First steps.
First there was an author, Georgina, with an idea to help self-managed artists recover the ownership of their artworks, their audiences and their rights on the web. The first idea came to her mind after discovering blockchain technology and understanding the historical opportunity it could bring for Internet users. Looking for independence from platforms and freedom on the web was not a dream but an actual possibility.
In the Stacks ecosystem she found the community and support she needed to get started, so she looked for a name: Smartists.
With a wonderful technical advisor, Harini Rajan, and a great legal one, Isabel Yagüe, plus the orientation of some artists, they managed to shape and refine the first idea, and they designed a first prototype. A bunch of artists saw it and provided some opinions for improvements.
Then, with developer, Fhil Fernandez, the technical advice of Friedger Müffke, and the support of the Stacks Foundation, Smartists researched and developed the first smart contracts to attach Intellectual Property Licenses to Genuine NFTs. The Minimum ‘Valuable’ Product (mvp) was reverted from Mainnet to Testnet to test the smart contracts, and prepare to move forward towards a Beta.
Today.
In Summer 2022, we had our first Agora, and we also had some interesting feedback that made us consider incorporating, and so did we. Every one of our co-founders got in charge of the four wheels we need to move forward towards our Beta.
As we have done since our earliest stages we want to listen to artists-authors as well as to Intellectual Property experts to make the more sounded decisions at this point.
Our business model is being designed with our principles in mind, plus we know we need a community of self-managed artists -Musicians, Visual artists, Writers and Digital Editors- as well as art-users -music supervisors, producers, collectors, art lovers, etc.- to keep progressing towards the best solutions for all on the user owned Internet we need.
Therefore we are also putting our efforts in providing information and bringing awareness about the new opportunities for self-management in the upcoming Internet (via podcasts, newsletters, collaborations, etc.).
Bringing together Artists and Art-Users with privacy, security and benefits for all on the Internet of Value.