PewDiePie is going to start live streaming again, but it won’t be on YouTube. Instead, he’ll be on DLive—an upstart streaming service that’s built on blockchain technology.
Although PewDiePie currently has nearly 94 million YouTube subscribers—he’s somehow still beating T-Series by about 300,000 subscribers, as of this writing—the Swedish gamer has been critical of YouTube on a variety of issues, including the advertising revenue model, how it polices extreme content, and the copyright system that’s in place.
On Tuesday, DLive struck a landmark deal to bring the world’s biggest YouTube star to its platform.
“I’m excited to start live streaming again regularly,” PewDiePie, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, said in a statement. “DLive is great for me because I’m treated like a real partner, just like all of the other streamers on DLive’s unique platform.
PewDiePie has had plenty of controversies of his own. His ties to the alt-right, intentional or not, have caused no shortage of negative press, and he’s engaged in feuds with female streamers that critics have called misogynistic.
This partnership represents something of a fresh start for both parties. One thing is certain: There will be no shortage of people willing to follow PewDiePie to a new platform.
Here’s everything you need to know about DLive.
What is DLive?
DLive calls itself a “disruptive live streaming platform,” and it has a unique hook. It was built using Lino, a decentralized blockchain that was founded in 2017. After Lino raised $20 million in funding, DLive launched in September 2018. According to Variety, it has about 30 employees.
DLive —which currently has 3 million monthly active users and 35,000 active streamers—also hosts a rewards ecosystem that can benefit streamers and those who watch them by using Lino Points. Lino Points are a type of digital currency that can be donated to content creators. Each Lino Point is worth $0.012, and can be acquired through DLive’s mobile apps or purchased via DLive.tv’s site using PayPal, Xsolla, or other cryptocurrencies. Content creators will receive up to 90 percent of the Lino Points they earn through the platform.
“DLive is a place where instead of competing against each other, it benefits creators to support one another. With no platform cuts, we incentivize everyone to create the highest quality content for viewers,” Wilson Wei, the co-founder of Lino Network, said in a press release. “PewDiePie has always been a fierce advocate for the value that creators bring with their hard work, time, and effort, and he believes in DLive’s vision. Our live streaming platform has the potential to forever change how creators are represented in this industry, and we’re proud to have PewDiePie help us lead this charge.”
DLive’s previous biggest name streamer was alt-right star Alex Jones, but he was recently banned for violating the platform’s hate speech guidelines.