Welcome again to Chain Reaction.
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Annyeong, or howdy, buddies! While I’m usually primarily based in New York City, this week I’m reporting from Seoul, South Korea for Korea Blockchain Week.
The week has been jam-packed with various convention occasions in addition to offsite facet occasions and networking pleased hours. I’ve listened to various panels surrounding subjects like web3 gaming, enterprise blockchain adoption (I moderated one), institutional adoption, regulatory local weather and investing in Asia.
I additionally stored busy with a bunch of interviews with native specialists on the market evolving out east in addition to individuals who flew in to satisfy with startups primarily based within the area. This means I’ll be placing out more articles on Ztoog primarily based on these conversations within the coming days and weeks…so preserve a watch out for that.
Meanwhile, there was some information that transpired within the web3 world, so let’s get into it.
This week in web3
- Crypto funding in August wasn’t nearly as good because the numbers could lead you to consider (TC+)
- Blockchain tech wants a ‘ChatGPT moment’ to scale enterprise adoption (TC+)
- MetaMask now permits crypto cash-out to PayPal and banks, however charges could possibly be excessive
- Gleen’s tech-savvy chatbot for Discord and Slack attracts Solana founder in oversubscribed spherical
- The US can’t kill crypto: Real laws are coming
The newest pod
For this week’s episode, Jacquelyn interviewed Charlie Shrem, founding father of the Bitcoin Foundation, common accomplice at Druid Ventures and host of the Charlie Shrem present.
Before all that, he was the co-founder and CEO of BitInstant, which was a bitcoin fee processor that began in 2011. Shortly after founding the corporate, he was charged with working an unlicensed money-transmitting enterprise, and for allegedly trying to launder over $1 million by the now defunct darkish internet market Silk Road. He spent a little bit over a 12 months in a low-security jail in consequence.
Now, Charlie is a vocal advocate for clearer crypto regulation, he’s a crypto investor, podcaster and even a film producer.
We mentioned how the bitcoin and crypto ecosystems have modified (and stayed the identical) over the previous decade in addition to how his incarceration formed his view on the business.
We additionally talked about:
- Need for regulatory readability within the U.S.
- Crypto tasks and sectors he’s following
- How the bitcoin ecosystem is rising
- Friend.tech
- Advice for listeners
Subscribe to Chain Reaction on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite pod platform to maintain up with the most recent episodes, and please go away us a overview in the event you like what you hear!
Follow the cash
- Story Protocol raised over $54 million in spherical led by a16z crypto
- Domain title startup D3 Global raised $5 million in a seed spherical led by Shima Capital
- Cross-chain communication protocol Socket raised $5 million from Coinbase Ventures and Frameworks
- Kotani will get $2 million pre-seed to assist African staff ship cash residence by way of crypto
- GenTwo raised $15 million in a Series A funding spherical led by Point72 Ventures
This record was compiled with data from Messari in addition to Ztoog’s personal reporting.
What else we’re writing
Want to department out from the world of web3? Here are some articles on Ztoog that caught our consideration this week.
- Our favourite startups from YC’s Summer 2023 Demo Day, Day 1 (TC+)
- Clubhouse is making an attempt to make a comeback
- Tech firms are discovering their profitability groove (TC+)
- Here’s why some buyers are sitting out of YC Demo Day (TC+)
- EU confirms six (principally US) tech giants are topic to Digital Markets Act
Follow me on Twitter @Jacqmelinek for breaking crypto information, memes and more.