Kate Irwin

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No, it’s not a Twitter <a href="https://dfpi.ca.gov/consumers/crypto/crypto-scam-tracker/#:~:text=Crypto%20Giveaway%2FAirdrop%20Scam%20%E2%80%93%20Scammer,or%20offering%20airdrops%20on%20a">giveaway scam</a> — a reality show about livestreaming influencers who compete to win one whole bitcoin is coming to Netflix in the UK and Ireland June 18.



The House of Streams <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28994419/">show</a> will feature eight Twitch streamers who live in a villa in Malta for two weeks over the course of the competition.&nbsp;



EA FIFA streaming host Nicole Holliday is hosting the show. It was created by Mark Holland, CEO of Stream House Media Productions. The show was made with support from the Malta Film Commission.



Holland <a href="https://timesofmalta.com/article/maltamade-reality-tv-show-award-winner-one-bitcoin-worth-97000.1110565">told</a> news outlet Times of Malta that the bitcoin grand prize — as opposed to fiat currency — helps the show feel different.



“Everything about House of Streams is different, so the final reward couldn’t have been a simple cash prize or a trip to the Maldives,” Holland said.



The show’s eight streamers are from different countries including the US, UK, and Australia, to name a few.



And just in case you’re unaware of degen internet culture and how Twitch streaming works, Twitch streamers interact with their “chat,” or live audience that types in chat messages, during their broadcasts. Those chat members can influence streamer behavior, and can send streamers money or other types of gifts.



While it’s not a crypto-focused reality show, House of Streams using BTC as a prize does normalize crypto in a way, especially for younger audiences interested in Twitch and livestreaming culture.



We’ve seen some startup attempts at reality shows in the past that are entirely crypto-focused, like <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29703667/">Killer Whales</a>. That show, which was very Shark Tank-like, has just a 2.9 out of 10 rating on IMDB.



House of Streams apparently started shooting when bitcoin was near its recent low of just around $18,000, which happened most recently in late 2022 and early 2023.&nbsp;



A lot has changed since then, though — so will the show still feel relevant in 2025?



1 BTC is now more than $104,000. The world’s largest cryptocurrency by market cap hit a new all-time high of over $111,000 just two weeks ago.&nbsp;



“I think it will lead the way for shows that have real-time audience participation and will reshape the ‘real’ in reality TV,” Holland said.



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Gaming

Netflix show to give away 1 BTC in Twitch streamer competition

Ornella Hernandez

<div id="highlights-block_62ed845fc35e7" class="highlights">
 <ul>
 <li>A collaboration between Netflix’s Latin America division and The Electric Factory has support of the Decentraland Foundation</li>
 <li>“This is an exploratory process,” said The Electric Factory’s business developer</li>
 </ul>
 
</div>



Streaming giant Netflix has touched down in the Decentraland <a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/can-gamefi-still-unlock-the-metaverse/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">metaverse</a>. 



The purpose is two-fold: promote its new action movie “The Gray Man,” featuring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, and explore new interactive ways that a brand can connect with fans virtually.



The film is a spy thriller, and Netflix’s 45-parcel Decentraland activation is aptly considered a “Metaverse Mission.” Decentraland recreated a landscape from the movie — a labyrinth that users must navigate by proving their knowledge about the movie’s plot along the way.



Blockworks demoed the experience, alongside Martin Shibuya, the art director at Decentraland Foundation and Diego Alvarez, the senior business developer at The Electric Factory, the programmers and architects behind the game.&nbsp;



Upon entering the maze, users hear the film’s original music and protagonist Ryan Gosling’s instruction video.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Xa0c-mAbRVSsFd27MQdzPX-U4HIG-Tjxszt_2k-CVnnljq3EJ4CYUSPidzaVKzdVoGsY1NyxTM2xlBjWG9iXVIXAPF-OHUOJbUSIqud9w_BaEnybOJ4kOe-Oy1knXZofozzdbXMJDpLQ3IM_E9BTTe0" alt=""/><figcaption>Reporter Ornella Hernandez’ avatar in Decentraland outside the Netflix and “The Gray Man” maze.</figcaption></figure>



In partnership with Netflix Latin America, Decentraland said the best way to access the metaverse was by replicating an actual scene from the movie. This not only attracts those who had already seen the movie, but also “boosts the users that happen to be in Decentraland playing in the maze and gets them to watch the film,” Shibuya said.



The month-long experiment is a way for big brands to enter the metaverse by renting out virtual land for a short, specific project, as opposed to purchasing it. According to Alvarez, the companies doing this today “are going to have a huge advantage tomorrow if they understand how this works and how people can interact” in the metaverse.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ztUc8pYOODh9Xi1ORgReZCy_Sj4veUm4LrxJC4DFVmhRQOllRCRFGFQhLKZHFStagMYQFHMXE6ROZp6FLnY1fXqAaLtsDVC8wDlhmGYFUYyALdr9mg3JYWjtzjJbG8J1-Pqq7Ptnrye3LDkyuZRJJlQ" alt=""/><figcaption>Users must answer questions about &#8220;The Gray Man&#8221; to move forward in the maze.</figcaption></figure>



He added tha the metaverse is “about having fun, about getting in touch with other people here. And that&#8217;s why we have this stimulus [trivia game] that makes you feel like you are always doing something.”



In its first week live, Decentraland says it saw 2,000 users go through the maze. Once users reach the fountain at the center and unlock a secret room, they can connect their crypto wallets to record their completion time. The fastest time logged at the time of the demo was thirteen seconds.&nbsp;&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/rFWnsN7s15LZxYrV5eF9vyAqjga6ahFDOpCgCdk5EAIPRYUBspjxhle3dflHAQOfDWGqXYpzZ_oNk8mJk8rODaHdbb05UnL79ryr8tWCu41ENLeu4VTLZ2zipkh3lSqQEulIGCXgPhVMWnZfMl878vw" alt=""/><figcaption>Users navigate the maze to reach a fountain and unlock a hidden room.</figcaption></figure>



Users can also select rewards like a free wearable for their avatar, added immediately to their wallets. The choices include the signature looks of the three main agents; Sierra Six’s jacket, Lloyd&#8217;s mustache and polo shirt, and Miranda’s blazer and bob.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LFBe1Sg-WTz9dRA4Pls2t2_4DZHRGZOdVR4LM51EzbNGkpHRtvYhwrUf0Cfd2_wx9R9V3bskQkHftHiHuIgiLrmuBYzVGeb85Xg2UfUKIKmH7Tol85_XJ7qZPnj5wCRIWRrIPYT1LZLW7cuoWz7mbec" alt=""/><figcaption>Users may select a wearable for their avatar based on outfits worn by characters in the movie.</figcaption></figure>



Brands and companies are still finding the best way to leverage blockchain technology to interact with their customers, Alvarez said. “There is so much opportunity that Web3 offers the world of entertainment, especially when it comes to immersive storytelling and audience engagement.”



“There is a lot of room for improvement” when it comes to onboarding more users into the metaverse, added Shibuya, who thinks it&#8217;s important for virtual worlds to become protocols that are open to everyone where the ownership of digital assets is standard. 



Decentraland is also home to major brands such as Samsung, Nike and Coca-Cola. The platform also recently hosted the Metaverse Fashion Week where luxury fashion houses including <a href="https://twitter.com/dolcegabbana/status/1507447230877339651?s=20&amp;t=VDj2mjW4eKsW8b747f4aSQ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dolce &amp; Gabbana hosted catwalks</a> to showcase their latest wearables.



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