DRiP: Revolutionizing the Internet with Solana
“The internet’s user experience is broken—but it doesn’t have to stay that way,” says Vibhu Norby, co-founder and CEO of DRiP. As part of a new wave of web3 pioneers, Norby and his team are reimagining how we interact with the online world. “Solana is really the foundation of a new internet,” he emphasizes. “An internet owned by people, by the apps, and by the innovations built on top of it.”
DRiP is a groundbreaking platform that allows users to collect free digital media—be it art, music, videos, or more—from their favorite creators. Unlike traditional platforms, DRiP distributes millions of free NFTs to users around the globe, something uniquely enabled by Solana’s blockchain technology. Since its launch, DRiP has become one of the most popular web3 applications, setting a new standard for how to engage with and support creators online.
A New Paradigm for Digital Collecting
At its core, DRiP is focused on helping users discover and own unique digital collectibles. When you log into DRiP, you can subscribe to the creators and artists you love. In return, they share their best work with you, which you then truly own. DRiP provides the full spectrum of digital media—ranging from visual art like pixel art and photography to podcasts, live music streams, and even prank videos.
“We want you to find things you’ll fall in love with,” says Norby. These collectibles come as NFTs (non-fungible tokens), granting users ownership over them. “When you own something on DRiP, you can keep it, share it, trade it, sell it, or buy more. It provides the full economic freedom of real-life ownership—but on the internet.”
For creators, this model flips the traditional content-sharing dynamic, allowing them to earn directly from their subscribers. DRiP leverages a unique system of “droplets,” a digital resource that subscribers allocate to creators monthly. “When you subscribe to a creator on DRiP, you’re giving them a couple of droplets in exchange for their content,” explains Norby. “It happens instantly, seamlessly, and with guaranteed income for creators.” Over time, this aggregates into meaningful, sustainable revenue for creators—something that traditional platforms rarely provide without taking significant cuts.
Why Solana Makes DRiP Possible
While DRiP’s model may be revolutionary, it would not be viable without Solana’s blockchain infrastructure. One of the key challenges was making NFTs affordable to mint and distribute at the massive scale required for DRiP’s ecosystem. Solana’s network provided the solution through a powerful innovation: compressed NFTs, a technology that reduces the cost of minting NFTs to mere fractions of a cent.
“Compression was an absolute game changer for us,” says Norby. “We wanted to send millions of NFTs each week, but on other networks, the costs quickly became unsustainable. For every million collectibles we send today, the cost is only several hundred dollars compared to hundreds of thousands on other blockchains.” This unparalleled efficiency not only makes DRiP feasible but also allows the platform to remain free for users while keeping creators’ income intact.
For Norby, compression exemplifies the kind of cutting-edge engineering that sets Solana apart. “Without Solana compression, DRiP isn’t possible. It’s as simple as that.”
A Vision for a Better Internet
Beyond the technical innovations, DRiP represents a larger mission shared by Norby and the broader web3 community: building an internet that focuses on serving its users. “The most important thing about the internet for most people is content,” Norby explains. “It’s the art, music, and entertainment that enrich our lives. It’s what’s created by our friends, our favorite creators, and the people we care about.”
With DRiP, the goal is to restore ownership and agency to both creators and consumers. By eliminating the need for traditional, centralized platforms that often prioritize profit over user value, DRiP—and web3 technologies like Solana—are reshaping how digital economies operate. “We’re part of the solution to building a better internet,” Norby says. “And the internet will never be the same again.”
The Future of Digital Media
As DRiP grows, its impact is already evident. By combining free collectibles with ownership rights and real economic opportunities for creators, the platform is introducing millions of users to the possibilities of blockchain technology. And at its foundation, Solana ensures that this experience remains scalable, efficient, and inclusive.
“Solana makes DRiP possible,” Norby concludes. “No other platform could deliver this level of accessibility, innovation, and affordability. Thanks to Solana, we’re not just building a better app—we’re helping shape the future of the internet itself.”