Kumu, a leading global Filipino and SEA livestream app with 17 million users and over 11.4 million monthly views, announced this morning a strategic alliance with Redacted Group, a leading web3 start-up ecosystem, to integrate its web3 suite of products and onboard the Kumu userbase to crypto and web3. The company says that this joint initiative will empower creators and enhance user engagement on its platform.
The Filipino-American television personality, former MTV VJ, and co-founder of Kumu, KC Montero announced the collaboration in a social media post on X earlier this morning. The personality currently serves as the Vice President of Marketing and Head of Content at Kumu.
“We’re always looking for ways to create unique experiences with the premium content our users love, in ways they never thought possible,” says KC Montero, co-founder of Kumu. “Teaming up with The Redacted Group to bring Web3 to social media is an exciting step for us. The goal of most Web3 companies is to find new audiences, but making the leap from Web2 to Web3 has been tough. With Redacted products on Kumu, our users won’t even realize they’re engaging with blockchain technology. For many, RDAC will be their first cryptocurrency, and it’s happening in countries where crypto adoption is growing fast. “Kumu has ranked among the top 10 grossing apps in multiple countries, and we aim to leverage that presence to drive crypto adoption in those regions as well,” Montero continued.
Kumu, which raised $100M in funding, was launched in 2018 as a live streaming app, and has since amassed a base of over 17 million registered users and counting from over 55 countries. In that time, it has ranked as the #1 top grossing social app in the Philippines and top 10 in multiple markets including Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Its business model is driven by a virtual gifting economy that allows its streamers to earn by engaging with its fans, fueling the livelihoods of Filipino talents such as the Spotify record-breaking band Dilaw; the global P-Pop sensation BINI; and Sofronio Vasquez, the winner of the 26th season of The Voice.
“We’ve had nearly every Filipino blockbuster celebrity on Kumu—during the pandemic, Kumu was their only source of income. We’ve achieved incredible success in building communities around creators; for instance, artists like BINI and Dilaw started on Kumu and now have well over 1 billion streams on Spotify. Rapper Ez Mill began by doing Eminem covers on Kumu, and now he’s signed with Eminem and Dre. One of our hometown streamers, Sofronio Vasquez, recently won The Voice in the US, with judges Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé. Interestingly, Bublé also had a show on Kumu. We’re looking to further invest in these relationships to continue to grow,” said KC Montero.
Since its inception, Kumu has also pioneered novel ways to engage audiences in media they love. The app served as the primary engagement, voting, and audition platform for Pinoy Big Brother, the Philippines’ largest reality TV show; and launched a community-funded film that hit #2 most watched on the Netflix Philippines charts.
Redacted accelerates web3 start-ups across multiple verticals to become the next big industry disruptors via a user and data ecosystem, powered by its upcoming RDAC token to offer enhanced experiences and targeted commercial opportunities for Web2 and Web3 companies. Backed by the PG Group, Redacted has already secured over $10 million in funding from prominent investors and web3 founders including Polygon Ventures, The Spartan Group, Animoca Brands, Web3 personality Dingaling, and more. The company has a portfolio of 10+ projects under its ecosystem with over 1.3 million active users across its apps.
The collaboration with Redacted will aim towards monetising content on the Kumu platform, as well as carry out web3 initiatives that reward fan engagement and integrate cryptocurrency seamlessly and more. While the full extent of the integration is yet to be disclosed, AI and blockchain tech is not new to the Filipino streaming giants. In 2024, Kumu announced the first official integration with OpenAI for conversational AI in the Philippines through its partnership with Agora, and hosted an educational event focused on crypto with Web3PH.
“At Redacted, we are building a start-up ecosystem of products through a user and data network, where users can do what they love most — play, trade, watch and get rewarded. We aim to underpin entertainment and gamification products with a data protocol, which will provide better experiences for users and greater commercial opportunities for companies,” said Shanjan Kumar, CEO and co-founder of the Redacted Group. “Kumu are early movers in the movement towards a genuine creator economy where anyone can earn a sustainable income from just a hundred true fans each, and we’re excited to support that with we3 tech,” Kumar continued.
Both companies believe that internet and social media penetration within Southeast Asia, is increasing by almost 10% yearly. Southeast Asians are among the most active internet users globally, spending an average of 9–10 hours of their days online and dedicate at least 4 of those to social media alone, as the region has been described as the ‘social media capital of the world.’ With The Redacted Group, Kumu aims to channel this energy by creating monetary opportunities and deeper engagement loops on its social media platforms with Web3, blockchain tech and AI.
Southeast Asian leaders are increasingly emphasizing the region’s need for digital transformation. In the Philippines, President Bongbong Marcos has highlighted the country’s growing need for digitization, as he believes Web3 will play a huge role in pushing the socio-economic agenda within the country. The government hopes its push for emerging tech will make things more transparent, achieve efficiency in data exchange, and have more effective governance, helping achieve its 10 point agenda for economic renewal post COVID-19 and long-term socio economic growth.
About Redacted
Redacted is a leading platform that accelerates Web3 start-ups across verticals across its user and data ecosystem. Users will be able to interact through an ecosystem of entertainment and gamification products powered by RDAC. The core team, recognized as Web3 thought leaders since 2021, combines crypto-native expertise with backgrounds from top-tier companies like Tesla, Bank of America, Kraken, and LEGO.
About Kumu
Kumu is the leading social entertainment app in the Philippines, empowering users to connect, create, and earn through live streaming, social games, and interactive content. Designed as a vibrant digital hub for the global Filipino community, Kumu fosters authentic connections through real-time engagement and a creator-first ecosystem. With a strong emphasis on Filipino culture and values, Kumu enables streamers to monetize their content via virtual gifts, brand collaborations, and exclusive events. Whether you’re a content creator, a fan, or a community builder, Kumu offers a dynamic and inclusive platform where everyone can share their voice and be part of a thriving digital bayanihan.