Cryptocurrencies and crypto companies are in a tailspin. On Tuesday, crypto exchange Coinbase laid off 18% of its staff, CEO Brian Armstrong suggested we’re headed for a “crypto winter,” and the price of bitcoin fell to more than 50% from its peak. The violent reversal from the crypto euphoria experienced just a few months ago poses a big test for creator economy startups that have built or incorporated blockchain technologies into their products. Los Angeles-based Tellie is betting that demand for its software will survive the storm. 

The four-year-old startup provides tools for creators to build websites and sell content, like exclusive songs or art, using blockchain-based collectibles known as NFTs or other tokens, such as ethereum. Fans can pay with credit cards using Tellie software, bypassing the need to convert their currencies into cryptocurrencies. It’s one of several startups in The Information’s Creator Economy Database, like Afterparty and Topia, that use blockchain-based technology to offer ways for creators to grant exclusive access to events or special connections with creators.