Avenged Sevenfolds M. Shadows Explains Bands Blockchain Push and New Fan-Reward System

When M. Shadows opened up on the “Artist Friendly With Joel Madden” podcast, he didn’t just talk about new music – he revealed a bold shift into blockchain. The lead singer explained how the band has teamed up with Berify for authentication, Bitflips for fan‑engagement software, and Ticketmaster for ticketing, all to hand fans ownership of their data and a more direct link to the band.

Avenged Sevenfold, formed in 1999, has sold more than eight million albums worldwide. After a long relationship with Warner Bros. Records, the group declared full independence in June 2023 with the release of Life Is But a Dream…. That decision followed a 2015 lawsuit against Warner, which the band won by citing the California Labor Code’s “seven‑year rule.” The last album under a major label, The Stage, came out in 2016 through Capitol Records.

The first taste of the band’s blockchain experiment arrived in December 2021 with the Deathbats Club NFT collection. Ten thousand unique tokens were minted on the Ethereum blockchain, marketed as a way to give fans a “connective tissue” for the band’s on‑chain blueprint. In March 2023, Avenged Sevenfold partnered with Ticketmaster to offer token‑gated priority access to tickets for Deathbats Club holders, and a few weeks later the band launched TicketPass, a free loyalty program built with Bitflips.

TicketPass lets fans earn points by streaming music, buying merchandise, and attending shows. Those points can be redeemed for perks such as early ticket access, making the system a low‑barrier entry point for deeper engagement.

During the interview, M. Shadows emphasized that the band’s interest in blockchain stemmed from a frustration with traditional intermediaries. “When I saw blockchain, I didn’t think about NFTs or Bitcoin. I thought about data ownership and how to give fans a better experience while collecting that data,” he said, pointing out that labels, streaming services, and ticket sellers keep customer data on their own systems, preventing artists from knowing who their fans really are.

The TicketPass architecture uses a Dapp wallet or e‑mail authentication to verify a fan’s identity. Once verified, TicketPass can submit a ticket request to Ticketmaster, which confirms availability. The design is intentionally eco‑friendly, requiring minimal steps for fans to acquire tickets while keeping the carbon footprint low.

The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of Ticketmaster. In 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice and 40 states filed an antitrust suit against Live Nation Entertainment, Ticketmaster’s parent company, alleging monopoly power and overcharging. A 2026 jury verdict found that Ticketmaster’s practices violated federal and state ant‑trust laws.

Avenged Sevenfold’s blockchain initiatives illustrate a broader trend of artists seeking direct control over fan data and revenue streams. By using Berify for authentication and Bitflips for data analytics, the band aims to bypass traditional intermediaries. The partnership with Ticketmaster, while still involving a major ticketing platform, is structured to give fans token‑based priority access rather than relying on opaque presale systems.

Today the band continues to operate as an independent act, using its own distribution channels and fan‑engagement tools. While the next steps remain undisclosed, the existing systems suggest a focus on expanding the Deathbats Club ecosystem and refining TicketPass rewards.