YouTube CEO says company might explore NFTs and cryptocurrencies

Dimapur, Jan. 26 (EMN): Just days after Twitter announced NFT (non-fungible token) profile pictures for its iOS Twitter Blue users, YouTube is also considering to explore the NFT space, according to its CEO Susan Wojcicki .

In a letter published today by Wojcicki, she suggested that YouTube is exploring ways in which its creators can capitalise on nonfungible tokens (NFTs).

“The past year in the world of crypto, nonfungible tokens (NFTs), and even decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) has highlighted a previously unimaginable opportunity to grow the connection between creators and their fans,” she wrote. “We’re always focused on expanding the YouTube ecosystem to help creators capitalize on emerging technologies, including things like NFTs, while continuing to strengthen and enhance the experiences creators and fans have on YouTube.”

NFTs are becoming more popular not just for the average consumer but also among big tech platforms. For instance, just last week Twitter launched its NFT profile picture feature for its iOS Twitter Blue users, which lets users showcase NFTs in the form of hexagonal profile pictures.

Instagram, too, is exploring subscriptions and a marketplace for NFTs, the company’s chief Adam Mosseri said in an interview last year.

When asked about his thoughts on integrating NFTs into Instagram by a user during an Instagram Q&A, Mosserri said, “Nothing to announce yet but we are definitely actively exploring NFTs and how we can make them more accessible to a broader audience.”

In addition to the news that YouTube may embrace NFTs, Wojcicki also announced new features for its platform including a new remix feature for YouTube Shorts, a Shorts Fund for Shorts creators, improved live discoverability and more chat features for live streams.