It’s been quite a ride for MoonPay, the Miami-based crypto company launched in 2019 with the singular goal of increasing cryptocurrency adoption. Co-founders Ivan Soto-Wright and Victor Faramond wanted to build a simple software solution giving people globally a chance to participate in the crypto explosion. The company is now valued at over three and a half billion.
One of the ways the company has advanced its profile has been to get celebrity investors from Gwyneth Paltrow to Justin Bieber to participate.
During MoonPay’s recent funding round, 60 stars and influencers, including Snoop Dog and Drake, have taken part in a massive $87 million raise for the company, which has also gotten heavily into the non-fungible token (NFT) business.
One thing unites investors like Bieber and Drake. They’ve already dabbled in crypto. Snoop Dogg invested in Yuga Labs’ $450 million seed funding round in March and Drake has been an enormous advocate for bitcoin.
“Hollywood is using smart contracts and blockchain technology to assert their creative intellectual property rights,” Ivan Soto-Wright, CEO and co-founder of MoonPay, told the Independent. “Major global sports franchises have used digital tokens and NFT collectibles to transform fan engagement. And recording artists are beginning to explore how NFTs can give them more control over royalty rights. These are the underpinnings of a creator economy renaissance.”


Business
Snoop Dogg And Drake Helping MoonPay Fuel its Latest Funding Round
April 18, 2022 · Updated June 17, 2022·By B.J. Strawter, Jr.
It’s been quite a ride for MoonPay, the Miami-based crypto company launched in 2019 with the singular goal of increasing cryptocurrency adoption. Co-founders Ivan Soto-Wright and Victor Faramond wanted to build a simple software solution giving people globally a chance to participate in the crypto explosion. The company is now valued at over three and […]
April 18, 2022 · Updated June 17, 2022
Every question deserves a better answer than a search result — here's where this story leads.

How TrustHER Is Turning Women’s Recommendations Into Business Power
Before most women choose a hairstylist, therapist, doctor or financial advisor, they ask another woman. Not Google. Not an ad. Someone they trust. Who did you go to? Did she listen? Was the service worth the money? Would you go back? TrustHER is building a company around that exchange. The forthcoming mobile platform is designed […]

Houston’s Black-Owned Bookstore, Kindred Stories, Relocates
Kindred Stories is moving to a new location! Stay tuned for more events and an expanded collection. 📚🌟

Woodhouse Spa in Detroit Re-Opens after Renovations
Photos courtesy of Annistique Photography Relaxation and luxury have returned to downtown Woodward. After a long remodeling process, Detroit’s Woodhouse Spa has reopened with a new look and new services. The new renovations come as a welcomed change for co-owner Cheryl Hudson. To her, these fresh additions are simply a new chapter in her long run […]
Help Us Get It Right
This coverage is a community project.
Spot something outdated? Know a person, business, or organization this story should connect to? A story we should tell next? It goes straight to our editors — privately.