cc'd by Vicky

I have to share some updates

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 13:45:20 +0000

GM GM,

Your girl vickchick here with some spicy event updates – both juicy recaps from recent happenings and hot opportunities for what's coming next.

Since our beloved intern Quinn (marketing wizard by day, eternal intern by night for 2.5 years running) is living his best life on a well-deserved vacation, I'm stepping up to handle our w3.hub X game.

Here's my debut post (pls like, thx):

Tokenization Season is in full swing, so here are 3 recaps from our recent events that you definitely don't want to sleep on:

London Summit (official recap)

We captured the state of tokenization and stablecoins in just 2 minutes

We asked our Season partners what their institutional clients are really looking into and why London remains such a hotspot for innovation.

London Summit (BTS and honestly my favorite part)

A mix of a BTS and ASMR video from the past 48 hours, where we hosted an event in the beautiful city of London.

🍿 Bonus points for everyone who can count how many times I say "beautiful."

Industry Call: “Winning the Stablecoin Race: How Banks and Nations Compete”

We dropped three sessions from our industry call on YouTube. Here's the TL;DR because I know you're busy:

Stablecoins for the Real Economy: Wenia's Approach - Fireblocks

Bank Colombia's WIA digital bank is deploying a Colombian peso stablecoin to capture young demographics and enable faster cross-border payments
Fireblocks provides the full institutional-grade infrastructure stack – from custody and wallets to tokenization engines and partner ecosystems

Watch Fireblocks’ Session

How to Scale Stablecoin Demand with Institutional-Grade DeFi - Morpho

Morpho's on-chain lending network has nearly $13B in deposits and offers open, permissionless infrastructure for stablecoin lending and yield generation
Real-world integration example: Coinbase's one-click USDC borrowing against BTC shows how DeFi can seamlessly back fiat access

Watch Morphos Session

The Geopolitical Impact of Stablecoins - AllUnity

Stablecoins are reshaping currency sovereignty and cross-border payments, with real case studies from Argentina showing practical applications
Europe needs a regulated stablecoin ecosystem to compete with US dominance in global digital payments

Watch AllUnity’s Session

Frankfurt Recap

This was a "Heimspiel" for me, so I'm extra happy about this city movie:

Frankfurt was a powerful finale to this year’s Tokenization Season.

Top energy, thoughtful questions, and a clear move toward Europe’s leadership in stablecoins and tokenized assets. Key takeaways: …

Scaling Onchain Capital Markets: What's Next in Tokenization? - October 21st

Tokenization is moving from pilots to production in 2025. But what's missing to scale from $25B to $1T in tokenized assets? How should financial institutions turn tokenization into actual revenue?

This 90-minute online conference features three industry leaders sharing exclusive case studies and strategic playbooks. You'll hear from Galaxy Digital, Stellar Foundation, and 21X.

Scaling Onchain Capital Markets: What's Next in Tokenization?

Click here to register for this event.

AI Safety with Blockchain - October 28th

As AI reshapes everything, safety and trust become critical. This event brings together leading voices exploring how AI and blockchain can create scalable, privacy-preserving systems. We'll dive into risks like identity fraud and model manipulation, plus blockchain solutions to address them.

AI Safety with Blockchain

Click here to register for this event.

Berlin Build Station - Start: October 20th

It’s my favorite time of the year again. Superteam Germany is back with their Build Station setup, a 2 week long co-working experience at w3.hub with mentorship and workshops that will give you everything you need to succeed in the Solana Cypherpunk Hackathon powered by Colosseum.

Berlin Build Station

Click here to register for this event.

Crypto Invest Summit 2025 - October 17th

The Crypto Invest Summit 2025 brings together beginners, advanced investors, and professionals to exchange insights, explore fresh perspectives, and make smart moves in the market.

Crypto Invest Summit 2025

Click here to register for this event.

Don't Get Rugged by Aging

Hosted by ex-w3hub member and favorite personal trainer Heinrich!

Heinrich Tessendorf, founder of AgeShift and former Web3 builder, knows how screen time destroys your body and energy. He'll show you how to design sustainable fitness protocols that actually fit a builder's lifestyle, backed by insights from Oura, Garmin, and WHOOP data.

Don’t Get Rugged by Aging

Click here to register for this event.

Double Bitvavo Action - October 30th

Our "Ehren"-w3hub member Bitvavo is hosting two events in one day:

Morning: Bitvavo x w3.hub Community Brunch with platform demos, BD/Marketing chats, and HR conversations for potential jobs.

Bitvavo x w3.hub Community Brunch

Click here to register for this event.

Night: Bitvavo Germany Launch Party in the subterrain (22:30-02:00) with TOYTONICS, free drinks, and late-night snacks. Perfect for connecting with the Bitvavo team.

Bitvavo Germany Launch Party

Click here to register for this event.

Show some love and stake with us!

At w3.labs, we focus on delivering secure and compliant staking infrastructure. Join us to navigate the future of decentralized finance with solutions that prioritize regulatory compliance and innovation.

Onchain Culture - Digital Assets Special

This season, presented by w3.vision x Blockstories, takes a deep dive into the key verticals and trends shaping the digital assets industry - from tokenization and asset management to stablecoins.

Join our w3.community on TG

Don't miss out on any news, updates, & vibes anymore. Discord is so yesterday. Let's meet on Telegram.

Community Alpha by w3.hub Intern

Your weekly Web3 Event & Ecosystem Updates straight out of w3.hub in Berlin.

Web3 Investor Briefing by w3.group

Explore liquid token markets, venture-backed consumer apps, and the evolving landscape of staking infrastructure together with us.

That’s it.

See you next time 💅🏽

And while we're at it:

I'm on LinkedIn.

I'm on X.

Always here at w3.hub.

Active in the w3.group. Follow on LinkedIn to keep up with our projects.

I love this and you should, too

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 09:15:35 +0000

Quick update in a nutshell:

Tokenization Season kickoff was fire - Zurich delivered big time, London's up next (September 11th), and our free industry calls are packed with partner playbooks you won't want to miss
w3.hub hit 139 members - Our Berlin community is thriving with co-working, free meetups for smaller projects, and our next big event "Do AIs Dream of Blockchains?" drops September 18th
Ethereum's having a moment - Our latest Web3 Investor Briefing breaks down why ETH is finally getting institutional love, plus Bluerails came out of stealth and we're launching crypto roundtables with Julius & Philipp

GM GM everyone,

I know my "weekly" newsletters have turned into those irregular "oh hey, Vicky's back from the dead" type emails. But honestly? That's actually a good sign. I've been swamped, and I'd rather write these myself than let some AI cobble together generic crypto takes for you.

When life gets chaotic, you deserve the real deal – not some algorithm trying to sound like me. And since people keep telling me I'm "authentic" (whatever that means in 2025), here's your unfiltered look into what's been keeping me busy.

I did some vlogging in Zurich 🇨🇭

Even though your girl vickchick030 was traveling a lot, she still managed to keep you cc'd on all the experiences, yay <3

We just wrapped the kickoff for Tokenization Season in Zurich, and honestly? It was a complete success.

You can read my full breakdown here with all the behind-the-scenes thoughts and key takeaways from the event.

Zurich continues to be one of my favorite cities for events.

At w3.vision, we've been hosting a lot more events lately - and there's a reason for that.

But I know most of you would rather watch than read, so we also put together this absolutely fire city movie. Seriously, the production quality is chef's kiss – go show it some love:

Everyone is talking about it, but where are we really? We’ve captured the state of tokenization and stablecoins in just 3 minutes.

We asked our Season partners on their take: Where do we stand? What opportunities do you see? And why is Zurich such a unique spot for finance innovation?

For everyone wondering what it actually takes to pull off an event like this, your content girl has you covered. I condensed the entire 32-hour process into a digestible 3.5-minute breakdown:

What you usually see: Perfect event invitations and beautiful recap photos. What you don’t see: The 32 hours surrounding that.

For the first time, I filmed everything. Unfiltered. 3.5 minutes of reality from the Tokenization Season Zurich Summit.

What's Next:

As mentioned in the video, we'll be in London on September 11th. If you're a banker or asset manager, definitely hit us up.

But if you missed both Zurich and can't make it to London, don't worry – you'll still get access to the playbooks from all 9 of our partners.

Our industry calls are completely free and packed with valuable insights. Plus, we're making sure these aren't boring university-style lectures. We want you actively participating and engaging throughout the sessions.

The next one is on September 18th.

Our marketing wizard Quinn absolutely nailed it in his newsletter breakdown of what we've built with the w3.hub community.

Since I don't talk about this enough in my newsletter – here's what you're missing out on (assuming you're in Berlin):

There's never been a better time to lock in.

w3.hub has evolved from a few desks to a thriving builder community that just hit an all-time high of 139 members!

Some people come for the desks, free coffee, or the beautiful space. Most stay for the conversations, the chance encounters, and that feeling of finally being understood.

If you want to build something meaningful, step one is surrounding yourself with people who actually get it. That's exactly what we're here for.

No matter how deep you are in "heads-down mode," you still need balance.

That's part of what we're creating here. And by "we," I mean everyone who works from this space and makes it what it is.

We offer co-working for individuals, teams, office space, opportunities for your meetups (free for smaller projects – you're welcome), and events of all sizes.

Find everything you need on our website, and don't hesitate to reach out.

Visit our w3.hub website, it is full of love

Speaking of events – we're throwing our own too. The next big one with all those little extras you've come to expect from us is happening September 18th at w3.hub, tackling a topic that couldn't be more relevant:

Do AIs Dream of Blockchains? · Luma

A curated night for builders, believers & the curious to explore the intersection of AI & Web3 On September 18th we’re kicking off our new monthly spotlight…

Have you read our latest Web3 Investor Briefing yet? It covers:

Ethereum's comeback story - How Tom Lee's institutional narrative around stablecoins and ETH treasury companies like Bitmine (aiming for $20B in ETH purchases) are driving serious momentum after two years in Bitcoin's shadow

The "Everything Exchange" evolution - Major platforms like Coinbase, Robinhood, and Kraken are becoming crypto conglomerates, offering tokenized stocks, DeFi integration, and social features all in one place (think Google for Web3)

Ethereum's 10-year milestone - A full decade of uptime proving its reliability as neutral infrastructure, with institutional tokenization and treasury adoption creating structural demand drivers for the next decade

Web3 Investor Briefing | August 2025

Every month we provide you with insightful deep-dives into the world of Web3 investing.

Our portfolio company Bluerails is officially out of stealth mode:

Bluerails is officially out of stealth.

At w3.fund, our investment reinforces a core infrastructure bet for cross-border finance.

What Bluerails delivers: …

We're launching a roundtable (in German + online) focused on crypto as an alternative asset class with our w3.wave GPs Julius & Philipp (our liquid token fund).

1. Investoren Roundtable - Ein Überblick zum Kryptomarkt und aktuelle Investmentstrategien

Exklusiver Investoren-Roundtable von w3.group (invite only)

Our friends from M0 are cooooking!

MetaMask announces stablecoin, MetaMask USD

MetaMask becomes first self-custodial wallet to announce native stablecoin, MetaMask USD (mUSD), launching soon with Bridge and M0.

Crypto startup M0 raises $40 million to build out stablecoin network

Polychain and Ribbit Capital led the round, with participation from existing investors like Pantera and Bain Capital Crypto.

Congrats to our portfolio company (& w3.hub members) Voya Games

🏆 VOYA Games Wins at the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Awards 2025! 🏆

w3.hub Community is just a vibe

We ❤️ Volleyball with friends

Straight from the w3.hub group chat

Show some love and stake with us!

Onchain Culture - Digital Assets Special

This season, presented by w3.vision x Blockstories, takes a deep dive into the key verticals and trends shaping the digital assets industry - from tokenization and asset management to stablecoins.

Join our w3.community on TG

Don't miss out on any news, updates, & vibes anymore. Discord is so yesterday. Let's meet on Telegram.

Community Alpha by w3.hub Intern

Your weekly Web3 Event & Ecosystem Updates straight out of w3.hub in Berlin.

Web3 Investor Briefing by w3.group

Explore liquid token markets, venture-backed consumer apps, and the evolving landscape of staking infrastructure together with us.

That’s it.

See you next week 💅🏽

And while we're at it:

I'm on LinkedIn.

I'm on X.

Always here at w3.hub.

Active in the w3.group. Follow on LinkedIn to keep up with our projects.

I want to see you there

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 10:25:55 +0000

This one is full of vibes:

Tokenization Season 2025 is here - We're back with a 10-week program across Europe, partnering with Galaxy, Chainlink Labs, and more to connect TradFi with tokenization solutions
w3.pizza returns - After 250+ events at w3.hub, we're returning with a monthly community event series. Be among the first community partners to shape this next chapter
Ethereum's 10th birthday celebration - Over 100 people joined us at w3.hub to celebrate, plus updates from our ecosystem partners
Community spotlight - Antelope Swap is hosting a privacy-focused event, OneFootball's token launch is oversubscribed, and M^0 Labs is hiring

GM GM from beautiful Frankfurt,

There are exactly two types of people reading this: Those who noticed the last issue was a whole two weeks ago, and those who completely missed it.

What I'm trying to say is: Your girl vickchick030 has been busy busy with preparations for another major project that got announced this week: Tokenization Season 2025.

Plus, a ton of other cool stuff happened in the w3 ecosystem that's going to fill up this newsletter issue, so heads up: No consumer crypto news this time, just pure vibes.

This is me preparing “the vibes” in a car

And if we're being honest, even though cc'd is somehow also consumer crypto, it mainly stands for how I keep you cc'd. And that's exactly what's been happening these past 2 weeks.

I've worn quite a few hats in our companies. And those who've been following us might have noticed we went on “tour” earlier this year. Events in Zurich, London, Frankfurt, and Berlin, plus industry calls and tons of content.

The only difference from our regular events: More suit-wearers, fewer degens. And this is NOT bad! Listen to me.

This is us in Zurich 🇨🇭

The topics: Digital assets and what that means for institutions. Our 8 partners opened their playbooks and created space for exchange, all within a curated crowd.

The feedback: Very, very good.

And now we're back. So let me warmly welcome you to Tokenization Season 2025.

Between August and November, we're focusing on tokenization and stablecoins – because we're at a genuine inflection point.

Tokenization has crossed from theory to practice, with major financial institutions launching market-ready products.

The question is no longer "if" tokenization will transform finance, but "how" to implement solutions that impact the P&L today.

Our 10-week program

We've partnered with category leaders including Galaxy, Chainlink, Stellar, Fireblocks, Morpho, Bpifrance, 21X, and BCP partners to connect TradFi-makers with tokenization solutions across different asset classes.

The events are already live and registration is open!

Get all the info here

Glad to do all of this again with Maximilian Vargas and his team from Blockstories!

Look at us :)

More than 3 years ago, we hosted our very first community event with the creative name w3.pizza. Besides knowledge pieces and tons of vibes, there was, well, pizza. The format grew and took place in many cities around the world.

This is one of my favorite photos and I don’t care how many times we have been using this one already

Since last year, we've significantly neglected our own events to meet community demand – it feels like countless events happen at our community space every week.

But good news: We're back.

After seeing 250+ events at w3.hub, we've learned what works and we're combining the best of it into one unique event concept.

A monthly event series, hosted and curated by us – for the community, with the community.

Our goal is simple: To make every person in the room feel seen, inspired, and part of something.

Remember my "No Panels" LinkedIn post?

Ever sat through a 45-minute speech or panel where you checked your phone more than the stage? | Vicktoria Klich | 39 comments

As someone who's both attended and spoken at countless events, I've come to a realization: We need to completely rethink the format. My controversial take? No more panels. No speeches longer than 15 minutes.

Here too, experience is everything, and we want to invite you to join us once a month, always bringing a theme with us.

For this, we're looking for you – sponsors, community partners, or anyone else who wants to help.

Be among the very first w3.pizza community partners and shape this next chapter with us.

Get in touch with us here

We celebrated Ethereum's 10th birthday with over 100 people at w3.hub. Here are some of my favorite posts:

Ledger introduces the Ledger Recovery Key

It’s a secure, physical backup that gives you full control over wallet recovery, no cloud or third party involved. Here's what you need to know:

Secure and simple: Works offline via NFC, protected by your PIN and Secure Element
This little 5cm card offers secure and effortless backup for your 24 words
Backup/restore with a few taps
Managed via your secure screen device
Create multiple backups, to store in different physical locations
Free for existing users of Stax or Flex (shipping fee only)

Get your hands on a Ledger Recovery Key

Member Updates

What else?

Our newest w3.hub member Quincy and her company Antelope Swap are all about protecting your privacy.

Next Thursday, they’re hosting an event to open up the conversation and give the topic the spotlight it deserves.

Antelope Swap x MobileCoin x Signal Messenger

Experience Antelope Swap: a bridge that let’s you easily move Mobilecoin, an encrypted…

Everyone is hyped about OneFootball

During Berlin Blockchain Week, we co-hosted the OneFootball Club Global Kickoff Event, their first IRL meetup. It brought together the community and partners like Base, Animoca Brands, FIFA Rivals and w3.hub.

They launched their token and well… They are oversubscribed:

w3.hub was on Berlins largest billboard

What our w3.fund portfolio company is working on…

Our friends and supporters from M^0 Labs are hiring!

M0 | Careers

Build your branded, feature-rich stablecoin, in your own way. M0 is the infrastructure powering issuers of safe, programmable, interoperable stablecoins.

Show some love and stake with us!

Onchain Culture - Digital Assets Special

This season, presented by w3.vision x Blockstories, takes a deep dive into the key verticals and trends shaping the digital assets industry - from tokenization and asset management to stablecoins.

Join our w3.community on TG

Don't miss out on any news, updates, & vibes anymore. Discord is so yesterday. Let's meet on Telegram.

Community Alpha by w3.hub Intern

Your weekly Web3 Event & Ecosystem Updates straight out of w3.hub in Berlin.

Web3 Investor Briefing by w3.group

Explore liquid token markets, venture-backed consumer apps, and the evolving landscape of staking infrastructure together with us.

That’s it.

See you next week 💅🏽

And while we're at it:

I'm on LinkedIn.

I'm on X.

Always here at w3.hub.

Active in the w3.group. Follow on LinkedIn to keep up with our projects.

This makes me excited

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 21:31:37 +0000

The perfect kickoff into your week in less than 5mins:

My Co-Founder Got Me Excited About This - Henrik's insights on DePIN and why this infrastructure model solves three critical problems traditional systems can't touch.
We're Going to Celebrate This - Ethereum turns 10 next week! Join our celebration at w3.hub, plus my conversation with Tim Beiko about the roadmap ahead.
What I've Learned at a VC Dinner - Key takeaways from Solana Superteam Germany's investor dinner (and which startups caught my attention)
Nuggets You Need to Know - From Bitcoin making it to Tagesschau to The Ether Machine becoming the "MicroStrategy for ETH" with their $1.5B vehicle
Staking Research - I'm talking to everyone about their staking habits (and my calendar is packed with your insights - thank you!)

Be sure to read until the end, as I still need more volunteers for my staking research interviews!

GM GM,

and welcome to the 20th edition of cc'd, the newsletter with absolutely zero consistency that sometimes comes out weekly and sometimes... doesn't.

As a wannabe busy founder, I'm actually proud that I've been able to maintain my streak since Berlin Blockchain Week (even if the newsletter doesn't come out on Fridays, despite me constantly communicating that it will). Ok, enough with the excuses.

This Wednesday I attended a VC dinner hosted by Solana's Superteam Germany. Besides the pitches, which I'll dive into in the following sections, I had some genuinely awesome conversations with my honorable friends from Staking Facilities.

Julius, Carlo, me and Robs

During our convos at the table, we focused a lot on imposter syndrome, something I once wrote about in a LinkedIn post:

Ever felt like you’re just pretending to know what you’re doing? | Vicktoria Klich

Since I was 22, I've had imposter syndrome. Now at 28, after founding multiple companies, that feeling still hasn't disappeared.

I've prepared several sections for you, keeping them concise so you get the perfect glimpse into my week. Because for all my experiences & learnings, I've got you cc'd.

Lately I've been reading a lot about DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks), both in our current Web3 Investor Briefing where Henrik shared some insights, and in the latest Blockworks newsletter.

For those who aren't familiar yet: DePIN basically describes projects that use crypto incentives to build and maintain physical infrastructure. Think of it as using tokens to motivate people to provide real-world services or resources, like internet coverage, computing power, or sensor data.

Henrik points out in our Web3 Investor Briefing that DePIN represents one of the most promising real-world applications for Web3 technology. The idea is simple but powerful - instead of centralized companies building infrastructure, decentralized networks of individuals can contribute resources and get rewarded with tokens. This creates more resilient, community-owned networks.

Web3 Investor Briefing | July 2025

Every month we provide you with insightful deep-dives into the world of Web3 investing.

A perfect example is Helium, which started as a decentralized wireless network where people could set up hotspots in their homes and earn HNT tokens for providing coverage. While they've had their ups and downs (who hasn't in crypto?), they've actually built something tangible - a network with over 1 million hotspots worldwide.

Helium Revenue (Token Terminal)

What's interesting about Helium is that they've managed to pivot and evolve. After some struggles with their original model, they've expanded to include 5G and LoRaWAN networks, showing the adaptability that's crucial in this space.

Helium Mobile Growth

The most compelling part of DePIN for me is that it's addressing actual real-world utility rather than just being another financial instrument. It's crypto being used to build something physical and useful, which is exactly what the space needs more of if we want mainstream adoption.

So why DePIN and why now? Honestly, it's because traditional infrastructure is kinda broken in three ways:

It costs a s**t ton of money upfront (hello, monopolies!). DePIN spreads these costs across thousands of participants - way more capital efficient.
The incentives are totally misaligned. Traditional providers want to squeeze users for max profit while doing the bare minimum. With DePIN, everyone's interests are aligned - you contribute, you benefit.
Innovation? What innovation? Monopolies don't need to innovate. DePIN networks are permissionless playgrounds where anyone can build and improve.

The hottest categories to watch? AI data collection (like Grass, which pays you for sharing your unused bandwidth), decentralized AI compute (48% of the DePIN market cap!), energy networks (think selling your solar panel energy back to the grid via projects like Daylight), and transportation/mapping networks using dashcams to create real-time maps.

DePIN: Relationship between revenue and valuation

Is DePIN the future? Maybe not in its current form, but the concept of using crypto incentives to build real-world infrastructure definitely has legs. I'm keeping my eye on this space.

For everyone who doesn't follow us on X (which I absolutely cannot understand, because the w3.hub X account is top-tier likeable. Of course, I'm biased).

But Ethereum isn't just OG and the most important of the smart contract chains - it's also still on everyone's lips.

During the Ethereum Foundations offsite at w3.hub, I had the opportunity to chat with Tim Beiko and finally got more clarity on the current Ethereum roadmap.

I interviewed one of Ethereum’s most influential figures. | Vicktoria Klich

The timing couldn't be more interesting - Ethereum is seeing growing institutional interest, with companies establishing ETH treasuries and its ecosystem becoming the preferred layer for stablecoins.

But what's happening behind the scenes with the core protocol?

My personal highlight? His perspective on staking.

And as if by coincidence, Ethereum is celebrating its 10th birthday next Wednesday (July 30th). Together with ETHGlobal, we'd like to celebrate this together at w3.hub. And you're all invited:

Ethereum 10Y Anniversary Berlin · Luma

Join us in celebrating Ethereum's 10 Year Anniversary in Berlin!

Other updates from the Ethereum ecosystem:

Speaking of staking - first of all, a huge thank you to everyone who reached out to me after my last LinkedIn post.

I need your help! | Vicktoria Klich

What I'm looking for:
→ People who don't stake at all, OR stake small/large amounts
→ Family Offices, Foundations, Banks, or other institutions → Even if you're just crypto-curious and wondering what else you could do
→ Just 20 minutes of your time What I'm offering:
→ Good karma points ✨
→ No incentives or sales pitches - just a genuine conversation about your staking experience

My calendar looks like this almost every day. And I've already learned so much, which I'll distill into shareable learnings after a few more interviews to share with all of you. Basically, I'm trying to understand your staking behavior - so we can tailor our fresh w3.labs product exactly to your needs.

If you feel addressed and want to support, you can book a quick 20-minute slot through the comments on my LinkedIn post and answer some of my questions. Every opinion helps, regardless of your relationship with staking.

Check out my post

This is what I’ve learned during a VC Dinner

Had the honor of attending the Solana Superteam Germany Investor Dinner last night. | Vicktoria Klich

For the second time, Patricia Albrecht and Carlo Abdel-Nour organized this special dinner at Soho House where VCs connect with the hottest startups in the Solana ecosystem.

Simple concept: pitches, Q&A, food, connections.

Two startups caught my eye immediately…

We are inviting you to w3.hub

Community Brunch & Co-Working · Luma

From Zero to $10M: Winning Strategies for Web3 Fundraising w/ Web3 Factory

Join us for a special morning session hosted by the Web3 Factory team.

Our members have been cooking

Bitcoin made it into tagesschau (the Germans will know what I mean)
Electric Capital argues for Ethereum as money beyond stablecoins, positioning ETH as a credible neutral reserve asset thanks to its monetary policy and programmability. They see ETH becoming the backbone of a new financial system, not just its platform.
Farcaster's new Collectibles feature challenges Base's micro-earnings model by turning posts into 24-hour, $1-starting auctions for 1-of-1 NFTs - testing whether intentional collecting beats passive tips for creator revenue.
The Ether Machine launches as a $1.5B "MicroStrategy for ETH," actively staking and deploying ETH for yield instead of passive holding. With hundreds of millions already committed by insiders, it signals Ethereum's institutional moment.
David Phelps reimagines prediction markets as "persuasion markets" - tools for collective action rather than just forecasting. These could transform DAOs by creating financial incentives that align communities toward actually making things happen rather than just predicting them.
Telegram brings its crypto wallet to US users, instantly creating one of crypto's largest potential onramps with its 950+ million users. By pivoting to wallet provider rather than token issuer, they've navigated past regulatory hurdles that killed their original TON project.

Show some love and stake with us!

Onchain Culture - Digital Assets Special

This season, presented by w3.vision x Blockstories, takes a deep dive into the key verticals and trends shaping the digital assets industry - from tokenization and asset management to stablecoins.

Join our w3.community on TG

Don't miss out on any news, updates, & vibes anymore. Discord is so yesterday. Let's meet on Telegram.

Community Alpha by w3.hub Intern

Your weekly Web3 Event & Ecosystem Updates straight out of w3.hub in Berlin.

Web3 Investor Briefing by w3.group

Explore liquid token markets, venture-backed consumer apps, and the evolving landscape of staking infrastructure together with us.

That’s it.

See you next week 💅🏽

And while we're at it:

I'm on LinkedIn.

I'm on X.

Always here at w3.hub.

Active in the w3.group. Follow on LinkedIn to keep up with our projects.

We need to talk

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 19:13:00 +0000

This 5min read includes:

Ledger x w3.hub - Our exciting new house partnership with the global leader in crypto security (and the organic relationship-building that made it happen)
BASE APP Transformation - How Coinbase is turning their wallet into a full Web3 social platform with Farcaster integration and a "Google login for Web3"
Institutional Staking - Key insights on what large players are looking for as BlackRock announces ETH staking features
Ethereum's Resurrection - As ETH climbs back to $3,700, the narrative has completely shifted (and I'm loving it)
Mastercard & Stablecoins - How the payment giant is bringing crypto to billions with their new infrastructure
Market Moves - From Grayscale's IPO filing to Sharplink becoming one of Ethereum's largest holders
Be sure to read until the end, as I urgently need your help!

GM GM GM to THIS

I am currently in Frankfurt, the city that has somehow become my summer escape spot. Because the "Berlin summer" narrative is definitely dead (it's raining EVERY day), while it's beautifully warm in Frankfurt. I'm biased, this is my home.

And honestly, I don't even know where to start. This entire week in crypto feels like we got hit by a bull run we weren't even expecting.

Between the Genius Act & Clarity Act, my absolute favorite story (& memes!) is that Ethereum has risen from the dead.

As I'm writing this newsletter, ETH is climbing back to $3,700. I'm sure you've caught plenty of news about this over the last few days, so I got you cc'd on what I've experienced myself and what I've been working on as co-founder of w3.group.

Some partnerships just make sense.

This week, we officially announced Ledger as w3.hub's official house partner, and I couldn't be more excited about it.

This partnership feels like the perfect full circle moment, starting with our friend June (who now works at Ledger) at our very first w3pizza event back in April 2022. What began as a community connection evolved organically through Solana Build Station, joint events during Berlin Blockchain Week, and even fun times together at our w3wiesn events in Munich.

For those who don't know: Ledger is the global leader in crypto security with nearly 8 million devices sold, securing about 20% of all digital assets worldwide through their trusted hardware wallets and Secure Element chip technology.

As our community grows, so does the need for security education - making this partnership a natural fit. From small community gatherings to partnering with one of the most trusted names in Web3 – this is what organic relationship-building looks like.

Want the full story? Check out the detailed version in our Community Alpha Newsletter, written by my favorite author, the w3.hub intern.

I didn’t plan to cry, but here we are

Community Alpha Part 79

And if you're feeling the vibe for this partnership, drop some love on my LinkedIn post!

Exciting announcement: Ledger is now the official house partner of w3.hub! | Vicktoria Klich

Have an idea for how Ledger could contribute to the w3.hub? Looking for workshops on crypto security or special community events? Let me know in the comments or feel free to reach out via DM :) | 32 comments on LinkedIn

This week, I was catching up on the latest “Alles Coin, Nichts Muss” - podcast where my favorite liquid fund manager (ok, I am super biased here) Julius Nagel broke down Coinbase's major announcement about their Base App (formerly Coinbase Wallet):

What caught my attention is how Coinbase is completely rebranding their wallet and transforming it from a simple crypto trading tool into a full-blown Web3 social platform.

The app now natively integrates Farcaster (the decentralized social network), allows content creators to tokenize their work through Zora, and even includes mini-apps similar to Worldcoin's approach.

Most interesting to me is that they're building a Base ID login system that could become the "Google login of Web3" - a single sign-on for the entire ecosystem.

Plus, they're rolling out payment solutions with partners like Shopify, making USDC payments seamless.

While the vision is ambitious (maybe even too ambitious by trying to do everything at once), I love that they're staying true to Web3 principles by integrating existing protocols rather than building competing alternatives.

They're not creating their own social network - they're integrating Farcaster. They're not launching their own tipping token - they're using what already exists.

You can read the official announcement here.

As you know, communication around w3.labs is my next big project after a successful Berlin Blockchain Week.

The topic of staking is becoming increasingly prominent in Germany, not least because of BlackRock's announcement that they want to add staking to their Ethereum ETF.

But what's the current focus in institutional staking? The key insights from our latest Web3 Investor Briefing:

Institutions are seeking regulatory-compliant staking solutions that meet their compliance requirements
Liquidity of staked assets is becoming increasingly important - nobody wants to lock their assets for an indefinite period
Risk management is at the forefront: slashing protection and insurance are becoming must-haves
Staking infrastructure is evolving into its own market with specialized providers

Combined with the positive announcements around Ethereum, attention to staking has suddenly moved into full focus.

I need your help!

To better understand the staking behavior of the people we're building products for, I'm currently launching a major interview survey (around 20 minutes).

Anyone who's interested in answering a few questions (there's no right or wrong) can reach out to me via email (just reply to this newsletter), LinkedIn or Telegram (@vickchick030). I'd especially love to hear from those of you who DON'T stake.

If you DON’T want to talk to me (even though I know it will be fun), you can also take 5mins of your time and support me with a survey about your staking behavior. You can be brutally honest.

I will share what I’ll learn along the way :)

Support me for good karma points <3

Mastercard is accelerating stablecoin adoption by launching new infrastructure that enables direct integration of stablecoins into their global payment network, potentially bringing crypto payments to billions of users worldwide.
PayPal to expand its $PYUSD stablecoin to the Arbitrum network.
Grayscale, one of crypto's largest asset managers, has confidentially filed for an IPO with the SEC, marking a significant milestone for institutional crypto adoption.
Centrifuge has successfully tokenized the S&P 500 index on-chain with their "Proof of Index" technology, creating a fully collateralized and transparent representation of traditional financial markets in DeFi.
Sharplink has accumulated 280,706 ETH (worth approximately $1 billion), surpassing the Ethereum Foundation's holdings to become one of the largest institutional holders of Ethereum.
Grayscale's Q3 2025 research report highlights emerging crypto sectors with significant growth potential, offering investors a comprehensive analysis of market trends and opportunities beyond the major cryptocurrencies.
What would a Stripe L1 look like?

Join Prismik - Building the Future of News

The Prismik Team is looking for Working Students to help them build Infographic AI and a smart News Data Layer.They are already working with The Pioneer and MorningCrunch, saving them €100k+ in costs.There mission is to empower people to make better decisions through verified, structured, and accessible information.

Open Positions: Front End & AI Engineer Working StudentInterested?

Shoot Phil a message answering:

1. Why do you believe high-quality and verified journalism is important for society and for you personally?
2. What is the most challenging problem you’ve solved so far, and how did you approach it?
3. Is there a hobby or skill you’ve mastered? What is your proudest achievement within it?

Email: phil@prismik.xyz

Phil is w3.hub member, and trust me: This is legit and he is actually quite funny ;)

Show some love and stake with us!

Onchain Culture - Digital Assets Special

This season, presented by w3.vision x Blockstories, takes a deep dive into the key verticals and trends shaping the digital assets industry - from tokenization and asset management to stablecoins.

Join our w3.community on TG

Don't miss out on any news, updates, & vibes anymore. Discord is so yesterday. Let's meet on Telegram.

Community Alpha by w3.hub Intern

Your weekly Web3 Event & Ecosystem Updates straight out of w3.hub in Berlin.

Web3 Investor Briefing by w3.group

Explore liquid token markets, venture-backed consumer apps, and the evolving landscape of staking infrastructure together with us.

That’s it.

See you next week 💅🏽

And while we're at it:

I'm on LinkedIn.

I'm on X.

Always here at w3.hub.

Active in the w3.group. Follow on LinkedIn to keep up with our projects.

I feel like it's 2021 again

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 18:23:30 +0000

You’ll learn a lot, trust me:

Bitcoin ATH - The “digital gold” just smashed through $119k, and the market is giving me that early 2021 NFT-phase tingly feeling again
Pump.fun Madness - $500M raised in 12 minutes for a memecoin launchpad. I break down what this means (and if it's sustainable)
Snoop's Telegram NFT - The OG is back in the NFT game with a Telegram drop that's getting serious attention
Stablecoin Revolution - How to actually make money in the stablecoin boom (hint: it's not by holding stables)
Solana Superteam Germany - The time Quinn, June and I competed against each other (spoiler: I didn't win)
AllUnity's EMI License - Germany just took a major step forward in European crypto regulation with the first BaFin-licensed Euro stablecoin

GM! I am back in Berlin, back at w3.hub and back on crypto charts.

This week gave me that tingling feeling again, just like my early 2021 NFT phase. That moment when there's so much money flowing into digital assets and crypto that you have to pinch yourself.

That's how it felt for me between a bitcoin all-time high, pump.fun raising millions in minutes, and Snoop Dogg's Telegram NFT - all while watching Joseph Lubin talking about Ethereum on CNBC and others celebrating stablecoin licenses in Germany.

Sounds pretty bullish, doesn't it?

I've been taking notes throughout the week, so don't worry as I got you cc'd.

I always miss Berlin food when I am away

Bitcoin just casually hit a new all-time high of around $119k, and when these milestones happen, I get that same "I knew it all along" feeling that flows through your body. While alts aren't quite where they were in their glory days, it feels like we just celebrated Bitcoin cracking $100k last week (we didn't - that's how fast things move here).
ETH is making moves too. Joseph Lubin was on CNBC talking about Ethereum's treasury strategy, positioning Ethereum as the backbone of financial system 2.0. As he explained on a recent Bankless panel, we're witnessing a "massive race to accumulate high-powered money" with Ether and Bitcoin being the highest-powered money because they're "permissionless and uncensorable." With stablecoins becoming increasingly essential, Ethereum stands to benefit massively as the primary settlement layer.

Ethereum co-founder on ETH treasury strategy and the crypto's utility

Speaking of stablecoins, we're celebrating a major breakthrough right here in Germany. AllUnity (a joint venture between DWS Group, Flow Traders, and Galaxy) just secured an EMI license from BaFin to launch Germany's first fully regulated Euro stablecoin, EURAU. This is a massive regulatory milestone showing Germany's leadership in European crypto regulation. AllUnity hosted a stablecoin day during Berlin Blockchain Week at w3.hub, and we're planning similar themed events in the near feature - hit me up if you have ideas.

Read the official LinkedIn Post here

Meanwhile, Snoop Dogg continues to be as essential to Web3 as our friends from Solana Superteam Germany are to the w3.hub. The man has been deep in the NFT game since my early days, and his latest Telegram NFT collection on the TON blockchain sold out almost instantly. The collection featured 1,000 NFTs at 500 Toncoin each (about $7,500), showing once again that Snoop knows how to make waves in the digital asset space.

And, guys, there is also a cringe song.

Other bullish signals? Coinbase partnering with Perplexity, Revolut selecting French protocol Morpho to power a new DeFi yield product, and NEAR Intents seeing explosive growth with daily volume jumping from around $1.5 million pre-June to a peak of $24 million.

Everyone's talking about the pump.fun token, but curiously, no one I asked wanted to invest. Still, they managed to raise $500 million USD in just 12 minutes. I'm not even shocked anymore because I can't comprehend these numbers.

The crash course

For those who haven't been following: pump.fun is a platform on the Solana blockchain that makes it extremely easy for anyone - even those with no coding skills - to create, buy, and trade memecoins in just a few clicks. The platform uses a bonding curve pricing model where token prices automatically increase as more people buy and decrease when people sell.

What made it revolutionary is its accessibility: Anyone can launch a token by simply connecting a Solana wallet, paying a small fee (about 0.02 SOL), and filling out a basic form with their coin's name, symbol, and image. When tokens reach a certain market cap, they can "graduate" to major DEXs like Raydium with locked liquidity to prevent rug pulls.

Now they're launching their own token with wild numbers: 1 trillion tokens total, with 24% reserved for community initiatives, 20% for the team, and various allocations for investors and ecosystem development. Their ambition? "Kill Facebook, TikTok, and Twitch on Solana." Bold claim.

As Julius Nagel, our w3.wave fund manager and co-host from the "Alles Coin Nichts Muss" podcast discussed this week, there's a fascinating game theory aspect to this launch: everyone buying at the same $4 billion valuation, with tokens immediately tradable, while team and investor tokens are locked. When everyone has the same plan to "buy and flip for a quick double," you have to wonder how that plays out.

Is it sustainable? Is it just another bubble? Does anyone care as long as number go up? The Bankless guys had some interesting pre-launch takes, comparing it to previous ICO cycles, but I'm still processing what it all means for the market.

Before you ask - yes, I've seen all the memes. My favorites:

I was listening to "Ohne Aktien wird schwer" with Noah Leidinger this week, where he shared an interesting perspective on stablecoins. Did you know that Tether has almost 80 tons of gold sitting in a Swiss vault? That's about $8 billion worth of gold backing their stablecoin. Wild.

While you can't invest directly in Tether, and Circle's valuation is sky-high, Noah pointed out a clever indirect play: Ethereum. About 50% of all stablecoin volume runs on Ethereum (with 30% on Tron and the rest on smaller chains).

The thesis is two-fold:

Stablecoin transactions generate fees on the Ethereum network
Ethereum's proof-of-stake system means financial players building stablecoins on Ethereum have an incentive to buy and stake ETH to help secure the network

Why Ethereum?

The three critical requirements for new financial infrastructure serving stablecoin holders:

Global Accessibility - Works for anyone with internet access, regardless of location
Institutional Safety - Provides the security, reliability, regulatory clarity, and customizability needed for billion-dollar financial products
Resistance to Government Interference - Operates beyond any single government's control, protecting against restrictions on dollar access

Source: Electric Capital

This isn't just Noah's random thought - American fund manager Tom Lee is so convinced by this thesis that he's building a company similar to MicroStrategy, but focused on buying up ETH instead of BTC.

Speaking of staking, my business partners Tim and Tom at w3.labs have been ahead of this curve for years. When they started staking funds for their own portfolios and family offices, they discovered there were no quality staking solutions that allowed Germans to stake in a secure, user-friendly, and compliant way. That's why they created w3.labs within the w3.group ecosystem - to solve this exact problem.

Our solution combines self-custody with regulatory safety while maintaining an easy-to-use interface. We've built enterprise-grade security with German-based infrastructure, full regulatory compliance (audited for KWG, WpIG, and MiCA), and comprehensive tax optimization so staking activities remain neutral regarding commerciality.

The results speak for themselves - we're currently ranked in the top 5 of all Ethereum validators on rated.network. If you want to stake at least 32 ETH and capture this stablecoin-powered upside without the headaches, check us out here.

The beauty of this approach is that you're not just betting on stablecoin adoption - you're positioning yourself to benefit from the entire ecosystem that makes those stablecoins possible, all while earning that sweet APR.

Stake with us <3

The three w3.hub musketeers Quinn, June and yours truly participated in one of the recent Solana Superteam bounties (check it out here).

To warm your heart as much as it warmed mine, here are all the videos (Quinn won - to be fair, June's and my videos were simply too long. gg Quinn)

Show some love and stake with us!

Onchain Culture - Digital Assets Special

This season, presented by w3.vision x Blockstories, takes a deep dive into the key verticals and trends shaping the digital assets industry - from tokenization and asset management to stablecoins.

Join our w3.community on TG

Don't miss out on any news, updates, & vibes anymore. Discord is so yesterday. Let's meet on Telegram.

Community Alpha by w3.hub Intern

Your weekly Web3 Event & Ecosystem Updates straight out of w3.hub in Berlin.

Web3 Investor Briefing by w3.group

Explore liquid token markets, venture-backed consumer apps, and the evolving landscape of staking infrastructure together with us.

That’s it.

See you next week 💅🏽

And while we're at it:

I'm on LinkedIn.

I'm on X.

Always here at w3.hub.

Active in the w3.group. Follow on LinkedIn to keep up with our projects.

Everyone is talking about it

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 12:40:00 +0000

I am sitting in the train and will arrive in a couple of mins. So let's be quick:

Robinhood's Tokenized Stocks - The biggest announcement from EthCC in Cannes that has the entire crypto world buzzing and even traditional finance taking notice.
What ARE Tokenized Stocks? - Breaking down what it actually means when we tokenize companies like Tesla or OpenAI, and Robinhood's three-phase implementation plan.
Coinbase vs. Robinhood - Not competitors but complementary players reshaping finance. How their different strategies (super-app vs. infrastructure provider) position them for the $10 trillion wealth transfer.
Berlin FOMO - Updates from the w3.hub I've been missing while enjoying "Hotel Mama" in Frankfurt before heading to Amsterdam.
Nuggets - From the first SOL staking ETF and Deutsche Bank's crypto custody plans to Figma's $70M Bitcoin treasury and Coinbase's latest acquisition.

GM from the train to Amsterdam. While I'm mentally preparing myself to survive a bachelorette party with the girls I went to school with, I'm scrolling through my X timeline.

EthCC in Cannes is top of mind, and between all the white party videos, one announcement has overshadowed everything else: Robinhood tokenized stocks.

That's what we'll be talking about today. And also how much I miss the w3.hub in Berlin after making myself comfortable for almost 2 weeks at “Hotel Mama” in Frankfurt.

Enjoying 38 degrees Celsius heat with my dog Jacques

There's literally no way you missed this one. The entire crypto world has been buzzing about it. Even my trusted business and finance podcasts/newsletters that normally wouldn't touch crypto with a ten-foot pole are all over this story.

Robinhood decided the French Riviera was the perfect backdrop for their latest marketing stunt. And let's be honest – it worked brilliantly.

What Actually Happened?

At a fancy estate outside Cannes during EthCC, Robinhood unveiled what might be its most ambitious crypto move yet: Tokenized US stocks, synthetic derivatives of private companies (yes, including OpenAI), and plans for a Layer 2 blockchain specifically built for real-world assets.

The immediate offering? More than 200 US stocks and ETFs available as tokens for eligible European users. Zero commission (though other fees apply), built-in dividend support, and trading available 24/5. Oh, and they're throwing in crypto perpetual futures for EU traders too.

Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev didn't mince words: "This year is the turning point. The time has come. I want crypto to be useful — not just Bitcoin and memecoins, but something that confers real utility."

But Wait... What ARE Tokenized Stocks?

This was my first question too: What does it actually mean to tokenize companies like Tesla or OpenAI? Where's the blockchain connection? Why do we even need this?

Let me explain it like you're 12:

Imagine you have trading cards. Each card represents a piece of a company (a stock). Normally, these cards can only be traded during certain hours, at specific places, and through special dealers who charge fees.

Now, Robinhood is creating digital versions of these cards on blockchain. These digital cards (tokens) track the price of the real cards, but can potentially be traded:

At any time (eventually 24/7)
By anyone with an internet connection
Without needing all those middlemen

The catch? Right now, these aren't ACTUAL shares. They're more like "stock derivatives" – financial products that mirror stock prices. You don't get shareholder rights, voting powers, or the ability to transfer them to other wallets (yet).

The Three-Phase Master Plan

Robinhood isn't hiding that this is just the beginning. Tenev outlined a three-phase roadmap:

Phase 1 (Live Now): Buy/sell 200+ stock tokens within the Robinhood app. These are fully synthetic, held by Robinhood, and created/destroyed with each trade.
Phase 2 (Coming Soon): Tokens will be tradable 24/7 via Bitstamp (the European exchange Robinhood recently acquired). Orders will route dynamically between Bitstamp and traditional markets based on liquidity and market hours.
Phase 3 (The Dream): Enable withdrawals to self-custody wallets. Tokens will eventually live on a dedicated Layer 2 chain built on Arbitrum Orbit, enabling DeFi use cases like lending.

The OpenAI Drama

The controversy deepened when OpenAI publicly stated they had nothing to do with the "OpenAI tokens" and didn't authorize or endorse their use. They emphasized that these tokens don't represent actual OpenAI equity, and any real share transfer would require their approval.

Awkward.

Why This Actually Matters

Beyond the hype, there are genuine advantages to tokenization:

Global Access: Offering US equities to international users typically involves a nightmare of infrastructure: clearing houses, custodians, settlement agents, local licensing. Tokenization potentially bypasses all that.
Operational Efficiency: Instead of juggling different settlement systems like DTCC and Clearstream, everything consolidates in one place.
Emerging Market Opportunity: For people in countries with limited brokerage access or unstable currencies, tokenized US stocks could be genuinely transformative.

But serious questions remain:

Regulatory Clarity: How will taxes work, especially for dividends? Who handles corporate actions like splits or mergers?
Consumer Protection: If these aren't real shares but derivatives, what protections do buyers have?
Actual Utility: Without self-custody or transferability (for now), how much of this is just marketing vs. true blockchain innovation?

The crypto-skeptic in me wonders if this is just repackaging traditional finance with blockchain buzzwords. The crypto-optimist sees this as a first step toward truly democratizing access to global markets.

Either way, when a company with Robinhood's reach makes a move like this, the whole industry watches.

I love to sound smart and the recent Bankless episode + a couple of Milk Road Newsletters & an amazing article by Artemis made me definitely a bit smarter about the bigger picture:

With Circle's recent successful IPO, Wall Street has signaled its hunger for crypto equity exposure. This puts Coinbase and Robinhood ($85B and $81B market caps respectively) in fascinating positions as they pursue fundamentally different strategies.

Two Different Approaches

Robinhood's Play:

Building the ultimate financial super-app for millennials and Gen Z. They've mastered the mobile-first experience and are expanding from trading into banking, payments, and crypto. Robinhood is betting our generation wants everything in one place.

Coinbase's Play:

Becoming the backend infrastructure provider for the financial world moving on-chain. While maintaining their retail exchange, Coinbase is increasingly focusing on becoming the "AWS of crypto" - providing tools and infrastructure that even traditional banks will use to offer crypto services.

Why This Matters

As one expert put it: "Coinbase is the thesis for the entire world moving on-chain." They're not just competing for retail users - they're trying to be the infrastructure layer powering every financial app.

Listen to the full pod

Some key insights:

Coinbase's USDC Advantage: They get 60% of Circle's revenue from USDC as pure profit. With stablecoin usage likely to grow 10x in coming years, this is a massive revenue stream.
The Infrastructure Battle: Coinbase has "crypto as a service" products used by 200+ institutions, while Robinhood is launching their own L2 chain to compete with Coinbase's Base.
The $10 Trillion Opportunity: Both companies are positioning to capture the massive wealth transfer from boomers to millennials over the next decade - Robinhood through user experience, Coinbase through on-chain technology.

The Real Competition

The most interesting insight? Robinhood and Coinbase might not be direct competitors at all. They're approaching finance from different angles, and both could win enormously.

As one analyst quipped: "Robinhood's developers that launch on Robinhood chain are going to be using Coinbase developer platform to build their apps."

That says it all - we're watching the emergence of a new financial stack where companies specialize in different layers rather than competing across the entire stack.

Both experts agreed on the long-term target: overtaking traditional financial giants like Bank of America ($300B+) and eventually JPMorgan ($800B+).

This isn't Coinbase vs. Robinhood. It's Coinbase AND Robinhood reshaping how finance works for our generation.

I've been back in Frankfurt for almost two weeks now, but that doesn't mean I've been completely disconnected. My Twitter feed and our w3.hub Telegram group have been keeping me updated on all the Berlin crypto happenings I've been missing.

For those of you who haven't visited w3.hub yet, consider this your open invitation. The coffee is strong, the conversations are stronger, and you never know who you might bump into or what project might spark from a random chat.

Become a w3.hub member, it’s great

First SOL staking ETF goes live, raising $12M on its Wall Street debut. Institutional money continues flowing into crypto through increasingly creative vehicles. Next stop: tokenized stocks? Oh wait…
Zachxbt exposes yet another scam.
Deutsche Bank aims to launch crypto custody service in 2026, joining the growing list of traditional financial giants embracing digital assets. Another sign that TradFi is no longer asking "if" but "when" regarding crypto adoption. Germany continues positioning itself as a crypto-friendly jurisdiction in Europe.
Bolt launches support for stablecoin payments in its checkout system. Another mainstream payment processor embracing crypto, making USDC and other stablecoins available to their merchants. The payment rails are slowly but surely being rebuilt.
Today we learned Figma has $70M BTC on the Balance Sheet.
Julius Recap: BTC tests the upper end of its range after a strong Q3 start, but remains range-bound until proven otherwise. Julius maintains a bullish mid-to-high timeframe bias due to the "perfect storm" setup (rate cuts, weak USD, geopolitical relief). He's watching DePIN and Crypto x AI narratives as potentially asymmetric opportunities.
Coinbase acquires token management platform Liquifi to strengthen its institutional offerings. The acquisition will help institutions manage token vesting, distribution, and governance - another piece in Coinbase's B2B infrastructure play.
Botanix Mainnet is live!

Show some love and stake with us!

Onchain Culture - Digital Assets Special

This season, presented by w3.vision x Blockstories, takes a deep dive into the key verticals and trends shaping the digital assets industry - from tokenization and asset management to stablecoins.

Join our w3.community on TG

Don't miss out on any news, updates, & vibes anymore. Discord is so yesterday. Let's meet on Telegram.

Community Alpha by w3.hub Intern

Your weekly Web3 Event & Ecosystem Updates straight out of w3.hub in Berlin.

Web3 Investor Briefing by w3.group

Explore liquid token markets, venture-backed consumer apps, and the evolving landscape of staking infrastructure together with us.

That’s it.

See you next week 💅🏽

And while we're at it:

I'm on LinkedIn.

I'm on X.

Always here at w3.hub.

Active in the w3.group. Follow on LinkedIn to keep up with our projects.

I am overwhelmed

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 07:23:56 +0000

I was gone for a while. Time to catch up. This is what you’ll get today:

BBW'25 Highlights - A quick recap of the most intense weeks with 30+ events and 60+ stakeholders that kept me away from this newsletter.
w3.labs Staking Event Success - Our first staking event during Berlin Blockchain Week was a total blast - learn what made it special.
Julius on "Crypto Stocks as the New S**tcoins" - My co-founder explains why altcoin money is flowing into wild stock plays like Circle's 6x IPO run.
AI Agents vs. Human Traders - Insights from Julius's AI Agent Summit panel on whether algorithms will replace human investors.
Top Picks & Nuggets - From JPMorgan launching tokens on Base to Euro stablecoins surging to $500M - everything you missed while I was busy.

GM GM,

I can't believe I'm finally writing another edition of cc'd and landing in your inbox again. If you follow me even a little, Berlin Blockchain Week definitely didn't pass you by (ideally you were there and we met. If we did, I was probably running around putting out fires, but hey, it's the thought that counts).

The time was intense, and I've already shared my recap post with you (read it here).

That was me playing Mario Kart while hosting a panel during our Gaming Summit

Now that the most intense weeks of our lives are behind us, I'm excited to cc you weekly again with what we're seeing in Web3, what's interesting straight from our w3 ecosystem, plus plenty of personal experiences through the lens of a young (still under 30, tihi) founder in the space.

By the way, this girl just hit 20k LinkedIn followers. Show some love.

And yes, I need to step up my X game. One thing at a time.

Treat yourselves to ultimate BBW’25 content one last time. 14 days, 30+ events, 60+ stakeholders. And so so so much love. My few highlights:

What a kickoff! | OneFootball

In June, we brought OneFootball Club to the community — IRL and in full force, powered by OKX. From our early members to our incredible partners at Animoca Brands, Base, Mythical Games, w3.hub, and more — this was a celebration of a movement that’s only just getting started.

Our marketing wizard Quinn aka the w3.hub intern shared more in his recent issue of the Community Alpha. Read it here.

Feeling the FOMO? After Berlin Blockchain Week comes Fashion Week. And we got an event for you:

"KULTURWANDEL" Berlin Fashion Week · Luma

"KULTURWANDEL" JULY 3, 2025 | 18:00 - 22:00 | BERLIN FASHION WEEK Exploring cultures in the margins through art, fashion, tech & the internet. Powered by…

w3.labs is the company that's especially close to my heart right now. During Berlin Blockchain Week, we hosted our first event on staking and IT WAS A BLAST. Read my post and learn what I did differently this time and which absolute bangers we had in the lineup:

After 9 days of hosting a lot of events by other amazing hosts, we kicked off day 9 out of 14 with our very own Global Staking Forum + I finally (!) got to test out a new panel format! | Vicktoria Klich

Since staking is still a niche yet crucial topic, we wanted to connect with people genuinely interested and active in this field. Berlin Blockchain Week was the perfect opportunity.

The best thing you can do from now on to support our w3 activities is to stake with our community validators. Show some love and stake with us.

I love listening to smart people, and our fund manager Julius ist definitely one of them (with an amazing german podcast).

In one of the recent episodes he shares an interesting perspective on why altcoins have been underperforming lately - all the degenerate money that used to flow into random Layer 2 tokens is now flooding into crypto stocks instead. And honestly? The returns are looking WILD:

Circle went from a $31 IPO to hitting $200 (now at a $50B valuation - the same as Coinbase, which makes absolutely zero sense in an "efficient market")
MicroStrategy has been outperforming Bitcoin itself
SPAD (a gaming company turned Ethereum treasury) went from $3 to over $100 before crashing 90% in a matter of days

The pattern is clear: Instead of gambling on altcoins for leverage, traditional finance bros are now piling into these crypto-adjacent stocks for their Bitcoin/crypto exposure. Same risk appetite, different vehicle.

As Julius put it: "If you look at these returns, crypto stocks are the new shitcoins." The question is whether this is sustainable or if we're building another house of cards.

Julius also shared insights from his panel at the AI Agent Summit during Berlin Blockchain Week, discussing whether AI agents will eventually become better investors than humans.

His take? It depends on the market:

• For data-driven, transparent markets (like day trading), AI agents and especially "swarms" of collaborative agents will absolutely outperform humans

• For markets built on information asymmetry (like venture capital), humans still have an edge through relationships and intuition

In the short term, Julius sees a hybrid approach winning - humans working with AI agents as their supercharged analysts and execution tools, with humans maintaining final decision-making authority.

But the Renaissance Technologies example is telling - their Medallion Fund has delivered 45% returns after fees for 30+ years using pure statistical models with minimal human intervention. When their founder Jim Simons would call panicking during market crashes, the team would remind him: "We're playing a statistics game, not an 'I think I know better' game."

The future might belong to those who can fully trust their AI partners and resist the urge to override them during moments of market panic. But are we ready for that level of surrender?

I'm back, so read this carefully.

Fri, 23 May 2025 19:26:13 +0000

21t

w3.fund updates: For those of you who forgot that we're not just a co-working space and an event platform: our fund has some portfolio updates.
My co-founder Henrik dropped some nuggets on the crypto x AI narrative.
No way you're going to miss anything around Berlin Blockchain Week. I'm sharing some tweets, updates, links, and all the stuff you need to close your laptop and head into the weekend.

GM GM, I am back.

This newsletter literally had an outage last week because I got super sick. But I was able to dab my tears dry with a juicy Bitcoin all-time high. (Even though Arthur Hayes thinks we're not there yet).

Get ready, because retail is coming:

What can I say, my head is deep in all things Berlin Blockchain Week. I'm transforming from co-founder of w3.group to co-founder of w3.vibes aka speaker relations and event experience.

My life currently consists less of consumer crypto and more of project management, presentations, and countless Notion databases.

But so none of you can say you didn't catch what's happening with us, I've cc'd you all.

Huge milestone for our portfolio company Iron! - Henrik Bredenbals

The Mastercard x MoonPay partnership will enable stablecoin spending at 150M+ merchants globally and will be powered by Iron technology.

Our portfolio company VOYA Games raised $5 Million! | w3.group

At w3.fund, we’re selective about the Web3 projects we back, and VOYA Games exemplifies why. Their approach to building a player-owned economy is thoughtful, sustainable, and focused on real utility rather than speculation.

What’s happening in Web3? [German Podcast] | Feliks Eyser

Was passiert eigentlich im Web3? Passend zur Crypto Rallye: Das große Blockchain Update mit Vicktoria Klich und Henrik Bredenbals: Moritz ist Limited Partner (Investor) bei w3.fund. Meine w3.group Partner Vicky, Henrik und ich geben ihm ein Update - und dachten wir zeichnen es für Founder Mode einfach auf 😊

My co-founder just dropped his insights on how AI agents and Web3 are colliding to create entirely new economic paradigms. According to VanEck's predictions, we'll see 1 million new AI agents in 2025 alone. We're witnessing the birth of an economy where autonomous agents directly exchange value with each other – making crypto infrastructure not just useful, but essential.

The most promising intersection? DeFAI – the fusion of decentralized finance with artificial intelligence. This sector's market cap is already approaching $1.5 billion, becoming the proving ground for agent-based systems that autonomously manage capital, analyze markets, and execute complex financial strategies.

What's fascinating is how the DeFAI landscape is evolving into distinct categories:

Abstraction protocols like Griffain and HeyAnon that let you simply tell your agents what you want ("Stake 5 ETH for the highest yield")
Autonomous portfolio managers like Fungi optimizing yields across chains
Market analysis agents like AIXBT processing vast amounts of on-chain and off-chain data

The killer insight? Traditional payment rails weren't built for the high-frequency, low-value, conditional transactions that agent interactions require. Blockchain technology enables programmable money that can be transferred instantly, in microscopic amounts, with built-in conditions. Without these capabilities, a truly autonomous agent economy would be impossible.

For the next generation, this means personal AI financial advisors that not only provide guidance but can autonomously execute complex strategies. Think Robinhood Cortex but on steroids – democratizing access to sophisticated wealth management that was previously only available to the wealthy.

We're looking at mainstream adoption of basic agent-based financial services within 2-3 years, with more sophisticated autonomous systems becoming commonplace by the end of the decade.

Read the full newsletter here

Marketing Wizard Quinn created this video today, showing how we're preparing as a team:

Last week I asked the builders at the Solana Build Station what they're working on (you'll get the full reveal at Demo Day during the Solana Startup Village):

Some of the smartest people I know are building on Solana. Vicktoria Klich

For their global Breakout Hackathon, teams have been hustling day and night on one of our floors, building until the submission deadline.
What problems are they solving? I decided to record it for you.

We also asked people what they associate with Berlin (it's wholesome):

I've publicly spoken out against panels.

Ever sat through a 45-minute speech or panel where you checked your phone more than the stage? Vicktoria Klich

My controversial take?
No more panels.
No speeches longer than 15 minutes.
Instead, we need:

Now the pressure is even higher to deliver at our events. Where you can see our art unfold:

Global Staking Forum (RSVP here)
Interoperability Day (RSVP here)
Gaming Summit (RSVP here)

A video I didn’t know I need about how to crush a hackathon:

By the way, these are the hackathons happening at w3.hub during Berlin Blockchain Week:

Cardano Hackathon (RSVP here)
NEAR AI Hackathon (RSVP here)
ZK Hack (RSVP here)

Subscribe to our BBW event calendar

Show some love and stake with us!

Onchain Culture - Digital Assets Special

This season, presented by w3.vision x Blockstories, takes a deep dive into the key verticals and trends shaping the digital assets industry - from tokenization and asset management to stablecoins.

Join our w3.community on TG

Don't miss out on any news, updates, & vibes anymore. Discord is so yesterday. Let's meet on Telegram.

Community Alpha by w3.hub Intern

Your weekly Web3 Event & Ecosystem Updates straight out of w3.hub in Berlin.

Web3 Investor Briefing by w3.group

Explore liquid token markets, venture-backed consumer apps, and the evolving landscape of staking infrastructure together with us.

That’s it.

See you next week 💅🏽

And while we're at it:

I'm on LinkedIn.

I'm on X.

Always here at w3.hub.

Active in the w3.group. Follow on LinkedIn to keep up with our projects.

Fuel w3.hub's Ecosystem

Mon, 12 May 2025 10:09:41 +0000

GMGM! The entire w3.group team is excited to share one of our next projects - w3.labs - with you. Our Ethereum, Solana & Celestia validators are live and you can start staking with us immediately.

Stake with us in under 3mins ↓

I am going to show you how it works!

Click here to watch the demo video.

Start your staking journey with us

In a (written) nutshell:

You can now stake your Solana and Celestia tokens with just a few clicks on our validators to earn rewards on your assets and fuel the growth of the w3.group ecosystem.

For Solana and Celestia, we offer delegated staking on our community validators, while for Ethereum, we provide native staking within our w3.labs application.

With us, you'll experience a smooth and intuitive setup to start earning rewards on your Ethereum immediately.

Show some love and stake with us

Our solution is refreshingly straightforward:

You keep full custody of your tokens
Your staking stays non-commercial – no surprise tax classification changes
You decide when to claim rewards – control your own tax timing
We provide all documentation needed for tax season
Everything is audited by Osborne Clarke for MiCA, KWG, and WpIG compliance

We ranked #1 on the ETH effectiveness leaderboard

Considering we literally just launched, this achievement is proof that we're heading in the right direction!

Check out the leaderboard here

What you might have missed

Our announcement probably didn't go unnoticed by you in the past few weeks. If you haven't been following us on LinkedIn, X, or through our newsletters, no worries! We've compiled the most important information for you here, where you'll learn:

Much love!

Vicky & the w3.group team

We ranked #1

Sun, 11 May 2025 14:59:40 +0000

Your Sunday-bite:

Ethereum makes its comeback – The Foundation has new leadership with a laser focus on scaling L1, scaling blobs, and improving UX. Dankrad Feist even proposed scaling Ethereum L1 by 100x over the next 4 years.
Worldcoin finds unlikely product-market fit – Tinder is now using WorldID to verify users are real humans, potentially spreading across all of Match Group's 16 dating apps. Dystopian orb, meet dating apps.
w3.labs validator demo incoming – I spent my entire Friday recording that tutorial you've all been asking for. The ridiculously simple UI for staking will land in your inbox tomorrow.
Berlin Blockchain Week taking over June – Our calendar is filling up with events, and our beautiful new w3.hub website is live. Subscribe to our BBW calendar to stay updated.

GM.

Prices go up, so… We're back, I guess? And just in time. Berlin Blockchain Week is around the corner. And since this newsletter isn't just me throwing random headlines at you, but actually sharing the stuff I'm dealing with in my day-to-day, we can't really skip over Berlin Blockchain Week. And I know you're into it - I see exactly where you're clicking the most.

I got you cc’d, so let’s dive into it:

I spent my entire Friday playing around with our w3.labs validators and recording that demo you've all been asking for - ahem - at least that's what I tell myself.

More details about our w3.labs platform and the ridiculously simple UI for staking through our website will land in your inbox on Monday (aka tomorrow).

A little sneak peek

That's when you'll get to witness my glorious demo that has me wondering if being a presenter might have been my calling in some parallel universe.

Also, big news:

Ethereum is back

The Ethereum Foundation has a new leadership team (you can meet them in a recent Bankless podcast) with a laser focus on three priorities: scaling the layer 1, scaling blobs, and improving UX. Some call it a "pivot," others a "strategic reprioritization."

Dankrad Feist (Ethereum Researcher) proposed scaling the Ethereum L1 by 100x over the next 4 years, arguing that "the current way of doing things is likely to make Ethereum irrelevant over the next 5 to 10 years."

The Pectra upgrade just went live, improving data availability and developer tools as part of Ethereum's proto-danksharding roadmap.

What's fascinating is watching Ethereum evolve from ideology to product. While Bitcoin positions itself as digital gold (with the Trump administration calling it a "space race" to accumulate), Ethereum is becoming the productive financial infrastructure layer people actually use.

Worldcoin is also back and they brought a new use case

World ID as proof of humanity sounds super boring, but this is exactly what we signed up for. I've been full-time in this space since early 2021. I haven't seen as much as those "I bought Bitcoin in 2015" OGs, but I've been focused on consumer applications from day one because I wanted to change the world (lol. dream big).

Well, now Sam Altman is (again) changing the world with his matchmaking Tinder x World ID integration. You might laugh at this, but I've recently read an interesting quote on this:

"The more 'boring' a form of crypto adoption is, the more likely it is to actually happen."

It's not going to be some flashy game or social app that onboards the world - it's existing Web2 apps quietly moving onchain without users even knowing it.

Tinder is now using WorldID (Worldcoin's iris scanning tech) to verify users are real humans. This could spread across all of Match Group's 16 dating apps (including Hinge, PlentyOfFish, and OkCupid). Considering about 50% of adults under 30 use dating apps, we're looking at potential mass adoption of blockchain tech happening right under our noses.

The dystopian eyeball-scanning orb is finding its product-market fit in... making sure your Hinge date isn't an AI bot. Not what we expected, but maybe exactly what we needed?

Quick Hits

Tether just announced "Tether AI" - because why not jump on the AI bandwagon when you're sitting on billions in reserves?
Coinbase quietly launched Base Payments, essentially rewriting the internet's payment layer with onchain infrastructure
Google Wallet is now rolling out age and identity verification features - another tech giant slowly entering our territory
Robinhood is planning to build a blockchain to let Europeans trade US assets - the TradFi to crypto pipeline continues

Ok, the title is a bit misleading - the real event managers are Dongsinne and Nate - but our entire team will need to make a significant contribution to fully leverage the month of June.

I wrote in a previous LinkedIn post about how frequently I'm on stage these days and how much it has helped me build my personal brand. This is an opportunity I want some of you to have too.

Speak at Berlin Blockchain Week

Our calendar is filling up with more and more events, and I don't care if you find it annoying, I'm going to mention it in every single issue (so none of you can say at the end that you didn't know something. This is exactly why cc'd exists).

New events are being added weekly, so it's worth not just checking our BBW event calendar once, but actually subscribing to it so you don't miss any updates.

Subscribe to our BBW event calendar here

Oh and by the way, our new w3.hub website is live and I know self-praise stinks but people it is so beautiful, I look at it every day. And you should too.

The Berlin Blockchain Week section on our w3.hub website

Honest reflection on Token2049 | Philipp Beer

Had a great week in Dubai attending Token2049, reconnecting with portfolio companies, friends, and many inspiring founders and investors. While supercars lined Dubai’s streets during Token2049, the real wealth was being built behind closed doors. Reflecting on the many conversations, here are my key takeaways…

Crypto at Germans largest Marketing & Tech Festival OMR | Julius Nagel

By a show of hands, it looked like more than half the audience had already invested in crypto assets. So, can we still say the mass market is coming — or is it already here?

Show some love and stake with us!

Onchain Culture - Digital Assets Special

This season, presented by w3.vision x Blockstories, takes a deep dive into the key verticals and trends shaping the digital assets industry - from tokenization and asset management to stablecoins.

Join our w3.community on TG

Don't miss out on any news, updates, & vibes anymore. Discord is so yesterday. Let's meet on Telegram.

Community Alpha by w3.hub Intern

Your weekly Web3 Event & Ecosystem Updates straight out of w3.hub in Berlin.

Web3 Investor Briefing by w3.group

Explore liquid token markets, venture-backed consumer apps, and the evolving landscape of staking infrastructure together with us.

That’s it.

See you next week 💅🏽

And while we're at it:

I'm on LinkedIn.

I'm on X.

Always here at w3.hub.

Active in the w3.group. Follow on LinkedIn to keep up with our projects.

I asked 100+ people about this

Sun, 04 May 2025 13:36:27 +0000

It’s Sunday. Sit down and relax:

Trump pumped again – Trump Tower now accepts crypto payments, proving once again that crypto and conservative politics are having quite the love affair these days.
Mastercard goes all-in on stablecoins – Through a partnership with Nuvei, merchants can now accept stablecoin payments like USDC through Mastercard's network, even if customers pay with fiat.
Ethereum Foundation drops major update – The EF published a vision document with actual substance: scaling Layer-1, expanding blobspace, and finally making Ethereum usable for normal humans (?).
Berlin Blockchain Week is coming to w3.hub – After weeks of teasing, I can finally spill the details on our multi-floor event series happening June 9-22.
Staking economics 101 – With over $100B currently staked across major networks, staking has evolved from a niche technical concept to one of crypto's most reliable yield generators.

GM everyone and welcome to cc'd, the newsletter that's once again landing in your inbox two days late, because let's be honest, May 1st in Berlin is just crazy. As an apology, I've brought you a healthy mix of Web3 updates and w3 updates.

Besides my job as co-founder of w3.group and amateur reporter for this newsletter, LinkedIn, and sometimes X (though I still feel like a boomer there), I'm currently training my working student Nafiza (there's a little shoutout post about her here) to become a significant support in our marketing team.

Right now, I'm doing the splits between Berlin Blockchain Week and w3.labs - both topics that are top of mind in today's issue. And regardless of which day of the week it is, I go you cc'd.

Usually, the nuggets come at the end of the newsletter. But since this format was well received in the last issue, and I'm listening to your feedback (most of the time, lol), here's an overview of the top headlines before we dive deeper into my week:

Trump pumped again – Trump Tower now accepts crypto payments, proving once again that crypto and conservative politics are having quite the love affair these days.
Mastercard goes all-in on stablecoins – Through a partnership with Nuvei, one of the world's largest acquirers, merchants can now accept stablecoin payments like USDC through Mastercard's payment network, even if their customers pay with fiat.
Abu Dhabi launches sovereign stablecoin – The UAE's sovereign wealth fund is teaming up with First Abu Dhabi Bank to launch their own stablecoin, because apparently every country wants their own digital currency now (looking at you, Hong Kong).
Elon's AI gets an upgrade – Elon Musk announced that Grok 3.5 will launch in early beta next week, promising it can explain rocket science better than actual rocket scientists (classic Elon move).
Ripple reportedly tried to buy Circle – XRP issuer Ripple reportedly offered $4-5B to acquire USDC stablecoin issuer Circle.
Visa expands crypto in Latin America – The payments giant continues its aggressive push into crypto adoption across emerging markets, because nothing says "we need alternatives" quite like sky-high inflation.
Web3 dev sentiment check (Token2049 edition) – Nader Dabit shared an interesting thread about the state of Web3 development, confirming what I've been saying: the builders are still building, just with less hype and more substance.
The Ethereum Foundation published a comprehensive vision document outlining their new structure and goals. And let me tell you, it's not the typical corporate BS – they're getting specific about what matters: scaling Layer-1, expanding blobspace, and actually making Ethereum usable for normal humans (finally!).

For weeks, we've been teasing what's happening during Berlin Blockchain Week at w3.hub. And while you've been wondering which dates to keep free and which events to attend, I can finally announce: the wait is over.

🚀 What's on our agenda?

Summits
Hackathons
Community runs
Raves And much more, all centered around the most disruptive technologies in the industry!

What exactly will happen at w3.hub? Read the following carefully with a little bit of fantasy: Imagine a space so engaging you won't want to leave. That's what we're creating at w3.hub:

Multiple floors of activities
Seamless event-hopping (stairs or elevator – you choose!)
A new discovery at every turn

What was top of mind during planning? Avoiding the stuff that can be annoying at crypto events.

And even better: you basically never need to leave w3.hub between June 9-22 – depends on the events you signed up for and whether they're open for everyone or closed gatherings.

It feels almost like a festival with multiple stages and all your favorite acts cough ecosystems onsite, while also taking care of basic needs (food, sports, dogs...) – all in our building.

The first events are officially live – check out our BBW calendar and don't forget to subscribe, as more events will be added in the coming weeks → subscribers will be the first to know when and what's happening.

Subscribe here

And if you want to host your own event or contribute to the community, there's a 30-second typeform here AND a reference post that I found really cool:

Hackathons aren’t just for coders - and I found that out by accident | Bartosz Riedl

Last weekend, I ended up at the Cardano Hackathon made by Masumi in Berlin - not as a participant, but simply to support a newly met friend who needed a bit of mental backup.

Okay folks, I've got one more: if you can't wait 4 weeks to surround yourself with hungry builders, you're obviously reading this newsletter at exactly the right time:

The Solana Build Station is happening for the fifth (!!) time in 3 years on the 3rd floor of w3.hub. That means: 2 whole weeks of a floor full of builders working together and learning from each other during the Colosseum hackathon. Community through and through.

More on this in my current LinkedIn post (at what point does it become cringe to reference yourself?):

The Berlin Build Station is back - an event that makes me emotional… | Vicktoria Klich

I remember when Noe and Tamar approached us with the idea for the first Solana Build Station in February 2023. We had just moved into w3.hub and scrambled to furnish the empty space where hundreds of builders would soon be working on their projects for 6 weeks.

If you've been following our Web3 Investor Briefing (if not, what are you waiting for?), you'll know we've been diving deep into staking economics lately. And for good reason – staking has evolved from a niche technical concept to a fundamental part of crypto's value proposition.

The following is a mix of the 'Staking Sector Overview' and the latest issue of our Web3 Investor Briefing excerpt from Tom König:

The numbers don't lie: we're looking at over $100B in staked assets across the major PoS networks, with Ethereum alone accounting for more than half of that value. What started as a security mechanism has transformed into one of crypto's most reliable yield generators.

But not all staking is created equal. The mechanics differ significantly across chains:

Ethereum staking yields have stabilized around 3-4% annually – not exactly making you rich overnight, but still outperforming many traditional savings accounts
Solana offers a more generous 6-7%, but with different validator economics
Cosmos ecosystem chains often provide 8-15% but come with higher volatility and risk

After launching w3.labs, we surveyed 100+ people in our community and found four consistent barriers most people face:

Many still don't understand the fundamental benefits
Tax concerns create hesitation (especially in Germany)
Documentation and reporting remain major pain points
Complexity pushes users toward centralized platforms by default

The staking landscape offers several approaches, each with tradeoffs:

Exchange staking: User-friendly but sacrifices self-custody (Coinbase, Binance)
Liquid staking: Maintains capital efficiency but creates tax complications (Lido, Rocket Pool)
Delegated staking: Balances control and ease-of-use (Solana, Cosmos chains)
Running validators: Maximum control but requires technical expertise

How we support you on your staking journey

Show some love and stake with us!

Onchain Culture - Digital Assets Special

This season, presented by w3.vision x Blockstories, takes a deep dive into the key verticals and trends shaping the digital assets industry - from tokenization and asset management to stablecoins.

Join our w3.community on TG

Don't miss out on any news, updates, & vibes anymore. Discord is so yesterday. Let's meet on Telegram.

Community Alpha by w3.hub Intern

Your weekly Web3 Event & Ecosystem Updates straight out of w3.hub in Berlin.

Web3 Investor Briefing by w3.group

Explore liquid token markets, venture-backed consumer apps, and the evolving landscape of staking infrastructure together with us.

That’s it.

See you next week 💅🏽

And while we're at it:

I'm on LinkedIn.

I'm on X.

Always here at w3.hub.

Active in the w3.group. Follow on LinkedIn to keep up with our projects.

I have some updates to share

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 19:24:04 +0000

Let's dive right in before my laptop battery dies completely:

Big moves in the crypto space, highlighting Circle, PayPal, Coinbase and Ethereum
Start earning passive income with our new staking validators
M0Labs (w3.hub members) just solved Hyperliquid's stablecoin problem
Find our fund managers at the most important industry conferences

Welcome to cc'd, the newsletter that promises to be released on Fridays just to be released on Saturday/Sunday-ish.

Since we've expanded from one to three editions of our newsletter series (aka subscribe to the other two, Web3 Investor Briefing and Community Alpha) and I'm writing much more content myself, it's taking longer lol.

This week I had the pleasure of speaking at Q Summit in Mannheim and meeting friends at the Hockenheimring (thanks Mercedes-Benz) to drive on the racetrack.

My takeaway: I am a good drifter. And: I haven't been on stage for a while and I missed it, especially because I could let my creativity flow freely again. By the way, I shared my best practices on speaking a few days ago on LinkedIn.

Since I'm writing to you from the train back to Berlin with my laptop clinging to its last 20% battery with no power outlet in sight, today's updates are compact and delicious in under 5 minutes reading time.

Circle's global payments network leverages USDC/EURC to tackle the $150T cross-border market still running on outdated, expensive tech.
PayPal's PYUSD now trades fee-free on Coinbase with DeFi exploration plans, while offering US users 3.7% yield in PayPal/Venmo wallets.
"Prompt space" explores AI's vast input/output landscape, highlighting the untapped potential of human-AI creative collaboration.
Tether becomes Juventus FC's second-largest investor, signaling crypto's push for mainstream visibility through traditional sports.
Trump Media partners with Crypto.com to launch ETFs as Truth Social pivots from failing ad revenue, leveraging Trump's crypto-friendly administration.
Ethereum faces a critical moment as Solana dominates user metrics; May's Pectra upgrade and Vitalik's RISC-V proposal could boost performance 100x - if they arrive in time.
Coinbase's trillion-dollar strategy mirrors Apple's playbook: building an integrated financial ecosystem with network effects, already managing 15% of all crypto assets.
Zora's token launch disaster allocated 65% to insiders, offered zero utility ("for fun only"), and crashed 50% amid technical failures and community backlash.

Ever wondered how staking actually generates returns? Let me break it down for you:

Similar to how Bitcoin secures its network through miners using computing power, Ethereum and other Proof-of-Stake chains secure their networks through validators using economic stake.

These network participants secure the network by staking their tokens as a collateral. While validators still need servers to operate, this approach uses substantially less energy while effectively verifying transactions and maintaining network security.

And guess what? They get paid for it!

The blockchain gives them new tokens and a cut of the transaction fees as a as a reward for participating in network security.

The impact on portfolios can be significant. By year 5, our example staking portfolio shows a higher value compared to the non-staking approach, demonstrating the potential long-term benefits of staking.

This isn't about getting rich quick. I'm in crypto for the long haul, and staking is perfect for that. Your rewards pile up over time, and it helps smooth out those crazy price swings we all don't like.

Plus, you're actually helping make the network stronger instead of just hoping prices go up.

Interested in learning more about our compliant staking solutions?

You can already start staking your assets with us! We are live on Ethereum, Solana, and Celestia.

Show some love and stake with us <3

Normally I'm the one in front of the camera finding the right words to convince you about our ecosystem.

This week, we're watching Quinn (aka w3.hub intern) make his debut on crypto Twitter with his "all eyes on him" moment.

Berlin Blockchain Week in June means we'll be hosting many events simultaneously across multiple floors. There is still some space to participate - whether it's with an event, a speaking slot, sponsorship or ambassador proposals.

Be part of BBW’25

Our friends at M0labs just solved a major problem for Hyperliquid traders with their new HUSD stablecoin.

Despite handling a trillion dollars in trading last year, Hyperliquid was missing its own native dollar - forcing users to deal with bridge risks and extra steps.

HUSD changes everything by offering complete transparency (you can see exactly what backs each token) while sharing the profits with the community instead of keeping them. This means more rewards for users and builders who help grow the ecosystem - a refreshing approach compared to traditional stablecoins that pocket all the revenue.

Our w3.ventures portfolio company Senken acquires Ivy! I'm especially excited since Henrik, Nate (aka my co-founders) and I studied with Ivy's founders. It feels like a full circle moment.

Senken is thrilled to announce the acquisition of Ivy! 🌱💚

This means we now comprehensively cover the entire carbon project lifecycle, providing unmatched transparency and quality assurance for corporate buyers.

It's time for Token2049 again. And our w3.wave fund manager Philipp will be there. Who should he definitely meet?

Our fund manager, Philipp is heading to TOKEN2049 in Dubai

Since launching our liquid token fund w3.wave, we’ve been engaging with projects and investors globally.

With Dubai currently being a hotspot for Web3, we’re excited to connect with the brightest minds in the industry.

Dubai too far away? Fortunately, Julius (the other w3.wave fund manager) will be at Germany's largest marketing festival, OMR, this year.

Meet me at OMR

Florian and I just celebrated the 3rd birthday of our "Alles Coin, Nichts Muss" podcast with OMR & Finance Forward. I'm excited to return to #OMR this year, where I'll join Denny from Coinbase and Patricia from Solana Superteam to discuss "Crypto - who wins the battle for the mass market."

Show some love and stake with us!

Onchain Culture - Digital Assets Special

This season, presented by w3.vision x Blockstories, takes a deep dive into the key verticals and trends shaping the digital assets industry - from tokenization and asset management to stablecoins.

Join our w3.community on TG

Don't miss out on any news, updates, & vibes anymore. Discord is so yesterday. Let's meet on Telegram.

Community Alpha by w3.hub Intern

Your weekly Web3 Event & Ecosystem Updates straight out of w3.hub in Berlin.

Web3 Investor Briefing by w3.group

Explore liquid token markets, venture-backed consumer apps, and the evolving landscape of staking infrastructure together with us.

That’s it.

See you next week 💅🏽

And while we're at it:

I'm on LinkedIn.

I'm on X.

Always here at w3.hub.

Active in the w3.group. Follow on LinkedIn to keep up with our projects.

Finally (!) I can share this with you

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 09:03:23 +0000

Let’s get to the point so you can enjoy your holidays:

We are launching our next company and making staking and infrastructure easy and available to all of you!
Vitalik dropped a new blog post on privacy, and I had to read it twice.
We asked our community what they want to see during Berlin Blockchain Week.
I have two jobs for you.

In the last 4.5 years, I've worn more hats at our w3.group companies than I can count on both hands.

When we launched w3.fund, I was knee-deep in due diligence and investment processes. Back then, we were mainly investing in early stage Web3 startups (we still do that, but it’s not the only focus anymore).
Then suddenly with the first w3.vision x DMEXCO collab (one of Europe's largest marketing and tech fairs with 40k+ attendees), I became an event manager, speaker coordinator, and somehow ended up on stage myself. My LinkedIn Top Voice journey kicked off around the same time, and before I knew it, we were hosting events across the globe like it was no big deal.

w3.vision x DMEXCO 2023

The w3.hub was my biggest baby so far. 1500sqm² built from absolute scratch, community building, endless onboardings, and that special chaos that comes with creating something from nothing.

w3.hub Day 1 - January 2023

Then w3.vision partnered with Blockstories for the Digital Assets Season. And all of a sudden we where knee-deep into the TradFi space. More content creation, speaking gigs, partner management, and crafting those event experiences you all seemed to enjoy.
Meanwhile, we launched w3.wave (our liquid token fund), where I jumped in to support our fund manager Julius and Philipp with comms.

And now? Now there's w3.labs. My next project. My next adventure.

After teasing "big announcements coming soon" in the last few newsletters (I see you rolling your eyes), it's finally time to pull back the curtain.

Without further ado, I got you cc'd.

Staking in Germany isn't straightforward. Most crypto holders avoid it due to regulatory fears, missing out on staking rewards. This challenge is one that needed solving, and I wanted to share how we're addressing it.

Back in 2017, Tom König and Tim Keding jumped into the world of digital assets with both feet. What started as personal curiosity quickly turned into something bigger. They were staking their own crypto and immediately hit a wall - the tax implications were a nightmare, the regulatory picture was blurry, and despite their backgrounds (Tom as a software engineer and Tim with his entrepreneurial experience), they couldn't make sense of it all.

Why stake at all?

The answer is compelling: staking offers a passive income while supporting the networks you believe in. Over time, the difference is substantial - a staked portfolio can significantly outperform a non-staked one.

Here's the challenge - people want to stake their crypto but are scared off by:

Accidentally triggering commercial status (by running their own validator)
Losing beneficial ownership of their tokens
Having no control over when rewards create taxable events
The lack of proper documentation for tax season

They looked everywhere for a solution but found nothing that balanced technical capability with compliance. That's when they decided to build what they wished existed.

w3.labs Founding Team

To realize their idea, it was clear that it should be implemented as an integration into the w3.group, where Tim is already a founding partner. With our flywheel of funds, media, community, and co-working already in place, the technical component complemented it like the final missing puzzle piece.

With w3.labs, we've created something unique - a staking platform that respects the complex regulatory landscape while being genuinely user-friendly. The solution keeps things simple:

You maintain full ownership of your tokens (Think of it like parking your car in a secure garage - it's still your car, you just get paid for letting it sit there)
Your staking stays non-commercial (No surprise letters from the tax office saying "Congratulations, you're now a business!" - because nobody needs that headache)
You decide when to claim rewards and trigger tax events (Like having a piggy bank you can break open whenever it makes the most sense for your taxes)
We provide comprehensive documentation for tax season (Imagine having all your receipts perfectly organized instead of stuffed in a shoebox)
Everything is audited by Osborne Clarke for full compliance (It's like having a legal co-pilot making sure you never fly into restricted airspace. You’re welcome.)

This is what excites me most about w3.labs - we're taking something technically and regulatorily complex and making it available to anyone. It completes our w3.group ecosystem and moves us closer to our vision of widespread digital asset adoption.

If you're interested in learning more or have questions about compliant staking, I'd love to hear from you. Sometimes the most valuable solutions come from solving our own problems first.

Our first validators are live: You can already stake your Ethereum, Solana or Celestia assets with us and support the w3 community and all our efforts. More to come.

Learn more about our USPs

I love Vitalik's articles, but they require multiple reads as I work to translate complex ideas into simpler language. And trust me, Vitalik doesn't make it easy.

Let’s jump into his recent issue.

The TL;DR: Financial privacy throughout history has been accidental, not intentional.

We've gone from clay tablets (zero privacy) to coins (accidental privacy) to banking (privacy gone) to crypto (privacy at scale). What's new isn't privacy itself - it's privacy without physical limitations.

Before crypto, you faced a binary choice:

Cash: Private but physically limited
Digital banking: Scalable but surveilled

Crypto creates something unprecedented: private transactions at unlimited scale. This creates tensions we haven't resolved. Most people are fine with cash-level privacy for small purchases but uncomfortable with the same privacy for moving millions.

The North Korea example makes this concrete: stealing $1.4 billion in ETH versus smuggling 600 duffel bags of cash? No contest.

Vitalik's vision for "privacy pools" that exclude bad actors without backdoors is the holy grail, but I'm skeptical regulators will embrace zero-knowledge proofs for KYC anytime soon. Still, it's a conversation we need to have now.

I've already mentioned it: I wear multiple hats, and our marketing manager Quinn brings out the best street interview-style reporter in me.

I know you're tired of hearing it: but very soon we'll be dropping what exactly you can expect and who will be involved. What I can already spoil: over 20 events spread across all floors in the w3.hub + an extra location, and something for everyone - truly everyone from every industry. I'm looking forward to letting my role as event manager flourish.

No matter how full we are, we want to give you the opportunity to be part of it. Take 30 seconds and let us know how we can place you, your idea, or your company at BBW25.

Be part of BBW’25

The first AI hackathon at w3.hub. Develop your own AI agent in a team or by yourself, everyone is invited to join and compete for the prize pool of 10,000 USDM. Sign Up.
It’s called w3.hub.
Solana Build Station is back! 2 weeks of co-working, building and vibes.
Celestia Mammothon winners (check them out here). It get’s better: MammothOS is hiring.
More jobs! The AlphaNeural AI team (w3.hub members) are also hiring. Hit me up if you know someone:

Show some love and stake with us!

Onchain Culture - Digital Assets Special

This season, presented by w3.vision x Blockstories, takes a deep dive into the key verticals and trends shaping the digital assets industry - from tokenization and asset management to stablecoins.

Join our w3.community on TG

Don't miss out on any news, updates, & vibes anymore. Discord is so yesterday. Let's meet on Telegram.

Community Alpha by w3.hub Intern

Your weekly Web3 Event & Ecosystem Updates straight out of w3.hub in Berlin.

Web3 Investor Briefing by w3.group

Explore liquid token markets, venture-backed consumer apps, and the evolving landscape of staking infrastructure together with us.

That’s it.

See you next week 💅🏽

And while we're at it:

I'm on LinkedIn.

I'm on X.

Always here at w3.hub.

Active in the w3.group. Follow on LinkedIn to keep up with our projects.

I missed out on this again

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 20:13:52 +0000

What you’ll get out of this in a few minutes:

Trump's tariff flip-flops have markets whiplashing while Lens Chain's massive migration marks SocialFi's big moment.
Stablecoins quietly hit $150 billion in market cap with Visa-level volumes, as Sling Money secures regulatory licenses and our portfolio companies solve real business problems.
Meanwhile, I'm trying to explain crypto to my confused family in Frankfurt while planning Berlin Blockchain Week that's just two months away!

If you’ve been around the crypto space for a while, you probably remember that one day in January - when the SEC’s official X account suddenly announced the approval of Bitcoin spot ETFs… only to walk it back shortly after.

Or the infamous intern slip-up at Cointelegraph back in October 2023? Yeah, vibes.

That’s kind of what the current talk around Trump and tariffs feels like right now.

Just weeks ago, our favorite crypto president was flexing a “tariffs” sign, tanking markets, and even suggesting it might be a good time to buy (should've listened to Donald; I feel like I missed out on this… again). Now he’s suddenly hit pause on the whole thing - causing prices to surge (again!!).

Meanwhile, my mood is basically this:

And while I’m still deep in the trenches working on some major announcements within the w3 ecosystem, I couldn’t resist dropping a few of my current insights and weekly learnings into your inbox as well. As with every week, I got you cc’d.

The team behind Aave (yes, that DeFi lending protocol) just launched their own blockchain dedicated to social media called Lens Chain. This is a pretty big deal in the world of "SocialFi" - which is exactly what it sounds like: social media + finance.

But what exactly is Lens Protocol? Think of it as Instagram if you actually owned your profile, followers, and content. Everything you post becomes an NFT that you control, and no one can take away your audience or monetization tools because they're literally yours on the blockchain.

The migration involved moving a whopping 125GB of on-chain data including over 12 million posts from Polygon (where Lens started in 2022) to this new dedicated chain. It's one of the largest blockchain data migrations ever.

Explain it to me like I’m 12

Traditional social platforms like Instagram, X, and Facebook essentially "rent" you an audience. They can change algorithms, ban accounts, or shut down entirely - taking your digital identity with them.

Decentralized social media flips this model:

Your profile is an NFT you own
Your content belongs to you (not the platform)
Your connections and followers can't be taken away
You can monetize directly without a platform taking massive cuts

The SocialFi landscape

Lens isn't alone in this space. We've seen several attempts at decentralized social media:

Mastodon: Open-source Twitter alternative that's decentralized but not blockchain-based
Farcaster: Ethereum-compatible social protocol gaining traction with crypto natives
Bluesky: Jack Dorsey's decentralized social network using the AT Protocol
Friend.tech: Token-gated social platform enabling creators to monetize access

The early pitch of "Twitter but decentralized" didn't quite catch on. Now platforms like Lens are focusing on creating user experiences that are only possible through crypto, rather than just copying existing platforms with blockchain underneath.

What this actually means

That nerdy tweet about Lens Chain launching is actually pretty significant. In plain English:

Users now own their social data and relationships - not platforms
A dedicated chain makes interactions (likes, follows) much cheaper
50+ apps are already built on Lens, creating a diverse ecosystem
The infrastructure can now handle millions of daily social interactions

For developers, this means ready-made tools to build social apps. For users, it means more control and new monetization options.

The big question: can they create experiences compelling enough that people will embrace the blockchain part? Or will this remain a crypto curiosity?

I am currently visiting my friends and family in Frankfurt. And every time they ask me what's going on at work (or what I actually do), I'm met with many confused faces. As co-founder of w3.group, I've worn many hats. The funniest part, though, is when Quinn includes me in his campaign planning and writes the script for it.

Berlin Blockchain Week starts in less than 2 months. In the coming weeks, we'll finally be sharing more info about events and partners.

If you want to know what's happening before everyone else, you should subscribe to the BBW Calendar.

And if you're getting FOMO and want to include your Web3 (or Web2!!) company in what's probably the most important event in Berlin, fear no more. Everyone is welcome. Take a few seconds and let us know how we can include you.

Click this before it’s too late

My co-founder Henrik shared some thoughts on LinkedIn this week about the quiet revolution happening in finance. While Bitcoin grabs headlines, stablecoins have silently grown to a $150 billion market cap with transaction volumes rivaling Visa.

Stablecoins – The Quiet Revolution in Global Finance

After a great conversation with Vicktoria Klich, Feliks Eyser & Moritz Blees last week (there might be something coming soon 😉), I've been reflecting on how stablecoins have evolved from a niche innovation to a fundamental pillar of our financial future.

Stablecoins combine the stability of traditional currencies with blockchain's speed and programmability. What's fascinating is how they're solving real problems:

Protection against local currency inflation
Instant global payments for freelancers
Financial access for the unbanked

Real-world impact

Sling Money just secured their official MiCA license this week - a major step toward legitimizing stablecoins in traditional finance. They're building payment infrastructure to make cross-border transactions faster and cheaper.

Henrik also mentioned our portfolio company Mento Labs, which has integrated with Opera's Mini Pay to bring stablecoins to millions who don't even realize they're using blockchain.

M&A heats up

We're seeing consolidation in the consumer crypto space as companies race to build "super apps" combining trading, payments, and financial services. This suggests we're entering a new phase - moving from experimental technology to mainstream financial infrastructure.

The most exciting part isn't the stablecoins themselves, but what they enable: programmable money, micropayments, and frictionless global commerce.

They're offering more flexible fundraising options through blockchain technology.
Their platform uses smart contracts to automate much of the funding process.
Their Tokenized Investment Contracts (TiCs) provide a novel approach to startup investment.

Since we're already highlighting our portfolio companies, check out this real-world blockchain use case: Lufthansa Group and Chain4Travel recently hosted a hackathon where developers built travel solutions on the Camino Network.

This is blockchain solving actual business problems - not just crypto speculation.

T-2 weeks until the first-ever AI Hackathon at w3.hub (Sign Up!)
Zeneca drops an airdrop guide
Animoca Brands partners with Soneium to build Moca Network’s identity layer
PayPal expands cryptocurrency offerings with new tokens
A deep dive into onchain reputation

Onchain Culture - Digital Assets Special

This season, presented by w3.vision x Blockstories, takes a deep dive into the key verticals and trends shaping the digital assets industry - from tokenization and asset management to stablecoins.

Join our w3.community on TG

Don't miss out on any news, updates, & vibes anymore. Discord is so yesterday. Let's meet on Telegram.

Community Alpha by w3.hub Intern

Your weekly Web3 Event & Ecosystem Updates straight out of w3.hub in Berlin.

Web3 Investor Briefing by w3.group

Explore liquid token markets, venture-backed consumer apps, and the evolving landscape of staking infrastructure together with us.

That’s it.

See you next week 💅🏽

And while we're at it:

I'm on LinkedIn.

I'm on X.

Always here at w3.hub.

Active in the w3.group. Follow on LinkedIn to keep up with our projects.

I am still optimistic about this

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 13:35:00 +0000

Today nugget’s in less than 5 minutes:

Crypto Twitter's having a meltdown over April Fools' jokes, while Trump's tariff threats have the markets on edge.
DeFi's facing an identity crisis - building for insiders instead of solving real problems, while DePIN projects show what's possible when crypto delivers tangible value.
Our w3.fund portfolio is making waves with Iron's acquisition by Moonpay, Mento's African stablecoin innovation, and Tokenize.it's revolutionary approach to startup funding.
Henrik and I just dropped our new website and shared insights on the Founder Mode podcast about real-world crypto use cases.

A beautiful sunny Friday from Berlin to you all.

Full disclosure - I thought I could share a bigger announcement from the w3 ecosystem with you today and honestly, my head was completely there. We'll have to push that a bit longer, but that doesn't mean the 9th edition of cc'd can't happen!

Thankfully, I have an incredibly smart network around me, an active X account, dogs and read plenty of newsletters, so I'm never short on content.

So this issue is completely POV me and I got you cc'd.

X wasn't too amused on April 1st. There were many April Fools' jokes that were either too obvious or just didn't land well.

Lefteris was particularly unimpressed:

Elon wasn't thrilled either:

I'm curious how things will go for Elon now that he's no longer team Doge…

It's hard to attribute positivity to the crypto market right now when our crypto president Trump keeps imposing tariffs and bringing major economic uncertainty to the country. Here are some memes about it:

I watched this video for 8 minutes and found it so likable:

By the way, I am also on X, pls follow me.

An article I needed to read twice:

DeFi has been losing TVL and user engagement since early 2022
Despite ETF approvals and institutional interest, retail engagement remains low
Core problem: building financial products for crypto-natives instead of solving real-world needs
Creates a circular economy disconnected from mainstream finance
DeFi needs to address actual consumer problems (cheaper remittances, accessible credit)
We're still in the "playing with money" phase rather than "useful financial tools" phase
Real adoption requires solving problems for non-crypto people

An article about Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) I didn’t know I’d need:

Merges physical infrastructure with token incentives - we know this but it’s a good reminder for real-world application
Not just numbers on a screen but actual stuff you can use
Think Helium (WiFi), energy grids, computing power
Earn tokens by sharing resources you already have
Might actually work because people get it - "I share my WiFi, I get paid"
Cuts out the middlemen (looking at you, Big Tech)
Finally a crypto use case my mom might understand
Not another DeFi protocol that's just reshuffling the same money

Thoughts:

Both pieces highlight the same issue: crypto is at a crossroads. DeFi feels stuck, building for insiders while failing to solve real-world problems. Meanwhile, DePIN shows what crypto could be - practical, tangible, and easy for anyone to understand.

It made me wonder: is the industry too focused on itself? DeFi’s stagnation shows the risks of staying in the "sandbox," thinking too small, while DePIN highlights what’s possible when crypto creates fairer, more accessible systems that deliver real-world value instead of just chasing hype.

I had the pleasure of appearing on "Founder Mode," a new podcast hosted by our w3.fund Founding Partner, Feliks. While it's in German, you can think of it as the Deutsche equivalent of "My First Million."

My co-founder Henrik and I were invited to discuss real-world use cases, emerging trends, and the w3 ecosystem. The episode isn't out yet, but I'm eager to share some key points we covered:

We got into stablecoins and tokenized assets, areas where our w3.fund portfolio has some interesting companies. Here are three standouts:

Iron's Acquisition by Moonpay: A Stablecoin Milestone

The stablecoin market cap currently stands at $200B, with potential for substantial growth.
Iron has been addressing critical challenges in stablecoin adoption, including fragmented on/off ramps and regulatory complexities.
Their platform provides essential APIs for fintechs, PSPs, banks, and corporations to build stablecoin-powered financial experiences.
The synergy with MoonPay's global licensing and reputation is poised to accelerate stablecoin integration into mainstream finance.

Mento: Innovating in Africa

They're launching a fully-collateralized, multi-currency stablecoin platform.
A partnership with Opera aims to bring stable digital currencies to a broader audience.
Their focus is on streamlining cross-border payments and providing financial stability in a region ripe for innovation.

Tokenize.it: Revolutionizing Startup Funding

They're offering more flexible fundraising options through blockchain technology.
Their platform uses smart contracts to automate much of the funding process.
Their Tokenized Investment Contracts (TiCs) provide a novel approach to startup investment.

Subscribe to Founder Mode

Since we’re already talking about our fund, I can’t resist introducing you to our new w3.fund website, which went live this week.

Have a look!

My co-founder Henrik also shared a few key takeaways in his latest LinkedIn post—definitely worth checking out!

“We just pressed publish and our new w3.fund website went live that I’ve been building together with my good friend & fellow CODE alumni Johann Kim, and it’s sparked some reflections I wanted to share…”

An event (or rather, a whole lot of events) you don’t want to miss. If you’d like to join or get involved - it only takes 30 seconds: Click here.

The AI Agent Summit is already live.

I will be joining the Solana Bootcamp, and you?
You can now tip on Farcaster.
Worldcoin wants to integrate VISA
Trumps son launches American Bitcoin. Because this is how you name a mining business.
The future of secure chross-chain swaps with Ledger Live & Li.Fi

Onchain Culture - Digital Assets Special

This season, presented by w3.vision x Blockstories, takes a deep dive into the key verticals and trends shaping the digital assets industry - from tokenization and asset management to stablecoins.

Join our w3.community on TG

Don't miss out on any news, updates, & vibes anymore. Discord is so yesterday. Let's meet on Telegram.

Community Alpha by w3.hub Intern

Your weekly Web3 Event & Ecosystem Updates straight out of w3.hub in Berlin.

Web3 Investor Briefing by w3.group

Explore liquid token markets, venture-backed consumer apps, and the evolving landscape of staking infrastructure together with us.

That’s it.

See you next week 💅🏽

And while we're at it:

I'm on LinkedIn.

I'm on X.

Just started with YouTube and thinking about how to continue it.

Always here at w3.hub.

Active in the w3.group. Follow on LinkedIn to keep up with our projects.

I want to reach 200k people with this (again)

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 09:26:36 +0000

I value your time, so here's the juicy stuff you'll get from this issue:

We've got Ghibli memes flooding Crypto Twitter and Sam Altman dropping LOL-worthy comments. Plus, I might've dunked my head in ice water one too many times for a marketing stunt.
Trump's back with World Liberty Fund, Wintermute's collecting controversies like Pokémon cards, and we're beaming up to space with Web3.
We dropped a report on Digital Assets: 200k+ people reached, 8 top industry players opening their playbooks, and zero bias (okay, maybe a little).
Arcium's building a privacy supercomputer for blockchain: Our fund manager Julius interviewed the founder, and it's some next-level sci-fi stuff.

GM,

The internet is a wild ride, isn't it? One minute we're drowning in morning routine memes, the next CT aka Crypto Twitter (can we still say this even though it’s X??) is flooded with Ghibli images.

It feels kinda like this:

And Sam Altman's comment? I literally LOL'd:

Speaking of LOLs, while everyone is prepping for Berlin Half Marathon, I added an extra morning routine getting ready for Berlin Blockchain Week.

Hope I'm not too boomer-late to this trend, so show some love, yeah?

(BTW, I dunked my head in ice water so many times I got a headache. Thx, Quinn).

Jokes aside, I've been soaking up knowledge like a sponge this week, and got you cc’d.

Presidents Gonna President: World Liberty Fund - Trump is back, and guess who's got a stack in the wallet? Wintermute! You know, the same Wintermute that's been collecting controversies like Pokémon cards. Market manipulation allegations? Check. Questionable trading practices? Double-check.
Europe's Regulatory Tightening and the drama around Ethena! German regulator BaFin just banned USDe stablecoin. Most USDe still circulating via their offshore entity. Regulatory whack-a-mole, anyone?
Institutional Adoption ≠ Buying Our Bags: Julius dropped some hot takes from Digital Asset Summit 2025 in NYC. Spoiler: They're coming, but not for our stash. Bummer.
Quantum vs. Bitcoin - The Showdown: Max Resnick's got me thinking. Grover's algorithm could centralize Bitcoin mining? Apparently, we need a quantum-resistant hash function, asap.
Space x Web3 = Mind Blown: Meet Tristan, our newest w3.hub member. His project, Decen Space, is straight-up sci-fi stuff. Democratizing space comms, marketplace for ground station services, worldwide data availability... Beam me up, Tristan!

The Digital Assets Season came to a successful end with the industry dinner on March 11 (recap). Over weeks and numerous events, we reached over 200k+ people with our content, and we've summarized it all in a really, really nice (I am not biased) report.

You can expect the following case studies:

DekaBank:

Leading German asset management and capital market institution (€411.5 billion AUM)
Case study: 7+ years of digital asset innovation, including SWIAT blockchain network

Fireblocks:

Digital asset security and infrastructure provider for institutions
Case study: Bancolombia's implementation of peso-backed stablecoin ($COPW)

tradias:

Regulated German OTC trading house specializing in digital asset trading
Case study: Tri-party model for integrating compliant crypto services into financial institutions

DLT Finance:

Regulated platform offering crypto trading and custody services
Case study: Enabling banks to offer compliant crypto services through a white-label solution

Kiln:

Leading staking and digital asset rewards management platform
Case study: Powering VanEck's Solana ETN with 10% staking yield

Solana:

High-performance blockchain designed for institutional adoption
Case study: SG Forge's launch of EURCV stablecoin on Solana network

NEAR:

Blockchain optimized for AI and institutional finance applications
Case study: Libre Capital's cross-chain tokenized fund platform using Chain Signatures

21Shares:

Pioneer in crypto ETPs with $10bn global AUM
Case study: Research on Bitcoin valuation models and portfolio optimization strategies

Download the full report here

w3.wave fund manager Julius is also a co-host in the podcast "Alles Coin, Nichts Muss". In the last episode of their founders series, they interviewed Yannik Schrade, founder of Arcium, and the use case is pretty dope.

As the pod is in German and I want my English-speaking folks to breathe the air of innovation straight from Germany (regardless of regulation), here is the tl;dr:

Arcium is developing a decentralized "encrypted supercomputer" for fully encrypted computations.
Key use cases: Private blockchain applications (e.g., DeFi, dark pools), end-to-end encrypted AI, secure multi-party computation across organizations
Core technology uses advanced cryptography (like MPC) to compute on encrypted data without decrypting.
Can be easily integrated into existing blockchains (e.g., Solana) with minimal code changes.
Vision: Become the privacy layer for all blockchain apps and expand to traditional industries.
Currently in private testnet, moving to public testnet soon.

Listen to the pod

“A Brief History of Memecoins: Their past and their future”. Was released by 1kx a year ago, still accurate.
Add on: The Next Chapter for Pump.Fun with Co-Founder Alon by Bankless. They discuss the meteoric rise of their token launchpad platform and the controversial yet impactful role of memecoins in crypto.
Two updates from w3.hub members:
- AlphaNeural's testnet registration now live
- Etherlinks Apple Farm Season 1 is now live
Decentralized social media protocol Farcaster launches 'blockchain-like' data layer Snapchain.
Polymarket to accept Solana deposits
Revolut has launched a standalone crypto trading app

Onchain Culture - Digital Assets Special

This season, presented by w3.vision x Blockstories, takes a deep dive into the key verticals and trends shaping the digital assets industry - from tokenization and asset management to stablecoins.

Join our w3.community on TG

Don't miss out on any news, updates, & vibes anymore. Discord is so yesterday. Let's meet on Telegram.

Community Alpha by w3.hub Intern

Your weekly Web3 Event & Ecosystem Updates straight out of w3.hub in Berlin.

Web3 Investor Briefing by w3.group

Explore liquid token markets, venture-backed consumer apps, and the evolving landscape of staking infrastructure together with us.

That’s it.

See you next week 💅🏽

And while we're at it:

I'm on LinkedIn.

I'm on X.

Just started with YouTube and thinking about how to continue it.

Always here at w3.hub.

Active in the w3.group. Follow on LinkedIn to keep up with our projects.

POV: You were me for the last 5 days

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 12:39:31 +0000

This is what you will learn after reading:

Everyone has been talking about the Solana ad- it’s cringe. And even though the tweet with the ad was deleted, the internet never forgets.
From prediction markets to tokenizing social capital - as a venture capital fund, we come across many exciting projects. Ethos Network is one of them.
AI agents that trade for you are my new Roman Empire.
Our fund manager, Julius, is becoming our favorite KOL, and we’re celebrating Iron’s exit to MoonPay.
POV: You were me for the last five days - Tweets and LinkedIn posts that should make you smile.
Two events I would definitely attend (if I didn’t live in Berlin).

GM GM!

I am back from my little getaway, feeling refreshed and inspired by the melting Austrian Alps. Being in a ski lodge with 15 “normies” meant complete isolation from the crypto market (sometimes a necessity, tbh).

Barely had time to shake the snow off my boots before diving into a mountain of work and a ton of awesome updates from the w3 ecosystem. I'm crazy proud of all the shoutouts and learnings this week.

I noted everything down and cc'd you, of course.

Just because I'm off conquering snowy peaks doesn't mean the crypto world stops spinning. As always, I tapped my trusty colleague/marketing manager Quinn, aka w3.hub intern, to fill me in on all the need-to-know info:

Solana, we need to talk. I saw the ad (before they deleted it), and my face was literally this the entire time:
Even though the official post is gone (RIP), and co-founder Anatoly already sahred a statement on X, the internet never forgets. Check out the clip here so you can understand why your crypto Twitter timeline was in full-on rage mode.
The SEC is dropping more legal cases than Trump announced strategic reserves lately.
$TON rises 20% after France grants Telegram founder Pavel Durov permission to return to Dubai following his arrest.
Prediction Markets are coming to Robinhood. I am not even surprised.
An investigation into the alleged identity of the mysterious Hyperliquid whale tied to illicit activity that profited ~$20M via highly leveraged positions over the past couple weeks.
More ETF announcemeents. Is the Pudgy Penguin ETF coming?

In the recent issue of the Web3 Investor Briefing, Henrik dropped some insights about tokenizing social capital.

Basically, he thinks the next wave of consumer crypto is about to flip the script. We're moving beyond just tokenizing financial stuff and into the world of turning attention, time, and trust into tradable assets.

Let's be real, today's internet is a mess. Platform algorithms prioritize engagement over everything else, leaving us drowning in a sea of clickbait and noise.

Creators get pennies while platforms get rich. Trust? Forget about it.

One project caught my eye: Ethos Network (the website is giving me serious Windows 98 vibes, and their team page might be the longest one I've ever seen. But hey, I'm into it).

They're building a system where your reputation becomes a real-time market signal. Imagine seeing someone's trust score before you interact with them online. Their browser extension even shows you this on platforms like X. Someone, please send me an invite code!

Check out the full newsletter issue. It is amazing.

Henrik (again, your time to shine) sent me a month-old DeFi x AI article - practically ancient in crypto time. Still, it pulled me into a full-on rabbit hole. Here’s my thought process and key takeaways- maybe they help you, or maybe they just melt your brain.

I read the article yesterday morning, and next thing I knew, the whole morning was gone. Every paragraph sparked a new tab, every tab led to another search, and suddenly, I was questioning everything I knew about DeFi.

The article hit home. Even after years in crypto, DeFi is still way too complicated. If we ever want true “consumer crypto,” DeFi products need to be sleek, intuitive, and rewarding - without requiring a PhD in blockchain mechanics.

Renaissance Technologies: First paragraph, and I’m deep-diving these quant wizards. They’ve dominated markets since the '80s with pure algorithmic magic. Their website screams ✨bold✨.
Andre Cronje & Sonic: The DeFi OG. Sonic’s launch? Big hype, but is it actually game-changing?
I asked our investment manager Nils on his take on Sonic:
- Insanely fast transactions, even compared to Base.
- EVM-compatible, making it DeFi-native.
- Token is mostly circulating - less dump risk.
- Gas fee monetization attracts top-tier builders, fueling a mini “DeFi Summer Renaissance.”
- But for newbies? Still a maze.
Why do we even debate between DeFi vs centralized exchanges? Well…
HeyAnon & Abstract Chains: Played with HeyAnon, threw in some pocket change (for science), then spiraled into chain abstraction. TL;DR: It’s DeFi Inception.
AI Trading Agents: Think ChatGPT, but for trading. Exciting? Yes. Terrifying? Also yes.
Richard Feynman on AI & DeFi (really good video in the article): AI shouldn’t replace us; it should make us DeFi superhumans by enhancing decisions, not just automating trades.
The Big Question: If everyone uses AI DeFi agents, is there still alpha to capture? Or is it like playing poker when the whole table is Rain Man?

AI is going to reshape DeFi, and I’m all in on figuring out how we can use it for w3.fund.

State of the crypto market by Julius from w3.wave

Finance Forward Pod + “Spiegel Wirtschaft”

Our fund manager, Julius Nagel, dropped some insights and analysis on the current crypto market on the Finance Forward podcast (+ got featured on Spiegel Wirtschaft).

w3.ventures celebrates a major milestone of our portfolio company

Iron, the API-first stablecoin infrastructure platform, has been acquired by MoonPay

This acquisition marks a significant moment in the evolution of stablecoin technology and its integration into mainstream financial systems.

Digital Assets Season is over. If that’s not a prime LinkedIn post moment, I don’t know what is.

Even after 5 years in crypto, the Digital Assets Season had me doing things for the first time. And you know what? I absolutely love it.

AlphaNeural AI - Shoutout to our w3.hub members

AlphaNeural is a platform that makes it possible to use and monetise AI models and agents on blockchain (+1 million models already available).

Want to attend, host, or stay updated on events? This quick form has you covered.

Accelerate Frankfurt: Solana SuperteamDE x BFG. Solana Superteam Germany collaborates with the Blockchain Founders Group for an action-packed afternoon (25.03. in Frankfurt).
Move-ing towards Overflow with Sui & Staking Facilities. In preparation for the Overflow Hackathon, our friends from Staking Facilities are teaming up with the Sui Foundation and the TUM Blockchain Club to get move-ing together (27.03 in Munich).

Onchain Culture - Digital Assets Special

This season, presented by w3.vision x Blockstories, takes a deep dive into the key verticals and trends shaping the digital assets industry - from tokenization and asset management to stablecoins.

Join our w3.community on TG

Don't miss out on any news, updates, & vibes anymore. Discord is so yesterday. Let's meet on Telegram.

Community Alpha by w3.hub Intern

Your weekly Web3 Event & Ecosystem Updates straight out of w3.hub in Berlin.

Web3 Investor Briefing by w3.group

Explore liquid token markets, venture-backed consumer apps, and the evolving landscape of staking infrastructure together with us.

That’s it.

See you next week 💅🏽

And while we're at it:

I'm on LinkedIn.

I'm on X.

Just started with YouTube and thinking about how to continue it.

Always here at w3.hub.

Active in the w3.group. Follow on LinkedIn to keep up with our projects.

I am so annoyed by this right now

Sat, 08 Mar 2025 15:56:14 +0000

This 5min read will get you updated on:

Trump's crypto shenanigans have the market in a tizzy, but don't panic - we've seen weirder stuff before.
XRP and Cardano are suddenly the new cool kids? We're diving into why these coins made Trump's "strategic reserve" list.
Here are 2 opinions from Julius on DOGE and the macro market.
w3.labs is cooking up something spicy in the staking world.
Berlin Blockchain Week 2025 is about to make Cannes look like a school disco. Here's how to get in on the action and avoid FOMO.

GM GM, and happy belayed Friday (it’s Saturday actually).

Your fave w3.hubber and co-founder Henrik here, hitting you up straight from a car heading to Austria.

What's the deal, you ask? Well, I'm about to dive headfirst into a wild ride with a bunch of normies at this massive ski lodge.

And guess who's totally clueless about skiing and low-key panicking about missing out on all the juicy crypto drama? Yep, you guessed it - yours truly.

I've been glued to X and Telegram groups lately, and let me tell you, it's an absolute circus out there. We've got everything from Donald Trump (because apparently, he's determined to be relevant in every single issue of this newsletter) to the Berlin Blockchain Week drama.

Don't worry, I've got you cc’d.

I honestly don't even know how to comment on this without losing my mind. Just watch it and form your own opinion, lol. Is this real life or are we living in some bizarre crypto-themed episode of Black Mirror?

So, after I managed to scrape my jaw off the floor following the Zelensky-Trump White House fiasco and those freaky AI-generated videos on X, we got hit with a tsunami of... wait for it... positive news on Sunday afternoon (German time).

On Saturday, I was doing my due diligence – reading articles, listening to podcasts like Julius' "Alles Coin Nichts Muss" (German one, but must-listen) – trying to figure out what the heck the next few weeks might look like.

Julius dropped this nugget of wisdom: if there's no price surge after positive news, we should start worrying.

And then, like clockwork, Trump swoops in with his "positive news," and the market... well, it did something.

SOL Price on Sunday around 6PM CET

It's nearly impossible to think about consumer crypto when your timeline is flooded with announcements about "strategic reserves" of coins that are about as "strategic" as my late-night online shopping sprees.

But let's break down what you need to know about this mess:

We’ve heard the “strategic reserve”-part many times before.

Here's the most random part – XRP and Cardano are joining the party. Now, because our scene loves drama and many of us think XRP and Cardano (sorry, Quinn) don't really fit in that announcement, we need to open this Pandora's box and ask: why the heck did Trump pick these?

The absurdity of stockpiling XRP, ADA, SOL, and "other valuable cryptocurrencies" (as the orange man so eloquently put it) gives off strong "I'm just trying to pump prices" vibes. It's like watching a toddler play Monopoly with real money.

Trump's trying to make the USA the crypto capital of the world, even though only XRP is actually based in the States.

I'm legit worried about the impact of Trump's market manipulation.

While everyone's been low-key excited about his election since November, the whole Trump Coin fiasco has left a bad taste in our mouths.

My heart bleeds for the space I've been grinding in for years.

Shared some thoughts on LinkedIn

Remember when Web3 was about revolutionizing finance and digital ownership, not pumping presidential sh**coins? Yeah, me too.

After 8 weeks of talking to a lot of smart people from the TradFi and DeFi industry, I have a couple of things that are buzzing in my brain:

Where are we now? Crypto czar David Sacks shared this banger of a tweet:

If you're feeling lost in the crypto chaos and want to make sense of this market madness, fear no more.

Just like Trump, Julius Nagel, partner of our liquid token fund w3.wave, is pulling his weight in the cc'd universe. I'm always stoked to share his galaxy brain thoughts with you (but if you followed him or his newsletter, you'd get the sauce straight from the source, just saying).

Crypto is so over— are you a macro analyst now? Not really. But that’s… | Julius Nagel

Not really. But that’s the kind of response I’ve been getting lately after sharing thoughts on macro developments, deficit spending, and U.S. defense policy.

Staking, baby!

Many of you probably don't know this yet, but we've been cooking up something spicy with w3.labs. While I can't spill all the tea (yet), I can tell you we've got a ✨website✨.

If you're itching to get in on the action before the big announcements…

Check it out here

And if you're about to burst with excitement, hit us up. We're always down to chat.

Berlin Blockchain Week 2025

Let's talk about something that's been keeping me up at night: Berlin Blockchain Week.

For days now, crypto KOLs have been ranting on X about boycotting Cannes and targeting Berlin as the next big conference destination. Why all the fuss?

ETH CC is happening in Cannes this year – and people are peeved. Cannes in July sounds ridiculously expensive and misplaced for a community/dev conference.

I'm not throwing shade at the ETH CC team – they've done an awesome job in the past.

It's just a fact that it's a pain in the neck for many (especially after Brussels last year and the recent ETH Denver drama). Again, I did not attend both, but I'm hearing the community's echoes loud and clear.

What's this got to do with us? Well, Berlin is poor but sexy. Ever heard that before?

Berlin Blockchain Week is less of a week and more of a whole month.

At least if you're looking at the event calendar in w3.hub (can’t share our internal cal, but its full full in June already).

We're hustling hard to plan and make dreams come true for anyone who wants to throw cool events in any shape or form at w3.hub (& a second location around the corner).

We're kicking off our BBW campaigns! Here's how you can get involved:

Want to host your own event? Our event team is itching to chat.
Wanna be an ambassador? Slide into Quinn's DMs.
Subscribe to our Berlin Blockchain Week calendar and be the first to know when events start dropping.

Full Circle Moment at w3.hub

Celestia is like an OG at w3.hub – been here since the early days. And Viet is probably the loudest voice.
M0Labs moved into one of our private offices a few months ago and are active members of the community.

Nobu's been grinding at w3.hub for the past few days, and now we know why they've been pulling those long hours with us.

Become a w3.hub Member

Onchain Culture - Digital Assets Special

This season, presented by w3.vision x Blockstories, takes a deep dive into the key verticals and trends shaping the digital assets industry - from tokenization and asset management to stablecoins.

Join our w3.community on TG

Don't miss out on any news, updates, & vibes anymore. Discord is so yesterday. Let's meet on Telegram.

Community Alpha by w3.hub Intern

Your weekly Web3 Event & Ecosystem Updates straight out of w3.hub in Berlin.

Web3 Investor Briefing by w3.group

Explore liquid token markets, venture-backed consumer apps, and the evolving landscape of staking infrastructure together with us.

That’s it.

See you next week 💅🏽

And while we're at it:

I'm on LinkedIn.

I'm on X.

Just started with YouTube and thinking about how to continue it.

Always here at w3.hub.

Active in the w3.group. Follow on LinkedIn to keep up with our projects.

I am not stressed by the market, are you?

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 15:36:49 +0000

This is what you can expect from todays issue:

You might be crying, but I have enough nuggets to cheer you up. Markets are down, but they have been down hundreds of times.
The Bybit hack was apparently a mistake made by... humans?
We're talking about the hottest Layer 1 today. And it reminds me of my childhood hero.
21Shares and DekaBank are making huge moves. I've spent a lot of time with the TradFi industry in the past weeks. People are bullish.
We are kicking off Berlin Blockchain Week 2025. Here's what you need to know to avoid FOMO.

GMGM,

I saw the Blockworks newsletter this morning, noticed the image, and had to smile.

It's Friday, and I'm currently at the Solana Open Co-Working event at w3.hub (which, by the way, happens here every Friday).

While some people are coming in with teary eyes (because markets are down - we'll get to that shortly), I'm happy that after 69 attempts, I've finally outsmarted the bergh.ai bouncer.

Quinn managed to do the same, by the way.

I'm not entirely sure what this project is about, but a few guys from Munich are working on it, and it's been a topic in the German degen bubble for a while now.

Finally, I am one of you. Now let’s dive into the stuff on everyone’s mind. And for this, I got you cc’d.

Good news and bad news time.

The bad: Markets are down. Hard.

And the biggest crypto hack ever? Human error. Double ouch.

North Korean hackers managed to pull off the biggest hack in history by planting malicious code into the infrastructure of Safe - a crypto wallet provider used by Bybit (and by many others…) You can read the full statement below.

While I've been knee-deep in event planning and prepping our w3.labs launch (stay tuned! It’s about compliant staking and you will love it), the crypto market's been on a wild ride. Twitter's a sea of red numbers.

Quick rundown:

Bitcoin: ~$80,500, down 7% in 24 hours

Ethereum: ~$2,130, down 10%

Altcoins: Looking like they partied too hard at Oktoberfest

Memecoins: Crashing harder than a bad joke at a crypto conference

Speaking of memecoins, the LIBRA debacle has tanked trading volumes. It's a domino effect - most revenue-generating protocols are downstream of memecoin trading. Even Solana's daily revenue plummeted from $57 million to $2.5 million. Ouch.

Fear & Greed Index? A teeth-chattering 10 points. Last time we saw this? Summer 2022's crypto winter.

Why the freefall?

Trump's talking new China tariffs, Bitcoin ETFs are bleeding $2.5 billion this week, and the memecoin mania is deflating.

The silver lining?

When you're busy with real-world crypto events, you don't obsess over price dips. That's a fact.

But here's the good news: We've weathered these storms before. Crypto isn't just surviving; it's evolving. This dip? Maybe just a pitstop before our next moon shot (no financial advide, just the mindset you need to maintain working in this field).

To the panickers: Remember, roller coasters go up eventually. I'm focused on building real crypto value - events, projects, the works.

Want to read another opinion on what's currently going on in the market?

Lucky me, because Julius in my team is sharing the important nuggets:

“This week, I want to reflect on a broader trend I’ve witnessed in the crypto markets: the growing divergence between fundamentals and crypto-native investor sentiment.”

You were asking about the good news, right?

When I hear Sonic, I need to think about the hedgehog. The devs around me are thinking about the Layer 1 blockchain formerly known as Fantom. This is why I am not a dev.

Sonic just launched its mainnet, bringing exciting innovations:

• 1-second transaction finality
• Modular architecture combining Ethereum's security and Cosmos' interoperability
• Full Ethereum compatibility for tools and dApps
• Decentralized sequencer network for enhanced security
• Potential to bridge mainstream users into crypto

Sonic - The L1 Revival Story: What You Need to Know

DeFi Ecosystem, $S Thesis, & More

More on this (I don’t know who you are Miles, but your tweets are fire)

Three things that make me forget about the charts:

Last Wednesday, we held the second Industry Call of the Digital Assets Season. For attendees and key takeaways, check out this:

150+ attendees joined our second industry call on “Institutional-grade Infrastructure in Digital Assets 2025”

Here's a snapshot of the insights shared by our speakers from Fireblocks, Solana, Societe Generale FORGE, Kiln & DLT Finance:

We've launched our podcast with Duncan Moir, president of 21Shares. Top reasons to listen:
- 21Shares' strategy in the competitive crypto ETP market
- Trends in institutional crypto adoption
- Blockchain's impact on asset management efficiency

Tune in

DekaBank enters the crypto market, offering institutional clients trading, custody, and management services for cryptocurrencies, while the approach for retail customers remains undecided (Link to the Bloomberg headline). By the way, the podcast release with Michael Cyrus from Deka is just two weeks old.

Deka's Role in Shaping the Future of Digital Assets in Germany - Digital Assets Special #6

As a pioneering institution in Germany, Deka is leading the charge in blockchain technology and financial ecosystem development. Let’s explore it together!

All of this was part of the Digital Assets Season, Europe's largest educational campaign on blockchain innovation.

We are currently planning the next seasons, which will focus on Institutional DeFi and Tokenization.
If you'd like to be part of this, feel free to schedule a call with my good friend and co-founder Jonathan (or as he would nicely put it: "Jonathan is on my passport, but everyone calls me Nate").

The biggest event for the Web3 scene in Berlin is coming up: Berlin Blockchain Week 2025 (or as insiders say: ✨ BBW ✨).

This means a looooot of events at w3.hub (and another near location due to high demand).

Don’t know what BBW is?

Think of it as Fashion Week for nerds, turning Berlin into a crypto Mecca.

What we have done last year?

(Just watch this video, trust me)

What’s top of mind right now?

We're already planning exciting events with partners, covering topics like Digital Money, DeSci, Staking, Gaming, Privacy, Fashion, AI, and more. Expect cool surprises and a great community feeling.

Want to host your own event?

Check out our Teaser Deck and get in touch <3

Want to attend?

Mark your calendars and subscribe to our BBW25 event calendar!

View and subscribe to events from Berlin Blockchain Week @w3.hub on Luma. 🗓️ Kick-off 6th of June | Details soon...

Who's in?

My favorite tweet of this week.
MetaMask 🤝 Mastercard!
Bitcoin is still the best performing asset class over the last two years.
Since the Celestia hackathon is taking place and the team is usually around w3.hub (& the token was strong compared to the rest of the market), I read this paper on Data Availability. You should, too.
More good news related to the Sonic Layer 1! Blackbird has introduced Flynet, an innovative on-chain networking protocol built on the Sonic blockchain.

Onchain Culture - Digital Assets Special

This season, presented by w3.vision x Blockstories, takes a deep dive into the key verticals and trends shaping the digital assets industry - from tokenization and asset management to stablecoins.

Join our w3.community on TG

Don't miss out on any news, updates, & vibes anymore. Discord is so yesterday. Let's meet on Telegram.

Community Alpha by w3.hub Intern

Your weekly Web3 Event & Ecosystem Updates straight out of w3.hub in Berlin.

Web3 Investor Briefing by w3.group

Explore liquid token markets, venture-backed consumer apps, and the evolving landscape of staking infrastructure together with us.

That’s it.

See you next week 💅🏽

And while we're at it:

I'm on LinkedIn.

I'm on X.

Just started with YouTube and thinking about how to continue it.

Always here at w3.hub.

Active in the w3.group. Follow on LinkedIn to keep up with our projects.

cc'd by Vicky

I have to share some updates

London Summit (official recap)

London Summit (BTS and honestly my favorite part)

Industry Call: “Winning the Stablecoin Race: How Banks and Nations Compete”

Frankfurt Recap

Scaling Onchain Capital Markets: What's Next in Tokenization? - October 21st

AI Safety with Blockchain - October 28th

Berlin Build Station - Start: October 20th

Crypto Invest Summit 2025 - October 17th

Don't Get Rugged by Aging

Double Bitvavo Action - October 30th

I love this and you should, too

Quick update in a nutshell:

What's Next:

Our friends from M0 are cooooking!

Congrats to our portfolio company (& w3.hub members) Voya Games

w3.hub Community is just a vibe

We ❤️ Volleyball with friends

Straight from the w3.hub group chat

I want to see you there

This one is full of vibes:

Ledger introduces the Ledger Recovery Key

Member Updates

Everyone is hyped about OneFootball

w3.hub was on Berlins largest billboard

What our w3.fund portfolio company is working on…

Our friends and supporters from M^0 Labs are hiring!

This makes me excited

The perfect kickoff into your week in less than 5mins:

This is what I’ve learned during a VC Dinner

We are inviting you to w3.hub

Our members have been cooking

We need to talk

This 5min read includes:

I need your help!

Join Prismik - Building the Future of News

I feel like it's 2021 again

You’ll learn a lot, trust me:

The crash course

Everyone is talking about it

I am sitting in the train and will arrive in a couple of mins. So let's be quick:

What Actually Happened?

But Wait... What ARE Tokenized Stocks?

The Three-Phase Master Plan

The OpenAI Drama

Why This Actually Matters

But serious questions remain:

Two Different Approaches

Why This Matters

Some key insights:

The Real Competition

I am overwhelmed

I was gone for a while. Time to catch up. This is what you’ll get today:

I'm back, so read this carefully.

This newsletter is on time. So let’s not waste any:

Fuel w3.hub's Ecosystem

Stake with us in under 3mins ↓

In a (written) nutshell:

We ranked #1 on the ETH effectiveness leaderboard

What you might have missed

We ranked #1

Your Sunday-bite:

Ethereum is back

Worldcoin is also back and they brought a new use case

Quick Hits

I asked 100+ people about this

It’s Sunday. Sit down and relax:

I have some updates to share

Let's dive right in before my laptop battery dies completely:

Finally (!) I can share this with you

Let’s get to the point so you can enjoy your holidays:

Why stake at all?

I missed out on this again

What you’ll get out of this in a few minutes:

Explain it to me like I’m 12

The SocialFi landscape

What this actually means

Real-world impact

M&A heats up