In this episode of Exponential, Joseph Zhang, co-founder and CEO of CatchBack Cards, explains how a side hustle flipping Pokémon cards evolved into a full-stack collectibles trading platform. Combining lessons from crypto infrastructure with firsthand experience in collectibles, CatchBack introduces a new model for how real-world assets can trade online.
“Crypto taught me about liquidity,” Joseph says. “In collectibles, things move slowly. Our goal was to bring the efficiency of crypto tooling to physical trading cards.”
CatchBack’s core product is a digital mystery pack system that tokenizes real-world cards into NFTs. Users can open packs, reveal hits, and either claim physical delivery, re-list them on CatchBack’s marketplace, or instantly sell back to the platform for 90% of market value. “You pay $100, open the pack, and if you hit a $200 card, you can get $180 in stablecoins or cash instantly,” Joseph explains.
A second feature, the $1 marketplace, allows users to day-trade cards with near-zero friction. A Dutch auction format further accelerates sales by reversing the typical bidding model: prices start high and drop until a buyer steps in.
What sets CatchBack apart is its use of cryptographic tooling for verifiable randomness and transparency — with plans to bring core functions onchain using Nexus. “We want to use the zkVM to strengthen our randomness algorithms and make the system bulletproof,” Joseph says.
Looking ahead, the vision expands far beyond trading cards. “In five years, we want to be what StockX is for sneakers — but better."
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