Cryptocurrency
Singer Vérité’s fan-first approach to Web3, music NFTs and community building

Carving out a sustainable career as an independent musician is no easy feat. The competition is fierce, support can be hard to find, and earning a living without the financial help of a major record label is an uphill battle. Yet, for those who are able to build a loyal fanbase, the freedom of complete creative control can be liberating.
Technology has long proven to be a potential friend to those musicians willing to embrace it, and nonfungible tokens are the latest innovation that many tech-savvy artists have begun incorporating into their careers. But NFTs remain both controversial and experimental, especially among the mainstream, and music NFTs are still relatively niche.
One artist who has cracked the code to maintaining a successful career as an independent musician is American singer Vérité, who has racked up hundreds of millions of streams without the support of a record label since releasing her first single, “Strange Enough,” in 2014.
After finding success and touring internationally, Vérité became one of the earliest musicians to experiment with NFTs in February 2021. Since then, she has built a strong Web3 community and had several successful high-profile drops, including releasing 1/1 NFTs, selling the master rights to her music, fractionalizing song royalties on the blockchain and giving NFTs to concert attendees. She has done all this while still retaining her dedicated non-Web3 fans, many of whom have little to no interest in crypto.
How does one walk this fine line and successfully integrate Web3 into their career without alienating their existing, perhaps skeptical, fans? Magazine sits down with Vérité to find out.
Don’t over-rely on Web3
For many musicians, Web3 is an exciting frontier filled with new possibilities for fan engagement and revenue generation. However, Vérité believes it is important that artists have diversified revenue streams and marketing strategies and don’t fall into the trap of assuming that the hype surrounding anything, especially NFTs, will last forever.
Building a music career in Web3 is “a bit of a double-edged sword,” Vérité tells Magazine. While it can help bring people together, “it becomes a negative when maybe artists limit themselves to only utilizing those tools and only existing within those communities, not really having the foresight that there was a hype cycle that then broke and these paths to monetization closed.”
“My focus is ‘How do I build a career that can withstand trend cycles, that can refocus on the foundation of my career while trying to push forward to build better?’ because we recognize that a lot of these systems are extremely broken.”
Protect and respect fans
Not every fan wants to join their favorite artist on their Web3 journey, and that’s fine, according to Vérité. When she first started releasing NFTs, she heavily emphasized that she was simply experimenting with the technology. “I was very, very clear that I don’t care if you come with me on this experiment — this is an experiment for me,” she states.
Read also
Vérité actually took it one step further, actively encouraging fans not to join her. “A lot of my communication with them was, ‘Don’t buy this. Don’t participate unless you are fully educated and willing to fully educate yourself and take on the risks.’” Even now, she still tells her fans that they should never feel pressured to participate in anything Web3-related.
“More than monetizing, it’s really protecting the people who have supported my career for the last eight years,” Vérité emphasizes.
It’s clear that not everyone is sold on the power and potential of blockchain. The bear market certainly hasn’t helped the space’s reputation either, with the collapse of crypto exchange FTX making mainstream media headlines and the prices of even blue-chip NFTs crashing 95% from their bull market peaks.
“If you go on my Discord — and I do tag everyone and say, ‘What do you think about crypto and NFTs?’ — people are not jazzed. Most of them, honestly. It’s just general disinterest,” Vérité explains. But it’s not necessarily that her fans actively hate crypto. “I’m finding that people don’t have a desire to do something new because they don’t see a problem, right?”
According to the singer, “NFTs, Web3, how it’s been marketed out to the masses is also wholly unpalatable really to non-tech-native fans.” Instead, she offers the following advice:
“I would more so recommend people to frame it as utilizing tools because it’s a weird market, and it’s hard to justify some of the scams and the negative aspects that can cause real harm to someone who isn’t knowledgeable or educated on those things.”
Offer an option, not a requirement
Instead of forcing fans to join her on-chain, Vérité instead focuses on building experiences with a Web3 element that is present but optional. She describes her approach as offering a “door” for fans to enter, one where blockchain functionalities can be unlocked to further enhance the fan experience — but where fans will still enjoy the experience regardless of whether they open the door:
“Do you need to jump the technological hurdle in order to have the experience, right? Or is it just a door? If it’s a door, you can talk about it because it’s not a burden.”
“For me, it’s really trying to consider, ‘What is the experience that we’re offering, what are the actual viable use cases of blockchain technology that we can tack on that aren’t burdensome?’” she says.
One example is “The Vérité Crewneck,” a tech-enabled sweatshirt the singer dropped in late 2022 in collaboration with IYK, a company working with brands, artists and creators to develop phygital experiences. The sweatshirt has a near-field communication, or NFC, chip embedded in the sleeve, which can be scanned to access exclusive content and unlock an NFT representing a certificate of authenticity.
Vérité explains that fans who bought the sweatshirt received “premier access to the next era of my records.” Buyers could scan the chip with their phones and get early access to music and perks such as behind-the-scenes content. “That was the main value proposition — not a Web3 activation, right?”
But the landing page also features an option to verify the garment, through which curious fans can receive their NFT.
Fans are at the center of it all
Between straight-up telling fans not to purchase her NFTs to offering them experiences where the Web3 option is an added bonus, Vérité’s fan-centric approach has undoubtedly played a significant role in her ability to push boundaries — and see success — in Web3 while still maintaining a loyal non-Web3 fanbase. Or, in her words, “My fans come first, and I don’t have fans just so that I can sell them shit all the time.”
Regarding her long-term hope for the future of blockchain and music, Vérité says her vision is that “we can demystify the black box of data that exists between artists and their fans, that is held by social platforms, ticketing companies, etc., and that blockchain actually does have the ability to make that information transparent so that artists can communicate directly to the people who support them and reward them in long-term scenarios.”
If the hype is to be believed, this dream may one day come true. But based on Vérité’s experience at the forefront of it all, it seems the only way the music-Web3 revolution will be truly successful is if fans are placed at the center of it.
Subscribe
The most engaging reads in blockchain. Delivered once a
week.
Cryptocurrency
No Price Spike, But 22,500 BTC Quietly Left Exchanges in a Single Day

Bitcoin quietly continues to move off centralized exchanges, even as its price fails to mark any gains. On a single day in early June, roughly 22,500 BTC were withdrawn from trading platforms. This is a significant figure that suggests large holders are opting to secure their assets in private wallets rather than preparing them for sale.
Despite this major outflow, BTC’s price fell in the past 24 hours toward $100,000 but has managed to post a modest recovery and now sits around $103,500.
Signs of a Quiet Bullish Setup?
According to CryptoQuant’s latest analysis, such a pattern implies that these are not speculative trades by retail investors but deliberate accumulation by institutions such as ETF providers, custodians, or over-the-counter (OTC) desks.
These players typically operate under the radar, without the fanfare often seen with retail trading activity. The lack of a corresponding price spike may indicate that the market is in a consolidation phase, where long-term conviction is quietly building. Instead of being driven by hype or rapid momentum, the current trend seems to reflect strategic positioning and growing trust in Bitcoin’s long-term value proposition.
While immediate price action may appear stagnant, the continued drawdown of exchange reserves could potentially mean that supply-side pressure is easing. Historically, this kind of supply tightening has preceded major upward moves, although with a delay.
For now, the data points to accumulation, not distribution. CryptoQuant said that the situation should not be viewed as a lull, but as a potential setup for future price appreciation. As selling pressure diminishes, the groundwork may be forming for Bitcoin’s next leg up.
“There’s no reason to panic. This chart tells us that trust in Bitcoin is still strong. Maybe the price won’t explode right away. Maybe we’re just in a waiting phase. But as selling pressure fades, opportunities become clearer.”
Bitcoin May Struggle Through Summer Turbulence
While ETF flows continue to dominate investor attention, early signs that bullish momentum appears to be fading and deeper structural indicators suggest the market may be entering a period of consolidation, as per Matrixport’s insights.
Their models, which previously supported a bullish stance, now caution that the summer may bring increased uncertainty, particularly as key US economic indicators, such as the ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI, have fallen to their lowest levels since July 2024. This decline, coupled with a weaker manufacturing PMI, points to a broader economic slowdown that markets have yet to fully price in.
Further downside risks include the potential fallout from Trump’s tariff policies and the Fed’s hesitance to cut rates amidst lingering inflation fears. While Bitcoin’s trend model remains technically bullish above $96,719, the report noted that this support level is under threat.
With bond yields stagnant and the dollar showing weakness, Matrixport sees limited room for aggressive Fed intervention. As a result, the coming months may be defined more by caution than conviction, with Bitcoin likely to trade sideways unless macro conditions stabilize.
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).
LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!
Cryptocurrency
Ripple v. SEC Lawsuit: Why June 16 Is Such an Important Date?

TL;DR
Ripple and the SEC face a key deadline as the lawsuit drags on without resolution.
The battle’s outcome is unlikely to cause any substantial volatility for XRP as the price now hinges on potential ETF approvals and Ripple’s business expansions.
Ripple and the SEC Remain Silent
It has been almost three months since Ripple’s CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, dropped the bomb, stating that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) would dismiss its case against the company. Despite the numerous developments that have occurred since then, however, the lawsuit has yet to reach its official conclusion.
Earlier this week, the American attorney Fred Rispoli noted that “the status update in the 2nd Circuit looms large,” and Ripple and the SEC have not moved forward with the necessary refiling.
Recall that the two sides previously agreed that the company would pay a $50 million penalty for violating certain laws (instead of the previously ruled $125 million), which would mark the end of the legal battle. However, Judge Analisa Torres denied the motion, asserting that the parties failed to file it properly under Rule 60.
Rispoli said the deadline for that is June 16, expecting the entities to abide by the rules by then. In case they don’t, the lawyer believes the magistrates could restart the briefing process and push it for another 60 days. He described Torres’ ruling as “clear” and claimed that Ripple and the SEC “need to beg for forgiveness.”
“Ripple will say whatever to get it done, but how much public groveling is the SEC willing to do? And how much groveling will be authorized? We have 12 days to find out,” Rispoli concluded.
It is worth noting that the attorney provided the update on June 4, with no major progress on the Ripple v. SEC front since then.
Other industry participants who think the following days could be crucial for the case are Bill Morgan and the X user Levi. The former argued that something has to happen by June 16, or the appeal and cross-appeal will continue. For his part, Levi predicted that the date would mark the lawsuit’s official end.
Possible Impact for XRP?
The developments surrounding the case were among the main factors triggering substantial volatility for Ripple’s native token over the past several years. Since Garlinghouse’s announcement in March, though, the lawsuit has been largely priced into XRP’s valuation.
Looking ahead, future price movements for the asset may depend on elements such as the approval of XRP ETFs or Ripple’s further advancement and possible collaborations.
Nearly a dozen well-known companies have announced their intentions to introduce the first spot XRP exchange-traded fund in the USA, with Grayscale, 21Shares, WisdomTree, and Franklin Templeton being among the examples.
Such a product will give investors an additional option to gain exposure to the asset, with many analysts viewing the potential launch as a catalyst for a price rally. According to Polymarket, the odds of approval before the end of 2025 stand at approximately 94%.
Speaking of collaborations, it is worth mentioning that in April, Ripple acquired the prime broker Hidden Road for a whopping $1.25 billion. There was also rising speculation that the company was willing to purchase the stablecoin issuer Circle for more than $10 billion, but Garlinghouse recently rejected the rumors.
Meanwhile, XRP currently trades at around $2.15, representing a 12% decline over the past two weeks.
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).
LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!
Cryptocurrency
On-Chain Data Signals ‘Buy the Dip’ as Bitcoin Hashrate Hits New Highs

Bitcoin (BTC) is down almost 7% from its all-time high (ATH), and on-chain signals are flashing a buying opportunity.
According to Darkfost, a pseudonymous analyst at the market intelligence platform CryptoQuant, this buy signal is coming from the Bitcoin Hash Ribbons indicator. This metric tracks the Bitcoin hashrate and is used to identify potential entry points during a market correction.
Is it Time to Buy the Dip?
The Hash Ribbon monitors Bitcoin mining activity and tells when miners are under stress or capitulating by comparing the 30-day and 60-day moving averages of the hashrate. Miner capitulation refers to a period when miners shut down their hardware and sell off their coin reserves to remain afloat because BTC has fallen below a certain price.
On most occasions, the capitulation coincides with the hashrate recovery. The hashrate metric tells how much computational power is required to solve complex math problems and approve transactions on the Bitcoin network. During this period of recovery, mining becomes more difficult.
Market experts say buying BTC during miner capitulation yields significant returns, and the best buy signals are seen during hashrate recoveries. Recently, Bitcoin’s hashrate has been reaching new highs, with the latest being 1.016 billion TH/S. The network’s mining difficulty also surged past 126 trillion during the last adjustment on May 30.
“We recently got a new buy signal from the Hash Ribbons indicator. This metric helps us assess the level of stress in the Bitcoin mining ecosystem. It’s not a big surprise considering that the hashrate has recently reached new all-time highs,” Darkfost stated.
Miners Are Selling Their BTC
Furthermore, the CryptoQuant analyst noted that the Hash Ribbon’s flashing a buy signal is a short-term negative. This is because miners selling their BTC to stay operational create long-term profitable opportunities.
Darkfost explained that the indicator has always been accurate except once, during the 2021 China mining ban event. Hence, the possibility of the metric being correct this time is high.
“Bottom line, this signal is telling you that buying the dip around here is a smart move,” he added.
The analysis comes as a solo BTC miner defied hashrate odds and beat mining giants to validate a block on the Bitcoin network, earning a reward worth over $330,000. Mining successes like this are extremely rare due to the high computational power required to approve transactions.
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).
LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!
- Forex3 years ago
Forex Today: the dollar is gaining strength amid gloomy sentiment at the start of the Fed’s week
- Forex3 years ago
Unbiased review of Pocket Option broker
- Forex3 years ago
Dollar to pound sterling exchange rate today: Pound plummeted to its lowest since 1985
- Forex3 years ago
How is the Australian dollar doing today?
- World3 years ago
Why are modern video games an art form?
- Cryptocurrency3 years ago
What happened in the crypto market – current events today
- Commodities3 years ago
Copper continues to fall in price on expectations of lower demand in China
- Economy3 years ago
Crude oil tankers double in price due to EU anti-Russian sanctions