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Coinbase Buys and Burns $25 Million ‘UpOnly’ NFT, Forcing Podcast’s Return

The on-chain stunt showcases NFTs as programmable media rights, prompting questions about legal enforceability.

Overview

  • CEO Brian Armstrong confirmed the deal on X as on-chain data showed a 25 million USDC payment to Cobie and a subsequent burn of the token.
  • The NFT’s burn clause compels Cobie and co-host Ledger to produce eight episodes, while granting the buyer no sponsorship, advertising, or creative control.
  • Terms allow the hosts to ignore or criticize the purchaser during the season, underscoring limits on buyer influence despite on-chain triggers.
  • Speculative tokens themed around UpOnly and Cobie recorded extreme spikes followed by sharp reversals, with no official affiliation to the show.
  • Coverage linked the move to Coinbase’s broader media strategy, including its Echo acquisition, as some outlets also questioned how binding such on-chain obligations are under law.