Over the past decade, short video platforms such as Douyin (TikTok in China), TikTok, and YouTube Shorts have rapidly dominated global content consumption, building vast traffic empires. However, as these platforms exert increasing control over creator earnings, face repeated data privacy controversies, and monopolize the value of user attention, the industry stands at a structural turning point. The emergence of Web3 offers a timely new paradigm for content creators and users alike.
I. The Rise and Dilemmas of Web2 Short Video
Web2 short video platforms thrived on algorithmic recommendations and massive traffic distribution. Creators supply content, while platforms retain control over traffic and revenue. Although this centralized model has driven exponential growth, it comes with significant problems. Revenue distribution lacks transparency, with platforms taking commissions as high as 50%, leaving creators with meager returns. Meanwhile, user data—ranging from behaviors to viewing preferences—is exploited for advertising, without users sharing in the profits. Additionally, most video content has a fleeting lifespan; even viral hits quickly become obsolete, and creators struggle to build long-term value from their work.
II. The Structural Shift Brought by Web3
Web3 is not merely a technological upgrade; it is a fundamental reallocation of rights and value. In the realm of short video, Web3 introduces three major transformations. First, content ownership becomes possible via NFTs, enabling creators to hold full copyright and control over circulation. Second, user behaviors such as watching, liking, and commenting are recognized as valuable contributions and rewarded with tokens. Third, platform governance is decentralized—platform decisions on content distribution and policy are no longer monopolized but handled collectively through community-driven DAOs. Together, these elements form a new content ecosystem where "content is an asset, behavior is mining, and users are stakeholders."
III. Current Attempts and Limitations of Web3 Short Video
Several projects have attempted to combine short video with Web3 elements, such as India-based Chingari and Russia-oriented Cheelee. Chingari introduced the GARI token and an NFT content store, offering creators basic rights and monetization. However, because content distribution still relies heavily on the platform’s centralized control, its value realization remains limited. Cheelee popularized a "Watch to Earn" model, where users earn tokens by watching videos, but the gamified mechanics have yet to foster a strong content community or deep user retention. While these projects offer valuable experimentation, they fall short in terms of long-term content value capture, fair creator incentives, and meaningful DAO governance.
IV. BETV: Reconstructing Content Value with NFTs, Driving Growth with SocialFi
As a Web3-native short video platform, BETV centers its design around creators, users, and ecosystem collaboration. Every video uploaded by a creator is automatically minted as an NFT, ensuring ownership, tradability, and ongoing revenue. User interactions—viewing, liking, and sharing—are not just "engagement" but valuable behaviors rewarded through the blue-point token BEB. Video NFTs also feature a dynamic leveling mechanism: the more interactions a video receives, the higher its on-chain attributes and asset value.
BETV introduces a dual-token model: BEA (green token) serves as a governance token, granting users rights to vote, bid for ad space, and influence platform policies. BEB (blue token) functions as a contribution metric, rewarding active participation and creative output. With its DAO governance model, platform evolution is determined by the community rather than centralized algorithms. BETV further lowers the Web3 entry barrier through a built-in multi-chain wallet and Gasless user experience, blending the ease of Web2 interfaces with the structural benefits of Web3 tokenomics.
V. Conclusion: A New Generation of Content Platforms—Restoring Value to Creators and Users
At the intersection of AI and blockchain, short video platforms should evolve beyond being traffic vacuums. They should become value amplifiers for every creator and mutual-reward systems for every user. BETV, through video NFTs, a dual-token architecture, and DAO governance, restores the original intent of the creator-user-platform triad: shared growth and equitable value distribution. In the future, short video platforms will no longer belong solely to the corporations behind them—but to everyone who uses content to connect and inspire the world.