About
My name is Alex Xu (Zagabond). I’m the co-founder and CEO of Azuki Labs, the company behind Azuki, a global anime IP spanning story, trading cards, and collectibles. Today, my work centers on building enduring story worlds and culture-driven products that communities don’t just consume, but actively participate in and collect over time.
Building Azuki
Azuki began as a piece of internet-native art and has grown into a long-term IP project with a clear creative and commercial arc. At Azuki Labs, we approach IP the way great franchises have historically been built: with strong characters, a coherent world, and multiple expression layers that reinforce one another.
A core pillar of this strategy is collectibles, both digital and physical, designed as durable cultural artifacts. This includes the Azuki Trading Card Game (TCG), which serves as a foundation for competitive play, collecting, and community.
My role as CEO is to steward the long-term vision of Azuki: aligning creative direction, product strategy, and brand integrity so each release deepens the world. The focus is on building something that can compound creatively and culturally over many years.
Early Experiments and Lessons
Before Azuki, I launched several early NFT projects during a period when the space was still defining its norms. These projects, including CryptoPhunks, Tendies, and CryptoZunks, were experiments that helped shape my philosophy as a creator.
In 2022, I publicly shared that part of my history and worked with the relevant communities to complete full project handoffs. All proceeds and developer-held assets were transferred to community multisigs where applicable, and all relevant contracts were handed off by May 2022. These actions are verifiable on-chain.
That period was formative. It clarified for me the difference between experimentation and stewardship, and directly shaped how Azuki Labs operates today, with clearer accountability, stronger structure, and a long-term commitment to the people who engage with what I build.
How I Think About IP Today
I believe great IP is earned over time. It’s built through consistency, respect for the audience, and a willingness to invest years, not weeks, into a world and its characters.
At Azuki Labs, that belief shows up in how we develop story, how we design collectibles, and how we choose when, and when not, to expand. The goal isn’t to chase every opportunity, but to build a body of work that compounds culturally and creatively.
Azuki Labs also owns anime.com, a consumer platform for anime discovery and community. While distinct from Azuki’s core IP efforts, it reflects the same broader belief that anime is a global culture still early in its internet-native evolution.
Looking Forward
I’m focused on building Azuki into a generational anime IP, one that can stand alongside the franchises that inspired me growing up, while still feeling native to how culture is created and shared today.
I continue to build in public, with the lessons of the past fully integrated into how I lead. This page exists as a complete and accurate record, not because the past defines the work, but because owning it is part of building something that lasts.
— Zagabond
Recent
From Art to Fashion: How Alex Xu (Zagabond) Thinks About Building Enduring Creative Worlds
Alex Xu (Zagabond) in Paris: Building Cultural IP Through Fashion, Story, and Design