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Hello. Welcome to the second edition of the new and improved TechCrunch Crypto newsletter. As mentioned above, we plan to add some fresh regular segments and features in addition to our regularly scheduled news. If you like what you see (or don't like), let us know at jacquelyn@techcrunch.com.
Thankfully, that wasn't the case with the cryptocurrency world. too much This week has been chaotic, but let's take a look at the biggest headlines.
this week's web3
- Worldcoin launches new orb to make eye scanning devices look “friendlier”
- 1RoundTable bets on “long-term, low-volatility” strategies with new growth-stage crypto fund
- Could crypto’s recent victories reignite interest in ventures?
- Terraform Labs files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
- After 12 years, Ripple's president expects the payment and enterprise businesses to further evolve.
process numbers
The crypto market turned red this week as Bitcoin and Ether, the two largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, fell 7% and 13.5%, respectively, according to data from CoinMarketCap. That said, the global cryptocurrency market capitalization was largely unchanged this week at about $1.55 trillion.
In the NFT world, sales fell 16.4% to $248 million over the seven-day period, but the number of buyers and sellers increased by about 50%, according to CryptoSlam data. The top three grossing collections for the same period were CryptoPunks with $19.33 million, CryptoUndeads with $12.36 million, and Ordinals with $8 million.
Our Favorite “Crypto Twitter” Posts
Binance went to court on Monday to dismiss the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's June lawsuit against the company, but as Fortune reporter Leo Schwartz highlights below, the judge ruled against one of their arguments. did not accept the department.
At today's hearing on Binance's motion to dismiss the SEC's lawsuit, Binance's lawyers reiterated their argument to Coinbase last week that Howie needs a contract.
This time, the judge pushed back. “You're a little too cute,” she said, arguing that the language was broader.
— Leo Schwartz (@leomschwartz) January 22, 2024
latest pod
In this week's episode, we interview Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder of Solana Labs, a technology company aimed at helping grow the layer 1 blockchain Solana ecosystem.
The conversation focused on Solana Mobile and the company's flagship Web3 Android smartphone, Saga, which sold out in mid-December, and the new phone Chapter 2, which was announced last week.
Within the first 30 hours, there were over 30,000 pre-orders for Chapter 2. This shows a lot of demand for the next generation of Android-based phones. Anatoly said that at the time of recording, there were more than 40,000 pre-orders.
Anatoly and Jacquelyn discuss the long road to selling Saga, the importance of compensation and developers, and the nitty-gritty details of Chapter 2. We also delved into the company's strategy and long-term mission to compete with Google and Apple's app stores. How long does it take for Solana Mobile to break even?
If you need a refresher on Solana Mobile's Saga phones, check out the following information:
apply Chain reaction upon apple podcast, spotify Or catch up on the latest episodes using your favorite pod platform. If you like what you hear, please leave a review.
follow the money
- Polymer Labs raises $23 million to build interoperability on Ethereum blockchain
- Avalanche-based Masa raises $5.4 million to build 'personal data network'
- Scene Infrastructure Company raises $3 million from a16z to expand utility of FWB token
- Web3 gaming startup Arcade2Earn raises $4.8 million in private token round
- Ingonyama raises $21 million to improve zero-knowledge technology
This list was compiled using information from Messari and TechCrunch's own reporting.
what else are you writing?
Ready to step outside the world of Web3? Here are some TechCrunch articles that caught our attention this week.
- VCs are not done betting on fintech
- As Mac celebrates its 40th anniversary, we salute Mr Macintosh
- Tesla says EV sales growth rate in 2024 may be 'significantly slower'
- Here's what you need to know to raise a Series A today
- iPhone users must turn on Apple's Stolen Device Protection feature