Telegram / Integrates Web3 Wallet — Telegram integrated the TON (The Open Network) web3 wallet with its messaging app, making it accessible to Telegram's 800M users. Telegram endorsed TON as its choice for web3 endeavors at the Token2049 conference in Singapore — more
Ant Group / ZAN Blockchain — Ant Group, the fintech affiliate of Alibaba, introduced ZAN — a new blockchain brand targeting overseas markets, with a particular focus on Hong Kong and Singapore. ZAN aims to offer a comprehensive set of blockchain app development services for both institutional and individual web3 developers — more
Sony Network / Startale Labs Blockchain — Sony Network and Startale Labs formed a joint venture to “develop a blockchain that can become the backbone of global Web3 infrastructure by combining their expertise, skillset, and network of partners.” — more
Coinbase / Lightning Network Integration — Coinbase announced the upcoming integration of Bitcoin's Lightning Network onto its exchange platform to facilitate faster and cheaper transactions, with CEO Brian Armstrong saying, “Bitcoin is the most important asset in crypto” — more
Fireblocks / Non-Custodial Wallet Service — Fireblocks introduced a non-custodial wallet service, enabling fintech and corporate clients like Revolut and Nubank to give their end users full control over their assets. This move allows fintech companies to avoid acting as custodians and simplifies access to DeFi and dApps — more
Layer Zero x Google Cloud / Partner on New Oracle — Google Cloud's oracle service will become the default verifier for LayerZero apps, ensuring the security and validity of messages within LayerZero. This move aims to enhance the security of cross-chain messaging and can be combined with other verifying parties to enable modular security — more
0xPass / $1.8M Raised — 0xPass, a startup aimed at building secure login systems for web3, raises pre-seed from AllianceDAO, Soma Capital, Alchemy Ventures, Blockchain Builders Fund, Formulate Ventures, Kommune, Hashed EM, Signum Capital/UOB, Nonce Classic — more
Parallax / $4.5M Raised — Parallax, a startup aiming to make cross-border payments faster and cheaper, raises seed round led by Dragonfly Capital, with participation from Circle Ventures and General Catalyst — more
Layer N / $5M Raised — Layer N, a startup building a Layer 2 network specifically designed to scale financial applications on Ethereum, raises seed round co-led by Peter Thiel's Founders Fund and dao5, with participation from Kraken Ventures, Mirana Ventures, GSR, and Amber Group — more
Bitget / $100M Raised — Bitget, a crypto derivatives and copy-trading exchange, launched the EmpowerX Fund, a $100M initiative aimed at growing its ecosystem. The fund will focus on investments in regional exchanges, data analytics startups, and media organizations — more
Electric Capital / New Fund — “Web3 VC firm Electric Capital is aiming to raise $300M for a fund, according to a filing with the SEC.” The new fund will be dubbed the Electric Capital Venture Fund III — more
Web3 Travel Guides: 6 NFT-Friendly Hubs In Los Angeles / Ana María Caballero — “One of Web3's busiest buzz words is “community.” As is the case with many far-reaching words, it’s not always clear just what “community” promises … Perhaps at its best, “community” represents landing in a foreign land and meeting internet friends in real life. Few are the places with a richer, warmer, more dynamic network of blockchain clans than the City of Angels. Here are some of the best crypto-friendly spots to visit in LA.” — more
How the metaverse downturn is benefitting digital designers/ Maghan McDowell x Vogue Business — “Avatar company Genies (🤝) is the latest to develop a dedicated programme to encourage people to experiment with digital fashion.” — more
friend tech Flips The NFT Market / Messari — “While it’s still too early to tell, friend tech surpassing the NFT market could be a “changing of the guard” moment that redefines the dominant route to retail in crypto … friend tech still has ample room for growth. Inflows into the platform have essentially been up only since inception, despite a rough UX prone to lagging or outright dysfunction.” — more
Digitized / Spotlight: Episode 1 with Floor (🤝) — “On the first episode of Spotlight, hosts Amanda (Collab+Currency) and Winnie (BlockTower Capital) interview Chris Maddern and Christine Hall, co-founders of Floor - your everything app for NFTs. We discuss the current state of the NFT market and where we are going from here, launching crypto mobile apps in App Stores vs. as Progressive Web Apps, barriers to Web3 adoption, and more!” — more
Mina Protocol (🤝) / Upgrade Announcement — Mina's upcoming upgrade brings ZK smart contracts to mainnet, enhancing programmability and introducing improved security. The upgrade follows community-driven decisions and will undergo additional testing before going live — more
Safe / Deploys on Polygon zkEVM — Safe integrated with Polygon zkEVM, making its smart accounts infra available on Ethereum L2. Safe{Wallet} and Safe{Core} are now fully deployed on Polygon zkEVM, offering developer tools for building more scalable apps — more
Synapse / Interchain Network & Synapse Chain — Synapse launched testnets for the Synapse Interchain Network (SIN) and Synapse Chain, which aim to enable trustless communication and settlement between chains. SIN is the first optimistic PoS interchain network, while Synapse Chain is an optimistic rollup providing data availability for the Interchain Network — more
MetaMask / Introduces Snaps — MetaMask launched its Snaps Open Beta, which allows builders to permissionlessly add independent features within the MetaMask wallet — more
0xDEAFBEEF / Bright Moments (🤝): HASHMARK — “Hashmarks is a grid of 100 unique hand forged iron sculptures, a cryptographically linked set of digital tokens, and a site specific happening in Patagonia. Hashmarks are about information through time. Mark making as the residue of a one-way process (geological, handcrafted, cryptographic). What is revealed from the traces that are left behind? What remains unknown?” Ticket sale Sept. 18-20th — more
Rich Poole / Verse: Ahunga — “Ahunga is composed of artist-curated outputs from a long-form algorithm exploring the origins of Rich's early physical plotter work. It represents a journey of reflection, introspection, and discovery. The chosen works speak to the power of generative art to surprise and delight.” Minting Sept. 21st — more
ClownVamp / Braindrops: Detective Jack — “Detective Jack: The Cold Case. The one case Jack Crimson could never solve. The disappearance of the love of his life: Tiffany Abbington. Coming to Braindrops on September 18th.” — more
glitch / gm Marfa
Tachyon / TachyonX Accelerator Now Open
Derek Edws / Gala at Tribute Labs (🤝), Vogue Top Innovator
amanda / The Onchain Media Movement
Seed Club (🤝) / The List x Referral Tech
Digitized / Featured #20 x Sleepagotchi (🤝)
NFTstats / The Friend Tech x NFT Royalty Gap
winnie / The Consumer Crypto App Stack
Fingerprints / New Release w/ Jan Robert Leegte
Wu Blockchain / Paradigm — Not Giving Up on Crypto
NFTstats / Nouns DAO Fork
BoysClub / New Consumer Crypto Summit
🤝 = Collab+Currency Portfolio Company
Curated by @Collab_Currency x @_cutbank
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Collab+Currency is an investor in companies labeled with the “🤝” emoji.
Information regarding any company or investment in this Newsletter, including any links to information on our website, should not be construed as an endorsement or recommendation of that company or investment for any purpose whatsoever, either for purposes of investment or otherwise. Any person receiving this Newsletter or accessing our website is encouraged to consult with their own financial advisor, tax advisor and/or attorney before making any decision to invest.
The above material and content is educational in nature and should not be considered to be a recommendation to invest in a digital asset. Investing in digital assets, NFTs or cryptocurrency (collectively “digital assets”) is highly speculative and volatile, and digital assets are only suitable for investors who are willing to bear the risk of loss and experience sharp drawdown. Past performance is not indicative of future results.