blockchain
a16z backs London-based crypto startup Pimlico as it ramps up UK focus
Upon opening its first overseas office in London last Thursday, a16z made its first U.K. investment announcement today. The venture capital firm has led a $4.2 million seed round in…
New nonprofit backed by crypto billionaire scores AI chips worth $500M
It’s strange times we’re living in when a blockchain billionaire, not the usual Big Tech suspects, is the one supplying the compute capacity needed to develop generative AI. It was…
SynFutures raises $22 million Series B, bucking ‘crypto winter’
Amid a global slowdown in venture investments for crypto projects, some companies continue to buck the trend. SynFutures, a decentralized crypto derivatives exchange, has completed a $22 million Series B…
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Meet Alliance DAO’s latest accelerator cohort of startups building in crypto winter
TechCrunch+ got to see a number of startups during web3 accelerator Alliance DAO’s latest demo day, which we’re covering exclusively.
Reddit is winding down Community Points — the blockchain-based “internet points” program designed to reward creators and developers — in favor of prioritizing rewards programs that are less difficult to…
Walking through Token2049, it was hard to tell that the crypto industry was going through a “winter” phase. The crypto conference held in Singapore in September attracted an unprecedented crowd…
Account Labs raises $7.7M as FTX’s demise leads to crypto self-custody growth
The collapse of the FTX empire didn’t just set in motion a crypto market downturn. The unraveling of FTX’s misuse of customer funds also exposed the risks of using crypto…
It is time for a new technology that will give more power to the consumer, more freedom to developers and more opportunity for innovation.
Telegram, the popular messaging app with 800 million monthly active users worldwide, is inching closer to adopting an ecosystem strategy that is reminiscent of WeChat’s super app approach. Certain aspects…
Akowe wants to fix Africa’s broken certificate system with blockchain
The crypto industry has long been criticized for its disconnection with the real world, but there are players who try to show that the underlying blockchain technology can solve some…
Blockchain Capital launches two new funds for a total of $580M
The crypto bear market may be ongoing, but Blockchain Capital is still going big. It closed two new funds for a total of $580 million, the firm’s general partner Spencer…
Former DCG, Blockchain Capital investors launch $20M early-stage fund at crypto advisory firm Reverie
After a couple years of dabbling in angel investments, crypto advisory firm Reverie is now bringing a bigger checkbook to bear. The firm is launching a flagship $20 million fund…
MobileCoin, which powers Signal’s anonymous crypto payments, appoints new CEO
MobileCoin, the startup known for building Signal’s crypto payments feature, has appointed a new CEO as it works on expanding its encrypted money transfer service to global users in need…
Telegram adds self-custodial crypto wallet worldwide, excluding the US
Telegram, the popular chat app with 800 million monthly active users, is getting a self-custodial crypto wallet. The move is set to solidify its presence in the vibrant crypto community…
0xPass raises $1.8M from Balaji Srinivasan and others to build secure login systems for web3
0xPass is among the many startups trying to make crypto wallets secure and convenient for mass adoption. Specifically, it’s solving the login piece of user experience, which, at the moment,…
Brine Fi challenges Coinbase, Binance with decentralized exchange as it nets Pantera-led $16.5M round
After the collapse of FTX, crypto traders have been looking for decentralized, non-custodial and safer ways to execute orders and store their assets. This explains why some decentralized crypto exchanges…
MetaMask now allows crypto cash-out to PayPal and banks, but fees could be high
MetaMask, the world’s biggest self-custodial hot (internet-connected) wallet with over 22 million users, has added the option for users to convert cryptocurrencies into fiats like USD, as a growing list…
Gleen’s tech-savvy chatbot for Discord and Slack attracts Solana founder in oversubscribed round
There’s no shortage of chatbot services trying to earn a place in the myriad channels on Discord and Slack. California-based Gleen, founded by Microsoft and LinkedIn veterans, is offering its…
MPCVault’s crypto wallet for businesses hits $500M AUM in 7 months
While a plethora of products have been developed to meet the crypto needs of consumers, there are limited options designed to assist enterprises in managing digital assets. Many companies thus…
Microsoft announced that it is partnering with layer-1 blockchain Aptos to expand AI and web3 capabilities and trust.
SettleMint’s AI assistant aims to help web3 developers write better smart contracts
The way artificial intelligence can write software has already prompted many companies to introduce code-generating products, so it’s no surprise that SettleMint, a low-code blockchain programming tool for enterprises, recently…
a16z-backed Eco unveils Beam, a P2P crypto transfer service aiming to be a ‘global Venmo’
The crypto payments space is seeing a surge of activity these days as developers strive to make decentralized finance as user-friendly as web2 experiences. Eco Inc., an a16z-backed payments startup…
Avalanche Foundation to invest $50M in asset tokenization on its blockchain
The Avalanche Foundation is allocating up to $50 million to purchase tokenized assets created on its layer-1 blockchain, the company exclusively told TechCrunch. The initiative, Avalanche Vista, aims to highlight…
Team behind crypto privacy protocol Manta Network is now valued at $500M
Even amid the crypto winter, some web3 companies are racking up hefty valuations. P0x Labs, the team behind Manta Network, a privacy-preserving protocol running on the Polkadot blockchain, announced today…
Gnosis launches Visa card that lets you spend self-custody crypto in Europe, soon US and Hong Kong
The world of cryptocurrency has often been criticized for being exclusive, catering primarily to speculators and crypto-savvy individuals. Despite this, many advocates believe that the underlying decentralized technology has the…
Google Play changes policy toward blockchain-based apps, opening door to tokenized digital assets, NFTs
Google has updated its mobile software marketplace policy to allow application developers to integrate digital assets like NFTs into their games through its Play app store, the company’s group product…
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Car-sharing revenue could be a first step to mainstream adoption of web3 in the enterprise
ELOOP and Peaq are among the startups looking to help enterprise businesses incorporate web3 into their business models.
Blockchain games want to go mainstream, but the million-dollar question is: What’s the best way to do it?
AI and crypto integration is going to happen whether you want it or not
The need for owning your own data is applicable not just in the web3 space, but in AI, too.
AI-generated music is fast becoming a reality. Thanks to tools like Meta’s MusicGen, it’s now possible to create halfway decent songs in a range of styles without ever having to…
