Story Protocol Digest #027
Apr 1 - 7, 2025
This week in the Story ecosystem: Sabrina Carpenter joins SP via the Aria Protocol; IP Portal Open Beta is now live; and much more.
Delegate IP stake to Chainflow:
Major Ecosystem Highlights
The last two weeks have been packed with milestones across Story's ecosystem. Here's a snapshot of what's been achieved:
Grayscale ranked Story among the top 20 crypto assets, showcasing the protocol's growing relevance in the industry.
IP Portal Open Beta is now live, allowing anyone to register IP onchain and opt into AI training agreements. Explore the IP Portal
Selena Gomez and Jonas Brothers IP is coming to Story via Aria Protocol, continuing the expansion of real-world IP (RWIP) onchain.
Bridged USDC Standard, introduced via Circle and deployed using Stargate Finance, makes onchain payments more seamless.
AnthropicAI's Claude MPC was integrated, adding powerful AI capabilities to the Story ecosystem.
Genobank launched an ecosystem app allowing users to upload and claim ownership of their DNA and chat with Claude AI about it.
AI, Copyright, and Studio Ghibli: A Positive-Sum Future
A viral wave of Ghibli-style images generated using ChatGPT raised important questions about fair use, copyright, and compensation for creators. In response, Story cofounder Jason Zhao outlined a new vision: an IP marketplace where AI and creators can both benefit.
This perspective was amplified by Bankless in a deep analysis by William Peaster. Instead of zero-sum dynamics, Story envisions an ecosystem where creators earn royalties—e.g., Studio Ghibli receiving micro-payments for every AI-generated image in their style.
Supporting projects like Titles and Emily Xie's custom AI model show this system is already beginning to take shape.
$5M Raise for Mahojin: Bringing Remix Culture Onchain
MahojinAI secured a $5M funding round led by a16zcrypto’s CSX and Maelstrom. Their mission is to turn generative image AI into a revenue engine for IP. With support from top-tier investors, Mahojin strengthens the programmable IP movement Story is building.
Featured IP: WhatTheFreg
The self-proclaimed "Batman of IP," WhatTheFreg, has officially joined the IP Portal Open Beta. Users can now browse the registered asset and submit remixes. Explore the asset
Sabrina Carpenter Joins the Aria Protocol Lineup
Aria Protocol has added partial rights to Sabrina Carpenter's hit song "Paris" to its vault of royalty-generating assets. With over 57 million Spotify streams and 14 billion total, Carpenter’s IP further diversifies the high-profile RWAs now accessible via Story.
Ecosystem Builders in the Spotlight
The Story ecosystem thrives thanks to dedicated founders and builders. Highlights include:
Red from IPdotWorld
Andrew Nox from The BlockBook App
Story on the Edge Podcast
Jason Zhao appeared on the Edge Podcast, where DeFi Dad praised Story’s mission to reshape the broken licensing and IP transaction market.
Transak Integration Makes Acquiring $IP Easier
Story is now integrated with Transak, making it seamless for users to purchase $IP, the native token of the ecosystem. Get started
Grimes: A Case Study for Onchain IP Licensing
Grimes set a precedent by offering to split royalties 50/50 for AI-generated songs using her voice. This is the type of programmable licensing model Story enables—no lawsuits, no gatekeepers, just collaboration.
BTS IP Coming to Story
With over 40 billion Spotify streams, BTS is among the most influential musical acts globally. Their IP is coming soon to Aria Protocol and will be available through Story.
Spaces: IP RWAs and Onchain IP with Aria
WhatTheLJW, devrelius, and Jason Zhao hosted a space exploring the potential of RWAs in IP, joined by DKostiner and RWAkefeller from Aria.
Scaling Access to IP: Austin King Interviews Jason Zhao
OnchainAustin sat down with Jason Zhao to discuss the growing importance of IP in AI economies. IP is a $61 trillion asset class, and Story is building the infrastructure to unlock it for all.
The Legal Battleground for AI Training Data
As lawsuits mount against OpenAI over training data, Story is offering a better way—track IP, enforce usage, and compensate originators, all onchain.
Story + Futureverse: Hollywood IP Goes Onchain
Story has teamed up with Futureverse to onboard major Hollywood IP—including Ready Player One—into Web3 experiences, games, and apps.
Full announcement via VentureBeat
Story’s Programmable IP License Goes Live
Jacob Tucker walked through how Story maps legal documents into Solidity, making licensing, disputes, and attestations enforceable and transparent onchain.
Watch the explainer | Documentation
Emergence Joins WME Talent Roster
Emergenceverse, created by David S. Goyer, is now repped by WME. With over 85,000 users and 120,000+ AI-powered chats, this move will expand Emergence into audio storytelling and podcasts, marking a major step in Hollywood’s shift toward AI-powered franchises.
In-Depth Coverage from Four Pillars
FourPillarsFP published an in-depth report on Story, detailing its vision, team background, and technical architecture. With deep ties to AI and media, Story is uniquely positioned to transform how IP is transacted.
Major Milestones and Binance Listing Vote
With milestones like Sabrina Carpenter’s IP onboarding and Mahojin’s raise, Story is gaining momentum. Story has also been nominated for Binance’s Vote to List campaign. Polls close April 9. Every vote counts to bring a $61T asset class onchain.
Community Spotlight: Subcommunity Leaders
This week, five exceptional community members are recognized for building Story's subcommunities around the world:
mandragora_spem – Technical contributor and leader of the Spanish-speaking @StoryESP community.
IMenlikovaOG – Highly active OG who represents the Ukrainian subcommunity.
testnetnodes – Advocate for the Turkish subcommunity, and one of the first to reclaim the Seeker role.
0xmatinn – Long-time member helping grow the Persian subcommunity, including organizing a recent Spaces event.
zzdw_zz – A core member of the Chinese subcommunity and newly onboarded IP Creator.