Rob Hadick

Block, the parent company of Square and Cash App, aims to leverage its dual ownership to create synergy between its point-of-sale software and peer-to-peer payments app. Jack Dorsey, Block's founder, highlighted the advantage of having relationships with both merchants and consumers, stating it's a rare position in commerce and payments. Ryan Budd, Cash App's head of financial products, hinted at plans to integrate a small business experience into Square and incentivize Cash App users to engage with Square merchants. Block is focused on connecting Cash App's consumer base with Square's merchant network, aiming to transform Cash App into a consumer app for interacting with Square merchants. This move aligns with Block's strategy to dominate various aspects of the consumer ecosystem and potentially monetize consumer spending data for advertising purposes. Read More Here: https://lnkd.in/eh-8KS9V Eugene Tsay Wade Robison John O'Beirne Emily C. Chiu Eileen Wiens Jim McKelvey Branded Hospitality Ventures #innovation #venturecapital #hospitality #technology Owen Jennings (OBJ) Brooke Ellis Jamie (Russo) HicksMing-Tai Huh

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Calling all fintech start-ups! C10 Labs has exciting news to share. J.P. Morgan is now supporting C10 Labs and its cohorts of entrepreneurs. As part of this partnership, C10 Labs companies will have access to J.P. Morgan's insights, products, bankers, and technologists. This support will assist C10 founders through their entrepreneurial journey and help them accelerate business growth. If you're interested in co-creating AI-First ventures, especially those in fintech, C10 Labs' 2nd cohort is now open for applications. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eCjnUBnn Contact a C10 Labs team member about partnership opportunities here: https://lnkd.in/ewGCfhBb We want to extend our thanks to the incredible support by the J.P. Morgan team. To connect with them, click here: https://lnkd.in/eeEgvzSC. #entrepreneurs #accelerate #AI #fintech #partnership

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There's a lot of buzz about stablecoins in the fintech community right now. But we're just scratching the surface of what fintechs will achieve. If the opinions of this cohort of leaders are anything to go by, stablecoins are back on the agenda. In this report, we spoke to leaders at different points in the payments value chain: stablecoin issuers like Paxos, embedded banking providers like ClearBank, B2B payments fintechs like Freemarket and VCs like General Catalyst. We asked: how are you thinking about stablecoins and what progress will be made this year? Here are a few things they told us: - Market timing is a challenge we need regulators, banks and governments to come on board. But with stablecoins we’ll find the next category-defining business. - Traditional financial institutions (FIs) are experimenting. When they see clear ROI, they’ll start rolling out stablecoin rails to other countries – this will be a pivotal moment for market readiness. - Stablecoins will reach a market cap of $250bn by the end of 2024, growing 2-3x the pace of the crypto market overall. - Providers with the right licences will be in a stronger position to launch stablecoin products and offer those to other FIs. - By the end of 2024 we’ll see some marquee partnerships where traditional fintechs are launching a full stablecoin solution, wallets pay-ins and payouts. For those thinking about adding stablecoins to their tech stack, I hope this collection of views, along with summaries of use cases, can provide some useful perspectives. https://lnkd.in/dh7ZAfg2

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The revolution in web3 gaming is well underway. It’s all about engagement and owning, not renting, your sports fantasy playables. The game economy is already much bigger than film/TV and this initiative by GameOn Sportsology Group and The Arbitrum Foundation is big.

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Part II of the synopsis of "Next Generation Infrastructure: How Tokenization of Real-World Assets Will Facilitate Efficient Markets." This is the first time Congress held a hearing specifically on RWA Tokenization. See yesterday's post for part I. This brings me back to my days as an intern at the House Radio and TV department on Capitol Hill while attending American University. #RWA hashtag #Tokenization #FinancialInnovation #Blockchain #DigitalAssets #blackrock #CongressHearing #Fintech #Investing #Regulation #FutureOfFinance #assetmanager #RIA Lili Tesler Robert Morgan Nadine Chakar Carlos Domingo Securitize @Hillary Allen

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DAY 1 - CRYPTO USE CASES FROM BITWISE Ticketing... Problem: Ticketing platforms like Ticketmaster gouge users each time a ticket trades hands on their platform. Sometimes close to 30% of face value! Solution: Create a blockchain ticketing platform that connects buyers & sellers and executes transactions at no (or very little) cost. WHY A BLOCKCHAIN? If you represent your tickets as NFTs (unique verifiable "tokens"), you can digitally authenticate assets & payments without a trusted 3rd party. This is how transactions can be done without excessive fees. Transactions are just simple smart contracts: "If user A sends $X, user B sends *NFT ticket*. Further, this could enable... Ticket swaps (X NFT + $50 for Y NFT). Customizable royalties (X wallet gets 1% of every transaction of X NFT). Customer data for issuer (who are the biggest ticket buyers?) Ability to reward biggest fans (send their wallet address free tickets/coupons for merchandise) WHO IS DOING THIS? From Bitwise's presentation: 👉 https://xp.xyz/

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I think Crypto Briefing are confusing inside trading with a presale round, just for an excuse to talk about Tate. 🗣 “Bubblemaps revealed shocking insider trading around Andrew Tate’s DADDY token: Insiders purchased 30% of the token before they were promoted and are now holding over $45M worth. Similarly, 11 connected wallets bought 20% which is valued at $30M. Despite Tate holding 40% ($64M) without selling, this activity raises serious concerns about insider trading.” What are your thoughts on the matter?🔍🤔 #safety #stayinformed #crypto #cryptocurrency #currency #trading https://lnkd.in/dPf9EU9P

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We've released the latest edition of our EQ/IQ Crypto Newsletter, and it's chock-full of critical industry developments! Here are my top three takeaways: 1️⃣ Robinhood has entered an agreement to acquire Bitstamp for an estimated $200 million and plans to expand its lineup of crypto-native products and services. 2️⃣ Coinbase's new Smart Wallet aims to bring millions of new users on-chain with improved usability and security relative to traditional wallets. 3️⃣ Kraken Digital Asset Exchange is seeking at least $100 million in pre-IPO funding. Which key industry developments are you following closely this week? 💡

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Zilliqa is the layer-1 blockchain venture at the heart of the Zilliqa Group portfolio and here is the first of this week's exciting announcements from Zilliqa and its integration with Fireblocks . Let me explain why I am so thrilled in how this speeds up the vision for the Zilliqa Group ventures to become world leaders in building institutional grade metaverse and blockchain infrastructure for the world's top brands especially as we see long awaited institutional adoption of digital assets: _ Fireblocks is the market-leading infrastructure provider for enterprise-grade digital asset management and serves thousands of financial institutions having secured the transfer of over $4 trillion in digital assets. Its customers include Revolut, Worldpay, Robinhood, eToro and Galaxy Digital. _Fireblocks' customers will be able to store #ZIL tokens in their Fireblocks Vaults and transfer #ZIL over the Fireblocks Network, allowing #ZIL to be easily and safely transacted between enterprise customers. _Allowing enterprise and institutional clients to securely and efficiently transact digital assets across a range of over 50 supported blockchain platforms, this opens up new opportunities for enterprise partnerships built upon the scalable and secure Zilliqa blockchain. _Zilliqa’s integration into Fireblocks opens the door to the institutional adoption of the network via the possibility of integration with solutions deployed by Fireblocks customers with significant existing user bases. This enables major fiat on-ramps, exchanges, and consumer-facing platforms to easily support Zilliqa, igniting renewed excitement in the network among retail investors and end-users. I am very proud that Zilliqa and our other ventures together with such credible partners are at the heart of the institutional adoption of digital assets and ground-breaking use cases. More to follow.

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The White House has signaled a significant shift in crypto policy. The "administration is eager to work with Congress to ensure a comprehensive and balanced regulatory framework for digital assets", while opposing the FIT21 bill in its current form. What's FIT21? This bill is set to redefine crypto regulations by: • Clarify Jurisdictions: Define roles for CFTC and SEC • Protect Consumers: Implement safeguards to prevent incidents like FTX • Encourage Innovation: Foster leadership in digital asset + blockchain tech This bipartisan bill is a huge step towards a consistent federal framework, and critical for the evolution of the digital asset industry.

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Starting a company requires all your life's energy. Make it big and worthwhile. There's an opportunity to do that in the stablecoin space right now. Founders, your work is vital for maintaining US financial hegemony and stability. My NFX partner Morgan Beller's case for why stablecoin founders are essential for US national security: https://lnkd.in/gpxiEdb8.

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May 21 2024 - 10 Notable Articles To Read Article: Vercel’s Valuation Jumps To $3.25B After $250M Series E Takeaway: Cloud web applications company secured funding by Accel, CRV, GV (Google Ventures), Notable Capital, Bedrock, Geodesic Capital, Tiger Global Management, 8VC, and SV Angel. Source: Crunchbase Link: https://lnkd.in/dNYpx2hJ Article: Hydrogen Energy Is Getting A Heavy Infusion Of VC Funding Takeaway: The surge in major deals indicates that hydrogen energy is 1 of the few sectors where startup investment did not reach its peak in 2021. Source: Crunchbase Link: https://lnkd.in/dJixYRMf Article: Rising up: Q1 European VC valuations in 5 charts Takeaway: The median early-stage deal size decreased last year, but it rose significantly at the beginning of this year, reaching €2M. Source: PitchBook Link: https://lnkd.in/dbWNmnuz Article: Amsterdam’s Innovation Industries launches new €500M fund to back deep-tech startups and scale-ups in Benelux and Germany Takeaway: Under the Dutch Future Fund II program, it will receive a €10M from Invest-NL and €74M from the European Investment Fund (EIF). Source: Silicon Canals - European Technology News Link: https://lnkd.in/dgySNMqS Article: Microsoft offers cloud customers AMD alternative to Nvidia AI processors Takeaway: Microsoft will offer clusters of AMD's flagship chips through its Azure cloud computing service. Source: Reuters Link: https://lnkd.in/dZ6wMFrd Article: Apex opens office in Saudi Arabia Takeaway: Fund services provider Apex Group Ltd has expanded its footprint in the Middle East. Source: Funds Europe Link: https://lnkd.in/dCMQQPCa Article: AI data platform WEKA achieves unicorn status with $140M Series E at $1.6B valuation Takeaway: WEKA doubled its valuation since Nov-2022, and its funding is unique because it was raised entirely with existing investors, such as Valor Equity Partners, NVIDIA, Atreides Management, LP, 10D , Hitachi Ventures, Ibex Investors, Key1 Capital, Lumir Ventures, MoreTech Ventures, and Qualcomm Ventures. Source: CTech by Calcalist Link: https://lnkd.in/dQ4CN7gc Article: Banks Warn of Growing Energy-Related Risks in Mortgage Portfolios Takeaway: Lenders across Europe are focusing on buildings' energy consumption, and may need to pursue capital-relief deals, according to Deutsche Bank. Source: Bloomberg Link: https://lnkd.in/dC4czcpw Article: Why Most LPs Are Playing it Safe Right Now Takeaway: It ultimately depends on risk tolerance, with personnel often choosing safe options to protect their reputation and career. Source: Trace Cohen Link: https://lnkd.in/dCKi2HrR Article: Europe’s Aging Population Is a Money Magnet for Some Investors Takeaway: Private-equity-funded Funecap Idf SAS has invested approximately €1B to acquire crematoriums and funeral centers, which is backed by Charterhouse Capital Partners and Latour Capital. Source: Bloomberg News Link: https://lnkd.in/dWPeiD6p #news #research #business

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🔥 Another brilliant piece of research journalism by Coinbase ℹ Follow Mocha VC | Digital Asset Mgmt. Company for the latest reports!! 🗞 The total crypto market cap doubled in 2023, which suggests that the asset class has already exited its “winter” and is now in the midst of a transition. Still, we think it'd be premature to put labels on this or see the positive performance as vindication against the cynics who reveled in crypto’s greatly exaggerated demise. What’s clear, however, is that in spite of the hurdles directed towards the asset class, the developments we witnessed over the past year have defied expectations. They are evidence that crypto is here to stay. The challenge now is to seize the moment and build something better. 🗣 Speak to the team and find out more: info@mochax.xyz #MOCHAX #MOCHAVENTURES #TOKENISATION #STO #TOKENY Mocha VC | Digital Asset Mgmt. Company IDEAX GROUP IDEAX$UCM https://lnkd.in/gcpR3F8Z

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Please check out my latest newsletter where I share insights from Carta's "State of the Private Markets: Q1 2024" report: 📉 New funding rounds down by 29% from last quarter, with bridge rounds dominating seed and Series A financing. 📈 Down rounds surged to 23%, reflecting market challenges but also opportunities for resilient startups. 💰 Despite fewer deals, total cash invested increased to $16.3B, with the West region leading VC investment. ⏳ Median time between rounds is increasing, impacting startup runway and strategy. Plus, learn about Oklo Inc's SPAC debut and the latest research on immigrant entrepreneurship's impact on innovation. Read the full report for in-depth insights: https://lnkd.in/g7Q3Ud34 #PrivateMarkets #VentureCapital #StartupTrends #EconomicIndicators #Innovation #Carta #Oklo #Entrepreneurship #InvestmentTrend

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Informative chat with Ben Forman of ParaFi Capital for Ep 14 of Hutt Capital's Inside the Hutt podcast, discussing stablecoins, DeFi, tokenization, and fundamental investing in crypto. Full topics below: -Ben's background, pitching bitcoin at KKR early on, and why he started ParaFi (+ what was the firm's original name) -Overview of ParaFi, its strategies, team, and focus areas -ParaFi’s proprietary tools including Trask and Alexandria -Overview of tokenization of real world assets, why it is interesting, and what Ben is seeing from large asset managers interested in this space -Why Ben is excited about stablecoins -Importance of regulatory clarity for DeFi and building systems that institutions can interact with -How DeFi landscape has evolved over the past several years -Fundamental investing - does the market care about fundamentals? -How ParaFi supports portfolio companies and measures its impact Apple: https://lnkd.in/ezMj436e Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eD_Jyf_k

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Interesting that two of the largest fund raises over the past few weeks are for layer-1 blockchain builders. Berachain announced on Friday that it closed a $100m round led by Framework Ventures and the Abu Dhabi branch of Brevan Howard Digital. Just a few days earlier, Monad Labs announced that it had finalized a $225 million round led by Paradigm. These are big rounds, and the timing and size suggests that venture investors are still betting on engine builders. While I’m sure public-facing applications are also getting some funding, I haven’t seen them get this size of allocation. This is a reminder of how young this industry still is. https://lnkd.in/e2sMFVPv

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Since the approval of the Ethereum (ETH) ETF in the US there has been some great discussion around the best way to describe the value proposition of ETH. ETH narrative My take, not all narratives need to be equal and the ‘business case’ for ETH is fairly simple to understand (check out Michael Nadeau ‘s great work as a great starting point). Interested in other thoughts on the best way to describe ETH - FWIW I think it resembles Crypto Ecosystem. #ETH #Narrative #crypto

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It's apparent now that points programs in crypto work, but should your token mark the end of your points program? 🤔 What are some design decisions that make some points programs work? 🧙🏼‍♂️ Today I wanted to write about Ether Fi: points, rewards seasons and +$5.5B in user deposits 👇 1/ Firstly, @ether_fi is like the one stop shop for restaking and farming points Stake ETH, get $eETH – a composable liquid staking token w/ high rewards 💰 + Earns you EigenLayer and ether fi's native loyalty points 2/ Now let's discuss how @ether_fi got started 💥 Launched "Season 1", loyalty points: stake ETH, refer others, LP This program ran for 5 months, and users were able to claim their $ETHFI airdrop in March 🪙 A minimum of ~$1,200 (in $ETHFI) per participant were distributed! 💸 3/ Now, if you're a points maxi like me, you know that points and tokens can coexist 🤝 Why do a single airdrop? That removes all incentives from your users 🤦🏽‍♂️ Instead, transform an evergreen points program into the essence of multiple airdrops 🪂 Ether Fi shows you how 🪄 4/ Following their 1st airdrop, @ether_fi presented Season 2 ☘️ Consisting of 8 levels and allocating 5% of $ETHFI supply Users advance levels for every 100 hours of staked ETH, earning proportionally more points, encouraging ongoing participation and discouraging withdrawals 5/ And it looks like this strategy is working 📈 - +$5.5B in user deposits - 115K unique eETH holders A straightforward program, easy to grasp, that aligns incentives between users and the protocol - a win-win situation! 6/ Now can we attribute the success of this program to an evergreen points program divided into "seasons"? ✨ What would've happened with one single airdrop and the death of the points program? 🤔 It's hard to tell and I'm curious to know what you think!? 8/ If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share and follow me for more insights into incentives programs in crypto If you find inspiration on Ether Fi, remember that Fuul has a template that enables you to replicate their program! No-code and you can go live fast - DM for info 🫡

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