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This week I was in San Francisco for TechCrunch Disrupt 2023. It was a three-day trip packed with panels, booths and conversations about technology, AI, space, security and, of course, crypto. You can watch all the news coverage here.
During the event, 20 startups pitched their companies live as part of TechCrunch Startup Battlefield at Disrupt 2023. These companies were selected as the best of the Startup Battlefield 200 and competed for a chance to take home the Startup Battlefield Cup and $100,000 take. Here are the six finalists.
As for me, I moderated four panels on stage, including two separate fireside chats with big VC players like a16z’s Arianna Simpson and Haun Ventures’ Chris Lehane. (Details on that below.)
And don’t worry, we’ll be rolling out more crypto coverage from the conference — including a story on the blockchain-focused panel I moderated with Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder and CEO of Solana Labs; Grace Torrellas, VP of product and product lead at Polygon zkEVM; and Mo Shaikh, co-founder and CEO of Aptos Labs.
Anyway, let’s get into it.
Crypto at Disrupt 2023
After cutting ties with Binance, Checkout.com says crypto companies are about 4% of its total processing volume. Arianna Simpson believes crypto will be just fine, thanks for asking that Libra’s co-creator has geopolitical motivations for building the digital currency (TC+). Alpha3D wants to accelerate digital assets and AI-powered generation through cheaper, hyperscale technology
This week in web3
PayPal’s PYUSD stablecoin is now available on Venmo Aptos Labs adds Coinbase Pay to its Petra crypto wallet 8 web3 gaming experts discuss obstacles and opportunities on the road to greater adoption (TC+) Blockchain Capital launches two new funds for a total of $580M Web3 Adoption May Come Via Enterprise, But Real Boom Will Be Through Startups (TC+)
The newest pod
For this week’s episode, Jacquelyn conducted a live interview with Chris Lehane, Chief Strategy Officer at Haun Ventures, at TechCrunch’s Disrupt 2023 in San Francisco.
Before joining the firm, Chris was a manager at Airbnb. He also co-founded a strategic consulting firm, Fabiani & Lehane, advising political, corporate, technology, entertainment and professional sports clients. In the 1990s, Chris held various government roles such as press secretary to Vice President Al Gore and was special assistant counsel to President Bill Clinton.
After several decades working across different industries, Chris landed in the world of crypto at Haun Ventures, a web3-focused venture capital firm that has two investment vehicles: a $500 million early-stage fund and a $1 billion accelerator fund. Aside from Haun, he is also a member of Coinbase’s Global Advisory Council.
We discussed Haun’s investment strategy amid US and global regulatory challenges, how the firm advises portfolio companies to navigate the ever-changing environment and whether Chris finds the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s regulatory tactics productive, among other things.
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Follow the money
Mesh, which helps people manage their digital assets, has raised $22 million. Former Farmville co-creator raised $33 million for his blockchain gaming startup Proof of Play Lens Protocol-based app Orb raised $2.3 million to grow web3 social Crypto analytics platform. $6.3 million raise Decentralized marketplace protocol Freatic raises $3.6 million in round led by a16z
This list was compiled with information from Messari as well as TechCrunch’s own reporting.
What else are we writing?
Want to branch out from the world of web3? Here are some articles on TechCrunch that caught our attention this week.
Cisco acquires Splunk in $28 billion mega deal As Robinhood eyes global expansion, CEO says ‘We’ve made a lot of progress’ How Reed Jobs’ company is tackling cancer Shaquille O’Neal talks edtech investment and startups to come ‘changing people’s lives’ Why is Y Combinator so defensive lately?
Follow me on Twitter @Jacqmelinek for breaking crypto news, memes and more.
Disclaimer for Uncirculars, with a Touch of Personality:
While we love diving into the exciting world of crypto here at Uncirculars, remember that this post, and all our content, is purely for your information and exploration. Think of it as your crypto compass, pointing you in the right direction to do your own research and make informed decisions.
No legal, tax, investment, or financial advice should be inferred from these pixels. We’re not fortune tellers or stockbrokers, just passionate crypto enthusiasts sharing our knowledge.
And just like that rollercoaster ride in your favorite DeFi protocol, past performance isn’t a guarantee of future thrills. The value of crypto assets can be as unpredictable as a moon landing, so buckle up and do your due diligence before taking the plunge.
Ultimately, any crypto adventure you embark on is yours alone. We’re just happy to be your crypto companion, cheering you on from the sidelines (and maybe sharing some snacks along the way). So research, explore, and remember, with a little knowledge and a lot of curiosity, you can navigate the crypto cosmos like a pro!
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