Decrypt, Rug Radio Unveil New Decentralized Publishing Company DASTAN at R HAUS Paris

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Decrypt and Rug Radio have revealed new decentralized publishing company DASTAN at their R HAUS event in Paris.

Previously known as [REDACTED], DASTAN is the product of the merger between the two firms, creating the world’s biggest decentralized publishing company. The news was revealed at DASTAN’s R HAUS event, a one-day salon sponsored by Private Jet Pyjama Party (PJPP), The Outpost, MoonPay, Otherlife, Uniqly, InterCellar and Padre Azul.

Across three floors at R HAUS, guests mingled and enjoyed NFT art galleries curated by AOTM and ArtXCode with screens provided by BlackDove, wine tasting by InterCellar and NFC-equipped merch created by Proof of Authenticity platform Uniqly alongside a POAP scavenger hunt.

A packed programme of talks at R HAUS included discussions on Elevating the Luxury Consumer Experience, sponsored by PJPP, and The Future of Media, sponsored by MoonPay and Otherlife and moderated by MoonPay President Keith Grossman.

During the future of media panel, DASTAN President Farokh Sarmad explained the meaning of the new company’s name. “‘Dastan’ in Farsi actually means ‘story,'” he said, adding that, “What’s important for us at Rug Radio and Decrypt is that we always wanted to own the narrative. We wanted to give the narrative back to the people and to the creators.”

L-R: Keith Grossman, President, MoonPay, Sander Lutz, Reporter, Decrypt, Farokh, President, DASTAN, Loxley, CEO, DASTAN, Quinn Button, Ph. D, COO, DASTAN, Stephen Graves, Special Projects Editor, Decrypt

“If we’re not positively impacting humans and creating a human story, then we’re not doing anything worthwhile,” said DASTAN CEO Loxley Fernandes.

Under the merger, Decrypt and Rug Radio will continue to operate under their existing brands, with qualified members of Rug Radio’s community crafting editorial content in collaboration with Decrypt’s editors, while Decrypt’s editorial staff will gain access to Rug’s proprietary creator platform and videocasting tools. Decrypt co-founder Josh Quittner described the merger as “an example of one plus one equalling three.”

DASTAN will also build out a cutting-edge ad tech network to underpin Decrypt and Rug Radio’s content.

Fernandes explained that on-chain data creates a powerful new channel to communicate with specific audiences. “We can give content creators the ability to better reach people who are interested in what they are creating, and to give advertisers the ability to invest in the consumer through relevant partnerships with content creators,” he said, adding that it cuts out “an immense amount of noise and wasted time.”

PJPP owner Mo Abrishamchi with Rug Radio creators Threadguy, Mika, Gigi and AshleyDCan. Image: Decrypt

“With Rug Radio, we have over 17,000 unique wallets that hold at least one asset of Rug Radio tokens or an NFT,” said DASTAN COO Dr Quinn Button, Ph.D. “With Decrypt, they’re the number one publisher with the most amount of wallets in the entire world right now. That’s pretty powerful, because what that leads to is new experiences, bespoke experiences based on what’s in your wallet.”

Wine tasting by InterCellar, who partnered with DASTAN for R HAUS, its NFT Paris booth and Vibes in Paris. Image: Decrypt

Decrypt reporter Sander Lutz explained that the merger enables the firm’s journalists to focus on their core strengths of original stories, scoops and investigations that are reported with “authority, knowing that everything’s fact-checked.” Those stories, he added, can be remixed and distributed through Rug Radio’s ecosystem of content creators. “Original deep dive insights that are authenticated and backed up by real journalism start to infiltrate and disseminate through Twitter Spaces, Rug creator spaces, podcasts, video,” he said.

Lutz added that it’s a two-way process. “As I get to know that community better, to get tips or leads from that community of degens and people on the ground who are really in those communities and have that start to positively affect my reporting and get that whole cycle going, I think that’s definitely possible in the next few months,” he said.

Uniqly contributed NFC-equipped merch and a scavenger hunt. Image: Decrypt

Following R HAUS, DASTAN descended on NFT Paris. Across two days, Rug Radio creators and Decrypt reporters took part in panel discussions, MC’d stages, and conducted interviews and podcasts during the event.

As NFT Paris drew to a close, Rug Radio teamed up with NFT collection Joker Club to host Vibes in Paris, an exclusive event at Paris casino Punto Club.

Just steps away from the Champs Elysées, guests enjoyed casino games, wine tasting by InterCellar and a DJ set on vinyl packed with classic disco hits.

It was a fitting end to a busy week for the newly-named DASTAN, and an exciting start to the new venture.