The founder of OnlyFans, Tim Stokley, is getting into the crypto and Web 3.0 game with a new startup called Zoop.
People can purchase, sell, and trade 3D NFT ‘playing cards’ of their favorite celebrities and influencers on Zoop, set to launch this summer. The limited-edition digital cards available on the platform would be officially licensed, said the company. However, the company didn’t clarify whether celebrities would be involved directly in their creation.
“The platform will foster a closer connection between fan and influencer,” said Zoop in its announcement. In par with the present trend in entertainment NFTs, the cards will offer users added perks like exclusive airdrops and special access to communities based on their interests.
More About Zoop
Stokley will co-lead the company as co-CEO with RJ Phillips, another former OnlyFans executive who would join Zoop.
“We chose the Polygon blockchain to launch Zoop because of its low transaction costs and long-term viability compared to other chains,” the company had announced.
According to Phillips, Zoop expects to release 500 cards per influencer for its initial drops and has long-term goals to develop its crypto token. He went on to say that the platform would be “family-friendly,” in contrast to OnlyFans, which decided to keep allowing NSFW content when authors protested its plan to ban porn in 2021.
The OnlyFans platform is experimenting with NFTs as well. Earlier this year, it was experimenting with an NFT profile picture feature.
OnlyFans’ Crypto Venture
Following Twitter’s footsteps, which made NFT profile pictures a thing, OnlyFans had also been working on the feature since last December, reported Reuters.
Users can use NFTs minted on the Ethereum blockchain, denoted by an Ethereum icon, in their profile on their OnlyFans. When users click on an NFT picture, they will find more details about the crypto asset from OpenSea.
A newly installed OnlyFans CEO, Ami Gan, said that “the feature is the first step in exploring the role NFTs can play on the platform.”
In addition, reports also suggest that helping sex workers keep a stable income is not a bad use case for crypto. Unlike a credit card company, public blockchains cannot be changed on the fly to restrict the purchase of pornographic material.
Allie Rae, a former OnlyFans creator, is now focusing on WetSpace, a crypto-focused alternative to OnlyFans.
At the same time, Cryptocurrency might be a barrier for fans and creators who don’t want to get involved in the volatile, sometimes-scammy sector.
Regardless, it seems like OnlyFans may be moving toward a future in crypto with the launch of Zoop and adding related features on the main, which could guarantee a sustained future in the porn sector.
The CEO of OnlyFans remarked, “Our goal is to empower creators to own their full potential.”
Besides Twitter and OnlyFans, other online platforms like Youtube and Reddit are also exploring an NFT profile photo feature.
“We believe that new technologies like blockchain and NFTs can enable creators to develop closer ties with their audience,” YouTube Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan had stated, echoing Ami Gan’s comments to Reuters.
