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- RBV Weekly Newsletter🧔📖
RBV Weekly Newsletter🧔📖
Open Deals, Portfolio Updates, Crypto News, RBV Fund I Closing & More
Joshua Howard
July 21, 2023
RBV Weekly Newsletter🧔📖: Open Deals, Portfolio Updates, Crypto News, & More
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Big week for portco news! Knights of Degen, Unstoppable, Floor App, Alto IRA; we are very happy to see companies we invested in early gain massive traction! Our work in diligence and deal sourcing is paying off in a big way, as so many of our companies shape the future of Web3 right before our very eyes. Let's dig in!
Also, we wanted to drop a friendly reminder that our Tokenomics Accelerator, Denarii Labs, is currently in the process of seeking out exceptional companies. This groundbreaking endeavor, fueled by the combined forces of Red Beard Ventures and Horizen Labs Ventures (renowned for their role in creating Yuga Lab’s ApeCoin and numerous other successful products), is dedicated to empowering Web3 innovators in crafting, cultivating, and executing their tokenomics and token launch strategies.
We'll be providing these visionaries with unparalleled guidance from esteemed advisors, invaluable partnerships with strategic allies, and access to discerning investors.
Through the accelerator program, we will select five projects, arming them with the skills and know-how to achieve an extraordinary token launch within a swift three-month timeframe.
If this opportunity calls to you or someone you know, don't hesitate to register at www.denariilabs.xyz and seize the chance to be part of something truly remarkable.
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🚨 TL;DR: This Week in Crypto
Ripple and Crypto Heavyweights Invest in New Artificial Intelligence Metaverse Project
US Senate’s New Bill to propose new regulations for DeFi says Crypto Council
U.S. Banks Exploring XRP for Cross-Border Payments Following Ripple's Legal Victory
OpenPFPs Taking Over NFT Twitter
Unstoppable Domains Introduces Unstoppable Marketplace
Knights of Degen announces DAO and token launch for the end of July
Doodles Shares Details on Camp Grand Opening
Alto Partners with Coinbase One to Offer 6 Months Reduced CryptoIRA Fees
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📣 As a reminder, Red Beard Ventures has both a syndicate and fund:
The Red Beard Ventures Syndicate is stage agnostic and invests in Frontier Technology with a focus on Web3, Space, FinTech, Robotics, Biotech, and Climate. We invest anywhere between $100k - $1.5M.
The Red Beard Ventures Fund I invests $100k - $1M in Pre-seed and Seed blockchain-based companies.
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🪙 Crypto News:
Ripple, along with other major players in the crypto industry, has invested in an innovative artificial intelligence metaverse project.
This project aims to leverage AI technology to create a dynamic and immersive virtual world, offering new possibilities for user interactions and experiences.
The involvement of crypto heavyweights in this venture highlights the growing interest and potential of metaverse technologies within the cryptocurrency space.
As the metaverse continues to gain traction, investments from influential players like Ripple are likely to accelerate the development and adoption of these transformative technologies.
The US Senate has introduced a new bill that proposes stringent and unworkable obligations for the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector, according to the Crypto Council.
The bill's provisions aim to impose regulations on DeFi platforms, potentially stifling innovation and hindering the growth of the crypto industry.
The Crypto Council has expressed concerns that the proposed regulations could undermine the decentralized nature of DeFi and impede the development of innovative financial services.
As the bill is being discussed, industry participants are closely monitoring its potential impact on the DeFi ecosystem and advocating for balanced and effective regulatory measures that foster growth while ensuring consumer protection.
Ripple's recent legal victory in the United States has potentially opened the doors for U.S. banks to explore XRP for cross-border payments.
The regulatory clarity gained from the legal case may have alleviated concerns among financial institutions, prompting them to consider XRP as a viable solution for international money transfers.
Ripple's technology and its native cryptocurrency, XRP, offer the potential for faster, cheaper, and more efficient cross-border transactions, making it an attractive option for banks seeking innovative payment solutions.
As the aftermath of Ripple's legal victory unfolds, there is growing anticipation for further adoption of XRP by U.S. banks and its potential impact on the broader crypto and financial landscape.
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🗃️ Portfolio News
Knights of Degen announces DAO and token launch for the end of July
KOD continues its mission to be the #1 source of sports betting in the metaverse.
By launching a Token & a DAO, KOD wants to empower the voices of its community members to directly shape its future.The Community snapshot for $DGEN launch was executed July 13th at 5pm ET
KOD community claim is targeted for Monday, July 31st. Coinciding with the launch of $DGEN, is the official launch of the Degen DAO.
KOD Commits to helping develop games with great playability and far reach. The DGEN DAO has the potential to revolutionize the way that games are funded. By giving the community a say in which games are made, the DAO can help to ensure that the games that are created are fun, engaging, and generate revenue sustainable back to the DAO
KOD launched PropQuest is a new fantasy and betting game that allows players to avoid the restrictions that are often placed on these types of games. By locking up tokens, Prop Quest allows players to provide value to the network, risk their interest, & allows players to withdraw the original amount of money they have staked
Unstoppable Domains has unveiled its latest offering, the Unstoppable Marketplace, to cater to the growing demand for decentralized web-based services.
The new marketplace provides users with a decentralized and censorship-resistant platform to buy, sell, and manage domain names and NFTs.
With the Unstoppable Marketplace, users can access unique blockchain-based assets and create their digital identities, reducing reliance on traditional centralized domain registrars.
This innovative platform further reinforces Unstoppable Domains' commitment to empowering users with true ownership and control over their digital assets in the rapidly evolving blockchain ecosystem.
As the NFT market continues to evolve, platforms like Floor App are playing a crucial role in democratizing access to digital assets and fostering broader adoption within the crypto community.
The addition of NFT purchases showcases Floor App's commitment to providing a comprehensive and user-friendly platform for NFT enthusiasts and collectors.
With the new feature, users can seamlessly buy NFTs directly from the Floor App, simplifying the process of acquiring digital collectibles.
Alto, a leading platform for self-directed retirement investments, has collaborated with Coinbase One to provide a special offer of 6 months reduced CryptoIRA fees.
This partnership aims to encourage individuals to explore the benefits of investing in cryptocurrencies through their retirement accounts.
With the reduced fees, users can experience cost savings while gaining exposure to the potential growth of the cryptocurrency market.
This strategic move aligns with the growing interest in digital assets as a long-term investment option, offering investors more options to diversify their retirement portfolios
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💸 NFT Alpha
OpenPFPs, a new trend in the NFT community, is gaining momentum on Twitter.
NFT enthusiasts are changing their profile pictures to OpenPFPs, showcasing their support for the project and its underlying mission.
The trend has sparked a sense of community and enthusiasm, with users eager to participate in this unique NFT experiment.
As OpenPFPs continues to spread across NFT Twitter, it's creating a buzz and drawing attention to the potential of NFTs beyond traditional art and collectibles. Stay tuned for further developments as the trend unfolds!
A historic paint-splattered floor, once belonging to the iconic artist Jackson Pollock, is now being immortalized as non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
The NFTs will allow art enthusiasts and collectors to own a digital piece of art history, preserving the legacy of Jackson Pollock and his famous studio floor.
The decision to tokenize this unique piece of art history opens up new possibilities for art ownership and appreciation, leveraging blockchain technology to bring art and its historical significance closer to a global audience.
As the NFT space continues to evolve, it presents innovative ways to interact with art and culture, offering a digital bridge between the past and the future of artistic expression.
The substantial funding round indicates strong investor interest in the future of the metaverse and virtual reality spaces.
FutureVerse aims to create a dynamic and immersive virtual world, providing users with a wide range of experiences and interactions.
With this significant capital injection, FutureVerse is well-positioned to accelerate its development and bring its vision of the metaverse to life. The project's success underscores the growing importance of virtual worlds and their potential to reshape how we interact and engage in the digital age.
Doodles, has released exciting details about the upcoming grand opening of "Camp," their highly anticipated event.
The Camp opening promises to offer unique and interactive experiences for Doodles collectors and the broader NFT community.
With Doodles gaining popularity and attention, this event is expected to draw significant interest and participation from enthusiasts and investors alike.
Stay tuned for further updates on the Camp grand opening as Doodles continues to make waves in the NFT space, setting the stage for an unforgettable event!
NARS Cosmetics, the renowned beauty brand, has raised eyebrows by revealing art auctions centered around "Orgasm" NFTs.
These eyebrow-raising NFTs are based on the brand's popular "Orgasm" product line and aim to create unique digital experiences for beauty and art enthusiasts.
The art auctions provide a novel way for NARS to engage with its audience and tap into the growing interest in NFTs and digital collectibles.
This venture showcases how brands are increasingly exploring the NFT space to offer immersive and exclusive experiences to their customers, blending the worlds of beauty, art, and blockchain technology.
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🔔 Active Investment Opportunities:
Syntreno: Security for Malicious AI Generated Content
They have developed an AI model for detecting AI generated images, which can detect minute telltale signs of having been generated by an AI
Even the most human-fooling images can be given a high degree of certainty
This is their initial fundraise, used to bring their prototype to an MVP-ready model
Baibys Fertility: AI-Controlled Cell Selection for IVF
The male infertility crisis and increasing average age of motherhood has caused IVF procedures to skyrocket
Selecting the sperm cells is currently human-driven; slow, expensive, and error prone
Baibys device selects cells with a more stringent criteria, and arranges them by quality
California Cultured: Real Chocolate that’s Good to the Earth
Traditional chocolate production carries with it pollution, exploitation, and high costs
CC has developed a way to create chocolate via cell-based agriculture
They are ready to scale and have brought in industry giants like ADM, Meiji, and Agronomics
OASIS: The Leader in AI “Thought-to-Text”
Oasis takes your rambling thoughts and turns them into clear memos, articles, emails, and more
Revenue growth at 70% month-over-month
Co-led by Flybridge Capital and Oceans Ventures
Setscale: a Key Financing Tool for SMBs
Solves the cashflow gap that small/medium size businesses suffer: Post payment, pre sale
While large businesses have credit partners, SMBs generally have to float every shipment
Setscale solves this by covering the shipment payment in return for a small premium after the sale
Venus Aerospace: LA to Tokyo in ONE HOUR at Hypersonic Speed
A promise of the space age finally fulfilled, the craft designed by Venus Aerospace will be the fastest reusable hypersonic system in the world.
Their patented rotating detonation rocket engine (RDTE) will propel passengers at speeds up to Mach 9
The craft is designed to fly just outside of our atmosphere, where air friction poses no risk to the craft
Tafi: The Global Leader in 3D Assets and Text-to-3D genAI
Largest commercial library of 3D assets in the world; customers include Coca-Cola, HBO, Warner/DC, Coinbase, and others
Their product DAZ 3D (link to demo here) creates ultra-HD fully compatible and customizable characters
Exclusive partnership with NVIDIA to train even greater AI capabilities
Canza Finance: a New Financial System for Africa’s FX Markets
African FX TAM is $5T, yet is still highly inefficient and expensive
Canza is building the Jara Network to facilitate OTC
The round is being led by Polychain Capital at a $15M PMV
Edison AI Systems: Zapier for AI, Link Multiple Models into One Workflow
Edison AI is building a web platform to build complex, interoperable AI systems
Developers can cut their time and costs by 60–90%, deploying in days, not months
The platform can operate as no-code or low-code, meaning even novices can link together StableDiffusion, GPT-4, a voice mimicking AI, and more!
Siegelman Stable: Streetwear with a Conscience - Gary Vaynerchuk Lead
Rapidly gaining mass appeal and A-list celebrity endorsements
Nearly one million dollars in gross revenue in 2022
Founded by the son of a top horse racing family, Max Siegelman, past collaborator with Kanye West, NBA teams, Puma, Hypebeast, Lexus, and more
One Earth Rising: Ownable Interoperability for Modern Gaming
Their standard has self-sovereignty and a format game engines can understand
This format seeks to become industry standard
All facets of the asset - items, moments, stats - are able to be minted
GET protocol: The Premium NFT Ticketing Solution
GET has been building NFT ticketing since 2016
They have a full range of ticketing products for event holders, from self-service to full concierge, and also whitelabel solutions
Issued nearly 3.4 Million tickets (1.7M in 2022 alone), over 17k events
Investment includes a token grant AND discounted token purchase rights
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🥳 Upcoming Events:
In-person events are a great way to stay informed in our industry: Join us for an exciting and dynamic evening as we proudly host the Mixer for the Denarii Labs Accelerator at Solana Labs! This event promises to bring together brilliant minds, innovative entrepreneurs, and industry leaders. We are inviting prospective applicants to the Denarii labs accelerator to network in-person. If you or a founder you know is looking to launch a token project or add a token to their existing business, please share the invite!
You won't want to miss this opportunity to network, collaborate, and exchange ideas with some of the brightest minds tackling problems faced in tokenomics.
Invite for the Mixer
Location: Lower East Side - Manhattan, NY
To ensure an intimate and immersive experience, attendance to this exclusive event is limited.
Don't miss your chance to be a part of this captivating Mixer!
Note: You must RSVP & receive confirmation to attend!
RSVP close Tuesday July 25th!
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🤝 We are hiring!
We are looking for part-time syndicate vertical leads in the following categories - if you are interested please reach out and we can discuss the opportunity in greater detail:
Biotech
Space
Robotics & Automation
Climate
Fintech & SaaS
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Onwards 🚀
Drew, Elana, Mitchell, Frankie, and Lauren