Mastercard, one of the biggest financial payments providers in the world, announced at the CES 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada, that it will use the Polygon blockchain to launch its web3-focused Mastercard Artist Accelerator program.
The program is designed to help musical artists learn how to expand their brands through minting NFTs, building an online presence, and establishing a community.
“The core of this program is providing emerging artists with the web3 tools and skills they need to excel and advance their music careers in this digital economy,” Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer at Mastercard, said to TechCrunch. “By providing access to experts and innovators in the space, the artists will be guided on how to incorporate web3 into their work throughout the entire program and then beyond.”
Mastercard has partnered with Polygon, a scaling blockchain solution built on top of Ethereum.
“Web3 has the potential to empower a new type of artist that can grow a fanbase, make a living, and introduce novel mediums for self-expression and connection on their own terms,” said Ryan Wyatt, CEO of Polygon Studios. “The Mastercard Artist Accelerator not only shows the power of brands embracing this new space, it provides tools that can educate consumers on how to participate. This is an important step forward in opening up the benefits of Web3 to more people.”
In the past year, Polygon partnered with a number of other big brands like Starbucks for its Odyssey digital collectible rewards program and Disney for its accelerator program, while also having major clothing brands like Prada and Adidas launch NFT projects through its blockchain.
