Sam Blumenthal

Some are skeptical about the ability of digital currencies to emerge as a viable store of value in just a few years since it took thousands of years for gold to do so, and only after gold had been used for its intrinsic value for centuries before that. I don’t agree; such logic is too rooted in the past and does not account for rapid behavioral... See more

In a time when shoppers are wary of being in physical shopping centers due to the pandemic, retailers, brands and social media apps have all jumped on the shoppable live content playing field in some way. In recent months, Nordstrom announced over 50 interactive livestream events, Facebook partnered with Anne Klein to debut its live in-app shopping... See more

'Livestreaming as a distribution channel' monetisation strategies  This is what an e-commerce livestream looks like on Taobao:  The livestream host is showing off the new skirt while reading comments from viewers about how the clothes will fit on different frames. Clicking on the basket sign takes me to a check-out while the stream is still... See more

While this motivation may be latent—even subconscious, for most—in the U.S., it’s an economic driver that’s well understood in China, fueling a thriving video ecommerce market. In Asia, the powerful force of video entertainment shopping has spawned a livestream ecommerce industry akin to professional movie production. It’s more than a place where... See more