The streaming music incarnation of the storied Napster brand is taking its next step into Web3 with the acquisition of startup Mint Songs.

Napster originally announced its move into blockchain last June with a plan to launch a token using the Algorand blockchain. Today, Napster says the Mint Songs acquisition will be the foundation for the company’s first Web3 offerings.

Mint Songs co-founder and CTO Garrett Hughes will join Napster as an advisor.Music Streaming Company Napster To Launch Its Own Token On Algorand.

The new platform, Napster says, will offer digital collectibles that aim to connect artists with their fans by building a community around the artist and their music and allowing the artist to engage with their fanbase.

The acquisition of Mint Songs is the first deal by the newly created Napster Ventures, which the company says focuses on fostering, investing in, and acquiring the best Web3 music startups.

Napster was originally a peer-to-peer file-sharing platform focused on digital audio that caused a firestorm online and in the media, sparking congressional hearings on copyright and ownership in the digital age. Initially launched in June 1999 by Sean Parker—later the founding president of Facebook—and Shawn Fanning, the platform was defunct by 2001, thanks to legal challenges aimed at the music-sharing service.