Paradigm
Paradigm shifts your DEI efforts from aspirational to data-driven
Research suggests that most companies want to do the right thing when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Executives certainly understand that bringing in a variety of voices, experienc
Hackers abuse ‘chaotic’ Nomad exploit to drain almost $200M in crypto
Cross-chain messaging protocol Nomad has become the target of crypto’s latest nine-figure attack after hackers abused a “chaotic” security exploit to steal almost $200 million in digital
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
NFT brand loyalty platform Hang banks $16M from Paradigm
Crypto startups — fresh off a mind-boggling bull run — are preparing for the next phase of life where the mere mention of “NFT,” “DAO” or “DeFi” may not tempt i
Uniswap acquires NFT marketplace aggregator Genie
The past few weeks have been a dark time for NFT lovers and players in the cryptocurrency industry, but for startups and executives that are dug into the vision of a crypto future, it’s also bee
Magic Eden raises $130M, hitting unicorn status at $1.6B valuation
NFT marketplace Magic Eden, launched just nine months ago, has raised $130 million in a Series B round co-led by Electric Capital and Greylock Partners, bringing its valuation to $1.6 billion. Lightsp
Down bad
Welcome back to Chain Reaction. Last week, we talked about layoffs and the Winklevoss rock gods. This week, we’re looking at a new layer of crypto doom and gloom. Get this newsletter in your inb
The arrest heard ’round the crypto world
Hey everyone, and welcome back to Chain Reaction. Last week, we discussed $4.5 billion in new crypto funds from a16z. This week, we’re talking about the arrest that has everyone in the NFT space
Former OpenSea exec arrested and charged with insider trading of NFTs
A top former executive at the highly valued NFT startup OpenSea was arrested Wednesday and charged “with wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a scheme to commit insider trading,
Amid crypto market turmoil, Andreessen Horowitz announces $4.5 billion web3 fund
Despite a gloomy outlook for crypto markets based on the past few weeks of token turbulence, venture capitalists looking to spend their way into a web3 future aren’t taking their foot off of the
Amid crypto’s talent war, Encode Club mints new web3 developers
Crypto-savvy developers are in short supply these days. Blockchain startups and protocols are fighting to onboard and train more engineers — an even tougher undertaking in a world where developi
Crypto forensics startup Chainalysis raises $170M at $8.6B valuation
Chainalysis, a startup that provides crypto investigation and compliance services, has secured $170 million in a Series F funding round led by GIC, a sovereign wealth fund of Singapore. The company, w
DJ and crypto startup founder 3LAU explains the value behind music NFTs
When people think of NFTs, the first use case most of them likely think of is visual art. From Beeple’s $69 million sale of a digital collage at Christie’s to the Bored Apes Yacht Club col
a16z debuts new crypto research team led by Columbia, Stanford researchers
In the world of crypto, where vast amounts of investment are pouring into young and scrappy teams building uncharted technology, it’s increasingly the VC firms who are investing heavily in resea
Axie Infinity creator raises $150M round to compensate victims of ~$625M Ronin hack
Vietnamese gaming studio Sky Mavis announced that it has raised $150 million in funding led by crypto exchange Binance to help reimburse users who lost funds during a ~$625 million hack of its play-to
VCs scale their bets on Solana’s expanding NFT ecosystem
The voracious rise of NFTs as an asset class has been a bubble that seemingly refuses to pop — at least for the time being — but NFT marketplaces are continuing to court investor attention
Following a16z departure, Katie Haun debuts Haun Ventures with $1.5B in capital to back crypto startups
Katie Haun, who co-led Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto arm before announcing her departure this past December, is ready to take the wraps off her new organization, which she’s calling Haun Ve
Daily Crunch: $8.5B Amazon-MGM merger will bring thousands of titles to Prime Video
Hello friends and welcome to Daily Crunch, bringing you the most important startup, tech and venture capital news in a single package.
Paradigm and a16z back Ethereum scaling startup Optimism at $1.65B valuation
Throughout the most recent crypto bull run, plenty of new crypto users have interacted with the Ethereum network for the first time and have been surprised to find sluggish, expensive transactions. Wh
Luno launches investment arm to back over 200 fintech and crypto/web3 startups yearly
Luno, a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group (DCG), today announced that it is launching Luno Expeditions, an early-stage investment arm to back fintech and crypto/web3 startups globally. The fund wi