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Late last night CryptoCobain began to wind down his regular Twitch livestream. “Alright,” he said, “I’m gonna go to bed, but I’m gonna raid someone.” He planned to stay on for 15 minutes, inundate them with support from all his followers, then log off. On a whim, he picked Mela Bee’s stream, an alt/rock singer songwriter from Toronto with a sharp haircut and a siren-like voice. So began the 15 minute Cobie crypto stream worth over $250k.
The Raid
First things first, Cobie had to do a vibe check. He sent a chat request for Nirvana’s “Win Money” to see if Mela would pass The Nirvana Test. As they began to play, however, Mela noticed the rush of new followers and comments. Instead of the shock and joy you might expect, Mela’s first instinct was disappointment. She suspected bots and spammers. Cobie urged his followers to type “not bots”, hoping to convince her that not only did she have a huge audience but they were all there to support her. To prove it, Cobie decided to donate some money. By some, I mean a $1,000 crypto tip. And that move was the start of a $250,000 Twitch raid.
A crypto Butterfly Effect story@CryptoCobain streams for 5 hours
Decides to stay up a little longer
Finds @melabeeofficial stream
She passes the Nirvana testShe receives $200k in crypto in under an hour
(incl 20 Eth from a single wallet 😱)All because Cobie didn't go to bed pic.twitter.com/nlv7Tl6jmq
— alisha.eth (@futurealisha) May 3, 2021
He might not have known the impact the shoutout in a Cobie crypto stream would have on a smaller streamer until he saw it happening. His initial thousand dollar tip prompted others to make donations too. Mela Bee and her boyfriend were instructed in the chat room to set up cryptocurrency wallets, and watched in shock as the number climbed to over $250,000 by the end of the stream.
When she first checked the amount after sharing the wallet link, Mela found $19,000. But that’s nothing compared to the shock she, her boyfriend, and CryptoCobie felt when someone dropped a $100,000 donation during Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.” It’s rather poetic, really.
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The Impact
With every refresh during the Cobie crypto stream, CryptoCobain watched Mela’s total climb and climb at a pace that even he found incredible. But for someone who started the night with an empty wallet and a thousand viewers, the effect was overwhelming. Mela got the kind of exposure one might expect after four to six years as an influencer in the span of one night. She made the same amount of money from one stream as a full time influencer with 700,000 plus followers makes in a year. Let me say that again: her stream total was equal to a mid tier influencer’s annual income. That’s including sponsored posts and brand deals as well as any platform monetization. That’s amazing.
Well, I just woke up and turns out this isn't a dream… 😳 @CryptoCobain you are a life changer 💜
— Mela Bee (@melabeeofficial) May 3, 2021
Near the end, Cobie and Mela chatted in the stream as he revealed himself to be the raid starter and asked her for three requests. Request number one was that she contact his assistant for money management tips now that she is crypto rich. Requests two and three involved a duet and some Blink-182. It’s emblematic of the kind of responsibility large influencers can have to uplift and promote small creators. Especially creators that are marginally less represented and promoted in the social media sphere.
Want to learn more about cryptocurrency but can’t DM Cobie’s assistant? Check out our top list of crypto influencers for tips on how to manage and make money here.
Social media is perhaps the most valuable marketplace right now. With the growth of influencer marketing and highly lucrative brand deals, becoming an influencer is a career choice, not a hobby. Social media seems to be a level playing field, with few requirements to start besides internet connection and a passion. But when the product you’re selling is yourself, systemic obstacles and algorithms factor into this easy access.
How do we get @melabeeofficial onto the @JKCorden show or @TheEllenShow ?
Anyone following me with any connections? @mcuban ?
— ∞ CO฿IE (@CryptoCobain) May 3, 2021
Sure the starting point is about equal, but rapid growth is simply unrealistic for many creators. Whether it’s lack of money or institutional disempowerment, we are becoming increasingly aware of just how potholed this “level playing field” really is. Which is why the support and guidance of a big influencer like CryptoCobain is truly priceless.
For a small influencer on a huge streaming platform like Twitch, the impact of Cobie’s shoutout is incalculable. Far greater than $250,000 in crypto donations, the rush of followers, virality, and social media buzz from that stream is an invaluable launchpad for newer creators. Fans flocked to Mela’s merch website after and her following doubled over the course of just that first stream.
Annnnnd now my merch store is blowing up. YALL ARE GONNA MAKE ME CRY AGAIN.
— Mela Bee (@melabeeofficial) May 3, 2021
What Now?
What comes next is hard to say, but for Mela that stream was the start of a new level of influencing, music making, and success. In the nature of social media, virality is fleeting but its effects can last longer and lead to new opportunities that would have otherwise been unattainable.
Don’t stop the support now! Check out Mela Bee’s socials and pre save her single “Scares Me Too”, out on all platforms May 21st.
