Startups news-Page 2
FTX US ex-president reportedly seeks $6M funding to launch crypto startup
Just a month after the controversial fall of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX exchange and 130 affiliated companies, a former high-ranking executive is reportedly seeking out investors to launch a crypto startup. The ex-president of FTX US, Brett Harrison, is on the lookout for $6 million in funding to launch a start-up that would build crypto trading software for big investors, according to The Information. Harrison’s funding round would be against a $60 million valuation. On Sept. 27, Harrison announced his plans to step down as the president of FTX US as he moved into an advisory role — over a month …
Adoption / Dec. 3, 2022
DeFi at the crossroads of the trucking industry to ensure efficient payments
The trucking industry is one of the most important sectors in the world. According to recent statistics, the global freight trucking market was worth over $2.7 trillion in 2021. In addition, it’s been found that millions of commercial driver’s license holders are employed by trucking companies within the United States, a market that is responsible for delivering 70% of all freight. Given these statistics, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that technology has become a critical component for ensuring the advancement of the trucking industry. Yet while GPS tracking, autonomous driving and other mainstream technologies may be apparent, a couple …
Decentralization / Nov. 6, 2022
Bitcoin, not blockchain: Synonym launches mobile BTC wallet
Bitcoin and Lightning Network service provider Synonym has launched a new BTC-focused mobile wallet it says could enhance the user experience for holders of the flagship digital currency — and broaden Web3 adoption without relying on convoluted blockchain applications. Synonym unveiled its mobile Bitcoin (BTC) wallet, dubbed Bitkit, at the PlanB Forum in Lugano, Switzerland on Oct. 29. The wallet supports BTC and Lightning Network payments with a self-custodial node and encrypted backup service, which users can utilize free of charge. Bitkit is being launched as a limited public beta app for both Apple and Android devices. The Bitkit app …
Business / Oct. 31, 2022
Tech talent migrates to Web3 as large companies face layoffs
As inflation continues to grow, coupled with a looming recession, many tech firms are having to cut portions of their staff. To put this in perspective, data from Layoffs.fyi found that over 700 tech startups have experienced layoffs this year, impacting at least 93,519 employees globally. It has also been reported that tech giants like Google, Netflix and Apple are undergoing massive job cuts. While many of these layoffs are likely due to an economic downturn, this has resulted in an overwhelming amount of talent flocking to early-stage Web3 companies. For example, Andrew Masanto, a serial entrepreneur who has founded …
Adoption / Oct. 30, 2022
Asset management firm launches BTC Lightning Network startup accelerator
Asset management firm Stone Ridge, the parent company of Bitcoin company NYDIG, has launched the first startup accelerator that focuses on the Bitcoin Lightning Network and the Taro protocol, called In Wolf’s Clothing (Wolf). The accelerator consists of 8-week programs in which the best founders and startup teams from around the world will be brought to New York City, with accommodation and travel costs covered. The teams which apply and are accepted into the program will receive a guaranteed investment of $250,000. One team will be chosen by a panel of judges to receive an additional $500,000 of funding during …
Blockchain / Oct. 27, 2022
Crypto incubators have a responsibility to maintain fiscal discipline
Contrary to popular belief, a bear market provides ideal conditions for startup founders and developers to work on technological innovations. The absence of market frenzy and speculative investing helps startups to focus on the fundamentals, which are beneficial in the long run. However, bear markets dry up capital sources, and liquidity becomes the proverbial mirage of an oasis in the desert sand. Thus, startups turn toward incubators who become messiahs with their network of angel investors and venture capitalists. As incubators hold the key to funding, they are powerful enough to make or break a crypto startup. And, as Marvel’s …
Technology / Oct. 23, 2022
Web3 to inject $1.1T in India's GDP by 2032, following 37x growth since 2020
The global Web3 boom is expected to add $1.1 trillion to the Indian economy over the next decade, supporting the investment-based momentum driven by over 450 in-house startups, including CoinDCX, Polygon and CoinSwitch. A recent study from the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), an Indian non-governmental trade association and advocacy group, highlighted India’s position as a leading global player in the Web3 market owing to several factors spanning a large talent pool, high adoption rate and product development for international markets. The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) estimated that “Web3 can add $1.1 trillion of new economic …
Adoption / Oct. 23, 2022
Crypto Stories: How an entrepreneur raised $10M for her startup during a bear market
In the midst of the 2018 crypto price slump, a young entrepreneur invested all her funds and personal money into a prototype that combined fintech and crypto services to offer virtual debit cards and crypto payment services for subscriptions. But because it was a bear market, no one wanted to invest the capital to put the solution on the market. In the latest episode of Cointelegraph’s “Crypto Stories” series, Josipa Majic explains how she and her partners built a crypto company during a bear market at a time when investors were fleeing the crypto space. “Everyone said no the moment …
Altcoin / Oct. 11, 2022
BNB Chain to boost European Web3 startups with DApp incubator program
BNB Chain, the blockchain of the Binance crypto exchange and Binance Coin (BNB), launched its latest development-focused initiative, which targets European developers to build and scale decentralized applications (DApps) on the network. The three-week virtual “innovation incubator” program focuses on Web3 startups with at least one key member based in the European Union (EU). Those accepted into the program receive mentorship from industry experts and BNB Chain specialists on tokenomics design and Web3 marketing strategies. The incubator will host exclusive meet-ups in cities across the continent, such as Lisbon, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, Warsaw and London. According to Zoe Wei, the …
Adoption / Oct. 10, 2022
Microsoft, Avalanche, Polygon join $20M funding of Web3 automation startup
Web3 and tech companies participated in a funding round for a data platform called Space and Time that aims to transform central databases into trustless data sources powered by smart contracts. In an announcement sent to Cointelegraph, Space and Time mentioned that they’ve raised $20 million in strategic funding from investors like Microsoft's M12 fund, the venture capital arm of Microsoft, Avalanche and Polygon. In addition to these, investors also included Framework Ventures, HashKey, Foresight Ventures, SevenX Ventures, Stratos, Hash CIB, Coin DCX and other Web3 communities and angel investors. Nate Holiday, the co-founder and CEO of Space and Time, …
Blockchain / Sept. 27, 2022
Many NFT projects lack adequate smart contract testing, says nameless founder
Jimmy McNelis, the founder of Web3 tech firm nameless, says there are too many NFT projects rushing to market without proper smart contract testing — potentially leading to millions lost. Speaking with Cointelegraph, McNelis suggested that a lot of NFT projects often rush to market without fully simulating how its smart contracts will work, even skipping extensive audits in some cases. McNelis said an example of this was observed during the sale of the Akutars NFT collection in February 2021 — featuring 15,000 tokens that went up for sale on Winklevoss-owned NFT marketplace Nifty Gateway. McNelis said while the NFT …
Nft / Sept. 23, 2022
From the skies to blocks: How an aerospace student became a Web3 entrepreneur
A popular adage says that the path to success is not a straight line. Sometimes, it leads to various detours along the way, like learning about developing aircraft, being a writer, keeping an eye on Bitcoin (BTC), and exploring the blockchain space. In a Cointelegraph interview, Ahmet Usta shared his journey from being fascinated by technology since he was a child to becoming the founder of several successful Web3 projects focusing on blockchain gaming and nonfungible tokens (NFTs). Usta studied aerospace engineering at Istanbul Technical University in Turkey mainly because of his passion for technology. After that, he pursued a …
Blockchain / Sept. 21, 2022