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☆ Read 14 pitch decks that helped media and tech startups nab millions in funding to disrupt entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tech is disrupting all parts of media and entertainment, and investors are rushing to cash in. These pitch decks show how their founders sold their vision to raise outside capital from VCs. Technology is upending all facets of media and entertainment. Insider talked with founders about the pitches they used to raise millions and innovate in content creation and distribution. Check out the examples below to learn more about how these and other founders have sold their vision.

☆ Snoop Dogg, his ape and a question of celebrity hype
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Elle Reeve | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The Bored Apes became some of the most famous NFTs after a series of celebrities said they got one. The Bored Ape crazeSnoop Dogg performs with his Bored Ape character, Dr. Bombay, in February 2023. He sold his versions as RR/BAYC with an accompanying website that detailed claims the Bored Apes contained references to racist memes on 4chan, a troll website. In March 2022, Snoop invested in Yuga Labs, and the month after, he invested in MoonPay. In the VMAs video, Eminem turns into a white ape wearing “hip hop clothes,” while Snoop becomes a cheetah-fur ape wearing a “pimp coat,” according to Yuga Labs’ description.

☆ The IRS may tax certain NFTs at a higher rate in the future — here’s what to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Currently, the IRS treats NFTs and cryptocurrency as property for federal income tax purposes, according to the agency's website. However, net profits earned from selling a collectible are subject to a higher tax rate of 28%. So, if the IRS decides to treat NFTs as collectibles for tax purposes, sellers may be faced with a higher tax bill. The NFT market started the year off with a sizable surge in trading volume, according to NFT and DeFi tracking company DappRadar's latest report. That's up from trading volume of $1.9 billion on 18 million sales in the fourth quarter of 2022.

☆ Donald Trump's NFT trading cards jumped in value to almost $1,700 after Manhattan indictment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Trump's digital trading card NFTs soared in value to nearly $1,700 USD following his indictment. Trump is likely to surrender to the Manhattan DA's office on Tuesday, his attorney previously told Insider. According to Newsweek, the floor price of Trump's NFT trading cards was 0.41 Ethereum (ETH), or about $748 USD, on March 30 when Trump was indicted. Trump faces over 30 charges in the indictment, according to a CNN report. Trump attorney Joe Tacopina previously told Insider that Trump is likely to surrender to the Manhattan DA's office on Tuesday.

☆ An NFT collector accidentally destroyed a $129,000 CryptoPunk: 'This is truly a devastating mistake for me'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

With one wrong move, a non-fungible token (NFT) collector made a very costly mistake. On March 25, Brandon Riley tweeted that he accidentally destroyed his CryptoPunk #685, an NFT he had purchased weeks earlier for 77 ETH, which was worth about $129,437 at the time, according to Etherscan. While following a step-by-step guide on how to complete the transaction, Riley unintentionally sent his NFT to a burn address, he explained on Twitter. A burn address is a virtual wallet that doesn't have a private key, meaning no one can access it. These types of wallets are typically used to permanently destroy a certain number of tokens, thus creating scarcity and potentially causing the price of that token to rise, according to Coindesk.

☆ Crypto is banned in China, but Binance employees and support volunteers tell people how to bypass the ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Rohan Goswami | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +18 min

The messages CNBC reviewed come from accounts identified as Binance employees or Binance-trained volunteers known as "Angels." Whatever the method, Binance's Chinese users take on a significant risk: In China, crypto exchanges have been outlawed since 2017, while crypto itself was outlawed in 2021. But Chinese customers have continued to seek ways to trade on Binance, which include using instructions provided by employees and volunteers. "'Binance does not offer a 'Binance Chinese Android app," a spokesperson said. In addition, hours after Binance responded to CNBC, messages apeared on Twitter suggesting that some customers' Binance debit cards had been frozen.

☆ The IRS plans to tax some NFTs as collectibles — and the rich would pay up to 28% on profits
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Noam Galai | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty ImagesHow the IRS plans to tax NFTsNFT enthusiasm swelled in recent years along with the popularity of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin . An NFT offering a right to use or develop that virtual plot also generally isn't a collectible, the IRS said. Profit on those sales is taxed at ordinary income tax rates, which apply to wages, for example. (There are seven marginal tax rates, ranging from 10% up to 37%.) These tax rates are generally lower than ordinary income tax rates.

The retailer had been working to steer itself back to profitability, and got there in part by cutting costs. Selling, general and administrative expenses came in at $453.4 million for the quarter, or 20.4% of sales, compared to $538.9 million, or 23.9% of sales, in the year-earlier period. GameStop did not provide financial guidance and has not done so since the early days of the pandemic. For the quarter ended Jan. 28 , net sales dropped slightly to $2.23 billion from $2.25 billion in last year's fourth quarter. "GameStop is a much healthier business today than it was at the start of 2021," he said.

☆ Read 12 pitch decks that helped media and tech startups nab millions in funding to disrupt entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Business Insider | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

☆ TikTok went big at SXSW and creators discussed building lasting businesses. Here are 3 takeaways that I left Austin with.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Creators gathered at Meta's Austin, TX offices for a series of talks hosted by the Asian Creator House. Whether creators were talking about pay transparency, or startups were pitching their products as solutions, creator monetization was an ongoing conversation at SXSW. "More and more creators are being transparent as to how much they're making," said Monica Ravichandran, creator and Collective Voice staffer. At the Asian Creator House, led by Always Be Creating cofounders Justin Nguyen and Jerry Won, creator pay and business building were also top of mind. But on the brand and marketing side of SXSW, AI wasn't a potent topic, according to Influencer's Penchin.

Just when you thought crypto couldn't get any stranger, bitcoin accidentally births a new breed of NFTs. "I think this is really the start of a fundamental shift in what you can do with bitcoin," said Alex Miller, CEO at bitcoin developer network Hiro. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/Nonetheless, bitcoin NFTs have built up a head of steam in a short space of time. Satoshis inscribed with NFTs are involved in about 7% of the total number of bitcoin blockchain transactions, according to Glassnode data. "But NFTs on bitcoin are a distraction from the network's core purpose, which is to serve as a permissionless network that is globally available, 24/7, and uncensorable."

☆ Mark Zuckerberg warns in layoffs announcement to prepare for a 'new economic reality' that could last 'many years'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Meta's "new economic reality" could last "many years" amid more layoffs. "At this point, I think we should prepare ourselves for the possibility that this new economic reality will continue for many years," Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday regarding the latest layoffs. Zuckerberg said that tough economic conditions are to blame. "A leaner org will execute its highest priorities faster," Zuckerberg wrote. "This will be tough and there's no way around that," Zuckerberg wrote.

March 14 (Reuters) - Imagine digitally inscribing 3D images of objects such as multi-colored spheres onto a tiny fragment of bitcoin. Just when you thought crypto couldn't get any stranger, bitcoin accidentally births a new breed of NFTs. "I think this is really the start of a fundamental shift in what you can do with bitcoin," said Alex Miller, CEO at bitcoin developer network Hiro. Nonetheless, bitcoin NFTs have built up a head of steam in a short space of time. Satoshis inscribed with NFTs are involved in about 7% of the total number of bitcoin blockchain transactions, according to Glassnode data.

Hermes said in a court filing Friday that Rothschild has continued to market his NFTs despite the jury's verdict last month. Rothschild's attorney Rhett Millsaps said they will oppose Hermes' motion in court filings this week. Hermes sued Rothschild last year over his MetaBirkins, 100 NFTs associated with images depicting the bags covered in colorful fur. "Rothschild has continued acting as he has since November 2021 — brazenly violating Hermès's intellectual property rights," Hermes said. The case is Hermes International v. Rothschild, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, No.

☆ As NFT trading surges, a 'golden key' prize from Yuga Labs' limited-time game sold for $1.6 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A non-fungible token (NFT) collector just dropped more than $1 million on a virtual "golden key." Adam Weitsman, CEO of Upstate Shredding – Weitsman Recycling, purchased Yuga Labs' "Golden Key Sewer Pass" for 1,000 ETH, which was valued at about $1.6 million at the time of sale on Feb. 27, 2023. Jackson won the one-of-one, digital "golden key" after receiving the highest score on "Dookey Dash," Yuga Labs' web-based NFT game. Jackson also said that royalties would be paid in full to Yuga Labs. This seven-figure sale comes amid a surge in NFT trading and sales in early 2023, according to DappRadar's latest industry report.

☆ Venture capitalists swap Paris Hilton for Al Gore
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Anita Ramaswamy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LOS ANGELES, March 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Venture capitalists are trading reality stars for policy wonks. Hundreds of top venture capitalists flocked to Los Angeles this week to congregate at a two-day, invite-only soirée for tech’s elite. For 2022, venture-backed companies collected nearly $240 billion for their coffers, 31% lower than the record $345 billion in 2021, according to Reuters. Crowds piled into the theater at the Museum of Motion Pictures to hear a reality check on climate change from former Vice President Al Gore. CONTEXT NEWSThe 10th annual Upfront Summit took place in Los Angeles on March 1 and 2.

☆ Failed crypto scheme endorsed by soccer player Paul Pogba reportedly plunges one investor into so much debt that he now lives with his parents again
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A flopped NFT project promoted by Juventus soccer player Paul Pogba has plunged one investor deep into debt. "The main reason we invested was Pogba," he said, referring to the NFT collection CryptoDragons that's plunged in value since its inception. I'm just working, working, working," Kurnaz said. "The main reason we invested was Pogba," Kurnaz said. Pogba isn't the only Premier League player to have promoted a NFT collection that has ended up in the dumps.

☆ 2 former Barclays bankers just netted a 700% profit selling Bored Ape NFTs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mike Anderson and Ovie Faruq offloaded their collection of Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs this week. The 72 NFTs sold for $9.25 million, according to OpenSea data cited by Bloomberg. The former Barclays junk bond traders reportedly netted a 700% profit for the deal. The two traders' 700% profit still pales in comparison to what they could have made at the height of the crypto boom, according to Bloomberg. The publication estimated that Anderson and Faruq's Bored Ape collection was worth $30 million at the start of May 2022 – which would have netted them profits of just under 3,000%.

☆ EA founder Trip Hawkins dives into Web3 with Barcelona-based startup
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Eva Mathews | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 24 (Reuters) - Former Apple executive Trip Hawkins, who founded the company behind the best-selling sports videogame franchise "FIFA", is joining a Web3 startup, looking to take on top blockchain games like Axie Infinity. The founder of Electronic Arts (EA.O) will join as co-founder and security chief of Games for a Living (GFAL), Hawkins told Reuters in an interview. Interest for Web3 gaming has risen over the past year as it is touted to attract more cryptocurrency users. Hong Kong-based blockchain gaming developer Animoca Brands, which backs popular NFT game Axie Infinity, raised more than $500 million in 2022. "Web3 is the bridge to the metaverse," Hawkins said on Thursday.

☆ How two high schoolers from Denmark built an NFT marketplace and secured funding through a DAO backed by Bessemer Venture Partners
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( April Joyner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Bessemer Venture Partners has invested in the NFT marketplace OWND, which it found through its DAO. Better yet, this DAO had the backing of one of Silicon Valley's blue-chip venture firms, Bessemer Venture Partners. Bach Ryhl read all the crypto-related articles he could find on Medium and took a Web3 course on Udemy. Lunau Liechti, in particular, had been following the efforts of brands such as Nike and LVMH to launch NFT versions of their physical products. "We want to make it as easy to buy a Nike NFT as it is to buy a Nike sneaker online," Lunau Liechti said.

☆ This Binance-backed Web3 gaming startup just raised $5 million. Check out the 13-slide pitch deck Unagi used to raise the seed round.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

French blockchain gaming company Unagi has raised $5 million in seed funding. French blockchain gaming startup Unagi has raised $5 million in seed funding as it looks to expand its offering. "It's been an interesting time with a lot of struggles for us as we arrived after the peak of the market," Guillemot, Unagi cofounder, told Insider. The $5 million fundraise was led by early-stage VC and game developer, Sisu Game Ventures. This latest fundraise, which follows a recent $4.3 million fundraise with Binance Labs, doubles the company's valuation to $37.2 million, Unagi said.

☆ Cryptoverse: Punk apes and a resurrection of NFTs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Medha Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The NFT market is twitching out of its torpor, defying reports of its demise. Over the past 30 days, though, OpenSea remains top with volumes of $443.98 million, versus $366 million for Blur. BITCOIN JOINS NFT PARTYIn another non-fungible development, the novel use of the bitcoin blockchain for minting an NFT collection has caused a stir among crypto enthusiasts. Bitcoin Punks is a series of monkey-themed NFTs and a derivative of the wildly popular CryptoPunks collection. Some media reports have indicated Bitcoin Punk NFT being sold for as much as 9.5 bitcoin, worth in the region of $205,000.

Bored Ape Yacht Club was not the biggest crypto phenomenon, but it was one of the top beneficiaries of celebrity hype. The Bored Apes — a computer-generated collection of 10,000 cartoons — were being presented as a status symbol, membership in an exclusive club. Yuga sued Ripps for trademark infringement, and argues that his maligning of the Yuga apes is nothing more than a profiteering tactic. Hickman, who is Black, thought the Bored Apes looked like stereotypical portrayals of Black people as stupid or lazy. He said he thought this would be obvious to most people the second they saw an image of a Bored Ape.

☆ Crypto Brands Reposition Themselves in Wake of FTX and Market Tumble
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Roughly one year ago, a handful of crypto heavyweights made swaggering debuts on the Super Bowl ad roster, airing costly commercials with messages like “Don’t miss out” (FTX) and “Fortune favors the brave” (Crypto.com). Then came the swoon in crypto and the bankruptcy of FTX. Recently, trading firm OKX scuttled its plans to buy an ad in Super Bowl LVII when FTX began to dominate the news cycle. Coinbase aims to convey its confidence in crypto “while maintaining our position as the most trusted brand in the space,” Chief Marketing Officer Kate Rouch said. “I think that, especially after the FTX collapse, there has been a real need for that across the entire crypto space,” he said.

☆ A new app that lets people create avatars and hang out with friends in virtual bedrooms made its debut 3 weeks ago, and it's already taking Asia by storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Reena Koh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bondee is a new social networking app created by a Singapore-based tech company. Bondee's popularity remained strong against rumors of credit card info leaks. Bondee is a social networking app that allows users to connect with up to 50 of their closest friends in a virtual plaza. In the early days of its release, the app's creators were battling rumors of credit card info leaks. The company has also rejected all claims accusing the company of leaking credit card information, as reported on CNA.

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