PROOF OF LOVE
MAD REALITIES is a company that wants to be the Netflix of Web3 and brings a totally fresh perspective to reality TV. Cofounders Alice Ma and Devin Lewtan raised over $500,000 to fund the first-ever crypto-powered reality series, selling NFTs as membership to the platform. The show is named PROOF OF LOVE, a play on “proof of stake,” which is how payments are validated for different cryptocurrencies. And while a crypto dating show almost feels like an oxymoron, the premise is simple: It's a live dating show (with a live audience) that is created, cast and voted on by the NFT holders. The NFTs that power the show were sold as different tiered “Rose Tickets,” which allow NFT holders to have varying degrees of participation. One of the highest tickets, the “Sequin Rose,” allows the holder to earn a producer credit and a video of everyone at the event bowing down to you.
I’m intrigued by the concept and how it marries the silliness and fun of IRL dating with cryptocurrency. Oh, and you can stream every episode for free on YouTube! Tune in to the finale this Sunday, airing live from Webster Hall, and keep an eye out for my friend Dylan—who in my completely unbiased opinion is the very best contestant on the show.
—Eden Bekele, Digital Associate
