Venture Capital
Crypto firms facing insolvency ‘forgot the basics of risk management’ — Coinbase
Department heads at Coinbase have weighed in on the market downturn amid solvency concerns around Three Arrows Capital, crypto lending firm Celsius, and Voyager Digital, saying the crypto exchange had “no financing exposure” to the companies. In a Wednesday blog post, Head of Coinbase Institutional Brett Tejpaul, Head of Prime Finance Matt Boyd, and Head of Credit and Market Risk Caroline Tarnok said Coinbase had not engaged in the “types of risky lending practices” exhibited by Three Arrows Capital, Celsius, and Voyager, claiming the firms were examples of practicing “insufficient risk controls.” According to the trio, crypto companies faced the possibility of insolvency caused by “unhedged bets,” large investments in Terra, and overleveraging with venture capital firms. “The issues here ...
Web3 dominates venture capital interest in blockchain industry in Q2 2022
Cointelegraph Research brings an analysis of all the deals and trends from venture capital (VC) in the blockchain industry during the second quarter of 2022. When looking at the aggregate total amount invested into the crypto industry in the second quarter, it will tell one story. However, a deeper dive into the data tells another tale. From a high level, the $14.67 billion invested in Q2 is about flat with the $14.66 invested in Q1. But, the largest chunk of that investment was in April, before the last two months of a large slump in global markets, which made even the most bullish crypto investor admit the bear market has arrived. The good news is that even though this did happen, funds like Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) closed a $4.5 billion crypto fund, and investment continued to flow in...
Crypto Biz: 3AC’s founders are nowhere to be found
In the world of crypto, there’s no such thing as “too big to fail.” Three Arrows Capital, once the most recognizable hedge fund in the industry, has essentially gone belly-up after its founders believed their own hype and decided to go full-degen mode during the worst macro climate of a generation. Since the proverbial shit hit the fan last month, founders Kyle Davies and Su Zhu have kept a very low profile. So low, in fact, that their whereabouts remain a mystery, according to court documents. This week’s Crypto Biz chronicles the latest developments surrounding Three Arrows Capital and explores Grayscale’s legal proceedings against the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Liquidators can subpoena 3AC founders despite ‘tricky issues’ with crypto assets We may not ...
Multicoin Capital raises $430M for new crypto startup fund
Prominent crypto investor Multicoin Capital has launched a new venture fund valued at $430 million, further demonstrating venture capital’s growing interest in the blockchain economy amid the bear market. Multicoin’s Venture Fund III will invest between $500,000 and $25 million in early-stage companies across various crypto- and blockchain-focused industries, the company announced Tuesday. It’s also willing to invest values of up to $100 million or greater for later-stage projects with an established brand and market presence. Related: VC Roundup: ‘Web5,’ Metaverse sports and Bitcoin monetization startups generate buzz Venture Fund III will place greater emphasis on crypto projects that have demonstrated “proof of physical work,” or protocols that have created economic incentives for...
Crypto Biz: Coinbase downgraded, 3AC deemed insolvent and Michael Saylor buys the dip
Coinbase has long been considered an important bellwether of the cryptocurrency market. Last year, when the company was expanding its workforce, adding institutional clients and issuing stock, crypto prices were hitting record highs. Now, in the depths of crypto winter, Coinbase finds itself slashing a fifth of its workforce, losing retail trading volume and contending with downgrades of its credit and stock. This week’s Crypto Biz dissects Goldman Sachs’ latest downgrade of Coinbase and also looks at the latest developments surrounding Three Arrows Capital. Goldman Sachs downgrades Coinbase stock to ‘sell’ After a promising debut on the Nasdaq stock exchange in April 2021, it has been nothing but down for Coinbase shares. The company, which once had a fully diluted market capitalization o...
Better days ahead with crypto deleveraging coming to an end: JPMorgan
The historic deleveraging of the cryptocurrency market could be coming to an end, which could signal the close of the worst of the bear market, according to a JPMorgan analyst. In a Wednesday note, JPMorgan strategist Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou highlighted increased willingness of firms to bail out companies, and a healthy pace of venture capital funding in May and June as the basis for his optimism. He said key indicators support the assessment: “Indicators like our Net Leverage metric suggest that deleveraging is already well advanced.” The deleveraging of major crypto firms, where their assets have been sold either willingly, in a rush, or via liquidation, began largely in May when the Terra ecosystem collapsed and wiped out tens of billions of dollars. Since then, crypto lende...
Crypto Biz: Crypto was in full swing at Collision Conference, June 17-23
For all the gloom and doom in the cryptocurrency market these days, our industry continues to make inroads into mainstream tech. This week, I had the pleasure of attending the sold-out Collision Conference in Toronto, and crypto was featured prominently. During the event, I got to moderate three panels, including two that were crypto-focused. The fact that the biggest tech conference in North America is letting me talk cryptocurrency after a six-month bloodbath proves there’s more to the industry than just price. And, I’m not saying the price isn’t important — but context is everything. My Collision panel on decentralized social media included Stani Kulechov, founder and CEO of Aave and Lens Protocol. This week’s Crypto Biz gives you a taste of Collision Conference 2022 and also draw...
Crypto brokerage FalconX raises $150M at $8B valuation
Despite the ongoing bearish trend in cryptocurrency markets, venture capital firms continue pouring capital into major industry players like FalconX. FalconX, the institutional-level digital asset platform and crypto brokerage, has raised $150 million in fresh funding as part of its Series D financing round. Completed in early June, the funding round values FalconX at $8 billion, more than doubling from its previous Series C-round valuation of $3.75 billion in August 2021, the firm announced to Cointelegraph on Wednesday. The firm has now raised more than $430 million in total. FalconX’s latest investment round was led by the Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC and Facebook’s Eduardo Saverin-backed B Capital Group. Other investors included prominent industry investors and VC firms like T...
Crypto Biz: Crypto carnage pushes Celsius, Three Arrows Capital closer to insolvency, June 9-16
The 2022 version of crypto winter has been unlike anything we’ve seen before. As I warned last month, the meltdown of the Terra ecosystem didn’t end with Luna Classic (LUNC) hitting zero. The biggest threat was contagion. As the dust began to settle, we finally got a glimpse of who was left holding the bag. Crypto lender Celsius and Singapore-based venture firm Three Arrows Capital suffered heavy losses during the debacle. These firms, once a staple of the budding crypto industry, now risk demise following weeks of massive selloffs in the market. Celsius reportedly seeks advice from lawyers on restructuring Alex Mashinsky’s Celsius dominated headlines this week after the popular crypto lender paused withdrawals due to “extreme market conditions.” During the freeze, the firm unstaked ...
True Global Ventures doubles down on Web3 with $146M ‘follow-on’ fund
Venture capital firm True Global Ventures 4 Plus (TGV4 Plus) has announced the closure of a $146 million funding round earmarked for a wide range of Web3 projects — highlighting investors’ continued interest in crypto despite an ongoing bear market. The latest closure, dubbed the TGV4 Plus Follow On Fund, was led by a group of 15 general partners who committed over $4 million on average (over 40%, or $62 million) into the fund. The majority of the funding will be primarily injected into Web3 companies within TGV’s portfolio, while the remaining will be used to invest in late-stage Web3 opportunities. TGV previously invested in numerous Web3 initiatives using a base fund dedicated to the late-stage Series A, B and C across three business verticals: entertainment and gaming, financial servic...
What are investment DAOs and how do they work?
What is an investment DAO? A decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) that raises and invests capital into assets on behalf of its community is an investment DAO. Investment DAOs tap into the power of Web3 to democratize the investment process and make it more inclusive. DAOs can have their units in tokens that are listed on a crypto exchange. The community rules are agreed upon and governance is enforced through smart contracts. Governance rights (voting) can be prorated based on the holdings in the DAO. Related: Types of DAOs and how to create a decentralized autonomous organization A decentralized organization that invests in cryptocurrencies, real estate, nonfungible tokens (NFTs) or any other asset class has several functional differences from traditional investment vehicles. This ...
Crypto Biz: Stablecoins are paving the way for mass adoption of crypto, June 2–8
Stablecoins are a controversial subject in crypto. Questioning the legitimacy and backing of Tether (USDT) is a right of passage for many entering the crypto market for the first time. The meltdown of the Terra (LUNC; or the old LUNA) ecosystem left little doubt that algorithmic stablecoins don’t have a future beyond Do Kwon’s fantasies. Pesky regulators are constantly poking and prodding at dollar-pegged assets to carve out firmer rules on their usage. But, if you look beyond all the fear, uncertainty and doubt, stablecoins are providing liquidity to millions of people who don’t have access to dollars because of capital controls or sanctions, or because hyperinflation is destroying their local currency. This week’s Crypto Biz newsletter looks at the role of stablecoins in fueling e-...
