Jacquelyn Melinek
Senior Reporter, Crypto, TC+
The Latest from Jacquelyn Melinek
US government confirms it didn’t offer any plea deals to Sam Bankman-Fried
It was a slow start to the six-week-long trial.
SBF’s trial has started, this is how he and FTX got here
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried's trial begins Tuesday. Here's what you need to know.
SBF’s trial promises to be just as riveting as the rest of the FTX drama
'If the SBF trial starts to look like the crypto equivalent of an organized crime trial, don’t be surprised.'
Pudgy Penguins’ approach may be the answer to fixing NFTs’ revenue problems
The company's toy-focused expansion is its bet that NFTs should have a broader presence, one that’s not limited to the digital world.
Three Arrows Capital co-founder Zhu arrested in Singapore airport, sentenced four months in prison
The liquidators behind Three Arrows Capital (3AC), the now-defunct crypto hedge fund, shared that the firm’s co-founder Su Zhu was arrested in Singapore at the Changi Airport while trying to leave t
Mixin hacked for $200M, Worldcoin eyes greater expansion and Haun Ventures’ execs talk crypto regulation
Welcome back to Chain Reaction. We’re gearing up for the highly anticipated Sam Bankman-Fried trial. As for other news, it’s been an interesting and somewhat slower week for the crypto community.
Worldcoin doubles down on emerging markets amid wider criticism
Naysayers reacted to the hype around Worldcoin with almost the same level of intensity as its backers, but the company is still moving forward with its big plans.
Why Solana, Polygon and Aptos expect the enterprise to drive mass adoption
As large enterprises enter the crypto space, there’s potential for “not only millions of users, but billions of users using web3 without even realizing it.”
On-chain leverage trading platform Avantis Labs raises $4M seed round led by Pantera Capital
Avantis Labs, a decentralized finance (DeFi) derivatives ecosystem, has raised $4 million in a seed funding round led by Pantera Capital, the company’s co-founder and CEO Sehaj Singh exclusively tol
Chris Lehane: The SEC isn’t handling crypto regulation ‘strategically’
As developers turn their gears in the crypto world, regulatory uncertainty is casting a shadow over the work they’re doing.
Here’s the crypto news you missed at Disrupt 2023
Welcome back to Chain Reaction. This week I’ve been in San Francisco for TechCrunch Disrupt 2023. It's been a three-day journey jam-packed with panels, booths and conversations.
Alpha3D wants to accelerate digital asset and AI-powered generation through cheaper, hyperscaling technology
Alpha3D, a generative AI–powered platform, is a participant of the Startup Battlefield 200 cohort to showcase a technology that can hyperscale digital assets.
Aptos Labs adds Coinbase Pay to its Petra crypto wallet
Petra, a crypto wallet built by Aptos Labs, is integrating Coinbase Pay onto its desktop and mobile applications in hopes of alleviating web3’s growing pains, the companies exclusively told TechCrun
After cutting ties with Binance, Checkout.com says crypto companies are about 4% of its total processing volume
Credit cards payment processor Checkout.com views crypto as a meaningful space for merchant relationships but needs to continue to focus on regulatory growth, according to Céline Dufétel, president
8 web3 gaming experts discuss hurdles and opportunities in the road to wider adoption
What will it take to spur more mainstream gamers to pick up and play web3 games? We asked eight web3 gaming experts to find out.
Blockchain Capital launches two new funds for a total of $580M
The crypto bear market may be ongoing, but Blockchain Capital is still going big. It closed two new funds for a total of $580 million, the firm’s general partner Spencer Bogart told TechCrunch. The
Web3 adoption could come via the enterprise, but the real boom will be through startups
While the use cases in enterprise are more incremental, the real drivers of the tech might be coming from startup land.
Circle expands Asia focus, Mila Kunis and Stoner Cats face SEC, Telegram adds crypto wallet and more
Welcome back to Chain Reaction. To get a roundup of TechCrunch’s biggest and most important crypto stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday at 12 p.m. PT, subscribe here. Another week in crypt
USDC issuer Circle expands Asia focus in push to enter the region’s flourishing payments ecosystem
How can Asian businesses send and receive payments cheaper, faster and more securely? Circle thinks the answer may come from blockchain and stablecoins.
Former DCG, Blockchain Capital investors launch $20M early-stage fund at crypto advisory firm Reverie
After a couple years of dabbling in angel investments, crypto advisory firm Reverie is now bringing a bigger checkbook to bear. The firm is launching a flagship $20 million fund to invest in pre-seed