UnicornDAO has generated a substantial sum of money that will aid it in its core quest to digital empower women and LGBTQ+ members.
Web3-based feminist movement UnicornDAO announced today that it has raised $4.5 million to support women and LGBTQ+ artists. UnicornDAO says it aims to help marginalized artists, including LGBTQ+ NFT creators and underrepresented groups in the evolving Web3 space.
The UnicornDAO fundraiser was led by ConsenSys Mesh, and Bored Ape Yacht Club creators Yuga Labs. There were also several other participants, including MoonPay, World of Women, Tribute Labs, Quantum, Flamingo DAO, The LAO, Wave Financial, Collab Currency, Polygon, and Big Sky Partners. Rounding out the group are world-renowned recording artist Sia and digital artist Mike Winkelmann AKA Beeple.
Speaking on the initiative, Yuga Labs (one of the round’s co-leaders) chief executive officer Nicole Muniz enthused:
“We are happy to support UnicornDAO’s mission to fund businesses and purchase NFTs created by women and LGBTQ+ people to help onboard new creators to Web3.”
In addition, Muniz also revealed another planned charitable gesture from Yuga Labs. According to the CEO, the Bored Ape Yacht Club creator will donate its seat on the UnicornDAO to a woman or LGBTQ+ leader. This is to provide some relief to eligible individuals who may not be able to afford the cost.
UnicornDAO to Branch Out into Other Art Forms, Prioritizing Women & LGBTQ+ Web3 Boost for Now
So far, UnicornDAO has purchased $1.4 million worth of works from under-represented groups in Web3. The DAO explained that its art investment fund seeks to redistribute wealth and visibility to women and the LGBTQ+ community. By empowering these groups in the digital art space, the DAO believes that global equality will become more attainable.
A statement from UnicornDAO also suggested that the organization will extend its scope in the near future. Speaking at a media session, one of the founding members Nadya Tolokonnikova said:
“Right now we are focusing on supporting Web 3 artists, but down the line, we’d like to work with more traditional art forms as well.”
In addition, Tolokonnikova also provided a little insight into UnicornDAO’s current crop of curators, saying that “all our curators are people who I personally met during the last year of my crypto journey. Our ethos is the same as Pussy Riot’s has been for over 10 years, to bring equality and joy to underrepresented groups.”
More on UnicornDAO’s Inception & Founding Members
Established in March 2022 by Nadya Tolokonnikova, a member of Russia art collective Pussy Riot, UnicornDAO is already making waves in the Web3 space. The organization also has John Caldwell and Rebecca Lamis as co-founders. Tolokonnikova, an activist in the digital art world for more than ten years, was most recently involved with UkraineDAO. The UkraineDAO recently sold an NFT of the Ukrainian flag for $6.75 million to generate funds for the war-torn country. Since February 24th, Ukraine has been at war with Russia after President Vladimir Putin ordered a military invasion.
Tolu is a cryptocurrency and blockchain enthusiast based in Lagos. He likes to demystify crypto stories to the bare basics so that anyone anywhere can understand without too much background knowledge.
When he’s not neck-deep in crypto stories, Tolu enjoys music, loves to sing and is an avid movie lover.