Soulbound’s Co-Founder Casey Grooms on How Web3 Livestreaming Is Gaining Traction

In this interview, Soulbound Co-Founder Casey Grooms shares insights on the rapidly evolving Web3 livestreaming landscape, exploring how it is reshaping content creation and gaming. As platforms like Soulbound offer creators more control and monetization opportunities, Web3 streaming is poised to revolutionize the industry by bridging the gap between decentralized finance and interactive entertainment. Casey discusses the platform’s innovative features, such as stream-and-earn and live prediction markets, that empower creators to earn from engagement, making streaming more inclusive and immersive for both creators and audiences alike.

Q1. Web3 livestreaming is gaining traction among gamers and content creators. What do you believe is driving this rapid adoption, and how is Soulbound positioning itself to lead in this emerging space?

It’s all about giving creators more freedom and control. For years, platforms like Twitch have had creators jumping through hoops to monetize their content, setting high thresholds for viewership or subscribers. That leaves most streamers behind, stuck trying to make a name for themselves with very few earning opportunities. Web3 livestreaming changes the game by offering direct revenue streams, and that’s why we’re seeing such rapid growth.

At Soulbound, we’re giving creators real power through features like stream-and-earn, where anyone can get paid for engagement, not just the top 5%. And let’s be real, that’s what creators want—more chances to turn their passion into profit. We’re also bringing in live prediction markets where viewers can bet on in-stream actions. Imagine watching your favorite streamer and getting rewarded just for predicting their next move—there’s an energy and connection there that traditional platforms don’t offer.

We’re also making sure creators can flex their achievements and gamer identities across multiple games, which keeps things fresh and engaging. And with partnerships across Web2 and Web3 games, we’re bridging the two worlds, making it easier for streamers to grow their audiences in both spaces. Soulbound is stepping up by removing barriers and opening up new ways for creators to thrive. It’s simple, it’s powerful, and it’s where the future of streaming is heading.

Q2. What impact do you foresee on the gaming community, especially in terms of content creation, monetization, and community engagement?

The gaming community is going to see a huge shift in how content creation, monetization, and engagement work. Right now, a lot of gamers and streamers face barriers when it comes to making a living off their content. They need a massive following or to hit strict thresholds before they can start earning. Soulbound is breaking that mold by giving monetization options from day one, no matter the size of the creator’s audience.

Content creators on Soulbound get paid for engagement through features like stream-and-earn, so it’s not just the top streamers benefiting. This democratization of earning means more people can turn gaming into a career. Plus, the bounty system lets creators connect directly with game developers, helping them to grow their audience while earning money for promoting new games.

In terms of community engagement, it’s becoming way more interactive. We’ve got features like live prediction markets, where viewers can predict in-stream actions, bringing them deeper into the game. It turns passive watching into active participation, which builds a stronger bond between streamers and their communities. On top of that, gamers can flex their DRIP points and gamer IDs, showing off their achievements across games. It adds a new layer of social interaction that just wasn’t there before.

Q3. How does Soulbound’s economic model work, particularly in terms of the hour-based payout system? What advantages does this model offer to content creators compared to traditional revenue streams?

Soulbound’s economic model is built around hour-based payouts, which are a game-changer for streamers. Instead of relying on things like donations, ad revenue, or waiting for subscription numbers to climb, streamers get paid based on how much time they stream and the engagement they create. This system makes it easy for content creators to start earning immediately, without needing to meet those big milestones that other platforms demand.

This is huge for smaller or up-and-coming streamers. On platforms like Twitch, you need a significant audience before you see any real income, or to “apply” to become an “Affiliate or Partner” to get earning opportunities. But with Soulbound’s model, even if a streamer has a small but active community, they can still earn through engagement metrics, including viewer interaction in chats or in-stream predictions.

Another key advantage is flexibility. Soulbound integrates bounties, so streamers can take on specific tasks or promotions from game developers, which can add to their income in a way that’s much more straightforward than traditional influencer marketing. 

Q4. How does blockchain technology enhance the transparency and security of payouts on Soulbound, and what role does it play in creating a more equitable environment for content creators?

Blockchain adds a whole new level of transparency and security to payouts on Soulbound. Traditionally, creators have to trust platforms to pay them what they’ve earned, which often involves a lack of clarity on how earnings are calculated and distributed. With blockchain, everything is verified on-chain, meaning all transactions are recorded publicly and immutably. This removes any guesswork or need for trust between creators and the platform, as the payout process is entirely visible and auditable.

For creators, this means there’s no delay or confusion about how much they’re earning or when they’ll get paid. It’s automatic and direct, thanks to smart contracts. These smart contracts execute payouts based on specific engagement metrics like time spent streaming or viewer participation, ensuring that creators get paid exactly what they’ve earned, without the platform taking a large cut or delaying payments.

Blockchain also plays a key role in creating a more equitable environment. On traditional platforms, the biggest earners are often the only ones who really benefit from the system, leaving smaller creators struggling to gain traction. With tokenized rewards, like Soulbound’s DRIP points and $SBX payouts, even small creators can earn based on their engagement, regardless of their follower count. This levels the playing field and gives every creator, big or small, a chance to monetize their content fairly and securely.

Q5. With the recent $4M funding, Soulbound plans to establish gaming partnerships. Can you share more about these partnerships and how they will enhance the platform’s ecosystem?

This funding is a huge milestone for us at Soulbound, and it’s going directly into establishing some exciting gaming partnerships. We’re already working with over 100 game developers, and this funding lets us expand on that, adding more Web3 and Web2 titles to the platform. These partnerships play a key role in bringing new games into our StreamFi ecosystem, which means more opportunities for streamers to get involved with fresh content and earn from their streams.

We’ve also got partnerships lined up with games like Shrapnel, Parallel, and Nifty Island, where we’ve already hosted competitive tournaments and streaming activations. These events brought in over 200 streamers and generated 50,000+ minutes of streamed content. As we continue to bring in more game developers, these kinds of events will become even more frequent, offering creators more ways to engage with their communities while earning through our hour-based payouts.

Q6. The funding will also be used to expand social interactions and streamer bounties. How important is the social aspect in Web3 gaming, and how will Soulbound’s social questing feature work?

The social aspect is massive in Web3 gaming, and it’s one of the core drivers of community building and engagement. Gamers don’t just want to play—they want to interact, collaborate, and create alongside others. Web3 gives them more tools to do that by offering decentralized ownership, community-driven governance, and direct engagement through NFTs and tokens.

At Soulbound, we’re making social interactions a key part of the platform. One of the standout features we’re introducing is social questing. This goes beyond just playing a game; it’s about streamers and their communities working together to complete challenges or quests and then getting rewarded for it. For example, a streamer could launch a quest, and their viewers can actively participate by completing tasks or making predictions about in-game events. Everyone involved earns rewards, making it an interactive experience rather than just passive viewing.

The bounty system is another way we’re enhancing the social side of things. Game developers can post those for streamers to claim, and streamers can promote these games to their audience, creating a direct feedback loop of engagement. Plus, we’ve got features like stickers and emotes in our NFT marketplace, where users can purchase, trade, and use these to interact with each other’s posts. Emotes and stickers can be slapped onto posts and streams, given out as rewards or gifts, or even unlocked through subscribing to a streamer’s channel, creating more opportunities for interactive engagement between streamers and their communities.

Q7. What are some of the biggest challenges Soulbound faces in the continuously evolving Web3 gaming space, and how do you plan to overcome them?

The biggest challenge is competing in a nascent market that’s growing rapidly but still finding its footing. The Web3 gaming space is evolving, and while there’s huge potential, there’s also a lot of uncertainty. Adoption is one hurdle—many gamers are still hesitant about Web3 because they’re unfamiliar with blockchain or skeptical about how it benefits them.

We’re tackling this by focusing on ease of use and building a seamless transition for Web2 users. Our platform integrates Web2 and Web3 games, so we’re not alienating traditional gamers. Instead, we’re giving them new ways to engage and earn, using familiar interfaces with Web3 benefits built in. This makes onboarding much smoother.

Another challenge is ensuring sustainability. A lot of Web3 projects come and go, often due to a lack of long-term vision or focusing too much on hype. We’re focused on building real value through content creator empowerment and community-driven economies.

Also, the regulatory scene around blockchain and tokenomics can be tricky. We’re careful to avoid the pitfalls of presenting $SBX as a security, ensuring that we’re clear about the utility of our token and focusing on predictions, not gambling. As Web3 regulations continue to develop, we’ll stay agile, but our goal is to be compliant while pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in gaming.

Q8. How do you envision the future of livestreaming in the Web3 era, and what role do you see Soulbound playing in shaping this future?

I think interactivity, ownership, and community engagement will drive that future. Instead of being passive experiences, live streams will evolve into immersive environments where both creators and audiences are deeply involved in shaping the content.

In the Web3 world, viewers won’t just be spectators—they’ll be active participants. Whether it’s through prediction markets, where they can make real-time bets on in-stream actions, or by owning and trading NFTs tied to a creator’s brand, the line between content creators and their audience will blur. This level of engagement isn’t possible on traditional platforms, and it’s one of the key benefits of Web3.

Our focus on stream-and-earn, where even small creators can start earning immediately, breaks the mold of traditional monetization systems. The introduction of prediction markets, where viewers can get directly involved in streams, creates a new kind of interactive experience that goes beyond just watching. It’s about turning the audience into collaborators in the content itself.

We’re also focusing on integrating both Web2 and Web3 games, which means we can bring a broader range of gamers into this new era of livestreaming. As Web3 live streaming grows, we see Soulbound playing a critical role in building a more decentralized, creator-first ecosystem where content isn’t just consumed but co-created. This is the future we’re excited to help shape.

Q9. With support from prominent VCs like Animoca Brands, how does Soulbound plan to leverage this backing to achieve its strategic goals in the coming years?

These backings give us the resources and network to scale Soulbound significantly. Animoca is deeply rooted in both gaming and blockchain, so their support goes beyond just financial investment—they’re offering strategic guidance and access to a broad range of partnerships across the Web3 space. This aligns perfectly with our mission to onboard the next generation of gamers and streamers into Web3.

With this support, we’re focusing on expanding partnerships with game developers and continuing to grow our StreamFi ecosystem. We’re already working with over 100 game developers, but the funding allows us to onboard even more, giving creators new content to stream and providing gamers more opportunities to engage and earn. 

In the coming years, we’ll also be heavily investing in improving the user experience—both for streamers and viewers—by rolling out features like prediction markets and expanding our NFT marketplace. 

Q10. In what ways do you believe platforms like Soulbound can disrupt traditional gaming industry models, and what long-term impact do you hope to achieve within the broader gaming community?

Platforms like Soulbound have the potential to shift power away from centralized entities and give more control to the creators and communities that drive the content. The traditional model relies heavily on centralized platforms, where monetization is only accessible to a small percentage of creators. These platforms control the algorithms, revenue shares, and user data, leaving most creators without meaningful opportunities to monetize their work.

The stream-and-earn system flips this model by offering a decentralized approach where creators can earn through multiple revenue streams, starting from day one. Combined with hour-based payouts, such models can guarantee that creators are rewarded for their efforts immediately, without needing to hit high follower counts or jump through hoops to qualify for monetization. Metric-based payouts are also coming soon, where better engagement and higher viewer counts will directly boost user’s earnings. So, it’s a more inclusive and equitable environment for all content creators, not just the top 1%.

In the long term, we hope to build a gaming community where ownership, engagement, and rewards are decentralized and driven by the creators and players themselves. We’re building a platform where everything—from in-game assets to viewer interactions—is owned by the community. This has the potential to reshape the gaming industry, moving it away from top-down control and towards a more community-driven model that empowers creators and rewards participation in meaningful ways.