Hot Drops Dropped From CES; NFT Platform Holds Separate Show

Hot Drops, an NFT marketplace with the stated aim to empower content creators and disrupt how the creator industry is compensated, claims that it was banned from exhibiting at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where it sought a presence in the NFT pavilion area.

Michael Terpin, an investor in Hot Drops and founder of Transform Ventures, who has worked alongside more than 200 Blockchain PR clients, says he received notification from CES about its rejection of Hot Drops' application.

"We reviewed the application and information from Hot Drops and cannot approve this company to participate in CES and CES Unveiled," Brian Moon, Vice President, Sales and Business Development at Consumer Technology Association, the company that organizes CES, noted in the email.

Hot Drops CEO Ashley Youdan is a former adult content creator who retired in 2014 and then turned to entrepreneurship and computer science. The NFT marketplace's tech team is composed of management veterans from Microsoft, Google and Expedia.

"Hot Drops is not about sex toys or unprotected adult content, it is an inclusive platform allowing fans to connect with their favorite creators, build community with other fans, and empower creators to earn lifetime royalties for their content which historically they haven't had," Youdan said. "We regret that CES incorrectly categorized us and then refused to discuss why we fell into the banned categories."

"At Hot Drops, we believe that all creators should have equitable access to blockchain and NFT technologies to be able to monetize their brands," the CEO added.

David Jensen, who founded EY's Global Innovation and Digital Business team, is among Hot Drops' lead investors and advisors.

With the team unable to participate in this year's Consumer Electronics Show, Hot Drops worked with Coin Agenda to hold an NFT show called Nifty Agenda on Thursday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

The event included presentations and meet-and-greets from NFT creators, innovators, buyers and media and was followed by a concert by Pink Floyd's Scott Page, Jane Addiction's Stephen Perkins and Fishbone's Norwood Fisher.