Open Letter to the Crypto Community in light of YouTube Censorship Episode
On Christmas Eve, crypto related channels on YouTube were shut down en masse, as cryptocurrency influencers with 10s and even 100s of thousands of followers received a so called ‘strike from YouTube’. This essentially meant that their videos were made unavailable and they could not upload any new content to their subscribers for one week. Although we don’t yet know the reason behind this mass censorship campaign against crypto, Bitcoin and blockchain-related YouTube channels, it is clearly silencing these creators’ freedom of speech and right to monetize their work and video content.
There have been reports claiming that YouTube has since reinstated some of the videos, but many videos are still confirmed to be removed. Whether a full reinstatement will occur or not, the “crypto purge” clearly highlights who holds the centralized power of censorship and how it can instantly impact content creators’ livelihood. Ultimately, the entire episode showcases the essential need for a platform that does not censor nor demonetizes as a core value and policy.
This kind of power of censorship, demonetization and centralized overreach by streaming giants such as Youtube is the exact problem that the BeatzCoin team set out to solve in 2017 through the creation of a new platform, VibraVid.
A music and video platform where creators truly own their content. Where uploaders have the inherent right to monetize their work in a new peer-2-peer economy based on blockchain technology without being censored for their political beliefs or choice of subject. Where all audio and video files are stored in a decentralized network on the new BitTorrent File System (BTFS).
Where users get rewarded for listening to music or watching videos, and creators are able to self-market their work through bounties, thereby reaching new audiences instantly. Where a new ad-sharing revenue model will mean that revenues generated from ads are shared more fairly between the uploader, the user enjoying that content and the platform itself. Where freedom of speech is not only protected, but guaranteed.
The BeatzCoin team launched the minimal viable product (MVP) of VibraVid on September 30, 2019, and more than 4,000 users have joined the movement since then. Over 1,500 audio and video files have been uploaded to the platform, either for free, for a set price or with a bounty given to the user who enjoys the content. Since VibraVid’s native token BeatzCoin (BTZC) is built on the Tron blockchain, the more than 130,000 BTZC transactions that have been recorded on the platform since launch have been instant, immutable and transparent for the public to see.
The current MVP version of VibraVid.io is a simple proof of concept that allows for upload of audio or video files, monetization through selling pay-per-view to users or giving away of bounty to users to incentivize engagement.
The files are stored on the decentralized BTFS network that currently has more than 3,000 nodes online, ensuring that no centralized entity can remove your content. All legal content are allowed on the platform, while illegal and pornographic content are not tolerated. Freedom of expression is a key cornerstone of VibraVid’s core values and we want people of all ages to be able to enjoy a new breakthrough peer-2-peer economy that empowers artists and content creators worldwide, and reward users for their time.
VibraVid has recently expanded its developers team, which is currently working on implementing important upgrades, including Profile Pages with Subscribe Option, Tipping Button, Preview of Videos, Music and Video Genres, Simpler Navigation and Search Option, Dark Mode, Shareable Links and UI/UX Optimizations. These upgrades will start to be implemented into VibraVid’s live platform from next week and throughout Q1 2020.
YouTube wasn’t built in a day, and neither will VibraVid — but with your participation, support and feedback we can grow faster than any content sharing platform in history. Our projected rapid growth in both user count and new features available for content creators and viewers alike are even more likely since our developers team has the privilege of today working with technical tools allowing for a quicker development not available when YouTube was born. These include quick UI/UX enhancement toolboxes, 3rd generation blockchain protocols, decentralized storage through BitTorrent’s BTFS and other tools accelerating our development process.
If you value freedom of expression and right to ownership of your own creation, join our movement and become part in protecting free speech in the digital era through the use of blockchain and decentralization. If you believe in freedom of speech, don’t just join us — but grow with us. Support us in creating a platform that rewards creators and users fairly by starting your journey on VibraVid.io and read more about the BeatzCoin project on BeatzCoin.io.
Sincerely,
Misha Lederman
CCO of VibraVid Inc.
