3255: TriliTech, Tezos, and the Evolution of Cultural Expression

Apr 25, 2025

Sunil Singhvi, Head of Arts & Culture at TriliTech, merges tech with culture, drawing from his extensive background at Twitter, Instagram, and the BBC. In this conversation, he highlights how blockchain fosters deeper artist-fan connections and shifts the NFT landscape into more practical realms. Sunil shares compelling examples like Manchester United's Fantasy United and McLaren's innovations, showcasing how digital ownership empowers creators. He envisions a future of collaboration where fans not only support but co-create, reigniting trust and visibility in the arts.

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INSIGHT

NFTs Beyond Speculation

NFTs drive community and artist legitimacy beyond speculative hype.
Blockchain enables authentic ownership, royalties, and global artist access, reshaping art's value and reach.

INSIGHT

Power of Engaged Audiences

Artists and brands must prioritize building genuinely engaged, smaller audiences over massive but passive followings.
Web3's direct ownership tools enable closer creator-fan connections, fueling more meaningful engagement.

ANECDOTE

Fantasy United Sparks Deep Fandom

Manchester United created Fantasy United on Tezos blockchain allowing fans to own and trade player cards directly.
This fandom model replaces broad league knowledge with deep team connection, fueling rich, engaged communities.

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In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I'm joined by Sunil Singhvi, Head of Arts & Culture at TriliTech, the London-based blockchain hub helping shape the future of digital experiences through the Tezos ecosystem. Sunil brings a rare blend of deep tech, culture, and media expertise, having held senior roles at Twitter, Instagram, and Rarible before joining Trilitech. His mission? To explore how blockchain isn't just about tokens and ledgers but about real human connection, particularly between creators, brands, and their communities.

What stood out in our conversation is how Sunil views blockchain as a vehicle for restoring creative autonomy and rebuilding trust in the creator-fan relationship. Through compelling examples like Manchester United's Fantasy United game and McLaren's collectible-driven fandom, we explore how Tezos enables ownership, co-creation, and authentic engagement that outpaces traditional social platforms and algorithms.

We unpack the evolution of NFTs, moving beyond the speculative bubble of the past into more grounded use cases that offer tangible benefits. From supporting emerging artists through royalty-respecting marketplaces like objkt.com to enabling fans to co-create digital artwork through platforms such as editart.xyz, the conversation highlights a meaningful shift in how digital creativity is produced and experienced.

Sunil paints a future where fans become collaborators and artists regain long-lost visibility into who their supporters truly are. We also reflect on the power of community, where smaller and more engaged groups increasingly matter more than vast but disengaged audiences. And perhaps most importantly, we explore what happens when creative expression is no longer dictated by opaque systems but driven by transparent, decentralized tools.

Could blockchain finally deliver on the promise of a fairer and more inclusive creative economy? And if so, how can artists, brands, and everyday users participate in this movement without repeating the missteps of earlier digital revolutions?

Let us know your thoughts. Could Web3 be the reset button creative industries have been waiting for?