Popular dating app users will be able to become globally tradable assets from tomorrow, turning their right swipes into financial returns as well as romantic liaisons.
Users will be given the option of linking their profile to a non-fungible token (NFTs), a unique sequence of characters on the cryptographic blockchain.
“Becoming a unique tradable asset with exposure to a global market offers both financial and emotional rewards,” says Sebastian Klein of NFTme, the offshore platform.
NFTs have already been used to represent real-world items like artwork and real-estate, but this will be the first time they have been applied to enable commerce in human beings.
The move comes after warnings about profit limits in the traditional online dating businesses because of the finite number of ways the human population can be paired.
Those opting to take part in the NFT scheme will be able to watch their romantic asset value rise and fall with right and left swipes, while also investing in peers.
Enabling the “Become a non-fungible token” option in settings (pictured). Research already suggests 98% of interactions lead to no meaningful interaction.
“Dating sites have to look beyond the model of initiating largely bilateral human relations,” says Klein. “What could be more enticing than being paid to be admired?”
“Our research tells us that the financially astute are 56% more attractive. There is no better way to signal it than to have an NFT token app on profile.”
The function will be initially offered free to the small number of “elite” profiles gaining the bulk of attention, others will pay a monthly subscription of around $15.
Asked if the scheme was simply exploiting the financial and romantic hopes of users for no benefit, Klein said, “There is only one way to find out and that is to sign up.” ■