Author: TechBrunch
In 2018, when Bitcoin was trading around $4,000 and most Americans thought cryptocurrency was at least a trend, Katie Havn found herself in the debate stage in Mexico City across the board from Paul Krugman, a Nobel Prize-winning economist who dismissed digital assets as almost unworthy. When Krugman focused on the wild price movements of Bitcoin, Haun piloted the conversation towards something else, Stablecoins. She argued on the stage, explaining how digital tokens are pinned to the US dollar offer the benefits of blockchain technology without the ups and downs of traditional cryptocurrencies. Krugman completely dismissed the idea. It wasn't…
It's now or never – this is your final day to round out all the stage TechCrunch savings that take place on July 15th in Boston. Prices will rise tonight, June 22nd, at 11:59pm. If you are thinking about attending, now is the time to commit. Please register here. TC All Stage brings together founders, investors and operators from across the startup landscape for one high-intensity day of strategy, storytelling and startup momentum. Whether you want to build something new or help with the next one, this is the room you can enter. It's not just what you hear -…
Time is coming soon! All stages of regular bird pricing in TechCrunch will end on Sunday, June 22nd at 11:59pm Pt. That means you only have two days left to be trapped in savings of up to $210 on your ticket to one of the ultimate founder events of the summer. TC is one action-packed day built on July 15th for founders, investors and startup operators more than surface-level inspiration on all Boston's stages at the Sova Power Station. Expect tactical sessions, real conversations, and curated connections. Everything is under one roof. If you are a founder, investor, or startup…
Charles Hudson had just shut down his fifth fund a few months ago. This is when one of the limited partners asks him to do the exercise. I wondered if Hudson sold all the portfolio companies in Series A. How about Series B? Or Series C? The questions were not academic. Twenty years in venture capital, Hudson is permanently looking at the mathematics of seed investment changes. LPS, who previously had a hold period of 7-8 years, suddenly asked about interim fluidity. “Seven or eight years feels like a really long time,” says Hudson. Why: The steady flow of venture…
SNAP has obtained Saturn, a calendar app that helps students manage school schedules and share them with others. The financial conditions for the transaction have not been disclosed. Saturn will continue to work as a standalone app. This news was first reported by Engadget. According to SNAP, the Saturn team is mostly participating in SNAP as part of the acquisition, with just under 30 full-time employees on board. Snap didn't share much about its acquisition plans, but a spokesman for the company told TechCrunch via email that Snap would bring Snap's calendar expertise to Snapchat in an innovative way. Founded…
X's payment services plans could expand beyond the digital realm, new data suggests. According to research from mobile app intelligence company App Sensa, the X app has been updated over the past few weeks with several references related to physical debit cards that can be customized with the X username. Dozens of strings of X app code can be found on a new debit card, such as checking delivery status, activating cards after arrival, reporting lost or stolen, locking cards, and setting pins. Multiple strings contain the term “Physical_card_option” and not just the “physical” that the data describes, but merely…
Earlier this week, almost everyone in Iran lost access to the internet, known as the “almost nationwide internet blackout.” At the time it was unclear what happened and who was responsible for the closure. The Iranians' means of obtaining information about the ongoing war with Israel and their ability to communicate with their loved ones both domestically and internationally were severely limited. Now, the Iranian government has confirmed that it has ordered a shutdown to protect it from Israeli cyberattacks. “We have previously stated that we will certainly switch to the national internet when necessary to restrict global internet access.…
Deather announced Friday that it will begin labeling albums that include AI-generated tracks as part of its efforts to combat streaming scams. The company reports about 18% of the music uploaded daily (more than 20,000 tracks are now fully generated). While most of these tracks don't go viral, Deather says that around 70% of the streams are fake and are designed to fraudulently earn royalties. To combat this, Deezer's AI-generated tracks were clearly tagged. These tracks do not appear in edit playlists or algorithm-based recommendations, and fraudulent streams are excluded from royalty payments. The company says the new label will…
Get ready to amplify all stage 2025 experiences with the electric lineup of side events that swept Boston the week of July 13th-19th, and amplify all stage experiences from TechCrunch. Once the countdown to all stages of TC begins, we are excited to share our lineup of side events. There, meaningful connections can be promoted within the vibrant Boston tech community. Whether you're a veteran industry professional or an up-and-coming entrepreneur, our side events promise an unforgettable week filled with networking opportunities, showcases of innovation and engaging conversations. Mark your calendar, secure a spot, jump into the excitement of TC,…
Startups live and die from early adoption. And in a world where top talent has options and stock options, you need to offer more than a Ping-Pong table and a pitch deck to bring in the right people. On the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch, held in Moscon West, San Francisco, October 27-29, we are delving into the real stories of compensation and equity with a panel of great powers who saw everything about scaling. Don't miss out on insights from this panel and completely disrupt the 2025 lineup of technologies and scaling leaders that shape the scaling debate. Sign up…