VC
FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Expected To Enter Not Guilty Plea: Report
FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried awaits arraignment in New York federal court, where he is reportedly expected to plead not guilty, according to the Wall Street Journal. Champel Capital Co-Founder Amir Weitmann discusses his take on the FTX implosion and how it compares to the Bernie Madoff scandal. Plus, his outlook for VC crypto investments.
VCs Pour Nearly $20B Into Crypto Startups in 2022: PitchBook
According to recent PitchBook data, VC firms have invested nearly $20 billion into crypto startups globally, with 616 deals through the first nine months of 2022. PitchBook Senior Emerging Technology Research Analyst Robert Le discusses the key takeaways from the report, sharing insights into the top trends in crypto VC fundraising, Web3 and emerging opportunities.
Update on Crypto Investments in the Private Market
Joseph Borda, SVP and Head of Americas Research and Data Operations at Preqin, joins I.D.E.A.S. 2022 with an update on crypto activities in the private equity market including VC deal flows and hedge fund asset flows targeted towards blockchain and crypto.
Did VC Firms Miss Red Flags with FTX?
"The FTX rounds were a byproduct of the funding environment from last year," says Dragonfly Partner Tom Schmidt, citing more bidders than opportunities in a low interest rate environment. He discusses how VC firms may have missed red flags with FTX.
Pantera Capital Exec on How Venture Capital Is Investing in the Digital Economy
Venture capital (VC) funding for crypto startups sank 37% in Q3 to its lowest level in over a year. Pantera Capital Partner Lauren Stephanian discusses the state of VC crypto investing and institutional adoption. Plus, the impact and "pushback effect" of recent decentralized finance (DeFi) hacks on the industry.
Tribe Capital CEO on Crypto Industry Investment Outlook
Reacting to data indicating VC funding for crypto startups plunged to its lowest level in a year, Tribe Capital CEO and co-founder Arjun Sethi discusses the potential risks of CeFi and DeFi and his outlook for institutional adoption. Plus, growth plans for Tribe Capital.
A16z Invests $500M in Indian Startups
According to a TechCrunch report, venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) plans to invest $500 million in India’s rapidly growing startup ecosystem. “The Hash” group discusses India’s budding crypto community, being the home of noteworthy projects like Polygon, and how VC interest could curb heavy regulation in the country.
Sky Mavis COO: $625M Axie Infinity Hack Was ‘Social Engineering’
Sky Mavis COO & Co-Founder Aleksander Larsen shares an inside perspective on the $625 million exploit of Axie Infinity’s Ronin network, explaining the circumstances that lead to the attack and the subsequent wave of financial support from Binance and venture capitalists to refund the victims. Plus, a conversation on the security of blockchain bridges, lessons learned for the overall crypto ecosystem and the launch of Axie Infinity: Origin.
A16z Leads $4.8M Round for Crypto Gaming Startup Battlebound
Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is leading a $4.8 million seed round into play-to-earn gaming startup Battlebound. “The Hash” group discusses the impact blockchain gaming has had for people seeking an additional source of income and the challenges companies like Battlebound might face as they compete with the likes of Playstation for mainstream audiences.
