In honor of Black History Month, we’ve recently published a roundup of some of the most influential Black artists working in web3 today, co-curated with Black NFT Art, a media and community brand empowering Black creators in web3.
While artists are one of the most important parts of our space, we also wanted to zoom out and explore the world of Black builders in web3 more broadly. Similarly to the artist list, this list is far from exhaustive, aimed at discovery and giving flowers to those who deserve more shine.
We are grateful to Black NFT Art, who worked with the nft now team to assemble a list of some of the most dynamic Black builders in the space. Whether their passion is writing code or leading a must-listen Twitter Space, these builders are among the best in the business.
A Coinbase-sponsored 2020 study found that Black Americans are twice as likely to have been negatively impacted by the traditional financial system. For the Black community, web3 offers the potential to help bridge these gaps—but we must do more than offer “a seat at the table”; we must overturn the assumption that whiteness is the default. Supporting Black builders is a first step in making this a reality.
Be sure to check out our co-curated list of Black artists to know, as well as a co-hosted Twitter Space with Black NFT Art on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. ET.
Iman Europe
Iman Europe is a one-stop shop of excellence: she’s an incredible rapper and one of the leading independent musicians in Web3. Check out the precise, uplifting “Masterpiece” for a taste of her music.
Iman is also the founder of TheHomiesDAO, an on-chain wellness community for artists that’s been profiled in Forbes Magazine. Membership is available via a once-daily NFT auction with a starting price of .05 ETH if you’d like to get involved!
Crux & Stonez the Organic- Forbidden Fruit
Power couple alert! Crux is a dancer, choreographer, instructor, and event producer, and Stonez The Organic is an artist and community manager. Together, they launched Forbidden Fruit, a creative wellness hub that offers rigorously produced immersive art experiences for all to enjoy.
Forbidden Fruit’s latest project, Brain Food, is a multimedia blog series aimed at combating the endless feed of scams and doom scrolls on our timeline. Brain Food is hosted on their website and also features a regular Twitter Space.
Tevin Harris & Symbolik – Black NFT Art & On Point Talkshow
Created by Tevin Harris, a producer, photographer, and audio engineer also known as Invictus, and Symbolik, a poet and producer, the expertly crafted On Point Talk Show covers everything from the latest NFT and crypto news to art and cultural happenings—from a Black perspective.
They’re also leaders within Black NFT Art, a brand that works to amplify Black creators within the Web3 space. The brand offers loads of Twitter spaces and online content to center Black voices and help everyone discover the best Black artists.
DiamonDoll x Tony Bravado—NFTCLT, y3kquest, and houseofs3x
Tony Bravado, formerly of Universal Music Group, and event coordinator and strategist Diamond are a powerhouse pair of founders with three initiatives on the go. NFTCLT curates amazing experiences for creators, and the House of S3X (Sacred Energy Exchange) showcases work by members of its curated community. Their event at Art Basel in 2023 was one of the most vibrant, enjoyable nights of the whole week.
The Y3K Summit is a college tour happening in 2024 aimed at connecting students to emerging tech communities. These founders are a partnership to watch this year!
Kas Vegas
Without putting some intense and sustained work into building an effective community, no project in web3 can succeed. Kas Vegas is one of the most effective community builders in the space, expert in designing web3 teams and helping projects connect with their fans.
She’s also a brilliant speaker, educator, musician and artist. If you’re interested in getting some top-tier advice on building out infrastructure to support your project’s community, you can book a call with Kas Vegas via her website.
Natalie Crue
As well as being a committed activist and web3 evangelist, Crue has created MVMF Presents, a music festival in the metaverse, and is an advisor to the ArtSect gallery. She’s also a generous community connector, raising awareness of opportunities like grants for Web3 builders and creatives alike.
Crue is also working with ThankArbitrum, Plurality Labs’ grants governance framework for Arbitrum. Come find her on a Twitter Space near you!
Ohnahji & Boss 2.0—Ohnahji University
Bryan O’Shea, also known as Boss 2.0, is the Dean of Communications for Ohnaji University, a platform dedicated to informing, connecting, and incubating BIPOC people working in Web3.
At the heart of the project are the Ohnaji NFTs, which serve as the access token for the community. Ohnaji University helps builders and creatives launch their projects and amplifies and highlights the work of talented BIPOC creators.
Dedeukwu
Based in Lagos, Nigeria, Dedeukwu is not just a fire musician (check out Zoom Zoom, featuring Symbolik.)
He is also a philanthropist, having founded the Chapter One Global Charity Foundation, which helps bridge the gap between traditional charities and DAOs.
Lizzy Idowu
Alongside community building, effective social media marketing can make or break any project building in Web3.
Lizzy, formerly head of social media at OpenSea, is now Social Media and Brand Engagement Lead at Lisk, a blockchain application platform that is moving to Optimism. Lizzy is at the heart of innovation in this space and also makes shockingly beautiful art.
BlackDave
A definite OG, BlackDave has been building in the space for quite a while now and has been one of the most stalwart builders and supporters of music NFTs around.
His own music blends rap, heavy rock, and anime influences and is eminently listenable and cheering. He often pops up on Twitter Spaces with deeply informed, intelligent commentary on everything going on in web3.
Raven50mm
Make way for another OG. Raven50mm is a filmmaker, photographer, community connector, and host of the popular, practical, and informative Culture Shift show, available on Twitter Spaces and as a video podcast.
His Legacy Portrait Project, recently selected for SXSW, is open for bookings: get a glorious photoshoot brought to life by AR technology and support portraits for people from marginalized communities.
The Crypto Krew
At Now Media, we love to see fellow storytellers stepping up to help shine a light on the vibrant web3 space. Founded by Terron Gold, The Crypto Krew is a media outlet that centers Black voices—and admirably covers the firehose of information about crypto, web3, and DeFi that comes at us every day.
They’ve joined forces with the Atlanta Blockchain Center, and they post wide-ranging interviews, discussions, and news updates on YouTube and Twitter.
Stefen Deleveaux
Fresh from his successful Jan. 2024 Oasis Onchain conference in the Bahamas, Deleveaux, who is also President of the Caribbean Blockchain Alliance, is a deep thinker on how blockchain can help us build a more democratic and equitable society.
He’s been working in blockchain for over seven years, and his X profile is a wealth of information on topics like governance, economics, and consumer crypto.