What is a ZK-rollup ➰ ZK-rollup, short for Zero-Knowledge Rollup, is a layer 2 scaling solution for blockchain networks that aims to enhance their scalability and efficiency. It combines the benefits of both on-chain and off-chain processing by leveraging cryptographic techniques known as zero-knowledge proofs. Specifically, these are hybrid scaling solutions that are off-chain protocols… Continue reading ZK-rollups
Ecosystem Development
Ecosystem Development. What is it. Why you want your team to do it. And what skills you need if it interests you. A tl;dr. What is it: It's a function (individual or team) usually embedded within a corporate venture capital or corporate development team. They are what should be the eyes and ears of the… Continue reading Ecosystem Development
Crypto Regulation
It's official. European members of parliament have overwhelmingly voted in support with 517 for (and 38 against) MiCA. MiCA, or the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, is now a regulatory framework for crypto assets in the European Union (EU). The goal of MiCA is to establish a harmonized regulatory framework for crypto assets across the EU… Continue reading Crypto Regulation
SVB
Texted a Seed series founder about their situation last night, response being, “Had a busy couple days, but I was fast and wired out the money yesterday AM and the wires posted. Still a couple mil locked up, but they’re in money market funds, so should be good. I was part of the bank run… Continue reading SVB
Investment Memos
Investment memo's are written docs all VC, PE, or CVC shops produce to (i) tell a story with conviction and (ii) obtain permission to invest capital into the company. Some are 2 pages, some are 20. These memos differ by the (i) stage of the company (Seed is much different than Series B), (ii) fund… Continue reading Investment Memos
Miner/Maximum Extractable Value (MEV)
I want to quickly cover MEV, or Miner Extractable Value, given it's still a topic of increased relevance, and yet still opaque. MEV refers to the potential value that miners can extract from the transactions included in a block they mine. On the Ethereum blockchain, MEV is primarily generated from arbitrage opportunities, transaction reordering, and other forms… Continue reading Miner/Maximum Extractable Value (MEV)
The Rule of 40
The 'Rule of 40' is popular among investors and analysts because it provides a simple, easy-to-understand metric for evaluating the financial health of software companies. As with any metric, there are pros and cons. It combines two important metrics, revenue growth and profit margin into a single number that can be used to quickly assess… Continue reading The Rule of 40
Venture Funding
When raising a Series A round of financing, founders need to focus on the metrics that demonstrate the potential of their company to investors. Post prototype, pre-product market fit. Here are five metrics that founders should track and be prepared to discuss (albeit business model dependent): 1/ Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR): This is the amount… Continue reading Venture Funding
DEXs
1/ Today Uniswap Labs, PancakeSwap, and DODO constitute more than 75% of total volume. 2/ The largest selling point is they're non-custodial, i.e., you are in control where centralized exchanges (CEX) are the opposite. DEXs range from orderbooks, AMMs, to hybrids. 3/ Orderbooks allow buyers and sellers to set offers around assets. These offers get… Continue reading DEXs
Weekly Startup Spotlight: Lendtable, a Series A Fintech
This week's FintechFriday session is with Mitchell Jones, co-founder Lendtable ⚡ a YC S20 batch company that raised $18M from Softbank to help workers get thousands in additional income by giving a cash advance to cover living expenses so they can finally begin earning their employer match.It’s noted from YC’s site that 1 in 4… Continue reading Weekly Startup Spotlight: Lendtable, a Series A Fintech