News
BlockStudios/CryptoAnime Initiative Runs Digital Art Market With Cryptocurrency
posted on by Karen Ressler
Singapore-based company BlockPunk announced last month that it is rebranding its CryptoAnime initiative under the name BlockStudios. BlockPunk also announced that it has signed content distribution deals with Kazuto Nakazawa (Kill Bill Chapter 3: The Origin of O-Ren) and Takashi Shimizu (Ju-On/The Grudge director).
BlockPunk launched CryptoAnime in April to allow users to buy and sell digital artwork. The website touts the platform as a way to "empower creators to fund, merchandise and stream their content directly to fans." Hiroaki Takeuchi producer on The Animatrix, Voices of a Distant Star, and Wake Up, Girls!) and Noriyasu Ueki (producer for live-action Rurouni Kenshin trilogy and live-action Gintama film, producer for Blassreiter) are working as Senior Advisers on the project.
The initiative runs on the Ethereum blockchain platform, which uses decentralized nodes run by volunteers instead of servers or clouds to host applications. The cryptocurrency Ether runs on the platform, and is required to buy and sell artwork on the BlockPunk.
The proof of creation and proof of ownership for the digital images are also stored on Ethereum. The images are labelled one-of-a-kind, though images for sale can be saved without watermarks from the BlockStudios website.
Shimizu, Nakazawa, and other artists such as Mame Suzuki (Q Transformers: Kaettekita Convoy no Nazo animation director) have posted art for sale on the platform.
DLE Capital, the corporate venture arm of Japane's DLE animation studio, joined as an investor for BlockPunk in May 2018.
The proposed Otaku Coin cryptocurrency would also run on Ethereum.
Sources: BlockStudio's website, Press Release, Animation Business Journal (Tadashi Sudo)
