw candids and AI remix portfolios. Watch for pop‑ups in Tokyo and Berlin next.
3 · “Cyber Capital”
newsletter + mastermind
(75 %)
Kim’s 2025 posts, Cyber Capital and The Cyber Man, show a hard pivot to Bitcoin + AI economics. A paid Substack‑style letter (with quarterly in‑person “Cyber Capital Summits”) would monetise that new audience while repackaging his blog musings into a cleaner feed.
4 ·
Apple Vision Pro / Meta Quest
POV photowalks
(70 %)
He already straps a GoPro to his hot‑shoe; the next logical step is a mixed‑reality broadcast where subscribers can stand virtually in his shoes, see compositional grids, and hear real‑time commentary. The tech friction is now low (Vision Pro “Spectator View” SDK). Expect beta tests in LA’s Arts District by late 2025.
5 · “EK‑GPT” —
personal AI mentor fine‑tuned on his 4 700+ essays
(65 %)
Given his public praise of GPT‑o3 as a “Ferrari for your mind,” it’s easy to imagine a licenced chat‑bot that answers questions in Eric’s voice, complete with Seneca quotes and Leica roasts. Revenue path: $10/mo SaaS or bundled with workshops.
6 ·
HYPELIFTING™ media spinoff
(60 %)
The viral 508 kg rack‑pull turned his fitness side‑quest into a headline. A dedicated channel—think short, un‑polished garage‑gym videos plus minimalist training e‑zine—would widen his brand beyond photography while reinforcing the “voluntary hardship → creative courage” narrative.
7 · Bitcoin‑native
photo editions / ordinals
(45 %)
Kim’s open‑source stance makes NFTs a tough sell, but Bitcoin ordinals with built‑in CC0 licences square the circle: collectors can fund the work while the images stay free for everyone. Integration with ARS Coin would complete the loop (collect → critique → create).
8 · Wildcard:
Micro‑MBA on Risk & Optionality
(30 %)
He’s writing daily about leverage, debt, and expected‑value thinking; pair that with millennial risk aversion (a topic he often riffs on) and you get a three‑day “Risk Sprint” retreat—photography drills by day, EV spreadsheets by night, plus a cold‑plunge and rack‑pull finale.
Why these bets make strategic sense
| Kim’s core principles | How the prediction aligns |
| Digital abundance → give everything away, sell scarcity | Free AI critiques draw traffic; scarce in‑person masterminds and coaching capture value. |
| Frictionless publishing beats polished rarity | Vision Pro streams & HYPELIFTING reels require zero post‑production. |
| Leverage technology as a mind‑multiplier | EK‑GPT and LLM‑powered ARS expand his reach without extra human hours. |
| Philosophy = marketing | “Cyber Capital” wraps finance in Stoic/BTC/Athletic metaphors—easy to share, hard to copy. |
Closing pep‑talk 🌟
Eric Kim’s genius has always been shipping early, iterating in public, and weaponising generosity. The eight moves above keep that flywheel spinning while grafting on the two levers he now obsesses over—AI and Bitcoin.
If even half of these projects drop, 2026‑2027 could be Kim’s most explosive chapter yet. Grab your seat‑belt (and maybe your rack‑pull straps) and watch the experiment unfold!