In this episode of Multiverse Dispatch, we’re joined by Tara Kwon, the co-founder and CEO of Hyped Collective. With a rich background in brand and marketing strategy, Tara has been a driving force in the intersection of K-Pop, fandoms, and Web3 technologies. We explore the evolving landscape of the music industry in Korea and how Web3 technologies could revolutionize it in the coming years.
Tara shares her insights into what Web3 innovators can learn from K-Pop’s success in empowering fandoms, emphasizing their role as growth partners rather than mere supporters. And we also talk about how this is a two-way street, delving into how innovations in Web3 are reshaping the way K-Pop acts approach their communities. We explore the case study of tripleS, designed to be the world’s first “decentralized” K-pop group.
In simple terms, this means that control isn’t just in the hands of the artists or their management teams; it’s distributed among the fans themselves. Through the use of NFTs—digital assets that can be bought and owned—fans can purchase “Objekts,” which are essentially digital photo cards that grant them voting rights. These votes can influence various aspects of the group, such as who gets to be in specific sub-units or what themes the group should explore next. The group is made up of 24 members, with 16 revealed so far, who rotate between different roles and sub-units. One of these sub-units, EVOLution, will be performing live at Philippine Blockchain Week 2023 in September.