The Emmy Built on ETH: Emily Yang Aka Pplpleasr on the Future of Storytelling

Why It Matters

The Emmy win validates blockchain as a viable financing and distribution tool for media, opening doors for creators to bypass traditional studios and directly monetize audience participation.

Key Takeaways

• White Rabbit won Emmy, first crypto‑backed media project.
• NFT purchase unlocked interactive, choose‑your‑own‑adventure episodes for viewers.
• Community voted main character’s name via Snapshot governance.
• Shabuya aims to enable permissionless creativity through crypto.
• Success shows crypto can fund culturally defining storytelling beyond finance.

Summary

The interview spotlights Emily Yang, founder of Shabuya, and her Emmy‑winning project White Rabbit – the first crypto‑backed media work to receive mainstream television recognition. The series debuted as an animated web show with a novel interactive layer: viewers purchased NFTs to unlock alternate story paths and staked them to influence future episodes, effectively turning the audience into co‑creators.

Yang explains that the NFT model served as both crowdfunding and a crowdsourcing engine, allowing the community to vote on key creative decisions, such as naming the protagonist Mai via a Snapshot vote. This permissionless, community‑driven approach exemplifies how blockchain can extend beyond finance to fund culturally resonant storytelling.

During the Emmy acceptance, Yang gave a shout‑out to Ethereum, saying, “White Rabbit wouldn’t have existed without this technology,” underscoring the platform’s technical foundation. She also cites inspirations from David Lynch, Studio Ghibli, and tech‑centric series like The Matrix and Black Mirror, framing the narrative as a metaphor for the crypto rabbit hole.

The achievement signals that crypto can legitimize new media models, offering creators efficient capital formation and direct audience engagement without traditional studio gatekeepers. As more creators explore token‑based funding, the industry may see a shift toward decentralized, fan‑driven production pipelines.

Original Description

Four years ago, artist Emily Yang aka pplpleasr began a creative journey that would help break new ground at the intersection of art, technology, and community.

In this episode, we sit down with Emily — founder of Shibuya — to talk about her evolution from illustrator to Emmy-winning storyteller.

Emily shares how Shibuya is pioneering “permissionless creativity,” using crypto rails to fund, build, and co-create original IP with global communities. Her breakout project, White Rabbit, became the first crypto-native project to win an Emmy (Outstanding Innovation in Emerging Media), proving that grassroots storytelling can reach mainstream acclaim.

We dive into:

- How White Rabbit crowdfunded alternate story endings

- What it means to turn audiences from passive viewers into active participants

- Why efficient capital formation is a game-changer for creatives

- Building outside traditional studio systems

- The creative tension between community input and artistic vision

Plus, Emily's biggest inspirations (Ghost in the Shell, Miyazaki, David Lynch, and more).

00:00 – Behind the Fortune Magazine Cover

01:46 – Founding Shibuya, and “Permissionless Creativity”

02:13 – Winning an Emmy for White Rabbit., the First Crypto Project to Win an Emmy

03:14 – What Is White Rabbit? (Interactive + NFT Model Explained)

05:53 – From Passive Viewing to Interactive Storytelling

07:19 – Opportunities for Creatives

08:27 – Creative Inspirations (Miyazaki, Black Mirror)

09:25 – Going With Your Gut, And the Advice Should Founders Ignore

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