Darkblock, a web3 company that’s empowering creators with unlockable NFTs, has partnered with LAGO, the leading developer of advanced minted art displays, to revolutionize how digital art is viewed IRL.

The two companies share a mission to bridge the gap between the creator economy and web3’s massive potential. Both help creators leverage the power of NFTs to monetize and distribute their content — Darkblock through its decentralized protocol that allows creators to supercharge their NFTs with unlockable content, and LAGO through its premium digital frames that allow a NFT artist’s work to be experienced IRL in ways previously only imagined.

Darkblock’s decentralized protocol allows anyone to create an encrypted vault (aka a Darkblock) tied directly to an NFT that can contain any type of content — whether audio files, video files, images, ebooks, etc. — and is stored on-chain via Arweave. Not only do Darkblocks empower creators by giving them the ability to attach unlockable content to their NFTs, they also allow creators to choose how each NFT is distributed, shown, sold, rented, hidden, destroyed, or unlocked.

LAGO’s luxury minted art frames offer collectors and exhibitors an elegant way to bring their favorite works from “wallet-to-wall.” As the only display with built-in sound and motion activation, LAGO is a multifaceted canvas for creators, built to align with the vision of the artist. LAGO’s unique technology allows for unrivaled interaction whilst maintaining authentication and security.

“This partnership furthers our efforts to use NFTs to empower creators to monetize and distribute their work while maintaining the web3 principles of decentralization and ownership,” said Chris Seline, Darkblock’s CEO. “Once artists start creating Darkblocks to attach to their NFTs, which can then be unlocked and displayed by a LAGO frame, the possibilities are endless. This is absolutely how art will be experienced IRL in the future.”

Whereas art on the blockchain (i.e., NFTs) right now can be easily viewed, right-click-saved and shared by anyone, Darkblock enables artists to encrypt content and lock it within an NFT, which means only the owner of that NFT, or someone who has rented the NFT, can view or watch or read or listen to the content. This means that for the first time collectors and museums will have the ability to truly display one-of-a-kind digital art.

“We’re excited to be partnering with Darkblock and bring unlockable NFTs to our frames. We share a passion for supporting creators in the metaverse, and making sure their work is secure whilst displayed in a way that does the art justice. Their forward thinking approach to empowering artists combined with LAGO’s advanced interaction capabilities makes for a NFT experience unlike any other,” says Dan Merritts, Co-Founder of LAGO.

About LAGO

The LAGO minted art display frame was designed to seamlessly bridge the traditional and digital art world. The customizable LAGO frame was designed for all types of NFTs: layered, 3D motion, generative, augmented reality, and music. The secure LAGO display has a simple, straightforward set-up process so collectors can easily authenticate and interact with their collection, no matter how familiar they are with the metaverse. Co-founders Jonathan Levine (Master & Dynamic), Scott Gralnick (Portis), and Dan Merritts (newrow_, Kno, Zenprise) created LAGO with the goal of enjoying digital art in a way that does the works justice, whilst connecting collectors directly to artists they love. LAGO allows for unlimited interaction with proof, provenance, and pride. To learn more, visit www.lagoframe.com.

About Darkblock

Darkblock gives creators more control over the distribution of their content. Comics, ebooks, podcasts, music, movies, journalism, pay-per-view, YouTube, OnlyFans, Patreon, influencer content, metaverse assets — and more — will all require access control to become viable NFT markets. Whether it’s through sales, ad revenue or rentals, we aim to guarantee the flow of income to creators by letting them hold the keys to their content.