YouTube May Branch into NFTs, CEO Suggests

It would be the company’s first foray into non-fungible tokens

article-image

Source: Shutterstock

share

key takeaways

  • NFTs could be another revenue stream for YouTube creators, according to the CEO
  • Shares of YouTube parent Alphabet Inc. traded 1.8% lower at time of publication

YouTube may incorporate non-fungible tokens onto its platform in the future, the video hosting platform’s CEO Susan Wojcicki said in a letter on Tuesday. 

“We’re always focused on expanding the YouTube ecosystem to help creators capitalize on emerging technologies, including things like NFTs, while continuing to strengthen and enhance the experiences creators and fans have on YouTube,” Wojcicki said.

Wojcicki said that Web3 has been “a source of inspiration” for YouTube, adding that NFTs and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAO) have the “unimaginable opportunity to grow the connection between creators and their fans.” 

Colin Fitzpatrick, founder and CEO of Animal Concerts, a startup focused on virtual concerts in the metaverse, described the possible NFT integration as “a great way for creators to monetize their channels without needing to rely on advertising revenue.”

“If YouTube is going to facilitate NFTs on their platform, it is possible that demonetizing content creators is something they are forced into by their advertising partners,” Fitzpatrick told Blockworks. “Introducing NFTs could be a way for them to circumvent corporate interests and give their users alternative methods to generate revenue.”

Indeed, YouTube’s CEO said NFTs could be another form of revenue for creators. She did not, however, provide additional details or specify a timeline. 

The letter follows closely on the heels of Twitter’s announcement of supporting verified NFT profile pictures. Users of the company’s Twitter Blue subscription service can link ether-based wallets to their account and display their NFTs as profile pictures. 

Shares of YouTube’s parent company Alphabet Inc. were trading 1.84% lower at $2,567.99 at the time of publication.

[stock_market_widget type=”table-quotes” template=”basic2″ color=”#5679FF” assets=”GOOG” fields=”logo_name_symbol,price,change_abs,change_pct,market_cap” links=”{‘GOOG’:{}}” display_header=”true” display_chart=”true” display_currency_symbol=”true” pagination=”true” search=”false” rows_per_page=”5″ sort_field=”logo_name_symbol” sort_direction=”asc” alignment=”left” api=”yf”]


Start your day with top crypto insights from David Canellis and Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter.

Explore the growing intersection between crypto, macroeconomics, policy and finance with Ben Strack, Casey Wagner and Felix Jauvin. Subscribe to the Forward Guidance newsletter.

Get alpha directly in your inbox with the 0xResearch newsletter — market highlights, charts, degen trade ideas, governance updates, and more.

The Lightspeed newsletter is all things Solana, in your inbox, every day. Subscribe to daily Solana news from Jack Kubinec and Jeff Albus.

Tags

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 18 - 20, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

kamino cover.jpg

Research

Kamino has solidified its position as the leading money market on Solana and is emerging as a DeFi bluechip. Although DeFi competition is fierce, Kamino has kept iterating on its product to provide the best-in-class UX, paired with a robust risk management framework and battle-tested infrastructure. Given the rollout of Kamino Lend V2, the protocol may scale aggressively over the coming months, penetrating previously untapped markets in Solana DeFi.

article-image

Also in the tokenized fund space, Franklin Templeton launches on Base and Securitize hits $1 billion in tokenized RWA onchain

article-image

It turns out that bitcoin never actually hit an all-time high in March. Thanks a lot, inflation.

article-image

Spire, Citrea and Nillion also announced raises this week

article-image

The latest recipient of an SEC Wells notice is a Web3 gaming company

article-image

Thursday’s selloff was led by tech stocks, triggered by disappointing outlooks from giants Meta and Microsoft

article-image

Historically, positive returns have been a bit more of a toss-up during the year’s 11th month