This week’s Web3 Wrap includes the launch of UnicornDAO, a DAO focused on supporting female, non-binary, and LGBTQ+ artists in Web3, Foundation’s upgrade, Web3 events at SXSW, Iain Howie’s Leaf Syndrome Stems drop, a new research report by Water & Music, and more.

Check it out below.

Pussy Riot Co-founder Nadya Tolokonnikova Announces UnicornDAO

Pussy Riot co-founder Nadya Tolokonnikova launched UnicornDAO this week.

The new DAO, as reported by Decrypt, is “a feminist movement aiming to tackle patriarchy in Web3,” and will solely invest in female, non-binary, and LGBTQ+ artists operating in the Web3 space. Co-founder Rebecca Lamis told Decrypt that UnicornDAO is “looking to secure $5 to $10 million in its first fundraising round,” which will be raised by selling “seats,” which are essentially governance voting rights—investors will also receive equity via the DAO’s rainbow token. Lamis went on to say that they are looking to create “a platform that showcases…a collection of female, non-binary LGBTQ+ work, featuring people that are in the larger ecosystem that we think deserve to be featured.”

UnicornDAO will have its launch party today at SXSW, with details in the piece below.

You can check out the newly launched UnicornDAO platform here. [UnicornDAO art by Glam Beckett]

Web3 Hits SXSW

SXSW returns this week, kicking off today, Friday, March 11 and running through March 20, with a host of Web3 music folx in tow.

Three of the biggest Web3 events will go down for HOUSE OF MEDALION at Empire Control Room. First up, today, Friday, March 11, will be UnicornDAO’s launch, which will feature a day-time women+ in Web3 panel featuring, among others, Nadya Tolokonnikova, Latashá, and Diana Sinclair, a Sad Girls happy hour, and performances by REI AMI, Pussy Riot, Latashá, Venus X, and more. Up next, on Saturday, March 12, will be Zora’s Zoratopia, which will play host to a panel on the future of music and web3, featuring Jacob Horne and Dee Goenz, Cecilia Palmquist, Black Dave, Cheri Hu, Sassy Black, Iman Europe, and moderator, Latashá, as well as performances from Black Dave, Sassy Black, Stonez the Organicz, and more. Rounding it out later that night, Zora will join forces with Friends With Benefits for an after-party featuring performances by Girlpool, Exum, Panther Modern, Iman Europe, Latashá, Debit, Raihan_, and more.

Elsewhere, there is Blcokchain Creative Labs, an immersive series of Web3 parties, events, and experiments running from March 11 to 13. Blockchain Creative Labs will feature various music-related Web3 initiatives, including BCL_RECORDBLOCKS, an interactive audio-visual NFT installation; a “Web3 For the Rest of Us” panel featuring Latashá; 3LAU’s “When Artists Take Control” panel, which will also feature Jamal Dauda, VP of Creative Strategy for Blockchain Creative Labs; and a panel asking “Can Blockchain Revolutionize Music Royalties?,” featuring Royal’s Head of Growth, Nait Jones, Coin Desk’s Emily Parker, Charlie Durbin, Mark Kovic, and VÉRITÉ and Pussy Riot’s manager, Vanessa Magos.

You can find more information on the events at the SXSW site.

Foundation Gets an Upgrade

This week, Foundation announced and shipped an upgrade.

The upgrade, which was shared in a video post on Twitter, shipped a range of new features to the platform, including “buy it now” functionality; the ability for users to make offers on NFTs on the platform, even if not listed for sale; a sleek update to the auction functionality; and a reduction in the fees Foundation takes with every sale (from 15% to 5%).

You can check out the upgrade video here.

Water and Music Releases Season 1.5 $STREAM Report

Water & Music has released its latest $STREAM research series on music and Web3.

Water & Music notes that over 90 community members have contributed to the report over the last two months, following on from December’s in-depth five-part project. The latest report went live on Monday with an 11-part interview series on the state of music DAOs. From that jumping-off point, a new piece went live each day, including Tuesday’s deep-dive analysis of music NFT platforms’ onboarding strategies; a modular music NFT contract template on Wednesday; a survey-based analysis of the music industry’s sentiment around Web3 on Thursday; and finally, today, a community initiative which resulted in the release of a Spanish language version of the Season 1 research series.

You can read more about Water & Music and the research series here.

Iain Howie Launches IainHowieNFT Storefront With Free “Stems” NFT

Today, Iain Howie launches IainHowieNFT, a new NFT storefront. 

The platform launches today with the Leaf Syndrome Stems NFT drop, which will be available from 12:30 p.m. PST. Leaf Syndrome Stems is a utility NFT and is available for free on the Polygon (Matic) chain. As the name suggests, Leaf Syndrome Stems includes downloadable audio stems to Howie’s single “Leaf Syndrome,” as well as 100% ownership of the copyright in the master recording of any remix or derivative work that NFT owners create using the stems—NFT owners have the rights to share, distribute, sell, and exploit their “Leaf Syndrome” NFT remix however they like. 

The team behind the platform has offered to help with any setup inquiries and is fielding questions over at the main site.

You can find more information on the drop, including an FAQ, here.

What to Join and Who to Follow:

Gabagool.eth: “on-chain sleuth” and Information Token founder.

Bobby Hundreds: streetwear legend and The Hundreds and Adam Bomb Squad co-founder.

My Panda Shall Fly: beat scene OG and Web3 explorer.

DAO Social Club: a platform presenting weekly conversations from leaders and builders in the DAO space.