OnlyFans, Patreon models turn to Web3 amid payment and censorship fears

cointelegraph.com:

Adult content creators have continued to shift towards decentralized versions of OnlyFans and Patreon, after recent payment difficulties and the ever-present threat of being de-platformed.

Leon Lee, founder and CEO of Only1 — a decentralized version of OnlyFans — tells Cointelegraph there has been a recent power shift from intermediaries to content creators, thanks to Web3.

“The role of intermediaries are diminishing while the role and earnings of creators are increasing,” said Lee.

In August, creators on Patreon reported having difficulties withdrawing their earnings from the platform as payments were being flagged as fraudulent by banks.

I told the credit card company the charge was valid, fine. Patreon sent an email saying "click here to update your payment" and that link goes to a 404 error. My list of supported creators is gone, I have to try to remember who I was supporting - there is nothing on the site 2/

Many content creators also haven’t likely forgotten when OnlyFans tried to ban sexually explicit content in 2021, only to reverse the decision days later.

Speaking to this, Lee argues that creators will always be at risk of being deplatformed as long as they stay on centralized platforms using traditional payment rails.

Only1 was launched on the Solana blockchain in March 2023 — backed by Animoca Brands. However, the platform is just one out of many startups looking to capture the magic of adult subscription platforms with a decentralized crypto twist.

1/ Introducing the Creator Economy 4.0

Traditional creator subscription platforms fell short when it comes to payments, incentives and censorship. This is all about to change, starting here on @solana.

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In 2022, OnlyFans model Allie Rae