Author: Vin Narayanan
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New Pick: A Resilient Ethereum Competitor With a Stunningly Fast Network
I’ve been tracking this month’s crypto recommendation for almost two years. I watched its roller-coaster ride to a more than $12 billion market capitalization and its sharp decline to a $2 billion market cap today. And I kept wondering when it would be the right time to invest. I typically don’t focus on timing. My basic philosophy is that a good project is a good project. And as long as you’re invested in good projects, it…
New Pick: A Sophisticated DEX Aiming for Cross-Chain Harmony
By Vin Narayanan on January 27, 2023
One of the trickier elements of crypto portfolio construction is knowing when to diversify and when to double down on elements that are working. In order to be successful, you have to do both. For the past 12 months, we’ve focused mostly on diversification. We needed…
Map Your Own Way Through the Collectibles Space
By Vin Narayanan on January 27, 2023
I’ve started collecting maps. I’m not looking for rare or antique maps. Those don’t really interest me. Instead, I’m looking for maps that capture different periods of time — what cities used to look like 100 or 200 years ago. The maps…
First Mover Advantage Is Not as Important as You Think
By Vin Narayanan on January 25, 2023
I skipped out on Wordle-mania two years ago. The game (in which users get six chances to guess a five-letter word) launched in October 2021. And it took off. People shared their Wordle successes and strategies on Twitter and Facebook. Companies started…
New Pick: A Storm-Proof Decentralized Exchange Crypto
By Vin Narayanan on December 22, 2022
There are many things we can learn from the FTX debacle. First, and most importantly, FTX’s core problems had little to do with crypto. Fraud, mismanagement, hubris and lack of board oversight — among other things — created an unnecessary crypto crisis where…
New Pick: An Answer to Crypto’s Centralized Exchange Problem
By Vin Narayanan on December 16, 2022
Between FTX’s collapse and Binance’s current problems — which I wrote about for Early Investing this week — it’s clear that large centralized exchanges have become pain points in the crypto ecosystem. There are good reasons to…
Crypto Regulations Are on the Horizon
By Vin Narayanan on December 14, 2022
I had planned on writing about startups today. A major scientific breakthrough in fusion happened this week. The implications for humanity and startups are astounding. But then two massive crypto stories broke, so startups (and fusion) will have to wait.
What DeFi Needs to Mature Into a Thriving Ecosystem
By Vin Narayanan on December 2, 2022
Crypto Market Musings There are two things driving the market right now: FTX collateral damage and potential interest rate hikes. Every time an FTX domino falls — like BlockFi declaring bankruptcy a few days ago — crypto…
New Pick: A Sustainable Solution to Agriculture’s Salty Soil Problem
By Vin Narayanan on December 1, 2022
Note: This recommendation was co-authored by KingsCrowd Senior Investment Research Analyst Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau. Moonshot companies are tricky to evaluate. By definition, moonshots are bold, audacious, innovative attempts to solve massive problems. And if the solution is successful, it can…
FTX and the Crypto Regulations Still to Come
By Vin Narayanan on November 21, 2022
It’s been a crazy couple of weeks in the crypto market as it tries to sort through the fallout of crypto exchange FTX filing for bankruptcy. For a more detailed account of how it happened, please read this update I wrote…
Stargate Finance Still Has a Shot at Success
By Vin Narayanan on November 18, 2022
I like to have the TV on while I write. The background noise helps my mind focus. And because I have YouTube TV, I can record almost anything I want and watch/listen to it later. Earlier this week, I put Meet the Press…
Crypto Markets Spiral on FTX’s Bankruptcy News
By Vin Narayanan on November 16, 2022
Someday, there will be a Netflix documentary about Sam Bankman-Fried. SBF — as he’s known in crypto circles — was worth more than $14 billion about 10 days ago. Today, the founder and former CEO of popular crypto exchange FTX is bankrupt. SBF’s stunning fall from grace is…
New Pick: A Remarkable Brand Reinvigorating the Energy Drink Space
By Vin Narayanan on November 3, 2022
Note: This recommendation was co-authored by KingsCrowd Investment Research Analyst Teddy Lyons. When you evaluate consumer packaged goods (CPG) startup investment opportunities, you need to focus on three critical components: Traction Brand Team.
New Pick: A Digital ID That Protects a Person’s Privacy
By Vin Narayanan on October 28, 2022
If a secure identity verification system… Doesn’t collect conventional identity touchpoints (like name, address, phone number, etc.) or traditional forms of identification (like driver’s licenses and passports) And can’t reveal your actual identity Can it actually work? And…
New Pick: The Best of the Oracle Blockchains
By Vin Narayanan on October 24, 2022
I say or write “timing the market is a fool’s errand”™ so often I’ve started trademarking it. It’s almost impossible to predict the bottom of any market. And crypto markets are much more difficult to predict than others. The crypto markets have been stuck in neutral for extended…
Bitcoin Gives Investors a Break During the Bear Market
By Vin Narayanan on October 21, 2022
Crypto Market Musings Bitcoin (BTC) is traditionally an extremely volatile asset. But not right now. Bitcoin volatility (.BVOL) is at a 100-day low. Since September 1, bitcoin has largely been trading in a narrow range between $18,400 and $20,000. And BTC…