Meet Jonathan, Head of Ecosystem and Art at Rarible

With a passion for web3 culture and an unstoppable drive, Jonathan Colón is the heart of Rarible’s rapidly evolving ecosystem. In just over a year, his results-driven approach has redefined the NFT drops experience, making it a key pillar of the platform’s success. Read on to learn how his passion for collecting, background in sports, and sharp instinct for market trends led him to Rarible — and how now he’s leading our ecosystem and art efforts.

The kickoff: how it all began

Long before he was onboarding artists to web3, Jonathan was immersed in a world of creativity, competition, and culture. He spent a decade mastering the violin, played soccer competitively, and was an active gamer. His passion for collecting started early — whether it was Pokémon cards, sports jerseys, or even stamps in a passport, he was drawn to the idea of owning and trading unique items.

“NFTs felt like a natural evolution of something I had been doing my whole life.”

“My parents also had a huge influence on my work mindset,” he shares. “They moved from Puerto Rico to the US, worked incredibly hard, and built successful business careers. Seeing their determination and adaptability shaped my own approach to work.”

When the pandemic hit, Jonathan was working in professional sports at New York City FC, had some crypto in his wallet, and came across a cool sports project that would change his life forever — NBA Top Shot.

“It was the first time I saw the financialization of collecting in action. Waiting in a queue, buying a pack, pulling a rare moment, and then being able to sell it instantly on a marketplace — it clicked. NFTs weren’t just digital images; they were programmable, tradeable pieces of culture.”

That’s when Jonathan went all in on crypto and web3 — getting his first Doodle, collecting, testing out marketplaces, joining communities, and soaking up everything he could about this brave new world.

Welcome to the future of owning

Then everything started moving at lightning speed. From his first role in web3 as Head of BD at Pinata Cloud, helping dApps store and distribute NFT metadata, to building a strong community with artists and web3-native brands at Wildxyz, Jonathan was deep in culture and tech. Then came Rarible.

“I had already known Rarible as an OG in the space. But what drew me in was seeing how they were expanding their ecosystem: from artist-focused tools to RaribleX and onboarding brands into web3. I wanted to be a part of it.”

And so he did.

He joined Rarible in January 2024, starting in a business development role. But within months, his deep understanding of NFT culture and market trends led him to carve out the Ecosystem branch, focused on curating and executing high-impact drops.

Redefining Drops at Rarible

Jonathan’s vision for Rarible Drops was simple: making each mint a powerful cultural moment. One of his biggest breakthroughs came with Eclipse — a Rarible partner with whom he orchestrated a remarkable first drop.

“I connected with Figure31, an artist who specialized in sun and moon photography and dynamic NFTs — and we built a drop tied to a real-world solar eclipse. It ended up being one of Rarible’s biggest success stories, with over 190,000 mints in 24 hours.”

This drop wasn’t just about the numbers — it brought one of the most engaged communities to the Rarible ecosystem. Building on that momentum, RaribleX went on to develop Scope, a branded marketplace for the Eclipse chain.

This shift changed the way Rarible approaches drops, making them more curated, strategic, and valuable than ever:

✅ Partnering with top artists, brands, and collectors.
✅ Tying them to cultural moments and blockchain trends.
✅ Supporting artists with marketing, partnerships, and custom smart contract solutions.

“I see drops as more than just minting. They should feel special — whether it’s through partnerships, artist support, or integrating with key parts of web3 culture.”

This approach led to collaborations with artists like Nygilia, Amber Vittoria, vintagemozart, Tuukzs, and some meme and culture names like TOSHI and DEGEN, as well as creator-focused chains such as Shape and Etherlink. And let’s not forget, the best year yet for drops on Rarible.

So what’s Jonathan up to next?

If you've worked with Jonathan, you know that once he sets his sights on something, he makes it happen. And when it comes to the future of the Rarible ecosystem, he has big plans. Here's what to expect:

1. Rarible as the go-to place for NFT launches

“I want people to dream of launching on Rarible because they know they’ll get unparalleled support.”

2. Empowering artists & projects 

“Drops directly impact the lives of artists and partners. We want to keep pushing creative boundaries and giving them new opportunities.”

3. A true cross-chain future

“Soon, any activity across any chain should be possible on a Rarible product — whether it’s Rarible.com, RaribleX, or something new.”

4. Onboarding, but done right

“Too many people enter web3 through rug pulls. We need to make sure newcomers have positive first experiences, so they stay and keep building.”

As the space evolves, Jonathan Colón is committed to making Rarible the home for groundbreaking projects, meaningful collaborations, and unforgettable drops. Cheers to our Ecosystem team, let them cook!