Nina Protocol Aims to Empower Artists Through Blockchain-Powered Music Platform

In October 2025, a New York-based music platform called Nina Protocol is making waves in the industry by offering artists a blockchain-powered alternative to traditional streaming services. Founded in 2021, Nina Protocol operates as a peer-to-peer streaming service that allows artists to upload their music directly onto the blockchain and distribute it to fans, keeping 100% of the revenue.

This model stands in stark contrast to the current streaming landscape, where major platforms like Spotify and Apple Music have been criticized for their paltry payouts to artists. Nina Protocol's founders, Mike Pollard and Jack Callahan, both veterans of the underground tape and vinyl scenes, were inspired to create the platform after a conversation about preserving digital music archives.

Rather than focusing on speculative crypto hype, Nina Protocol has taken a community-oriented approach, attracting an eclectic mix of young, internet-savvy musicians who occupy a space between underground and mainstream. Artists like ML Buch, Chanel Beads, and Model/Actriz have all released music on the platform, which the team describes as "if Bandcamp and SoundCloud had a baby."

As the music industry continues to grapple with the stagnation of streaming revenue and the rise of AI-generated tracks, Nina Protocol's focus on empowering artists and building a decentralized community of music fans has kept them growing steadily, with a monthly user count of around 40,000 and 20,000 releases uploaded to the platform.