In this interview, Sricharan Ganta, Founder & CEO of Nucast, shares insights into the transformative journey of his company, which focuses on empowering individuals with true ownership of their digital content. With a commitment to decentralization, Nucast addresses the challenges posed by centralized entities that control digital assets. Sricharan discusses the innovative solutions Nucast is developing on the Cardano blockchain, including a range of decentralized applications (dApps) that enhance digital property rights. He also reflects on the community's growth, successful partnerships, and exciting initiatives like the Cardano Hackathon and the upcoming Cardano Summit. Join us as we explore the future of Nucast and its impact on the digital media landscape.
Hey, Charan, happy to connect today and learn more about the Nucast.io project. Can you tell us more about the project and the problem you are trying to solve?
Problem: In today's world, users often don’t truly own the content they pay for. Centralized entities retain control and power over digital assets.
Nucast is a technology company that builds blockchain-based solutions in the realm of digital property rights, ownership and live events. We create decentralized products that return true ownership of digital media to users and creators, all while promoting the adoption of the Cardano blockchain.
Can you introduce yourself and let us know what your role is in Nucast.io?
I'm Sricharan Ganta, the Founder & CEO of Nucast. My background is in entrepreneurship and business development, with over seven years of experience in business-driven roles and four years specifically in the web3 space. I've successfully delivered innovative products on the Cardano Blockchain, and I’m deeply passionate about community building and pioneering new solutions.
At Nucast Labs, I lead a dynamic team of 14 professionals. I also hold a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Central Missouri, USA.
What are the most important things about Nucast.io that everyone should know?
Nucast was established in early 2023 with the goal of creating the technical infrastructure that supports true digital media ownership. By participating in the Nucast ecosystem, you can buy and stream iconic films and shows, attend live-streamed events, and purchase NFT tickets for real-world events through Nucast Ticketing.
Our suite of products continues to grow and evolve and we remain deeply committed to developing solutions that advance Cardano, create better user experiences, and contribute to a thriving digital economy.
Why did you choose to launch your project on Cardano?
Nucast develops decentralized applications (dApps) that empower individuals to take control of their digital content. Our ethos strongly aligns with Cardano's values of self-sovereignty, transparency, and security. Our mission is to create the infrastructure that supports individuals' digital media rights.
Going forward, how will Nucast.io make an impact in the crypto space or on the world?
Nucast will continue to create solutions that empower true ownership of digital media and content. We're dedicated to ushering in a new era where Creators regain control, introduce innovative use cases to the Cardano ecosystem, and encourage widespread blockchain adoption to build a better system for everyone.
Nucast is also focused on driving growth initiatives for Cardano in South Asia. Over the past year and a half, we've established a strong track record of contributions in this region, and we plan to continue championing both our brand and the Cardano blockchain.
This past summer of 2024, we led our second annual Cardano Hackathon, CardanoCodex, which spanned three months, featured events in six cities, and engaged over 5,000 developers in one of the world’s largest and most dynamic Web3 landscapes.
Looking ahead, Nucast is excited to host a Cardano Summit event this November for the second consecutive year, further solidifying our commitment to the Cardano ecosystem.
With a diverse range of events, continuous product development, and a growing strategic network, Nucast is well-positioned to create the tools that will shape the future, all built on the Cardano blockchain.
Now, what are your accomplishments so far, and what are you most proud of?
Our greatest accomplishment in this space has been the development of our community. The nucast community is a rapidly growing group of individuals who understand and support our mission, and it’s what we’re most proud of. We recognize that our success is deeply rooted in the support we've received from the Cardano Community, and we’re genuinely grateful to be able to do what we love every day.
One of our early successes in 2023 was the release of the multi-award-winning international short film "Atman," which featured music by one of the most renowned Indian composers of all time.
Additionally, we were honoured to provide NFT Ticketing support for the 2023 Cardano Summit and other community-led events. These opportunities allowed us to showcase nucast and demonstrate the value of what we've built.
Why should people choose to use Nucast.io? What are the advantages over other blockchain-based video-streaming platforms?
Nucast prioritises true digital content ownership. When you purchase a nucast FilmNFT, you are purchasing a copy of the film/video itself. With some of the other platforms you’re simply holding a particular NFT to gain access to a video. With nucast you actually own the video.
Does Nucast.io have a roadmap? If so, please share it with us and explain what you have achieved so far.
Nucast has a comprehensive roadmap. Here is an outline of our documented journey, achievements and future plans.
2023
Q1 2023
- nucast officially launched
- Inaugural Film Release: Atman; a multi-award winning International short film featuring music by one of India’s most famous composers.
- nucast hosted nucast Film Festival - the first on-chain Film Festival on Cardano. The event attracted filmmakers from around the globe and showcased unique blockchain features such as on-chain voting and and NFT Tickets.
- nucast Video Store 1.0 released
Q2 2023
- nucast Mobile App release
- Launch of native series “The Prestige Collection”, which features historically relevant and iconic films and shows
- Launch of nucast Ticketing - MVP
Q3 - 2023
- nucast co-hosted Music Video Fest, a unique Cardano event that invited talented Creators to showcase their music videos for a chance to win monetary prizes.
- Launch of Film NFT Rentals - MVP
Q4 - 2023
- Launch of nucast Livestreaming v1
- First Livestreamed event - NFT NYC
- Full nucast Ticketing release
- Partnership with the Cardano Foundation to provide dynamic NFT Ticketing infrastructure all community-led events as part of the 2023 Cardano Summit
- Integration of custodial-wallet for an improved user experience
2024
Q1 2024
- Launched nucast Video Store v2
- Integrated credit card/debit purchases
- Partnered with India’s largest boxing league to bring professional boxing matches to Cardano via livestream
- Partnered with Hokusai Universe, an immersive Japanese art and culture project dedicated to one of Japan’s oldest, most famous artists. Delivered livestream access to real-world art events.
- Launched nucastAI v1: Dynamic LLM Layer that enables live interactions with digital assets
- Launched nucast Livestreaming v2 with improved UI and added features such as live chats, tipping and predictions
Q2 2024
- Launch of Nuauth (Beta), a protocol for authentication and verification of digital content in the age of AI
- Release of Midnight ZKP (Beta)
- Multiple nucast Film releases
Q3 2024
- nucast Mobile App update
- nucast will lead CardanoCodex 2024, the second year of our Hackathon series. We’ll host events in 6 cities with a target of engaging more than 5000 developers in one of the world’s largest developer landscapes.
- Redesign of nucast branding with improved landing page and app experience
- Release of integrated nucast Livestreaming launchpad for Creators
- Official Launch of Nuauth v1
Q4 2024
- Release of nucast Subscriptions
- Release of nucastAI v2
- Release of Nuauth v2
- Hosting the 2nd Annual nucast International Film Festival
- nucast Media Update
- Release of additional products with the objective of targeting APAC media customer base
Beyond 2024: We are maintaining a dynamic roadmap. As a successful startup in the fast-evolving world of blockchain, we value and prioritise agility. We adapt our development plans to align with changing market conditions, tailoring our product pipeline to address market needs. Our goal is to ensure we are creating solutions that solve real-world problems while actively onboarding new users to Cardano.
What does the future hold for Nucast.io? For example, what new developments are you expecting in the next 6 to 12 months, and what will this mean for the overall project?
Nucast is focused on developing critical solutions that bring digital IP and ownership onto the Cardano blockchain. With a diverse portfolio of live products, we aim to continuously disrupt and innovate within the space. Near-future plans will specifically target the APAC consumer base in the digital media sector, and we look forward to sharing more details about this.
Which partnerships have you engaged so far, and which ones are the most impactful?
Nucast has been fortunate enough to work with some of the most talented and impactful individuals, teams, and businesses in the Cardano ecosystem. From NMKR, NEWM, EMURGO Academy, and the Cardano Foundation - our strategic network of partners continues to evolve and each initiative we create is centred around our mission to grow Cardano.
Tell us about your team. Who are the people behind organization/company/project?
Nucast has a growing team of passionate blockchain visionaries that believe in the future of Cardano. Currently our team sits at 14 people.
SriCharan Ganta: Founder, CEO - (1) $CHARAN @Charanz1309 / X | https://www.linkedin.com/in/sricharangm
Sam Jeffrey, Tech Lead - (1) Sam Jeffrey M @samjefree / X
- Fayaz Mohamed, Lead Developer