Tag: emerging artists

Trump's Crypto Windfall: A Win for DeFi or a Threat to Emerging Artists?

Trump's Crypto Windfall: A Win for DeFi or a Threat to Emerging Artists?

• Commentary

Fifty-seven million dollars. Let that number sink in. Or at least, that’s how much Donald Trump personally earned from the now-bankrupt World Liberty Financial (WLF) on his newly-released financial disclosure. While some might see this as a victory for DeFi, I can't help but wonder: at whose expense? Or is...

Jack Butcher's NFT Royalty Take: A Win for Emerging Artists?

Jack Butcher's NFT Royalty Take: A Win for Emerging Artists?

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Royalties: A Golden Handcuff?Jack Butcher’s recent reinterpretation of NFT royalties is making waves, and with good reason. His main point is that basing your funding strategy on royalties is the equivalent of getting paid on churn. Ouch. It's a provocative take, and it forces us to question the fundamental assumptions...

5 Ways US Blockchain Leadership Can Empower Emerging Artists Globally

5 Ways US Blockchain Leadership Can Empower Emerging Artists Globally

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It's not just about Bitcoin anymore. It's a revolutionary tool, and if the US gets its act together, it could radically change the lives of artists around the world, especially those struggling in developing nations. Picture Southeast Asia, where the talent is plentiful and boundless, but the opportunity frequently is...

Illinois Crypto Bill Crushes Dreams of Emerging Artists & Web3 Innovators

Illinois Crypto Bill Crushes Dreams of Emerging Artists & Web3 Innovators

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This isn’t really about protecting consumers; it’s about protecting the status quo. Unfortunately, the Illinois Digital Assets and Consumer Protection Act (DACPA) shows us all too well what a harsh, regressive reality looks like. That’s especially true in Senate Bill 1797 and House Bill 742. Yet this legislation, wrapped in...

7 Ways Blockchain Can Unleash Ethical AI for Emerging Artists

7 Ways Blockchain Can Unleash Ethical AI for Emerging Artists

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It feels like only yesterday that I met Anya for the first time in Yangon last year. She’s a ferociously talented nature painter. Today, she plays with AI art generators, imagining a mash-up of time-honored Burmese designs meeting transcendent, forward-looking forms. The dubious pay-as-you-go model of most AI platforms proved...

Doodles' DOOD Tanking? 3 Ways to Empower Emerging Artists in Web3

Doodles' DOOD Tanking? 3 Ways to Empower Emerging Artists in Web3

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Last week I had the pleasure of talking with Anya, a young, extremely talented digital artist from Myanmar. She makes beautiful, culturally-influenced works, but her pain points of having a difficult time breaking through to the Web3 world is really tragic. She is demoralized by the scarcity of resources and...

Square Enix's Web3 Pivot: A Win for Emerging Artists, Or Just Hype?

Square Enix's Web3 Pivot: A Win for Emerging Artists, Or Just Hype?

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I’ll never forget walking into a tiny indie art collective in Yogyakarta a few years ago. There are so many talented artists there. Last year they had a hard time just keeping the doors open, dependent on pitiful tourist-season sales and sporadic grants. Their stories, filled with passion and frustration,...

Vance at Bitcoin 2025: A Win for Crypto or Emerging Artists?

Vance at Bitcoin 2025: A Win for Crypto or Emerging Artists?

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JD Vance, Bitcoin 2025. Sounds impressive, right? A sitting VP gracing a crypto conference. But let's cut the hype and ask the question nobody seems to be yelling from the rooftops: Does this actually mean anything for the artists struggling in Southeast Asia's burgeoning creative scene?Forgotten Voices Finally Heard?We've seen...

Rekt or Revolution? Why Drink-to-Earn NFTs Empower Emerging Artists

Rekt or Revolution? Why Drink-to-Earn NFTs Empower Emerging Artists

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The art world, if we’re real for a moment, can be a pretty impenetrable place. A tiny group of wealthy gatekeepers, some of whom have never even released a game themselves, choose who gets promotion, and who gets… well, rekt. What if the blockchain, and in particular, ostensibly frivolous stuff...

Crypto's Future Blocked? How Senate Gridlock Hurts Emerging Artists

Crypto's Future Blocked? How Senate Gridlock Hurts Emerging Artists

• Commentary

So the US Senate really just punted on the crypto regulation playing field. Again. The GENIUS Act, which was supposed to restore a modicum of order to the stablecoin wild west, isn’t going anywhere. This is not only a question of Bitcoin bros losing their shirts. This is about Nandar,...

Japan's Bitcoin Revolution: A Boon for Artists and Web3 Creators?

Is Japan on the verge of accidentally unleashing a tsunami of creative destruction and financial liberation onto the rest of the emerging markets? I know this seems like a tall order, but hear me out. Japan’s regulatory change to officially recognize Bitcoin as a financial product. This step is a...

5 Ways This Crypto Bill Empowers Southeast Asian Artists, Not Wall Street

Let’s be honest, when you hear about crypto regulation, your first thought probably isn't Southeast Asian artists finding new avenues for creative expression. Surely visions of Wall Street honchos and inscrutable derivatives dance in your head. Well, what if I told you that the Senate’s Banking Committee just released their...

Crypto's 'Light-Touch' Regulation Gamble Will It Protect You?

The Senate Committee’s proposed “light-touch” regulatory framework for crypto is a long high-stakes poker game. Are we all truly holding a winning hand, or are we collectively bluffing our way into a future financial crisis? It’s a question every investor, every innovator, and frankly, every citizen should want to know....

Trump Jr. at KBW2025: Web3's Punk Rock Moment or Sellout?

Or I think about Nandar, a wonderful Burmese artist that I met in Yangon, sharing with me her latest NFT collection. Each work exploded with vivid imagery, bravely fighting back against the junta’s repressive hold. She began selling them directly to supporters around the world, allowing her to cleverly sidestep...

KBW2025: Is Trump Jr. Web3's Trojan Horse or its Savior?

Donald Trump Jr. at Korea Blockchain Week? It's a head-scratcher, isn't it? About as easy as locating a MAGA hat at a Burning Man soirée. Before we put this down as just another short-lived publicity stunt, let’s take a closer look at what this could IoTally Web3 means. Cynical ploy...

Schiff's Crypto Ban: Is He Protecting Us or Silencing Innovation?

Senator Adam Schiff's proposed crypto ban, the COIN Act, aimed at preventing the President (read: Donald Trump) from dabbling in digital assets, raises a critical question: Is this genuine protection against corruption, or a veiled attempt to stifle innovation, especially for emerging markets? Let's be real, the optics are terrible....

Immutable's Gamble: Will Gas-Free Trading Save Web3 Gaming?

Yet the hype around Web3 gaming is real, offering gamers true digital ownership and player-driven economies. Let’s get real: that promise usually meets a very different fate. High gas fees and a clunky user experience can quickly derail those intentions. Immutable is taking a big bet with its zkEVM and...