On this page12
- Why do crypto Spaces still matter?
- Is a Space worth your hour?
- How do you plan a Space in the seven days before it goes live?
- How do you moderate a Space so it doesn't drift?
- What makes someone a good speaker on a Space?
- When should a project host an AMA Space around a launch?
- When aren't Spaces the right format?
- FAQ
- How long should a crypto Twitter Space be?
- Should I record my Space?
- How do I get invited to speak on other people's Spaces?
- Is it better to co-host with another project?
To host a crypto Twitter Space well, pick one specific question, invite two to four speakers who disagree a little, brief them a week ahead, and moderate with a written run-of-show so the hour builds toward something. Then do the follow-up, because most of a Space's value arrives after it ends. A Space without a sharp question and a plan becomes an hour of people taking turns saying "gm" and agreeing with each other.
I was speaking on Spaces by January 2022, months before panels at the Poloniex India launch event and, later, India Blockchain Week. This is the method I'd use now, as a host or as a speaker.
Why do crypto Spaces still matter?
Spaces are the cheapest stage in crypto. No travel, no ticket, no slide deck. A founder can talk to a community, a marketer can sit next to people they'd never get a meeting with, and a new voice can be heard by a few hundred people on a weekday evening.
They also feel more personal than a post. People hear your voice, your pauses and how you handle a question you didn't expect. That's closer to meeting you than reading you.
I wrote up my notes after one early on.
Quick thoughts from yesterday's Twitter #Spaces: >To support women empowerment,we need to proactively encourage women employment💪 >Don't hesitate before shooting your shot at your #dream career🌠🧑💻 >#Community building will be one of the most demanded skills in 2022👥 Shilika Jain on X, 9 Jan 2022
Notice what that post did. It turned a live conversation that disappears into a written record that stays. That habit is half of what makes a Space worth doing.
Is a Space worth your hour?
Not every invite deserves a yes. I score each one on five questions before I agree to host or speak. Give each a 0, 1 or 2.
| Criterion | 0 points | 1 point | 2 points |
|---|---|---|---|
| The question | "General chat about the market" | A broad theme, like "the future of DeFi" | One specific, arguable question |
| Fellow speakers | Strangers with no link to the topic | Relevant but all saying the same thing | Relevant voices with different views |
| The audience | Airdrop hunters chasing a giveaway | A mixed crowd | Builders, peers or the community you want |
| Your role | Filler voice among eight speakers | One of several with a defined slot | Host, or a speaker with a clear angle |
| Afterlife | No recording, no recap | Recorded but nobody will promote it | Recorded, recapped and shared by the hosts |
I call it the hour test. A score of 7 to 10 is a yes. 4 to 6 is a maybe, worth it only if one row is a strong 2 that matters to you right now. Below 4, decline politely.
The audience row deserves the most weight. A Space packed with listeners who are only there for a giveaway looks great in numbers and does nothing for you.
How do you plan a Space in the seven days before it goes live?
The run-of-show I'd follow as a host, counted back from the start time:
Seven days out - Write the question in one line. If you can't, you're not ready to host. - Invite speakers. Two to four is the sweet spot. More than that and nobody gets to finish a thought. - Agree a time that suits the region you're targeting. APAC and US audiences rarely overlap well.
Five days out - Schedule the Space on X so people can set a reminder, and post an announcement with the question, the speakers and why it matters now. - Send speakers a short brief: the question, the order, how long each opening is, and the one thing you'd like each of them to cover.
Two days out - Do a quick call or a written check-in with speakers. Confirm co-hosts, mic etiquette and whether you'll take audience questions. - Prepare three backup questions in case the conversation stalls.
Day of - Reshare the announcement a few hours before, and again just before going live. - Join early, test audio with co-hosts, and pin the announcement post inside the Space.
After - Within 24 hours, post a recap with three to five takeaways, tag the speakers, and share the recording if there is one. - Within 48 hours, turn the best idea into a standalone post or a short article.
The follow-up is the step most hosts skip, and it's the one that gives the Space a life beyond the people who happened to be listening live.
How do you moderate a Space so it doesn't drift?
Moderation is a skill, and it's different from speaking. I've moderated in person, including a PR panel at India Blockchain Week.
my highlights for the last week: - got to moderate the PR panel w @MrArijitS + Vik Shukla at @IBWofficial - recorded a podcast w @duniyaxyz Shilika Jain on X, 9 Dec 2024
The principles carry straight over to Spaces, with one extra challenge: nobody can see anyone's face, so you can't read the room the same way.
A simple structure for a 45 to 60 minute Space:
- Open, three minutes. State the question, introduce each speaker in one line, and explain how audience questions will work.
- Speaker openings, two minutes each. Ask each one the same opening question so the differences show.
- The tension, twenty minutes. Find where speakers disagree and ask them to go deeper on it. That's where the useful material lives.
- Audience, ten to fifteen minutes. Bring up two or three listeners. Ask them to keep it to one question.
- Close, five minutes. Each speaker gives one takeaway. You summarise the main disagreement, thank everyone and say where the recap will be posted.
Rules for the moderator:
- Time-box kindly but firmly. "That's a great point, I want to bring in the next speaker before we run out of time" usually does the job.
- Name people before you ask them a question. Audio-only conversations get confusing fast.
- Mute background noise without drama.
- Don't let anyone shill. A token pitch in the middle of a discussion breaks trust with the audience. Say up front that it's not that kind of Space.
- Keep your own opinions short. As host, your job is to make the others sound good.
What makes someone a good speaker on a Space?
If you're a guest rather than the host, the bar is lower but the same instincts apply.
- Prepare two or three points, not a script. Read-out answers sound flat in audio.
- Lead with the answer. On audio, people tune out during long build-ups.
- Tell one specific story. One concrete example from your work is worth five general claims.
- Leave space for others. Speakers who talk for five minutes at a stretch don't get invited back.
- Post about it before and after. Share the Space when it's announced, and post your own takeaway once it's done.
If public speaking makes you nervous, Spaces are one of the gentlest ways to practise. Audio only, from your own desk, with a smaller audience than a conference stage. It also gives organisers something to hear before they offer you a bigger stage.
When should a project host an AMA Space around a launch?
For projects, the most common Space is an AMA tied to an announcement. Timing matters. This is the sequence I've shared for activating PR around a launch:
wanna activate PR for a major launch/announcement? here’s a quick strategy: - Create active thought leadership 1-2 month before the launch - Secure 1-2 podcasts/interviews 1 month before the launch -AMA - 15 days before the launch - Embargo press outreach: week before the launch Shilika Jain on X, 11 Oct 2024
An AMA about two weeks out gives the community time to understand what's coming and lets you collect the questions people actually have, which often sharpen the press angle before embargoed outreach starts. In token launch PR, the AMA is one step in that wider sequence, not a standalone event.
For founders using Spaces to build a speaking record before getting conference stages, my post on the speaker reel you can build without a stage covers how to capture these sessions. If you've already got a talk booked, the 30-day earned media plan around a conference talk shows how to stretch one appearance into coverage.
When aren't Spaces the right format?
Spaces have real limits.
- Your audience doesn't use them. Some communities live on Telegram voice chats, Discord stages or YouTube. Go where they are.
- The topic needs visuals. Product demos, charts and technical walkthroughs work badly in audio only.
- You need a permanent asset. A podcast episode gets discovered for months. Most Spaces are heard live and forgotten unless you recap them.
- You can't commit to the follow-up. Without a recap, a Space is an hour that leaves little trace.
- It's a numbers game. If the only goal is a big listener count, you'll attract the wrong crowd.
For a founder who wants a steady run of speaking, podcasts and op-eds working together, that's what my founder profiling service is set up to do. A good Space is one useful piece of that, not the whole plan.
FAQ
How long should a crypto Twitter Space be?
Forty-five minutes to an hour is the sweet spot for most topics. Shorter and speakers barely get past introductions; longer and listeners drift off. If the conversation is still strong at the hour mark, end anyway and promise a follow-up.
Should I record my Space?
Usually yes. A recording lets people who missed it catch up, and it gives you raw material for clips, quotes and recap posts. Tell speakers in advance that it will be recorded.
How do I get invited to speak on other people's Spaces?
Be useful in the topic first. Reply thoughtfully to hosts who run regular Spaces in your niche, share their sessions, and when you have a specific angle, offer it briefly by DM. Hosts look for speakers who will add something, not just fill a slot.
Is it better to co-host with another project?
Often. Co-hosting with a project that serves a similar audience doubles your reach and makes the conversation feel less like self-promotion. Agree in advance who moderates and how you'll split promotion, so nobody feels used.
Planning a Space or an AMA around your next announcement? Tell me what you're launching and I'll help you turn the hour into coverage.
