Since joining Coinbase in 2013, I’ve been obsessed with marketplaces that make emergent asset classes more accessible. I saw firsthand the value created by a great product and strong brand that brought accessibility and trust to a new global asset class and we’ve since invested in many such marketplaces: OpenSea…

The launch of Bitcoin in 2009 was inclusive in theory but not in practice. Anyone in the world could run software on their computer and mine BTC but few did — you needed a computer, an internet connection and prior knowledge of cryptography. Ethereum came along in 2015 and was…

Meme markets in the 2020s — What gives an NFT value? Is it the vibe? Is it the artwork that can be displayed online or IRL in a digital frame? Is it the utility offered within a game or virtual world? Value = belief Normies have been getting tripped up on the value question ever since 2009 when Satoshi…

We recently closed 1confirmation fund III, a new $125M venture fund. The fund allows us to continue investing in the companies, cryptocurrencies and NFTs empowering people around the world to have more control of their lives. We launched our $26M fund I at the peak of the last bull market…

NFTs have recently exploded into the mainstream consciousness in a way that nothing else has in the history of our industry. Google trends data shows interest in NFTs recently surpassed interest in cryptocurrency. I’ve got a theory for why it’s happening now based on years of context…

Internet culture and real world culture are colliding. WallStreetBets blowing up a multi-billion dollar Wall Street hedge fund last week is the latest example and it doesn’t feel like the trend is slowing down anytime soon. Mark Cuban has been a fixture in real world culture for the past few…

At a time when in-person shows have come to a halt globally, mainstream musical talent is beginning to take note of the growth of Ethereum-based digital art. In September, digital art sales reached $1M+ and October sales already surpassed that. The collector demand is there and top-tier talent is recognizing…

2020 has been a breakthrough year for digital art. Creatives have used computers to create unique images and videos for decades, but prior to Ethereum the only way to make serious money as a digital creative was to get hired by a company who could utilize the images or videos…

A Conversation with Hugh Karp of Nexus Mutual — On-chain capital coordination has taken various forms in the 5 year history of Ethereum: hundreds of millions(in USD) to a venture fund (The DAO in ‘16), billions to crowdfunding (ICOs in ’17 and ‘18), and billions to lending and exchange products (DeFi in 2020). It remains to be seen whether…