Tokens, cryptocurrencies, and cash: new forms of currency and the establishment of their value in the platform economy

This project explores the use of new forms of currency and revenue models in the context of online platforms, looking for their different economic and symbolic implications. By looking at an adult website that broadcasts amateur sexcams, this research asks how money – tokens, crypto currencies and traditional currencies, are experienced there, querying their different accounting, representational, and relational systems currently in place. This investigation will give an important insight on the new conditions and practices of digital labor and their alternative revenue models, contributing to a better understanding of the economy of digital platforms. Through an emphasis on the new types of monetary exchanges, this research will help as well to the comprehension of the role of new technologies in the extraction of value from the private sphere.

Faculty Supervisor:

Kim Sawchuk

Student:

Partner:

The Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Information and Communications Technology; New and Digital Media; Entertainment and Media

University:

Concordia University

Program: