Storytelling 3.0: When AI, Blockchain and IP Collide

Last week was Consensus Toronto 2025. If you couldn't attend, CoinDesk has you covered! Listen to amazing global thought leaders

Last week was Consensus Toronto 2025. If you couldn’t attend, CoinDesk has you covered! Listen to amazing global thought leaders, sharing their insights on pertinent topics surrounding the digital asset space on day 1, day 2 and day 3. You can also read the extensive editorial coverage.

In today’s Crypto for Advisors, Shivani Phull from Pixelynx explains how Black Mirror is leveraging blockchain as part of evolving fan content and engagement.

Then, Eric Tomaszewski from Verde Capital Management answers questions about the appeal of these products to next-gen investors in Ask an Expert.

Thank you to our sponsor of this week's newsletter, Grayscale. For financial advisors near Boston, Grayscale is hosting an exclusive event, Crypto Connect, on Thursday, June 5. Learn more.

– Sarah Morton

Traditional storytelling is hitting its ceiling. The passive, one-way consumption model that has defined entertainment for decades is increasingly out of sync with the expectations of digital-native audiences. And now, with the rise of new technologies, the entertainment intellectual property (IP) is being fundamentally reimagined.

From Bandersnatch to Blockchain

Black Mirror has never been afraid to challenge the status quo. In 2018, the series broke new ground with Bandersnatch, an interactive episode. It hinted at a deeper shift: from stories we watch to stories we shape.

That shift is accelerating. Members of Gen Z and Gen Alpha have been raised in worlds like Minecraft, Roblox and Fortnite, where user-generated content forms the foundation of the experience. These audiences don’t want to passively consume; they want to participate, shape and own the narrative.

Traditional IP Revenue Is Evolving

Traditionally, IP holders made money through licensing, syndication, product placement and box office sales. But generative AI is disrupting this model. With tools like OpenAI’s Sora or Runway, anyone can spin up derivative content, posing both a threat and an opportunity. For IP owners, the challenge is clear: either lose control of the narrative or lean into new models that protect and expand it.

Enter blockchain.

Blockchain as the Rails for Interactive IP

Blockchain brings the missing layer of structure. It allows for:

This format unlocks new paths for storytelling, where fans are stakeholders shaping narratives with their favorite IPs, not just spectators.

Case Study: Black Mirror Enters Web3

Banijay Rights, the global sales arm of content powerhouse Banijay Entertainment, which handles distribution for Black Mirror, has partnered with Pixelynx Inc. and KOR Protocol, a blockchain-based IP infrastructure and entertainment company based in Los Angeles, co-founded by iconic DJs Deadmau5 and Richie Hawtin. Led by visionary CEO Inder Phull, Pixelynx helped bring the Black Mirror universe on-chain in a way that’s interactive, compliant and community-driven.

Their latest initiative is a token inspired by the Nosedive episode, where fans link their socials and wallets to earn a reputation score. With more than 300,000 sign-ups, top participants unlock exclusive experiences and rewards, offering IP holders a new way to engage and reward their most passionate fans.

The IP Industry’s Fork in the Road

The future of entertainment lies in embracing this shift through new frameworks that provide clear guardrails for IP usage, that preserve integrity, protect rights and enable value to accrue to fans and creators in a fair and transparent way. This marks the beginning of a new era for IP: one defined by protection, participation and sustainable monetization.

By making IPs interactive, tokenized and on-chain, rights holders aren’t just experimenting—they’re sketching the blueprint for Storytelling 3.0.

- Shivani Phull, CFO, Pixelynx Inc.