PewDiePie Helps Blockchain Video Streaming Platform to 67% Hike in Users

Blockchain-based live streaming service DLive has seen a 67 percent growth in its user base since PewDiePie, one of the world’s most popular YouTubers by subscriber numbers, joined the platform in April.

DLive now has more than 5 million monthly active users and over 70,000 streamers, Nikkei Asian Review reported Monday. The platform reportedly had around 3 million monthly active users and nearly 35,000 active streamers as of March.

PewDiePie, the 29-year-old Swedish content creator, real name Felix Kjellberg, signed an “exclusive” live streaming deal with DLive last month. His YouTube channel has over 95 million subscribers at press time, with his most recent video racking up close to 3 million views in less than 24 hours.

DLive is a decentralized platform built using the Lino Network blockchain, which rewards both content creators and viewers using its native token, “Lino points.” It takes no percentage of earnings and does not charge fees to content creators, although they do face platform fees when exchange tokens for fiat currency.

Wilson Wei, Lino Network co-founder, told Nikkei Asian Review:

“I think the lack of transparency and the huge cut that platforms take from content creators, are the two biggest problems the online streaming industry has. And blockchain is the perfect technology to solve both problems.”

DLive reportedly has plans to grow beyond its rival, Amazon-owned live streaming video platform Twitch, which takes a 50 percent cut from streamers and currently has 2.2 million daily broadcasters and 15 million daily viewers on average.

Lino raised $20 million in February 2018 to build a “YouTube on the blockchain” in a private token sale led by ZhenFund. Wei claimed at the time that he expects content creators to garner bring in three-to-five times the profits they make on YouTube or Twitch.

Felix Kjellberg/PewDiePie image courtesy of DLive