Blockchain
Wavlake Partners with ZBD: Powering a Fairer Music Distribution Ecosystem
Wavlake, the music and podcasting distribution platform for the open value for value economy, today announces a new partnership with ZBD, the leading payments company powering digital economies. The partnership enables a new model where creators can instantly and seamlessly connect to audiences and monetise their content.
Streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music are notorious for paying out extremely small royalties to music makers (Spotify recently announced it will stop paying anything at all for tracks that receive fewer than 1,000 streams per year). Wavlake, on the other hand, is helping shape a fan-driven creator economy that thrives in an open ecosystem. Since its launch in 2023, Wavlake has proved extremely popular with independent musicians, artists and podcasters, helping support them financially so they can focus on creating their best content.
With Wavlake, musicians and podcasters can upload their music and content which is then distributed to a range of apps and websites, including podcasting 2.0 platform, Fountain.fm. Wavlake also gives every listener the option to tip their artists if they enjoy the content, on any app or platform it distributes podcasts and music to, creating an online world where creators and listeners can freely transact with one another, with no minimum payout. This is enabled by the Bitcoin Lightning Network, which allows money to be transferred instantly and in much smaller amounts (fragments of Bitcoin called ‘sats’) than legacy payment processors.
Ainsley Costello, an upcoming independent musician from Nashville, was the first to receive 1 million sats (worth over $700) on a single track, her hit song, ‘Cherry on Top’. To earn a similar amount on Spotify, an artist would need to have their songs streamed almost half a million times. Ainsley’s new track “People Pleaser” was released last Friday, exclusively on Wavlake and Fountain and earned over 300,000 sats (a bit over $200) in the first 24 hours, which the artist also received immediately. In just under a year using Wavlake distribution to non-traditional platforms, Ainsley surpassed her earnings from nearly five years on traditional streaming platforms.
Ainsley commented:
“Serious disruption in the music industry is long overdue and Wavlake has given me so much hope. Large companies like Spotify and Apple have controlled access to both revenue and fan information for decades, but this changes that. Wavlake removes the financial and social barriers that have long existed between artists and fans. It upends the decades old advertising and subscription-based monetization model and is proving that when fans choose where to spend their money and how much they value the music, everyone wins. I’ve been blessed to find a brand new, worldwide community that values me and my music. In less than 4 months on the platform I saw a 10X increase in song-related income, this is a game changer.”
The partnership with ZBD will provide Wavlake with a global, highly scalable payments infrastructure that can instantly handle any volume of payments, giving Wavlake the ability to compete with some of the mainstream music platforms and streaming services, with ZBD taking care of the payment functionality. Through ZBD’s technology, each creator connects a Bitcoin Lightning Address to their profile, so they can receive payments directly from listeners. This extremely efficient flow of money allows users to send around transactions 20 times smaller than a single cent. It also provides a mechanism to better-connect artists and fans, outside of traditional and heavily skewed reccomendation algorithms.
“We’re very excited about what Wavlake is doing, as a great way to push the music and podcasting space forward in a more equitable way, but also as an innovative use of our tech,” says Ben Cousens, Chief Strategy Officer at ZBD. “It’s just very fulfilling to see the ability to send instant global payments with no minimum sizes enabling positive change for creators. Use cases like this are why we built the ZBD platform.”
The post Wavlake Partners with ZBD: Powering a Fairer Music Distribution Ecosystem appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.
Blockchain
Blocks & Headlines: Today in Blockchain – January 30, 2025 (Dogecoin, U.S. Army, DeepSeek, Web3)
Introduction
The blockchain and cryptocurrency industry continues to evolve, with major advancements in institutional adoption, regulatory modernization, and innovative applications. Today’s roundup covers Dogecoin’s new blockchain strategy, the U.S. Army’s use of blockchain for tracking aid, notable blockchain startups, domain challenges for Web3 companies, the first AI blockchain agent, and Luxembourg’s legal updates for custody chains. Let’s break down the biggest headlines shaping the future of blockchain technology and decentralized finance.
Dogecoin Unveils Strategic Blockchain Movement
Expanding Beyond a Meme Coin
Dogecoin, often viewed as a lighthearted cryptocurrency, is making serious strides toward blockchain utility with a new strategic initiative aimed at expanding its use case beyond simple transactions. The Dogecoin Foundation has announced plans to integrate layer-2 solutions, smart contracts, and interoperability features, potentially positioning DOGE as a serious competitor in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space.
This move signals a shift in the perception of Dogecoin, which has long relied on community-driven momentum. With the new strategy, DOGE could become an integral part of the growing Web3 ecosystem.
Source: Crypto Briefing
U.S. Army Utilizes Blockchain for Aid Tracking in Ukraine
Military Adopts Emerging Tech for Transparency
The U.S. Army is leveraging blockchain, big data, and generative AI to track billions of dollars in aid sent to Ukraine. This marks a significant step in blockchain’s adoption by governments and defense agencies to enhance transparency and prevent fraud.
By using blockchain for immutable record-keeping, military officials aim to improve logistics tracking, reduce inefficiencies, and ensure secure auditing of aid distribution. This could set a precedent for future government adoption of blockchain-based verification systems.
Source: Breaking Defense
10 Blockchain Startups to Watch in 2025
Innovation Driving the Next Wave of Web3
A new report highlights ten emerging blockchain startups poised to disrupt industries from finance to supply chain management. These companies are working on scalable smart contracts, decentralized identity solutions, and improved cross-chain interoperability.
Among the standout names are startups focusing on privacy-preserving transactions, institutional DeFi tools, and real-world asset tokenization, reinforcing blockchain’s growing role in mainstream finance and enterprise adoption.
Source: Yahoo Finance
Web3 Companies Struggle with Domain Name Challenges
Decentralization vs. Traditional Domain Ownership
As blockchain companies push forward with Web3 adoption, many are encountering significant hurdles in securing relevant domain names. Unlike traditional domains governed by ICANN, blockchain-native domains such as .crypto and .eth exist outside standard regulatory frameworks, leading to disputes and accessibility issues.
Industry experts are calling for greater collaboration between blockchain projects and domain registrars to ensure seamless Web3 adoption while maintaining online accessibility for users.
Source: Domain Name Wire
Klaus Agent Becomes the First Blockchain AI to Use Custom DeepSeek Model
AI and Blockchain Converge
The Klaus Agent, an AI-powered blockchain agent, has integrated the DeepSeek AI model to enhance decision-making, smart contract automation, and decentralized application (dApp) intelligence. This innovation represents a major step in merging artificial intelligence with blockchain networks, allowing for more sophisticated automation in DeFi, NFT trading, and DAO governance.
As AI and blockchain continue to converge, the potential for autonomous smart contract execution and predictive analytics is expected to grow, leading to more efficient decentralized systems.
Source: GlobeNewswire
Luxembourg Modernizes Custody Chain Laws for Blockchain
A Legal Framework for Tokenized Assets
Luxembourg, a key financial hub in Europe, has updated its custody chain regulations to accommodate blockchain-based assets. These changes are designed to facilitate institutional adoption of tokenized securities and digital asset custody solutions.
By providing a clear regulatory framework, Luxembourg aims to attract fintech firms, investment funds, and digital asset custodians, further strengthening its position as a leader in blockchain finance.
Source: National Law Review
Conclusion
The latest blockchain developments underscore the rapid evolution of the industry, from Dogecoin’s strategic shift to military adoption of blockchain for transparency. As AI and blockchain begin to merge, and governments refine regulations, we are witnessing a pivotal moment in decentralized technology.
With institutional interest growing and regulatory frameworks taking shape, blockchain and Web3 technologies are moving closer to mainstream acceptance. Stay tuned for the next Blocks & Headlines briefing as we continue to track the most significant trends shaping the future of decentralized finance and digital assets.
The post Blocks & Headlines: Today in Blockchain – January 30, 2025 (Dogecoin, U.S. Army, DeepSeek, Web3) appeared first on News, Events, Advertising Options.
Blockchain
Fintech as a Service Business Research Report 2025: Global Market to Reach $1.1 Trillion by 2030 from $387 Billion in 2024 – SMB Adoption of Fintech Services Spurs Market Expansion Opportunities
Fintech as a Service (FaaS) Market
Blockchain
From Apes to Humans: ApeChain Joins Humanity Protocol’s zkProofer Network to Scale Proof of Humanity
The post From Apes to Humans: ApeChain Joins Humanity Protocol’s zkProofer Network to Scale Proof of Humanity appeared first on News, Events, Advertising Options.
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