Chain Reaction

Latest Episodes:

The Post-Merge Ethereum Hangover Sep 22, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to Chain Reaction, where we unpack and explain the latest in crypto news, drama and trends, breaking things down block by block for the crypto curious.

For our Thursday episode where we discuss the latest in crypto news, we talked about the recent steep decline in Ethereum prices following its major network upgrade. We also discussed:

The latest regulatory drama surrounding stablecoins: including a draft House bill that would ban algorithmic stablecoins, some legal action against Tether and a big move in the sector from Robinhood.
Recent movements from the United States federal government to embrace a digital dollar, and who Biden has tapped to prepare for any potential decisions from the Federal Reserve.

ICYMI, you can use the promo code REACT for 15% offtickets to TechCrunch Disrupt this October (excluding online and expo) where we’ll be chatting with industry experts such as a16z’s Chris Dixon and Solana Labs’ Anatoly Yakovenko.

We’ll also be hosting our first dedicated crypto event in Miami for just one day on November 17th — you can use the same promo code, REACT, for 15% off a General Admission ticket.

And even if you can’t join us in person, you can use the promo code REACT to get 25% off an annual subscription to TechCrunch+.

Chain Reaction comes out every Tuesday and Thursday at 12:00 p.m. PT, so be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the action.

Chain Reaction comes out every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET, so be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the action.

A crypto market vibe check (w/ Seth Ginns) Sep 20, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to Chain Reaction, where we unpack and explain the latest in crypto news, drama and trends, breaking things down block by block for the crypto curious.For our Tuesday episode where we chat with a web3 expert, we talked to Seth Ginns, head of liquid investments and a managing partner at crypto venture firm CoinFund, about the state of different aspects of the crypto market today, from tokens to layer-ones to startups.
Ginns used to work at an asset management firm investing in public growth stocks, so he also shared some insight on:

His predictions for where token prices are headed
If people who recently pivoted careers into web3 are ready to jump ship during the bear market
Why early-stage crypto startups have been able to avoid some of the markets’ recent carnage

We’ll also be hosting our first dedicated crypto event in Miami for just one day on November 17th — you can use the same promo code, REACT, for 15% off a General Admission ticket.

And even if you can’t join us in person, you can use the promo code REACT to get 25% off an annual subscription to TechCrunch+.Chain Reaction comes out every Tuesday and Thursday at 12:00 p.m. PT, so be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the action.

Chain Reaction comes out every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET, so be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the action.

Chain Reaction x Equity talk the Ethereum Merge Sep 17, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to a Chain Reaction bonus episode! On Thursday, Anita and Jacquie went live with Equity's Alex Wilhelm and Natasha Mascarenhas to talk all about the Ethereum Merge. Pulling off the Merge was an event requiring such technical coordination and rigor that it's been compared to the moon landing. Now that it's happened, what will be the impacts on web3 startups? What about the rest of the tech industry, or large financial institutions, or Chinese crypto miners? They walked through all these questions and more, trying to address both what the Merge is and why it matters through as holistic a lens as possible.

For more on the Merge, required reading can be found here, here, and here.

Equity drops every Monday at 7 a.m. PDT and Wednesday and Friday at 6 a.m. PDT, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts.

Chain Reaction comes out every Tuesday and Thursday at 12:00 p.m. PDT, so be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast and Spotify to keep up with the action.

Chain Reaction comes out every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET, so be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the action.

Private equity’s gatekeepers get serious about tokens Sep 15, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to Chain Reaction, where we unpack and explain the latest in crypto news, drama and trends, breaking things down block by block for the crypto curious.For our Thursday episode this week, we dug into the institutional embrace of blockchains by stodgy financial powerhouses -- including mega PE firm KKR, which announced this week that they were tokenizing one of their latest funds to provide access to a slightly less rich class of wealthy investors. While it’s far from pervasive financial democratization, the move attracted a lot of attention, which we dissected. We also covered:

A Supergroup of financial institutions including Fidelity, Schwab and Citadel are teaming up to build a new digital asset exchange called the EDXM. Is this a signal of institutional fervor or just more groupthink?
The White House’s Office of Science and Tech Policy released a sweeping report on the energy usage of the cryptocurrency industry. The report signals future pressures on Bitcoin miners to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or else.

Join us at TechCrunch Disrupt this October to hear from speakers including a16z’s Chris Dixon and Solana Labs’ Anatoly Yakovenko — use the promo code REACT for 15% off, excluding online and expo.

And even if you can’t join us in person, you can use the promo code REACT for 25% on an annual pass for our TechCrunch+ membership service.

Chain Reaction comes out every Tuesday and Thursday at 12:00 p.m. PT, so be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the action.

Chain Reaction comes out every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET, so be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the action.

The cult of crypto shakes up its leadership team (w/ Meltem Demirors) Sep 13, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to Chain Reaction, where we unpack and explain the latest in crypto news, drama and trends, breaking things down block by block for the crypto curious.

For our Tuesday episode where we chat with a web3 expert, we talked to Meltem Demirors, chief strategy officer at publicly-traded digital asset manager Coinshares. Demirors was a core team member at crypto investment firm Digital Currency Group in 2015, we discussed:

The upcoming Ethereum merge and what it means for the brawl between the chain and its biggest competitors
Why investors are increasingly apathetic toward the asset class and how crypto companies are fighting that sentiment
How Demirors has seen web3 grow more ideologically fractured over time while maintaining its cultlike following

We’ll also be hosting our first crypto event in Miami this November with plenty of web3 experts — you can use the promo code REACT for 15% off a General Admission Ticket.

And even if you can’t join us in person, you can use the promo code REACT for 25% on an annual pass for our TechCrunch+ membership service.

Chain Reaction comes out every Tuesday and Thursday at 12:00 p.m. PT, so be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the action.

Chain Reaction comes out every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET, so be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the action.

Binance flexes its stablecoin muscles Sep 08, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to Chain Reaction, where we unpack and explain the latest in crypto news, drama and trends, breaking things down block by block for the crypto curious.

For our Thursday episode focused on major news topics this week, we discussed the latest drama surrounding crypto mega exchange Binance which is making its presence known in the stablecoin game and shaking up the ecosystem as it looks to muscle its way to supremacy. We also covered:

Sorare gets into NBA fantasy sports thanks to a new partnership with the league. Can Sorare beat out Dapper’s NBA Top Shot?
MicroStrategy ex-CEO and Bitcoin bull billionaire Michael Saylor sued for tax fraud by DC Attorney General; the government estimates Saylor may owe as much as $100 million in income taxes to DC.

And even if you can’t join us in person, you can use the promo code REACT for 25% on an annual pass for our TechCrunch+ membership service.

Chain Reaction comes out every Tuesday and Thursday at 12:00 p.m. PT, so be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the action.

Chain Reaction comes out every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET, so be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the action.

Who are the artists behind your favorite NFTs? (w/ James Zhang) Sep 06, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to Chain Reaction, where we unpack and explain the latest in crypto news, drama and trends, breaking things down block by block for the crypto curious.

For our Tuesday episode where we chat with a web3 expert, we talked to James Zhang, founder and CEO of Concept Art House, a consultancy that creates and advises on art for web3 video games and NFT collections. The company raised $25 million in funding last October from investors including Animoca Brands and Dapper Labs but faces a slumping NFT market today. We talked to Zhang about:

How artists behind popular NFT projects are compensated for their work — and whether it’s enough
Zhang’s experience navigating the often-sticky issues of intellectual property and ownership surrounding NFT art
What impacts the recent dropoff in NFT trading volume means for artists and creators

We’ll also be hosting our first crypto event in Miami this November with plenty of web3 experts — you can get 2 passes for the price of 1 if you buy them before September 7th at techcrunch.com/tccrypto.

And even if you can’t join us in person, you can use the promo code REACT for 25% on an annual pass for our TechCrunch+ membership service.

Chain Reaction comes out every Tuesday and Thursday at 12:00 p.m. PT, so be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the action.

Chain Reaction comes out every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET, so be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the action.

The Merge and its meaning for ETH and beyond Sep 01, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to Chain Reaction, where we unpack and explain the latest in crypto news, drama and trends, breaking things down block by block for the crypto curious.

For our Thursday episode focused on major news topics this week, Anita and Lucas unpacked the good, the bad and the downright confusing as they relate to the long-awaited Ethereum network upgrade -- The Merge -- starting this month. Jacquie has been out on vacation, so we're sure she'll be returning with lots to say next week.

We also covered:

Meta's announcement that it will allow users to post their NFTs on Facebook and Instagram, and how the tech giant is positioned compared to competitors like Reddit in the NFT space -- as well as what this means for the mainstream embrace of crypto

Tune in on Tuesday for an interview with James Zhang, founder and CEO of Concept Art House, an NFT and web3 gaming-focused art and design studio.

And even if you can’t join us in person, you can use the promo code REACT for 25% on an annual pass for our TechCrunch+ membership service.

Chain Reaction comes out every Tuesday and Thursday at 12:00 p.m. PT, so be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the action.

Chain Reaction comes out every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET, so be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the action.

Magic Eden threatens OpenSea’s NFT dominance (w/ Jack Lu) Aug 30, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to Chain Reaction, where we unpack and explain the latest in crypto news, drama and trends, breaking things down block by block for the crypto curious.

For our Tuesday episode where we chat with a web3 expert, we talked to Jack Lu, the co-founder and CEO of fast-rising NFT marketplace Magic Eden. The venture-backed startup was founded last year and has already reached unicorn status -- raising at a $1.6 billion valuation. In our conversation, we discussed:

Why the startup is looking to take on OpenSea on its home turf as Lu and his team build out Ethereum support?
The state of blockchain gaming and whether game studios are eager to diversify their in-game revenues will embrace an open vision of crypto collectibles and assets.
Whether the race to zero trading fees in crypto token exchanges will find its way to NFT markets where players like OpenSea and Magic Eden primarily monetize through transaction fees. (Lu hopes not!)

Chain Reaction comes out every Tuesday and Thursday at 12:00 p.m. PT, so be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the action.

Chain Reaction comes out every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET, so be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the action.

Bonus Episode: The road ahead for crypto startups (w/ Haun Ventures) Aug 26, 2022

Show notes

Welcome back. Earlier this week, Anita caught up with two investors at Haun Ventures, partner Sam Rosenblum and associate Breck Stodghill, live on Twitter Spaces. All eyes are on the lean venture firm, led by former a16z crypto and U.S. Department of Justice official Katie Haun, as it deploys a whopping $1.5 billion fund in web3 startups. We recorded the casual conversation as a bonus episode so you can hear Rosenblum and Stodghill share their thoughts on where they’re seeing opportunities in crypto these days, how they approach the diligence process, and what they’re listening to and reading outside of web3.

Subscribe to the Chain Reaction newsletter to dive deeper: https://techcrunch.com/newsletters

Helpful links:
https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/16/a-dive-into-haun-ventures-with-the-firms-first-deal-lead-sam-rosenblum/

Chain Reaction comes out every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET, so be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the action.

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