CANI (pronounced “Can I”) is making waves in the creator economy by providing artists, musicians, and digital creators with a blockchain-based platform that champions ownership, direct fan engagement, and fair monetisation. Deployed on the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP), CANI harnesses Dfinity’s decentralised technology to offer a suite of tools that place creators in full control of their work. It also stands out by aiming to be one of the first GDPR-compliant services entirely on-chain, operating on the EU subnet.
At its core, CANI addresses a long-standing issue in the digital content space: ownership. Unlike traditional platforms that often require creators to relinquish control over their work, CANI uses ICP’s blockchain as a secure digital ledger. This ensures creators retain full ownership of their assets, with their work safely stored and protected from centralised corporate interference.
The platform goes beyond ownership by reimagining how creators interact with their audiences. CANI eliminates the dependence on social media algorithms, allowing creators to connect directly with fans. This not only fosters stronger relationships but also ensures that creators retain a larger share of the profits from their work.
CANI’s ecosystem offers an array of tools to support creators:
- CaniSafe: A secure digital wallet for safeguarding creative assets and managing revenue streams. It acts as a personal vault, tracking both usage and earnings.
- CaniStore: A marketplace where creators can sell downloads, merchandise, and more, all while managing copyrights effortlessly. This empowers creators to define their terms and keep more of their proceeds.
- CaniPlay: A blockchain-based broadcast station that merges the community-driven aspects of radio and streaming platforms. Creators upload their content, fans vote on what gets played, and artists earn more.
CANI’s journey is deeply tied to its founder’s experience in the music industry. Beginning as a performing artist in South London in 2001, the founder’s career spanned independent record deals, songwriting, producing, and managing recording studios that nurtured talents like Krept and Konan, Lethal B, and Nathan. A natural problem-solver, the founder later transitioned into artist management and opened a central London music venue that became a vital space for the city’s urban music scene.
The turning point came in June 2020 during the Dfinity Tungsten event, where the founder was introduced to the Internet Computer. Realising its potential for on-chain storage, they envisioned a solution to long-standing issues in copyright protection and creative asset management. This vision materialised in September 2020 with the launch of CaniStore, which later evolved into the broader CANI ecosystem.
As one of the early adopters of ICP, CANI has achieved significant milestones, including awards and international events showcasing its innovations. The ecosystem includes cutting-edge dApps such as:
- CaniSafe: A secure data management system currently accessible via invitation.
- CaniPlay: The world’s first blockchain broadcast station.
- CaniStore: A licensing protocol designed for modern creators.
For those interested in diving deeper, CANI provides a detailed white paper, open-source code via GitHub, and a transparent breakdown of its $CANI tokenomics.
CANI’s mission revolves around empowering creators through ownership, transparency, and community engagement. Built on Dfinity’s ICP, the platform exemplifies how blockchain technology can reshape industries, starting with the creator economy. By answering the critical question, “Can I take control of my work?” CANI is giving creators the tools to do so—and redefining the future of digital content along the way.
