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About Shibuya
Shibuya is a blockchain-based film platform where fans directly fund and influence the creation of animated series and short films. Its core business revolves around interactive storytelling: viewers purchase NFT "Producer Passes" to vote on plot decisions, and the platform uses blockchain to track contributions and credit backers in the end credits. The platform's flagship project, White Rabbit, is an interactive anime series that won an Emmy for Outstanding Innovation in Emerging Media in 2025. In recent months, Shibuya has expanded its catalog by releasing five original pilots across different genres, all free to watch, with fans able to fund subsequent episodes. The platform addresses a key pain point in traditional entertainment: the gatekeeping of Hollywood studios, which often prevents independent creators from securing funding and distribution. By leveraging blockchain, Shibuya enables a direct creator-to-audience funding model, allowing fans to own a stake in the content they love and participate in its narrative direction. While the platform has gained recognition for its innovative approach, it faces challenges common to Web3 projects, including the need to attract mainstream audiences beyond crypto enthusiasts and the volatility of NFT-based funding models. No major negative events have been reported in the past two years.
Shibuya, founded by digital artist Emily "pplpleasr" Yang, is a blockchain-based film platform launched in 2022. Its first major milestone was the release of "White Rabbit," an interactive anime series co-directed with Maciej Kuciara, which raised 1,036 ETH in 48 hours through NFT crowdfunding. The project introduced Producer Pass NFTs, allowing holders to vote on story decisions and earn WRAB tokens via a bonding curve. In December 2022, Shibuya secured $6.9 million in seed funding led by a16z Crypto, with participation from Paris Hilton, Kevin Durant, and Joe Tsai. A notable long-term achievement came in 2025 when "White Rabbit" won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Innovation in Emerging Media Programming, marking the first time an Ethereum-powered community-driven film received mainstream industry recognition. The platform later expanded to Season One with five original pilots, letting viewers fund and vote on which stories continue, cementing its model of decentralized storytelling.
Shibuya is a blockchain-based film platform co-founded by four core members:
Giff Huang (Co-Founder): Previously a software engineer at Instacart, graduated from UC Santa Barbara.
Maciej Kuciara (Co-Founder): Also co-founder of Learn Squared, a renowned concept artist/director known for work on films like The Last of Us and Ghost in the Shell.
pplpleasr (Founder): A famous NFT artist, known for projects like Uniswap V3 NFTs.
Jacky Wang (Co-Founder): Previously a software engineer at Facebook and Instagram, graduated from UC Santa Barbara.