The Brave Technologist

Community-Owned Media: How Coinage Is Reshaping the Creator Economy

Apr 16, 2025

Zack Guzman, founder of Trustless Media and host of Coinage, discusses how Web3 technology is revolutionizing media through a community ownership model. He explains how NFT holders can actively co-own and influence content, transforming passive viewers into engaged participants. The podcast dives into the journey of Coinage, detailing how community involvement helped it amass 100,000 YouTube subscribers. Topics include new NFT uses, the rise of decentralized media, and the exciting role of AI in collaborative content creation.

32:27

Creator website

Episode guests

Zack Guzman

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Coinage's community ownership model empowers NFT holders as co-owners with voting rights, fundamentally reshaping creator-audience relationships.

The use of Web3 technology in Coinage enhances collaboration and engagement, transforming traditional media connections into a participatory framework.

Deep dives

Community Ownership in Media

The episode highlights the innovative concept of community ownership in media through the establishment of Coinage, a DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) allowing NFT holders to co-own the platform. By enabling anyone to become a member through NFT purchases, Coinage fosters a collaborative environment where participants can influence content and share in the business's potential profits. This co-op model facilitates a unique connection between creators and audiences, allowing NFT holders to not just support but actively partake in the company's direction. The success of this model exemplifies how traditional media can be transformed using Web3 technologies.

Intro

2min

Revolutionizing Media Ownership

5min

Transforming Creator-Audience Relationships through Community Ownership

3min

Empowering Community-Driven Media

19min

The Influence of AI on Collaborative Content Creation

3min

Exploring Community Ownership in Media and Crypto

2min

Zack Guzman, founder of Trustless Media and host of Coinage, shares how he’s using Web3 technology to transform the relationship between creators and their audiences through a community ownership model. He shares the inner workings of the Trustless Media model, and explains how their NFT holders aren't just subscribers, but rather co-owners with voting rights on content direction and the ability to receive patronage dividends from the outlet's success.

Key Takeaways:

How Coinage helps audiences co-own the media they can consume
Ways NFT holders can vote on content direction, guest selection, and other key decisions as part of the DAO structure
How new types of NFTs and fungible tokens are being used to help influence and show milestones for different media projects
How breaking down barriers between creators and audiences created the powerful network effects that helped Coinage reach 100,000 YouTube subscribers
How community members have brought unexpected value, including one member who helped Coinage become a major validator across 40 blockchain networks

Guest Bio: Zack Guzman is the founder of the Web3 media company Trustless Media and host of Coinage, the first award-winning, community-owned outlet controlled by its NFT holders. Founded in 2022, Trustless Media has attracted the backing of Netflix’s co-founder by unlocking a new way for creators to build with their fans; in March, they launched their second community-owned media brand, Best Dish Ever. Guzman is also a former anchor and reporter with Yahoo Finance and CNBC. His work has been featured in Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, and The Washington Post. In 2023, he won a SABEW award for his mini-documentary on the collapse of the Terra blockchain.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About this Show:

The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all!

Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together.

The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API.

Music by: Ari Dvorin

Produced by: Sam Laliberte