Remember MoviePass? It’s Back—and on the Blockchain
I still remember the hype around MoviePass in 2017. Everyone in the office was obsessed. We were deep in building crypto teams, watching people hop from one chain to another, and there was this parallel hype in the real world—cinema. When MoviePass launches seemed like a game-changer: £7.95 for unlimited films? Ridiculous.
Of course, we all know how that ended—crashed servers, a confused business model, and a company that imploded faster than a dodgy ICO. But here’s where things get interesting. MoviePass launches blockchain isn’t a headline I thought I’d ever see. And yet, it makes perfect sense now.
They’re not just resurrecting the brand—they’re rebuilding the entire engagement model, Web3 style.
Why Blockchain Makes Sense This Time
At first glance, “MoviePass launches blockchain” might sound like another Web2 company slapping crypto on their logo for headlines. But dig a little deeper and there’s actual substance.
Their new fan platform is built on blockchain to reward viewers for attention—literally. It tracks when you watch trailers, shows, or even complete ads, and gives you credits that you can redeem for films or perks. Real utility, not just some speculative token sitting in a wallet.
This “watch-to-earn” model echoes what we’ve seen work in Web3 gaming—only now it’s shifting to entertainment. Think of it as the decentralised cousin of YouTube Premium rewards—but more transparent, and with actual fan ownership baked in.
For years, I’ve worked with startups trying to crack engagement mechanics. Most fail because they build for the protocol, not the person. But this? It’s audience-first. That’s rare.
From Fans to Stakeholders
Here’s where it really gets interesting: MoviePass launches blockchain not just to track engagement, but to share value.
Users don’t just get perks—they earn governance. That means diehard fans can vote on things like which trailers get promoted or what perks should be added. Imagine voting to bring back classic films to the cinema, or unlocking limited-edition content based on your watch history.
This is the kind of community-led structure Web3 has promised for years but only a few projects have pulled off well (shoutout to Lens Protocol and Audius).
And for someone like me—who’s spent years helping Web3 startups find product-market fit—it’s refreshing to see a model that starts with an existing user base and builds Web3 into their habits, rather than trying to bolt users onto a chain.
Lessons from Web3 Projects That Got It Wrong
I’ve seen a dozen projects try to “tokenise loyalty” and fail. One tried to gamify restaurant visits with NFTs—great idea, zero footfall. Another built a DeFi layer for musicians—cool tech, no fans.
What those teams missed was timing and culture. You can’t force Web3 on people who aren’t ready, and you definitely can’t expect them to care about wallets if they’re just trying to watch a trailer.
But MoviePass? It already has cultural cachet, whether from nostalgia or curiosity. And now it has the infrastructure to turn casual viewers into loyalists.
By the way, they’ve teamed up with tech provider Dragonchain for the back-end—a platform that’s quietly been working on scalable Web3 infra since 2016. That gives this project more weight than most of the short-lived NFT fan clubs we saw pop up in 2021.
The Talent Angle: New Jobs, New Roles
As someone knee-deep in crypto hiring, this shift opens up a whole new layer of roles.
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Community Curators to help moderate and guide user voting
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Smart Contract Auditors ensuring fan transactions are secure
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Blockchain UX Designers solving for the non-crypto native user
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Token Economists modelling reward systems to balance supply and demand
We’re no longer just recruiting for DeFi and infrastructure protocols. These hybrid projects need people who understand both fandom culture and token dynamics.
I’ve already had candidates ask me if there are roles on projects like this. That’s how I know it’s more than just a headline—it’s moving the hiring needle too.
So… Will It Work?
Honestly? I think it just might.
We’ve seen too many projects fail by ignoring real-world utility. But MoviePass launches blockchain at a moment when people are open to innovation in entertainment, tired of subscription fatigue, and more curious about rewards than ever.
If they play it right—focusing on ease-of-use, actual fan value, and meaningful governance—it could become a blueprint. Not just for cinema, but for all fan-driven industries: music, sports, even fashion.
And if not? Well, at least this time they’ll go down on-chain.
Web3 doesn’t need more hype—it needs useful experiences. This isn’t just about decentralisation. It’s about making fandom feel rewarding again. And that’s something we can all get behind, whether you’re a dev, a recruiter, or just someone who misses cheap cinema nights.
