Lucas Matney
Senior Editor
The Latest from Lucas Matney
Crypto, where the fallen seek a fresh start
Welcome back to Chain Reaction. Last week, we talked about privacy in crypto and how it’s sometimes at odds with regulation. This week, we’re covering a larger-than-life founder who is per
Do Kwon’s Terra trauma and drama lives to see another day
There are some events in your life that you look back on and think to yourself, “Wow, that was a really tough time.” We all have memories like that and I think the crypto community definit
Uniswap Labs COO MC Lader on the incentives behind DeFi
Crypto lending and financial services companies have been at the forefront of the industry’s latest controversies ever since the collapse of the Terra stablecoin, with many drawing parallels bet
Why Twitter anons are sending crypto to celebrities
Welcome back to Chain Reaction. Last week, we talked about a hack that gave new, ironic meaning to the word “trustless.” This week, we’ll get into one of the most polarizing aspects
FTX Ventures’ Amy Wu is bringing her blockchain investing expertise to TC Sessions: Crypto
The world of crypto venture has had a whirlwind few years, with powerful new players inspiring furious catch-up among traditional VC firms aiming to make a name for themselves in the sector. All the w
A Tornado (Cash) flew around my room
It seems like there are always people butting heads in the crypto world, and this week was no different. Cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash was hit with sanctions by the U.S. and Binance and WazirX dis
Portal Ventures closes on $35 million debut fund for early-stage crypto startups
While plenty of crypto investors have scaled back their breakneck pace of startup investing as they wait for more clarity on the macro environment, the fact is there have never been more firms and mor
There’s always another nightmarish crypto hack around the corner
Welcome back to Chain Reaction. Last week, we looked at the near-term future for crypto gaming as VCs zero in on where to place consumer bets. This week, we’re looking at hardware wallets and th
Sometimes, stealing crypto is the moral choice
The world of crypto moves quickly and sometimes, when there’s an ongoing heist, the best thing that technically savvy but ethically sound users can do is join in on the pillaging. That’s w
YC and a16z back virtual reality basketball app Gym Class
Despite Zuckerberg & Co. spending billions of dollars on virtual reality tech every fiscal quarter, the wider VR startup ecosystem has been having a tough few years coming down from the highs of 2
Arca’s David Nage on how regulatory scrutiny is impacting venture investment in web3
The regulatory environment surrounding crypto is shifting stateside as the SEC takes aim at major players in the web3 world, promising to shake up business as usual with aggressive action. This week o
Can VCs game crypto out of this downturn?
Welcome back to Chain Reaction. Last week, we looked at Musk holding onto doge. This week, we’re talking about where all of this crypto VC money is possibly gonna go. To get this in your inbox e
Securities are in the eye of the beholder
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has brought down its wrath on Coinbase. The publicly traded exchange has been under investigation for allegedly selling crypto tokens on its platform that q
The outlook is getting more complicated for Meta’s virtual reality dreams
For an industry that rarely has major news anymore, this was an awfully big week for virtual reality. Unsurprisingly, all of the important data points are related to the industry’s sole benefact
FTC sues Meta to block acquisition of VR fitness app
The FTC filed an injunction today to block Meta’s acquisition of the virtual reality studio Within, which is best known more recently for its subscription VR workout app Supernatural. The regula
The ‘D’ in DAO doesn’t stand for democracy, says Upstream CEO Alexander Taub
Ever since a group of chronically online crypto enthusiasts tried to buy a copy of the U.S. Constitution in a high-profile bidding war, DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations) have been at the f
The Dogefather sends his regards
Welcome back to Chain Reaction. Last week, we looked at a crossover episode for meme investing. This week, we’re talking about Musk dumping tokens while holding onto others. You can get this new
Snap stock is getting obliterated
Investors in social media company Snap are reeling this afternoon as the stock has endured a bit of a meltdown following its release of Q2 earnings yesterday. The stock price is down nearly 40% for th
The SEC takes a long-feared position in Coinbase insider trading suit
A former product manager at Coinbase has been arrested, the U.S. Justice Department announced Thursday, after being charged in a cryptocurrency insider trading scheme related to the listing of new cry
Get ready for a lot of dead DAOs
After a lengthy crypto bull run, the startups and projects in the space are reining in expectations and settling in for a long-haul crypto winter. It’s been a particularly tough time for DAOs, w