YouTube is getting in on the digital gifting game

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

YouTube is taking a page out of the TikTok playbook by adding “jewels” you buy to exchange for gifts for your favorite creators during livestreams. The feature, announced in September’s Made on YouTube event, is rolling out in the US over the next few weeks for eligible creators in the YouTube Partner Program.

The feature is reminiscent of TikTok’s livestream gifting, which essentially works the same way, except you buy “coins.” On YouTube, gifts you send to live streamers appear onscreen and add to their earnings called “rubies,” valued at one cent each. YouTube says there’s no fixed revenue share since the cost of jewels can change based on promotions, so the amount of rubies earned can vary. For the next three months, YouTube will...

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