Top YouTuber PewDiePie Joins Blockchain Live Streaming Platform

PewDiePie, the world’s most popular YouTuber by subscriber numbers, has joined blockchain-based live streaming platform DLive.

The 29-year-old Swedish content creator, real name Felix Kjellberg, has signed an “exclusive” live streaming deal with the platform, DLive announced Tuesday. His YouTube channel has 93.7 million subscribers at press time, with his most recent video racking up 4 million views in less than 24 hours.

Starting April 14, PewDiePie will stream weekly on DLive, a decentralized community built using the Lino blockchain, according to the announcement. On his official DLive channel, PewDiePie also said that he will support content creators on the platform by donating up to $50,000 to a maximum of 100 creators.

According to online sources, the YouTube star is the platform’s ninth biggest earner, taking $15.5 million in 2018. A seven-year-old toy reviewer called Ryan tops the list with $22 million in earnings.

DLive rewards both content creators and viewers using its native token, “Lino points.” While some platforms take up to 50 percent of creators’ income, decreasing the “viability and livelihood” of the community, DLive takes no percentage of earnings and does not charge any fees to content creators, the platform said.

Lino Network co-founder Wilson Wei commented:

“DLive is a place where instead of competing against each other, it benefits creators to support one another. With no platform cuts, we incentivize everyone to create the highest quality content for viewers.”

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 three-to-five times the profits they make on YouTube or its competitor, Amazon-owned live streaming video platform Twitch.

PewDiePie said in today’s announcement:

“I’m excited to start live streaming again regularly! DLive is great for me because I’m treated like a real partner, just like all of the other streamers on DLive’s unique platform.”

Felix Kjellberg image courtesy of DLive