Social Tokens for Creators Explained | Summary and Q&A

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May 24, 2021
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a16z
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Social Tokens for Creators Explained

TL;DR

Rally is a social token project that enables creators, artists, and brands to tokenize their identities, engage with fans, and participate in decentralized economies. It aims to simplify the process of launching social tokens and NFTs while building strong communities.

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Key Insights

  • 🪭 Rally simplifies the process of tokenizing identities and engaging with fans, making it accessible even for creators without extensive knowledge of blockchain technology.
  • 👶 Social tokens have the potential to revolutionize fan engagement and monetization for creators, providing new opportunities and incentives.
  • 🥺 NFTs in the gaming industry can go beyond collectibles and enable the creation of functional or compositional assets, leading to new and more immersive gaming experiences.
  • 🏛️ The success of social tokens heavily relies on building and nurturing communities around creators, emphasizing the importance of community-driven platforms like Rally.
  • 👤 Price discovery for NFTs is evolving, with a shift from auction mechanisms to diverse and user-friendly pricing models that cater to different use cases and types of digital assets.
  • 😒 Rally's decentralized approach and focus on horizontal technology enable it to support a wide range of creators and use cases, fostering inclusivity and flexibility.
  • 🧑‍🎨 The future of social tokens may involve both single creators with global fan communities and collectives of artists or brands, offering diverse opportunities for engagement and monetization.
  • 💪 Creating strong communities around social tokens is crucial for their success, as community-driven projects like CryptoPunks and NBA Top Shot have demonstrated.

Transcript

i would now like to bring back our general partner chris dickson who will be in conversation with kevin chu who founded kabam the mobile gaming company and is also the founder of rally an open network on ethereum where creators can launch social tokens thank you kevin and chris for joining us i will hand it over to chris to take it away thank you a... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: What is Rally and how does it work?

Rally is a social token project that enables creators to tokenize their identities and engage with fans. It provides a platform for creators to launch and manage social tokens and NFTs, creating economies driven by their communities.

Q: Can you give an example of how social tokens work?

Portugal. The Man, a Grammy-winning band, created their own social token on Rally. Holding a certain number of tokens grants fans access to music archives, exclusive content, and virtual concerts. It allows the band to reward their fans and create a more engaging fan experience.

Q: How do social tokens and NFTs coexist?

Rally aims to create an ecosystem where social tokens and NFTs can coexist in the same economy. It allows creators to create both fungible and non-fungible tokens, enabling various use cases and opportunities for monetization and engagement within their communities.

Q: How does Rally make money?

Rally follows a decentralized business model, similar to Bitcoin and Ethereum. Its native token, Rally, serves as collateral and a governance token for the network. The goal is to create a network where other businesses can thrive within the ecosystem without centralizing control or competing with creators.

Summary

In this video, Chris Dickson, the general partner of a venture capital firm, interviews Kevin Chu, the founder of Kabam (a mobile gaming company) and Rally (an open network on Ethereum for launching social tokens). They discuss the concept of social tokens, which can be both fungible and non-fungible, and how they enable creators to tokenize their identities and engage with their fans and communities. They also delve into the potential of social tokens in the gaming industry and how they can create new economic models and value for both creators and fans.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is Rally and how does it enable creators to tokenize their identities?

Rally is a social token project that allows creators, artists, communities, and brands to tokenize their identities and engage with fans and supporters. It started as a non-fungible token (NFT) project three years ago but later expanded to include fungible tokens as well. The goal is to enable creators to participate in economies built around their unique identities and allow fans from around the world to participate and support them.

Q: Can you provide an example of a social token?

One example is the Grammy award-winning band Portugal. The Man, who used Rally to create a new form of a fan club. They wanted to reward their fans and create a way for them to participate and earn through their social token. By holding a certain number of Rally tokens, fans gain access to music archives, exclusive hangouts, and other perks. The band also offers virtual concerts and hangouts where fans can use their social tokens to gain access.

Q: How does the concept of social tokens differ in smaller networks compared to larger communities like the NBA or crypto art community?

Social tokens can be applicable to both small and large communities. While larger communities like the NBA or crypto art community have a built-in audience, smaller networks may face challenges in monetizing their content. Social tokens provide a new model for these smaller networks, allowing them to create value and engage with their audience. The idea is to provide a new economic model for these communities, regardless of their size.

Q: How do fungible and non-fungible tokens coexist within the same economy in the context of social tokens?

Fungible tokens and non-fungible tokens serve different purposes within the social token economy. Fungible tokens, like the ones used in games such as Fortnite, act as a common currency within a community or ecosystem. They enable creators and communities to create value together and denominate assets within the network. Non-fungible tokens, on the other hand, represent unique assets or collectibles that can be owned, bought, and sold. The goal with social tokens is to create an economy where both types of tokens work together and complement each other.

Q: How does Rally make technology simple for creators and communities?

Rally aims to make technology simple for creators by providing pre-assembled templates and easy-to-use tools. The platform allows creators to have a social token and a set of NFTs right out of the box. Over time, creators can customize and edit their tokens and assets as they become more familiar with the crypto space. Just as WordPress simplifies website creation, Rally simplifies the process of entering the world of crypto for creators, making it accessible for a wider range of users.

Q: How do social tokens intersect with gaming, and what are the potential applications in this industry?

Gaming is a major use case for social tokens and NFTs. In the gaming community, there have been various economic designs around digital assets. NFTs can serve as collectible items within games, cosmetic items for personalization, or composables where players can combine different NFTs to create new assets or functionalities. Additionally, social tokens enable new pricing and price discovery mechanisms within the gaming space. The possibilities for social tokens within gaming are vast and can create unique and engaging experiences for players.

Q: How does Rally's business model work and how does it differ from traditional companies?

Rally's business model follows the footsteps of Bitcoin and Ethereum by creating a decentralized network. The Rally token serves as a central use and governance token, powering the various social tokens and NFTs within the network. The goal is not to be a traditional company seeking revenue and potentially competing with the ecosystem. Instead, Rally aims to create a network where other businesses can thrive and build on top of the technology. By decentralizing the network, Rally enables communities and creators to drive the value and direction of the platform.

Q: Are Rally's broad-ranging applications and use cases a challenge for attracting creators from different industries?

Rally's approach of being a decentralized platform with multiple integration points can make it harder to get started compared to purpose-built platforms. However, this approach also offers creators the flexibility to integrate social tokens into their existing platforms or communities. By enabling creators to use social tokens where their audience already is, whether on Twitch, Discord, or their own websites, Rally aims to create a horizontal technology that can cater to a wide range of creator communities. While it may be more challenging initially, this approach allows for greater customization and scalability.

Q: Do you believe that the future of social tokens will revolve more around single creators or large groups of creators?

Both models have their potential and strengths. Single creators, such as popular musicians or athletes, can gather global fan communities around them and create large-scale engagement. On the other hand, there are collective groups of creators like artists who collaborate and promote each other's work. Rally accommodates both types of creators by providing tools for building communities and supporting either individual or collective social tokens. Both models have the potential to be equally strong and valuable within the social token ecosystem.

Q: How does Rally generate revenue?

Rally's revenue model follows a crypto-native approach. Rather than being a traditional revenue-seeking company, Rally focuses on creating a decentralized network. The Rally token acts as collateral and a governance token for managing the network. As the network grows and social tokens gain widespread adoption, the Rally token represents value and utility within this ecosystem. The aim is to create an ecosystem where other businesses can build and thrive, rather than relying on direct revenue generation for Rally itself.

Takeaways

The concept of social tokens has the potential to revolutionize the way creators, artists, and communities engage with their fans and monetize their content. By creating fungible and non-fungible tokens, creators can tokenize their identities and establish unique economies around their work. Social tokens can be applicable to both large and small communities, augmenting their economic models and fostering deeper connections with fans. In the gaming industry, social tokens and NFTs offer opportunities for collectibles, cosmetic items, and composability, creating new ways for players to interact and engage. Rally's approach to simplifying technology and providing customizable templates makes it easier for creators to enter the crypto space and build communities. The success of social tokens is heavily dependent on community engagement, and their potential lies in their ability to bring creators and fans closer together.

Summary & Key Takeaways

  • Rally is a social token project that facilitates the creation and management of both fungible and non-fungible tokens for creators, artists, and brands.

  • It allows creators to tokenize their identities, engage with fans, and participate in economies driven by their unique communities.

  • For example, the Grammy-winning band Portugal. The Man created their own social token on Rally, providing fans access to music archives and exclusive content.

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