Strike Won

Good morning. We've got a little bit of everything today in the CT5. Crypto companies getting acquired, ESPN making NFT moves, and Janet Yellen speaking on regulation. All that plus an announcement from Strike and Jack Mallers at Bitcoin 2022. Happy Friday!

Market Update (as of 8:27am ET):

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Top 5:

1. Strike announces Shopify integration for Bitcoin Lightning payments. In what was billed as headline news at Bitcoin 2022, Jack Mallers announced on the main stage that Strike had partnered with a number of companies, including Shopify, to support bitcoin payments via the Lightning Network. Key to the expansion is the partnership with NCR, the world's largest point-of-sale provider which will facilitate Strike's entry into a number of large retailers and restaurants including McDonald's, Walmart, and Home Depot.

2. ESPN partners with Autograph for Tom Brady NFTs. The now unretired NFL superstar is partnering with ESPN to launch an NFT collection based on the docuseries, "Man in the Arena", which followed Brady's career and was co-produced by ESPN. This will be ESPN's first NFT deal and a new venture for Autograph, a company that has typically partnered with individual athletes or celebrities rather than companies.

3. Yellen warns of crypto risk in first digital asset speech. The Treasury Secretary focused in on stablecoins and CBDCs during the discussion while also hitting on investor protection. A key part of the speech was directed at stablecoin issuers and their accountability for maintaining the reserves that back the tokens. Yellen pointed to previous runs on blockchain ecosystems as a result of the stablecoin losing its peg to the US Dollar (e.g., Iron Finance).

4. Crypto payments firm Wyre acquired by Bolt in deal worth roughly $1.5 billion. Payments and e-commerce company, Bolt, has acquired Wyre, a service provider for retail and business customers that makes it easier to transact in crypto. The deal is scheduled to close by the end of the year and will bring Bolt's one-click checkout feature to the crypto ecosystem.

5.  Stablecoins underperform against equities, have a good weekend!

Updates and other stories:
- Community Gaming raises $16M in Series A...Read More
- Trading app eToro announces $20M creator fund for NFTs...Read More
- HBAR launches $250M metaverse fund to onboard major brands...Read More

Top Sharers of the Crypto Top 5:
1. Donna Y. - Nashville, TN
2. Jake Y. - Greenville, SC
3. Forrest H. - Evansville, IN

External Resources:
1. Cryptopedia from Gemini - if you see a word, acronym, or phrase in this newsletter that you don't understand, there's a good chance you can find an explanation here
2. Crypto Explainer+ - intro level courses on Bitcoin, Ethereum, decentralized finance, NFTs, and more
3. Crypto Jobs! - looking for a new job? Check out this page from Anthony Pompliano with hundreds, if not thousands of listings

Disclaimer: The information contained in this newsletter shall not be understood or construed as financial advice. I am not an attorney, accountant, or financial advisor, nor am I holding myself out to be, and the information provided is not a substitute for financial advice from a professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation.