Crypto & Pageants

Beauty Meets BlockchainIn recent years the beauty pageant industry has begun to intersect with the cryptocurrency/blockchain world, as organisers, pageants and sponsors explore new models of funding, voting, fan engagement and digital identities. Below are a number of noteworthy cases that illustrate this trend — followed by some thoughts on what the link means for both sectors.

Key cases

1. Miss Onelife (2019)One of the earliest explicitly crypto-oriented pageants was Miss Onelife. According to its website:

“MISS ONELIFE is the first international beauty competition organised in all the history, where the production costs are covered mainly in cryptocurrency.” missonelife.comLaunched in 2019, the contest invited 30 contestants from 30 countries, and offered major prizes (in euros) including a luxury car. missonelife.comHere the model was clear: production financed by crpyto payments, thus signalling the pageant’s alignment with digital-asset culture and the “future of payments”.

2. Miss Universe Organization (MUO) & Zetrix AI Bhd partnership (2025)In October 2025 the Miss Universe Organization announced a partnership with the blockchain firm Zetrix (formerly MyEG Services) to launch a “first global blockchain voting app” for the pageant. Yahoo Finance+1Specifically:

• On 1 Oct 2025 a press release from MUO said they had partnered with Zetrix to develop a Layer-1 public blockchain solution. Yahoo Finance

• A Malaysian coverage (The Edge) on 26 Sept 2025 likewise noted that Zetrix AI had partnered MUO to develop the global blockchain voting app. The Edge MalaysiaThis case reflects how a major global pageant brand is embracing blockchain not just for marketing, but for functional elements such as secure fan voting, transparency, and perhaps tokenised fan participation.

  
  

3. Emerging / ancillary digital pageants and identity experimentsBeyond direct crypto funding or blockchain voting, the pageant model is evolving in digital-native ways. For example the pageant Miss AI (2024) is a contest for AI-generated “beauty queens” — although not strictly crypto/blockchain, it reflects the broader “digital assets / creator economy” context in which tokenisation, NFTs and crypto identity could play a role. Wikipédia+1While Miss AI is more about digital identity than crypto per se, it indicates the broader shift of beauty pageant culture into the digital/crypto realm.

Why the convergence?

Several factors help explain why beauty pageants and crypto/blockchain are finding common ground:

• Fan engagement & voting mechanics: One of the perennial challenges for pageants is how to engage global audiences in real time, how to make voting credible, how to monetise fan participation. Blockchain offers possibilities for transparency, token-voting, micro-payments and fan tokens. The MUO-Zetrix partnership is a concrete example.

• New funding models: Traditional pageants rely on sponsors, broadcast rights, ticketing, etc. Crypto offers new opportunities: token pre-sales, sponsorship by crypto firms, prizes funded in digital assets, emphasising “future of payments” and digital culture (as with Miss Onelife).

• Digital identity / creator economy: As pageant contestants become influencers, collector objects (e.g., NFTs), or digital avatars, the crypto ecosystem (NFTs, metaverse, digital fashion) provides a fertile ground. Beauty pageants have cultural relevance, celebrity pull, and global reach — making them an interesting vehicle for crypto marketing.

• Branding & prestige for crypto firms: From the crypto/blockchain side, aligning with a globally-recognised pageant brand brings legitimacy, media attention and access to consumer audiences. For major pageants, blockchain partnerships signal modernity and attract a younger, digitally-native audience.

  
  

Opportunities & Risks

Opportunities

• More engaging fan experiences: Tokenised voting, NFT memorabilia (crowns, sashes, digital avatar of winner), exclusive fan-holder access.

• New revenue streams: Crypto sponsorships, crypto ticketing/fan-tokens, merchandise paid in crypto.

• Transparency and credibility: Blockchain‐based voting can reduce alleged manipulation and boost trust.

• Global reach: Crypto is borderless; pageants already have global contestants and audiences, so the pairing makes sense.

Risks & cautions

• Regulatory issues: Crypto is still subject to regulatory uncertainty in many countries; if a pageant accepts crypto payments, it must navigate financial compliance.

• Reputation risk: Crypto projects sometimes carry reputational baggage (scams, volatility). A pageant affiliating with a dubious crypto partner could suffer brand damage.

• Fan backlash: If fans feel token models exploit them (e.g., “buy a token to vote”), there might be backlash.

• Technical / execution risk: Blockchain voting needs robust design, cybersecurity, privacy considerations; any breach or malfunction may harm the pageant’s reputation.

  
  

What to watch going forward

• Will more major pageants adopt blockchain voting or tokenised fan participation? The MUO-Zetrix deal suggests yes.

• Will winners and contestants start minting NFTs (crowns, image rights, fan-clubs) as part of their prize or branding?

• Will pageants in Asia (where crypto interest is high) become early adopters of token incentives for regional fan engagement (e.g., via local tokens, staking, fan-investor models)?

• How will regulatory frameworks around crypto payments affect this convergence, especially in countries where beauty pageants are regulated or have cultural/political sensitivity?

• Will the integration remain superficial (crypto logos, sponsors) or become core to the pageant business model (funding, voting, fan ownership)?

  
  

Implications for your ecosystem (community, fan-investor model, NFTs)

Given your interest in building communities, tokenised reward structures and linking local business/fan networks (as you often do), the convergence of crypto + pageants offers interesting possibilities. For example:

• You might create a fan-token for a pageant contestant (say in Thailand) that gives holders voting rights, backstage access, merchandise discounts, etc.

• Use blockchain-based voting for a local/regional pageant (e.g., Miss Universe Surin, etc) where fans invest/support via crypto or tokens — aligning with your idea of “fan-investors”.

• Issue NFTs as special commemorative items (crowns, sash designs, photo-drops) for supporters, sponsors, mentors (marraine), thus blending physical pageant culture with digital assets.

• Partner local Thai businesses with crypto sponsors to build a dual ecosystem: pageant contestants + local sponsors + fan-token holders.

• Ensure compliance and transparency (smart contracts, clear rights, token utility) to avoid risk and build trust among fans/investors.