Yesterday, Dispo began rolling out a test that records user interest in buying NFTs from photos. Users will now be able to tap the sell button to see their photos. This will allow them to sign up to receive notifications when the ability to buy Dispo photos is available.
TechCrunch's CEO and co-founder Daniel Liss said that Dispo is still deciding on how NFT sales will be integrated into the app. This is why the platform is conducting a pilot test with users. Dispo is not yet certain what blockchain it will use, if it will partner with an NFT market, or what percentage of sales it would take.
Liss stated that it is safe to assume that the Dispo app will have a native experience. It could look in many different ways. One possibility is that there would be a native experience within Dispo, which then connects via an API to another platform. In turn, they'd be our partner. But to the community it would look natively native to the Dispo App.
This is a major change for the social media app. It will only allow users to see photos taken at 9 AM on the next day. This gimmick, according to Dispos, helps users share authentically. Since you only need one photo, the app doesn't allow for multiple photos and allows you to post the best. Dispo launched in December 2019 but has already been the subject of both controversy and buzz.
The app was originally called Davids Disposables until about a year ago. It was named after David Dobrik, co-founder of YouTube and the creator. It was downloaded more than a million times within the first week of its release, and reached number one in the App Store charts. The app was relaunched with social networking features in March 2021. However, Insider published sexual assault allegations against Vlog Squad, Dobriks' YouTube prank group. Spark Capital cut all ties with Dobriks' company. Seven Seven Six and Unshackled Ventures were also investors in the $20 million Series A round. They announced that any profits they made from Dispo would be donated to survivors of sexual assault.
TechCrunch was informed by Liss that Dobriks' role in the company's Series A was to be a marketing partner. Liss had been the CEO of the company since its inception. Liss stated that the app was focused on the product and did not promote it in light of the controversy.
SensorTower data shows that Dispo has had an estimated 4.7 Million global downloads since its launch. The app had the highest number of downloads in January 2020 when it was downloaded over 1,000,000 times. However, March 2021 was the next best month for the app. It removed its waitlist in March 2021 and about 616,000 people downloaded Dispo. The app was downloaded 1.4 million times between March and August. This is an 118% increase year-over-year compared to 2020. However, it is reasonable to expect that the numbers this year will be higher since the apps membership was not available last year.
Liss now hopes that his company will not only change the way people post photos but also the relationship between platforms and the content they create.
Why not use NFTs? Value is what gives life its most memorable moments. They have economic value because they were created by us, Liss explained to TechCrunch. Therefore, a big-following creator cannot be compensated by selling direct to a brand and not from the content.
Dispo can make a profit by adding NFT sales to its app. However, it is worth questioning how NFT sales might impact the community-focused feel and spirit of Dispo.
Liss stated that there is a lot of curiosity and interest. These questions and problems are the reason we need more data.
