Main image of a street mural in the city of Austin.
SXSW 2022: Into the Dollyverse
Legendary country star takes web3 into the mainstream.
Web3 may be a buzz topic at this year’s SXSW, but it is by no means standard watercooler chat. Many panels this year have discussed the path to mainstream adoption as one of the key challenges for Web3 and blockchain. So, who better than the undisputed legend Dolly Parton, a star with genuine cross-generational appeal, to help ease the path to crypto for the uninitiated?
Parton was at SXSW for the first time ever, to launch her new album and companion book, ‘Run, Rose, Run’ with a live performance that was also streamed free on the blockchain-backed content platform Eluvio. The Web3 experience, dubbed the “Dollyverse,” also saw a drop of Dolly NFT collectibles including music and artwork. Those who attended the live concert will be able to claim a POAP, or ‘proof of attendance protocol’ token as a digital memento.
Scott Greenberg, the CEO of Blockchain Creative Labs (BCL), partner for the event, said that Parton is “the perfect person to introduce to the mainstream audience an easy-to-use, Web3 experience that will live stream her SXSW event and provide them the opportunity to own and enjoy her music.”
The carbon impact of blockchain technologies is provoking concern, especially in creative circles, and some fans took to social media to voice their concern. BCL (along with other ‘green blockchain’ operators at SXSW like Tezos and Algorand) is at pains to stress that its protocol is more energy efficient than most because it does not make digital file copies, thereby reducing impact. It also uses a “proof-of-authority” consensus, which does not generate the high energy consumption associated with “proof-of-work” blockchains.
What does Dolly make of it all? “I’m almost always up for trying something new and different,” says Parton. “I'd say releasing NFTs at my first ever appearance at SXSW, definitely counts as new and different!”
