Sued by CFTC and SEC, Binance partners with The Weeknd for metaverse experience

Binance first teamed up with singer The Weeknd last year to meld crypto into his ongoing world tour

June 16, 2023 09:58 am

Canadian singer Abel Tesfaye, known as The Weeknd | lev radin/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks

In the middle of a battle with the SEC, Binance is launching a new metaverse dimension Friday for The Weeknd’s “After Hours Til Dawn” tour, after having originally partnered with the Canadian singer back in June 2022.

Fans will be able to interact with the “interactive, digital metaverse experience” starting at 10 am ET, regardless if they have tickets to the tour or not, according to a statement from Binance.

Per the website, users have two options: Explore the metaverse or solve the puzzle. Exploring the metaverse involves a gamified treasure hunt that can unlock certain perks. The puzzle has challenges that give users the opportunity to win “exclusive merchandise” or tickets to future The Weeknd concerts.

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Ticket holders for The Weeknd’s tour could also get souvenir NFTs that “may” unlock access to autographed merchandise or VIP experiences. Binance noted this perk is dependent on market conditions.

Blockworks has reached out to Binance for more detail on how the metaverse experience interacts with crypto and blockchain.

Binance has suffered a number of setbacks recently, including net outflows of $1.5 billion from its global crypto exchange following the SEC enforcement action. Binance.US also told Blockworks Thursday about a new slate of layoffs that are coming.

Rachel Conlan, Binance’s vice president of global marketing, said in a statement that this collaboration shows how Web3 can merge with entertainment.

“Our partnership with The Weeknd has provided an incredible platform from which we can showcase how Web3 can create deeper connections between the artist and their fans,” Conlan said.

Additionally, Binance announced an exclusive NFT collection for the tour that will drop later this year. A portion of the sales for that collection, 5%, will go to XO Humanitarian Fund, which was started by The Weeknd and is administered by World Food Program USA.

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