Storytelling via Cryptocurrency

When a prince and a rapper talk crypto

CUBE Tech Fair is best known for doing pretty well at disrupting the stage. Instead of composing like-minded panelists who feel at ease in their respective bubbles, they arrange to pair most unlikely and unusual speakers.

Last year it was House of Cards actress and startup entrepreneur Robin Wright Penn being interviewed by (un) feminist German editor Kai Diekmann talking about gender pay gap.

This year it was Prince Constantijn of StartupDelta and the rapper Dennis Coles aka Ghostface Killah. They talked about today’s super buzz topic everyone is talking about and – let’s be honest – nobody has a clue what it is all about: Cryptocurrency.

Why this?

Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah co-founded a cryptocurrency venture called Cream Capital, with “Cream Dividend” tokens funding the venture in an initial coin offering. Fans are able to use coin to access shows and buy merchandise.

Prince Constantijn is leader of Delta Startup, an accelerator of the startup ecosytem of the Netherlands.

The Prince is an excellent communicator. He managed to direct the discussion away from pedantic details of the project to a conversation everybody in the audience was able to follow: How the rapper is using cryptocurrency in order to reach his fans. He pointed out that the rapper is not only a storyteller, but even a role model for the music industry. He wants to tell the story in order to reach out to the community.

„ I just want the fan to feel me.“

The rapper described himself as being somebody outstandingly caring for his fans, sometimes being the last one in the building at a concert and he keeps asking himself during his whole career: How are we going to reach the experience for the fans and how can every single fan get the memorabilia and be part of something.

How does that work in detail? Via WU Tan Bank where, according to Ghostface, you can always see your money, you are your own boss of what your are dealing with.

Fine. I had the chance for a follow up asking the Prince about what he exactly meant by calling Ghostface Killah a role model and storyteller. Because the rapper clearly pointed out that he has no interest in disrupting the music industry and the reason for hip hop stars being in tech is money. Crypto for him does not mean losing money but getting more money. Their vision even is to be the next global ATM with Crypto not only for the music industry but also for the real estate industry. So where exactly does he see a special not simply monetary impact for society?

The prince said that for him it is interesting to see how the rapper really puts an impact to today’s trust deficit via technology. He pointed out that the texts of the rapper are a lot about community and you could clearly see that they care about their fans. Via cryptocurrency they provide access to technology and a network.

I was not so convinced but as we all know good storytelling requires authenticity. The following cube evening welcome reception clearly showed that the rapper is not just talking but really means it: He gave an amazing extra gig which last more than an hour for CUBE visitors. Which means: He definitely was one of the last people in the building.

 

About CUBE

CUBE (cube-global.com) is a global ecosystem dedicated to bridging the gap between top B2B startups and major industry leaders. With a deep understanding of startups and corporations, and their vastly different cultures, CUBE connects these unlikely partners through a network of touchpoints worldwide, and acts as the most efficient B2B matchmaking service available.

Through a year-round program CUBE also offers industry and startups a space to collaborate via its Cooperation Space in the heart of Berlin. The Highlight event of the year is the CUBE Tech Fair, which brings global visibility to the most important industries in startup innovations by promoting projects between leading industry players and startups.
CUBE was launched in June, 2016 with Dr. Torsten Oelke as Executive Chairman. Among the global founder partners are Bayer, Dell, Messe Berlin, and VW.

About the Prince

Constantijn van Oranje leads StartupDelta, the accelerator for the startup ecosystem in the Netherlands and advises companies and the European Commission on their digital innovation strategies.

Until 2014 Constantijn was Chief of Staff of European Commission Vice President for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes. He has a background in management consulting and policy research & advice at Booz Allen & Hamilton in London and the RAND Corporation in Brussels. In 2015 he founded StartupFest Europe, the country’s biggest ever startup festival.

About the rapper

Dennis Coles aka Ghostface Killah is a member of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan, an American hip hop group from Staten Island, New York City.

He is co- founder of the cryptocurrency company Cream Capital. Cream Capital takes its name from Wu-Tang Clan’s 1993 classic song “C.R.E.A.M.,” which stands for “Cash rules everything around me.”

Ghostface Killah serves as the Chief Branding Officer to the company and maintains a focus on increasing brand awareness and strength.