Sup, nerds!

Here’s what you’re getting in today’s edition:

• 💅 This is cool: Web3's killer app is...

• 🔎 This seems important: This acquisition signals something big...

• 🤝 Partner: You’ve heard it before… “Don’t beat around the bush”​

• 🔪 Let's dissect this: Everyone loves AI - but what about blockchain?

• 💡 Bellwethers in Web3: Julio Barrios, Bronx Crypto

Terms used in this edition (click for an explanation, or ask Web(GPT)3!):
Liquidity, web2/3, stake, blockchain, smart contracts.

💅 This is cool:

Web3's Killer App Is...

In one sentence: MetaMask Portfolio now includes a directory of native blockchain games, that lets users find and play games from within the interface.

No kid has ever walked up to a family member and asked:

“Do you have any liquidity provision tools on your phone?”

Nope. The question has always been:

“Do you have any games on your phone?”

And herein lies a major problem within the crypto onboarding process.

Onboarding friends and family is hard enough as it is. There’s a bunch of new apps, tools, and terms they need to be familiarized with, which add friction at every turn.

(Though, with the advent of smart wallets and their one click, web2-style sign up process, this problem is on the verge of being solved).

Next problem in line to be solved?

What do you do with it once you’ve onboarded?

Cause buying and holding crypto over multiple years — while often profitable — is kinda boring. And sure, they can stake, lend liquidity out, and trade crypto all in the hopes of increasing their returns…

But that’s still kinda boring to most people.

Which is why we’re categorizing this latest development from MetaMask as a “giga-brained move.”

MetaMask Portfolio now includes a directory of native blockchain games, that lets users find and play games from within the interface.

So the pitch of web3 now goes from:

“You can mostly just stake/lend from within your crypto wallet to earn ~5-7% interest per year.”

To…

“You can do that AND play web3 games, where you earn tokens with real monetary value and collect rare in-game items that are globally tradable.”

That’s a HUGE step up!

🥇 Want the news before anyone else?

🔎 This seems important:

Robinhood’s Acquisition of Bitstamp Signals a Larger (More Important) Trend…

In one sentence: Robinhood increased in crypto revenue and acquired Bitstamp (all while being sued by the SEC), signaling companies/users want to adopt crypto and they’re willing to fight for it.

12 months ago, adding buying/integrating a crypto platform/tool/service into your existing web2 product offering was a bad idea.

(At least, in the eyes of most traditional investors).

Why? Because:

• Prices were in the toilet

• AI was the hot new tech that everyone wanted to see integrated

• And the SEC was on a warpath with the crypto industry (☝️ so much so that speakers were cancelling US conference appearances in fears they’d be arrested at the border)

But now we’re seeing a big shift in that sentiment — highlighted by Robinhood’s acquisition of the crypto exchange Bitstamp (announced last week).

This acquisition will increase Robinhood’s global reach within crypto, the trading of which made up 20% of its total revenue in Q1 of this year.

Which is nice for Robinhood shareholders — but that’s not what’s catching our eye here.

Zoom out a little and you’ll start to see a larger signal…

Robinhood grew crypto revenues, and acquired Bitstamp — all while being sued by the SEC for holding crypto assets.

Add it all up and you see three pieces of a broader trend:

1. Companies want to adopt crypto

2. Users want to adopt crypto

3. They’re willing to fight for it

And in an election year, these kind of trends carry greater weight.

To quote Yano: “The US is back baby.”

🤝 Partner:

You’ve Heard it Before… “Don’t Beat Around the Bush”

If you want to become a better options trader, the Vantage Point team can’t wait to show you how to approach your trades directly and without hesitation.

Imagine your portfolio performance if you started buying weekly expirations dependent on future trends.

Now you can.

🔪 Let's dissect this:

Everyone Loves AI - But What About Blockchain?

In one sentence: AI can be used for good, or for evil - blockchain technology is the perfect sidekick for it to be used for good!

Right now, all the rage is about Artificial Intelligence (i.e. AI; i.e. ‘Apple Intelligence’…according to Apple).

And when a technology as powerful as AI comes along, people have two options: use it for good; or use it for evil.

So far, we’ve seen a bit of both in the crypto space.

For example, AI has been used to discover bugs in smart contracts that could have been exploited for millions of dollars if discovered by the wrong people.

(That’s a use case for good).

But, AI has also been to blame for things like deepfake videos of people such as former Singaporean Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, who pleaded with viewers to sign up for an investment product that claimed to have guaranteed returns.

(That’s a use case for evil).

The funny thing is that blockchain technology is pretty much perfectly positioned to counter deepfakes.

At its core, blockchain technology is simply an immutable ledger - whether for tokens (which wallet bought what, and what happened to it?) or for media (who created that video and when).

As AI continues to develop and evolve, instead of making blockchain technology obsolete (as it may do with some other technologies), blockchain technology may in fact become a vital part of authentication for digital assets.

(Think of the technologies as Batman and Robin, not Batman and the Joker).

💡 Bellwethers in Web3

The Web3 Daily team just got back from Austin, where Pavan Bahl & Will Gaines interviewed 30 incredible Web3 & Crypto builders during Consensus 2024.

"Bellwether's in Web3," is a daily profile series recorded live with Nolcha Shows and Movement Labs in collaboration with Bellwether Culture. This Wednesday, at The Arlo Williamsburg, Nolcha is hosting a gathering to toast the new series.

If you’re in NYC, register here (access code: summerbtc) and you just might catch Chevy there too!

Interview: Julio Barrios, Founder of Bronx Crypto

Julio Barrios is the founder of Bronx Crypto, an educational learning platform that focuses on cryptocurrency, NFTs and Web3 education in the Bronx. Bronx Crypto has gained notoriety after being featured on Yahoo Finance, Fortune Magazine and Vice World News.

Follow: @bronx_crypto (IG), @bronxcrypto.eth (Twitter), @bronxcryptoinc (YouTube), @vtatv.eth, @SmileNow NYC