Blockchain-centric music and entertainment platform Bitfury Surround makes inroads in North America

By Emmanuel Legrand

Fabian Alsultany

Bitfury Surround, the Berlin-based blockchain-centered music and entertainment company, is building a business in North America, with the hiring of music and tech executive Fabian Alsultany (pictured) as Director of Business Development North America. Based in Los Angeles, his task is to grow the company's presence in the region. Alsultany was most recently Director of Business Development for the blockchain platform, RChain Cooperative, where he focused on the development of music technologies related to the future of streaming, micropayments, and digital identity.

  Alsultany will work with Surround’s Berlin-based team "to lay the groundwork for a new approach to music rights management and creativity in the US and Canada." Stefan Schulz, CEO and co-founder of Surround said Alsultany's "expertise in music and blockchain will prove invaluable as we roll out what we believe will be a transformative technology for music creators and stakeholders.”

  Bitfury Surround, founded in January 2019, is the music and entertainment unit of Amsterdam-based Bitfury Group, a global company specialised in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space. “Our platform will significantly change the way artists and their teams get paid," said Alsultany. "The market for music, videos, tickets, stems, digital collectibles, and digital assets is receiving a significant upgrade. Bitfury Surround will allow the creative forces in the entertainment industry to maximize revenue and ensure payment distribution in an innovative manner. The software stack and marketplace we are creating will be a game-changer to everyone in the music and entertainment ecosystem.”