The early 2000s saw small plastic boxes hooked up to your telephone line that eagerly screeched their way onto the newly popularised “internet superhighway”. Home users found their 56k fax modem to be a ready upgrade and so now allowed for downloading larger files a lot quicker than before, a wholesome speed of 56Kbps or 0.056Mbps. Grabbing a 5Mb file would take around 13 minutes – if your connection was stable.

With speeds being restrictive, e-mail was the primary form to communicate, and more importantly, to share files with your friends. When Napster and LimeWire came along, the whole concept of a “free” and “open” internet meant something to millions of people who used Napster’s software to share their own ripped library of music they had collected for years. Though free music was a draw, it was the first time someone could connect peerlessly, with millions of people, search for thousands of files, and download them at the same time. For those looking for a community, they could also chat with others while connected and share their love of music.

It’s fitting to say that Napster and LimeWire are indeed the pioneers of the “peer to peer” culture that is so very central to Bitcoin, blockchain, and Web 3.0. Their success drew the attention of companies and governments as the facilitation of file-sharing was not strictly legal, and so, the lawsuits came flooding in. Eventually going bankrupt and then sold on to a number of companies they have remains largely forgotten and consigned to history.

This was the early internet experience, where most were trusting, rules were few, and everything was novel. Their trailblazing meant it injected a culture of freedom that exists to this day. With the new blockchain horizon coming into focus, the bigger question is, are they able to reinvent themselves for the Web 3.0 era?

Napster awakens from its nap

Napster was created in 1999 and went out of business in 2002. Roxio bought it, and then Best Buy bought it, merging it with Rhapsody, another 1990s music software. It was sold once more in 2020, to MelodyVR, a virtual reality company. Now, Hivemind and Algorand have purchased Napster. “A crypto-focused investment business dedicated to blockchain technologies, crypto startups, and the digital assets ecosystem,” the Verge says of Hivemind.

Matt Zhang, the creator of Hivemind, announced the acquisition on his LinkedIn page. “Dear friends,” the statement continued, “we’re thrilled to share that we’ve taken Napster Group private and are bringing the legendary music brand to web3.” “Uncertain times and a volatile market frequently present intriguing chances. We believe in developing theory and creating long-term value at Hivemind. Music x Web3 is one of the most interesting places we’ve seen, and we’re excited to collaborate with Emmy Lovell and a diverse group of talent to unlock value for the entire ecosystem and redefine how artists and listeners interact with music.”

Napster will return with an NFT marketplace that will be placed on the Algorand blockchain.

Reviving LimeWire’s tang

LimeWire will be resurrected as an NFT marketplace that will initially focus on music-related assets, such as music, artwork, and collectibles from musicians. Paul and Julian Zehetmayr, serial digital entrepreneurs, bought the dormant peer-to-peer music sharing site last year and announced their Web3 plans in March.

LimeWire announced in April that it has received $10.4 million in a token sale sponsored by Kraken Ventures, Arrington Capital, and GSR, with Crypto.com Capital and singer Deadmau5’s 720Mau5 fund also participating.

Paul and Julian Zehetmayr, LimeWire co-CEOs, commenting on the collaboration, said that the partnership was a “true demonstration of the pace at which the music industry is embracing Web3.” 

“We’re thrilled to open up the LimeWire NFT ecosystem to Universal Music Group artists and fans and can’t wait to see the first creative projects being launched on the marketplace,” they added.