TechCrunch podcasts roundup: Aaron Levie on web3, more from WWDC and the LatAm startup scene

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Chain Reaction, Equity, Found, The TechCrunch Podcast

174 Episodes • Last Episode: March 29, 2024

TechCrunch is more than just a site with words. We’re also building a growing stable of podcasts focused on the most critical topics relating to the startup and venture capital worlds. Embedded below are the latest from the TechCrunch Podcast from Darrell who talks to TC writers about their own stories of the week; Chain Reaction, our crypto-focused podcast hosted by Lucas and Anita; Found, a long-form bit of work that goes deep on the real saga of company formation from Jordan and Darrell; and Equity, our long-running, Webby-award-winning podcast focused on venture capital and the latest startup news, hosted by Natasha, Mary Ann and Alex. TechCrunch Live took this week off. Be sure to subscribe where you listen to podcasts!

The TechCrunch Podcast

This week, Darrell mixes it up and talks with Kurt Knight who isn’t a TC writer but is the senior director of Platform Product Marketing at Apple who comes on to talk about WWDC and updates to Apple’s Continuity. We also talk with Lucas Matney about the former OpenSea exec whose arrest has the crypto world worried. And as always, you’ll get a rundown of the week’s top news on TechCrunch.

Articles from the episode:

Other news from the week:

Chain Reaction

This week Anita and Lucas discuss another stressful week for crypto markets, which has pushed even bullish investors into bearish territories. They also chatted about growing crypto regulation efforts and Jack Dorsey’s latest effort called “web5.” They also spoke with Aaron Levie, CEO of enterprise software company Box. While his day job doesn’t have anything to do with the blockchain, he has attracted the ire of plenty of crypto VCs for sharing thoughts on Twitter about why web3 won’t work. They spoke to Levie about some of his biggest complaints and what it would take for him to angel invest in a crypto startup.

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Found

This week Darrell and Jordan talk to two founders who had just come off stage from the TC Sessions: Mobility Pitch-Off. First up is Eloa Guillotin, co-founder and CEO of Beyond Aero, which is making long-range electric aircraft possible by using hydrogen-electric propulsion. Then they spoke to Jim Gibbs, co-founder and CEO of Meter Feeder, which is on a mission to provide a low-cost payment and enforcement solution for small to mid-sized governments for parking through an API.

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Equity

This is Equity Monday by Alex and Grace who kicked off the week with a quick rundown of the biggest stories. This week:

Stocks are down around the world, with nearly every major index that we checked falling 2% or more.
Crypto prices are in the tank, with bitcoin and ether losing double-digit percentage points in the last day; the mess in crypto land is deep this morning.
Celsius Network is falling apart, despite huge recent fundraises. Precisely what happens next is not clear, but it doesn’t look good for the company judging by its imploding token price.
In better news, the Latin American startup scene re-upped its capital reserves right before the world went risk-off, implying that the region could be well capitalized heading into the rest of the year.
The Coinbase CEO’s Twitter rant after some of the company’s employees expressed displeasure was notable, in tone, and also in terms of PR strategy.

On Equity Wednesday, the crew focuses on a single topic, thinks about a question and unpacks the rest. This week, Natasha and Alex welcomed TechCrunch reporter Haje Jan Kamps, who, prior to and in between his journalism careers, spent years as a founder and a venture capitalist. Together, the trio asked: How might companies use math in the coming months to make our lives harder and complicate their finances, aka the truth?

Mary Ann and Alex are back with you for their Friday episode of Equity, and while much of the news in startup land is a bit lacking these days — you may have noticed a sentiment shift on Twitter! — they did find some good tidings as well.

Here’s the rundown:
- Sesame, which operates an online medical care marketplace, raised $27 million to help people without insurance or those with high deductibles get affordable health care. Interestingly, its lead investor also previously put money in another startup in the space.
- Marc Lore’s food creation and delivery startup Wonder raised a huge stack of cash. We had mixed views on this particular deal. On one hand, we hate cooking. On the other, will the economics ever work? Investors really seem to think so. We’re now waiting for the service to launch where we live so we can give it a try.
- Startups may be in better shape than you thought! That’s the take that Index’s Mike Volpi wrote in a letter that TechCrunch published. Alex dug into the matter as well. There are even more positive signs out there if you look.
- The real estate sector has taken a hit as of late, which led to Redfin and Compass laying off hundreds of employees. Yet one other proptech startup managed to raise capital and acquire a company this week.
- And to close, the crypto mess. Here’s some layoff news. And here are some new problems. Finally, an attempt to find some understanding of what’s going on.

Chain Reaction, Equity, Found, The TechCrunch Podcast

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Chain Reaction, Equity, Found, The TechCrunch Podcast

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