According to a report by PitchBook, the total amount of venture capital invested in cryptocurrency-related companies reached $1.9 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023, an increase of 2.5% from the previous quarter. This is the first increase in venture capital (VC) investment in cryptocurrency startups since the first quarter of 2022. PitchBook notes that the main cryptocurrency startup projects receiving funding are mainly focused on financial and technological solutions. These include tokenizing real-world assets (such as real estate and stocks) on the blockchain and building decentralized computing infrastructure.

After more than a year since the release of ChatGPT, discussions about AI+Crypto have once again heated up in the market. AI is seen as one of the most important tracks in the bull market of 2024–2025. Even Vitalik Buterin himself published an article titled “The promise and challenges of crypto + AI applications,” exploring the possible directions for future AI+Crypto exploration.

South Korea's financial regulator has announced that crypto criminals could be sentenced to life imprisonment under new consumer protection rules set to take effect on July 19. The Virtual Asset User Protection Act covers market manipulation, illegal trading, and other violations that could lead to criminal punishment or fines. The punishment for criminal offenses could include a fixed-term imprisonment of more than one year or a fine equivalent to three to five times the amount of unjust enrichment. The country has been increasing its oversight of the digital assets sector, with approved initiatives requiring companies and public figures to disclose their crypto holdings.

As mentioned in our previous edition, we’ve shifted to a vibrant quarterly publication rhythm, packed with enriching and extensive content. These quarterlies are carefully curated to bring you in-depth features and valuable insights, designed to elevate your journey in the ever-changing crypto landscape!

We love being recognized and getting something back, don't we? Cashback, points, discounts, or that exclusive status – traditional loyalty programs have always been a sweet deal for rewarding our purchases. They add a little extra spice to each transaction. What if these programs could go beyond perks? Imagine a world where brands don't just reward you but truly understand your needs, customizing products and experiences to fit you perfectly.

You can listen to an audio version of the article by becoming a patron on Patreon. Preface: I was sitting in the coworking space at Zuconnect in Istanbul thinking I should maybe write about connecting Daft Punk to crypto when at that moment the song “One More Time” started playing through my headphones. I took this as a sign from the divine that this needed to be written. So here it is.

Many people over the years have asked me a similar question: what are the intersections between crypto and AI that I consider to be the most fruitful? It's a reasonable question: crypto and AI are the two main deep (software) technology trends of the past decade, and it just feels like there must be some kind of connection between the two. It's easy to come up with synergies at a superficial vibe level: crypto decentralization can balance out AI centralization, AI is opaque and crypto brings transparency, AI needs data and blockchains are good for storing and tracking data. But over the years, when people would ask me to dig a level deeper and talk about specific applications, my response has been a disappointing one: "yeah there's a few things but not that much".

Copyright is dead, long live copyright. Two things are changing quickly for brands around the world: media creation and IP ownership. Media creation is being rapidly innovated thanks to AI models like MidJourney, Runway, and DALL·E. Powerful models mean everyday creatives can make market grade assets and seemingly authentic versions of critically acclaimed artwork, corporate advertisements, influencer content, or other viral materials.

The rise of scaled social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok has made it increasingly challenging for newcomers to compete directly.

At GCR, our mission is to create a community-driven investment DAO where the best Web3 investment opportunities are brought in by the community for the benefit of the community. Since this new initiative’s inception in March 2022, we have experienced unrivaled success: