We stand at a pivotal moment. The groundswell of support for crypto in the new Congress – 250 in the House, 16 in the Senate – isn't just about numbers. It's about opportunity. It's about leveling the playing field for creators, especially those who've been historically marginalized by traditional art markets. Forget the Wall Street hype; let's talk about Main Street artists, specifically the Nandar's of the world, struggling to get their voices heard and fairly compensated.

It’s not just new technology, it’s a whole new paradigm. Imagine this—an artist in Myanmar like Nandar, for example—can now sell their digital artwork directly to someone in New York. It means they don’t have to give up 30% of their income to these middlemen anymore! That’s the promise of crypto, and that promise is closer than you think. It requires the right policies.

Web3: A Canvas for Creators

Web3 remains a blank canvas offering unlimited potential. It welcomes artists to free their imaginations far beyond the limits of traditional galleries, agents and gatekeepers. Yet even the best artist would be lost without a canvas, and the profiteers need that frame—regulation. The hatchery regulatory scene right now is a tangled thicket, an incomprehensible Jackson Pollock masterpiece. It's fragmented, confusing, and frankly, stifling innovation.

The unexpected connection? Picture this—just like the early days of the internet. Remember the Wild West? The same fears, the same uncertainties. We all worked it out, and the internet changed how we connect and do business. And we should be able to do the same with crypto—but for that to happen, we need policies that encourage innovation, not kill it.

Unlock Funding for Art's Sake

The most severe hurdle that up-and-coming artists face is a lack of capital. Traditional grants and loans funds are notoriously hard to access, particularly for artists of color or those from other marginalized communities. That’s where crypto, especially via Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), comes in as a possible answer. DAOs allow communities to pool resources and provide funding directly to artists, flipping the script on traditional gatekeepers.

Now picture a DAO with the explicit goal of funding artists from Southeast Asia. Members would be able to vote on which artists to support, and the funding could be provided entirely transparently through cryptocurrency. It’s more than the money, it’s the community, the collaboration, the creative freedom to produce art without financial stress that grants support.

DAOs operate in a legal gray area. We should pursue policies that explicitly define the legal status of DAOs, giving them a clear set of rules to exist and function within. One option could be to develop a legal structure designed with DAOs in mind. Or better yet, you could just conform what you’ve already built to address their specific requirements. This will free up much more funding for early career artists to receive grants. Only then can they follow their passions and make art reflective of their lived experiences. This is more than utility — it’s about the concrete action steps we can take today to empower artists.

NFTs: Own Your Creation

NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) are changing the game of how artists own and share their work. They enable creatives to produce original digital goods that can be purchased, sold, and exchanged across blockchain ecosystems. Consider it digital provenance, ensuring an asset’s originality and ownership.

For artists such as Nandar, NFTs provide an incredibly empowering technology to avoid established, traditional art markets and reach individual collectors. Artists can bypass traditional gatekeepers, sell their art directly to fans, maintain even greater control over their work, and earn royalties on secondary sales. This lays the groundwork for artists of all types to receive greater protection from the art industry’s long history of exploitation.

Here's the problem: the legal status of NFTs is still unclear. Are they securities? Are they commodities? Make no mistake, as Ripple knows all too well, the SEC’s approach has been heavy-handed and stifling. We need policies that clarify the legal status of NFTs, providing artists with the legal certainty they need to embrace this technology. Consider designing a safe harbor for NFTs that fall within specific criteria. It bears emphasizing that NFTs are not securities unless they have the features that make them investment contracts. With a robust legal framework creativity will light up the skies. This will empower artists as they create more imaginative new digital art forms and connect with their fans in even more thrilling ways.

The unexpected connection here? It’s similar to the music industry’s battle against Napster. As much as they attempted to fight it, in the end, they were forced to join the digital revolution. The same goes for the art world. For the industry, attempting to shut down the use of NFTs is as futile an endeavor as holding back the tide. Instead, we have to fully lean into the technology and figure out the policies that will enable artists to succeed in this digital era.

President Trump's pledge to make the U.S. the "crypto capital of the planet" is more than just rhetoric. It's an opportunity. It takes more than good, pro-crypto vibes. It means real policies that uplift new and diverse talent and create a more inclusive and attainable creative economy. Let's make it happen.