Understanding the Creatorfi Sector: 4 Promising Projects to Watch
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Understanding the Creatorfi Sector: 4 Promising Projects to Watch
Creatorfi emphasizes not just the economics of content creation, but also integrating social interactions—only through engagement can a 3D,立体 influence and economic effect be created.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsIn the fast-evolving blockchain Web3.0 landscape, staying updated with the latest and most relevant news has become a daily necessity for many investors, helping them identify investment trends and better understand and mitigate risks. Clearly, there is a persistent and growing demand for high-quality content creation—faster, more accurate, and of superior quality.
Although numerous excellent content platforms and protocols already exist today—such as Mirror and Lens—the overall value of projects in the Web3.0 creator economy remains underestimated. According to data, approximately 110 Web3.0 creator economy projects raised funding last year, totaling around $662 million, less than 3% of the total crypto market funding in 2022. This indicates that the Web3.0 creator economy is still in its early stages—an untapped blue ocean market full of potential opportunities worth exploring.
In this article, veDAO Research will guide you through CreatorFi—the emerging frontier of the creator economy—reviewing notable ecosystem projects and sharing potential investment opportunities.
Innovations of CreatorFi
Creator Finance (CreatorFi) in Web3.0 represents an economic model combining social interaction and content creation. Compared to Web2.0's traffic-driven creator economy, it offers four key innovative advantages:
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Content uploaded by creators in Web3.0 is decentralized and permanently stored on-chain, ensuring creators retain full ownership and control. Creators can mint their content as NFTs, guaranteeing uniqueness, while smart contracts and wallet addresses serve as mechanisms for provenance and rights verification.
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Robust protection of original content in the Web3.0 creator economy ensures each piece of content generates a unique smart contract address upon being recorded on-chain, effectively eliminating issues like plagiarism and unauthorized use common on Web2.0 platforms. Quoting or creating derivative works becomes easier and more transparent, fostering a healthier creative ecosystem.
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By leveraging the uniqueness of NFTs, creators can monetize their work through platform tipping systems and token rewards. There’s no longer concern about fragmented earnings across multiple platforms—rewards are tied directly to the smart contract and directed to the sole creator’s wallet address.
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Reward and tipping mechanisms incentivize high-quality content creation. In the Web3.0 world, social content platforms evaluate and reward outstanding works based on specific metrics, using NFTs and tokens to encourage creators to produce market-aligned, high-value content. Users can also directly tip their favorite creators, providing immediate support for sustained content output.
Analysis of Promising Projects
Based on the potential, standout features, and funding status of various CreatorFi projects in 2023, we have selected several noteworthy ones for review and analysis.
StoryCo
Previously known as Story DAO, StoryCo is an open media and storytelling platform. Creators can publish their stories, sell digital collectibles, build unique IPs, and govern their expansion. It allows audiences to collaborate, create derivatives, and branch storylines, with community members collectively deciding which contributions to adopt, pushing IPs into more open-ended development phases. The platform avoids most Web3 jargon—NFTs are called StoryPasses, and holders gain access to a treasury funded by NFT sales, IP licensing revenue, and royalties, with potential for Hollywood adaptation.
On January 26 this year, StoryCo announced a $6 million seed round. The project has not yet disclosed any token issuance plans, making it one to watch closely.
The day after the seed round closed, the team announced that applications were open for the first StoryPass: The Disco Ball—a free-to-claim, non-tradable NFT. Holders participate in an interactive story adventure, contributing and interacting to generate "story moments," which are recorded on their StoryPass as proof of participation and eligibility for future rewards. After completing the interactive experience, a new NFT collection called Astronauts will be launched. Owning an Astronaut NFT grants membership in The Disco Ball DAO. The most active participants during the story exploration will receive Astronaut NFTs as gifts, while others will be sold publicly, with proceeds forming the DAO’s initial treasury to develop the IP. All future revenues from this IP—including NFT sales, royalties, and licensing fees—will flow back into the DAO treasury, with members collectively deciding how to allocate funds.
The Disco Ball is the first IP incubated by StoryCo’s team, designed to onboard users. For example, roles such as Story Architects, Story Artists, Story Musicians, and Producers are defined to help users find their ideal creative niche and contribute meaningfully. The Hollywood-experienced founding team emphasizes that future IPs won’t just come from internal incubation—they can emerge entirely from the community, extend existing mature IPs, or enrich already-launched NFT projects with narrative depth—making it a truly open and diverse IP creation environment.
Learn more via veDAO: Link
REPUBLIK
REPUBLIK is an all-in-one content platform enabling creators to connect with their audience and earn higher returns. Its ecosystem uniquely rewards both creators and viewers for their contributions, allowing everyone to earn through content engagement, referrals, sharing, and supporting creators.
Data shows that in 2023, REPUBLIK launched the Spinball Creator Pre-Selection program, attracting over 500 creators and generating more than 50 million impressions. Since its November 2022 launch, over 85,000 users registered for its Alpha version within three months, demonstrating rapid growth.
On March 3 this year, REPUBLIK announced a $3.7 million seed round, raising its valuation to $75 million.
The RPK token will be built on the BSC chain and serve the following purposes:
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Tokenized interactions between creators and audiences, such as content purchases and tips;
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Platform governance—holding RPK is equivalent to owning equity in the platform, granting voting rights to influence policies and shape its direction;
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Rewards and incentives—XP points and token airdrops will be distributed in RPK, aligning stakeholders’ interests with the platform’s success;
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On RepubliK, creator tokens and NFTs are intrinsically linked to an RPK reserve pool, ensuring their value never falls below the value of RPK in the pool. This direct peg mechanism prevents devaluation, offering stability and security.
According to the whitepaper, the total supply of RPK is 3,000,000,000 tokens:
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5% for public sale;
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12% for private sale;
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10% for marketing and operations;
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20% for operations and development;
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38% for content creation rewards, XP incentives, and airdrops;
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15% allocated to the team;
Airdrop rewards and tokenized features are scheduled for deployment in Q3 2023. According to the roadmap, airdrops will be implemented in July, the Beta version with tipping functionality will launch in August, token generation will occur in September, and RPK will be listed on exchanges in November. We recommend keeping an eye on it—participate in the July airdrop, assess the Beta version’s reception in August, and stay tuned for veDAO Research’s insights on the September token launch.
Learn more via veDAO: Link
Cheelee
Cheelee is a short-video platform designed with GameFi elements and a Watch-to-Earn mechanism. Users earn token rewards by watching and creating game videos through their NFT glasses—similar to ReadON. The platform claims its mission is to enable all users to earn money on social networks and share profits from attention and content economies.
Cheelee provides every new user with a free pair of NFT glasses. These track video-watching time, converting duration into points redeemable for token rewards. Users can also upgrade their glasses—lenses, frames, memory—using tokens. The gameplay resembles STEPN’s Move-to-Earn model: upgrading enhances earning power, and users can buy additional glasses. It even uses a similar dual-token economic model.
Dual-Token Model:
Governance token CHEEL has a total supply of 1,000,000,000. Through this token, the community can vote on key platform developments under DAO principles. Currently priced at $15.64, CHEEL has nearly an 80% increase since listing, reaching an all-time high.
Utility token LEE has a maximum supply of 7,000,000,000. All in-app transactions—including rewards, item purchases, and glass upgrades—are conducted in LEE. The algorithm adjusts acquisition difficulty based on minted volume: the more LEE minted, the harder it becomes to earn new tokens. The price remains stable around $2.6 with minor fluctuations.
This month, Cheelee secured another $10 million in funding—just seven months after its previous round. This capital will accelerate the development and marketing of its vertical video social app. To date, Cheelee has raised a total of $32.75 million. In November 2022, it completed an $8 million equity round and received a $1.3 million grant from a VC fund. As a Web3 startup, securing such significant funding reflects deep institutional confidence. Moreover, in November last year—during the height of the crypto winter—founder Roman Alekseev and NUTSon co-launched a $200 million “Crypto Winter Solidarity Fund,” further demonstrating the team’s commitment to ecosystem building.
According to the whitepaper roadmap, 2023 is focused on bringing prior preparations to market: Q1: App launch and token listing, web marketplace release. Q2: Enable fiat paths for NFT purchases (P2P and direct). Q3: Enhance donation, live streaming, box, and ad cabinet features. Q4: Develop NFT avatars and metaverse integration.
Currently, Cheelee emphasizes Watch-to-Earn, with Create-to-Earn features less developed. Yet, by design, it resembles a Web3.0 TikTok fused with STEPN mechanics. Content creation is likely to become a major focus in the future. With its strong foothold in short videos and impressive fundraising ability, Cheelee’s future impact on CreatorFi cannot be underestimated.
Learn more via veDAO: Link
PoPP
PoPP is a Web3.0 creator community application that leverages Web3 technology and AI tools to offer creators a seamless, censorship-resistant, data-permanent platform for managing private communities and co-creating value with fans. PoPP aims to build a creator economy ecosystem where every contribution receives proper recognition and reward.
Launched on February 1, 2023, PoPP secured a $4 million angel round on May 25. The funding will support ongoing product development, iteration, and creator incentives. Following this round, PoPP’s valuation reached $40 million. The Beta version is already available on the iOS App Store and opened global public testing on June 13. PoPP aims to fairly distribute creator rewards, building an integrated community toolkit and one-stop content archiving app powered by Web3 and AI technologies.
PoPP’s Q3 2023 plan includes launching its “Explorer Series” NFTs on OpenSea, OKX, and Bitkeep, turning organizational structure and governance into NFTs to enable multi-tiered governance of its “planets.” Q4 will focus on refining profit distribution mechanisms and consensus models for content funding pools. While no token launch has been announced yet, two major campaigns are currently active, offering substantial airdrop rewards:
1. Million-Creator Cultivation Program
During the public test phase, users who successfully apply and create a private planet can invite fans to join. The top 1 user by fan count receives an NFT airdrop voucher worth $1,500; ranks 2–10 split a $2,700 NFT voucher pool; ranks 11–100 split a $10,000 NFT voucher pool. Additionally, all top 100 users receive a PoPP benefits NFT airdrop, with the top 1 receiving three extra.
2. Genesis Program
An incentive program targeting KOLs, communities, creators, influencers, and platforms. If you become a PoPP creator with your own private planet, you’ll earn a percentage of all PoPP protocol fees paid by users who join your channel and take actions like creating lists or buying NFTs—up to 50% cashback.
KOLs can share a $100,000 USDT airdrop pool and receive direct rebate airdrops through community management. Followers benefit from NFT sale distributions, receive direct airdrops from PoPP, and can complete tasks to win additional prizes.
Learn more via veDAO: Link
Conclusion
CreatorFi isn’t just about content economics—it integrates social interaction and engagement to generate 3D, multidimensional influence and economic impact. Currently, the Web3.0 creator economy is still nascent, with a relatively small user base compared to NFTs and DeFi, leading to limited content production and insufficient momentum to form a self-sustaining, virtuous cycle of value creation. However, with fewer dominant players and diverse gameplay models, it remains an exciting blue ocean ripe for innovation. As these high-potential projects advance throughout the year, we expect increased attention on CreatorFi—and the next breakout success may well emerge from this very赛道.
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