I have some updates to share

Let's dive right in before my laptop battery dies completely:

• Big moves in the crypto space, highlighting Circle, PayPal, Coinbase and Ethereum

• Start earning passive income with our new staking validators

• M0Labs (w3.hub members) just solved Hyperliquid's stablecoin problem

• Find our fund managers at the most important industry conferences

Welcome to cc'd, the newsletter that promises to be released on Fridays just to be released on Saturday/Sunday-ish.

Since we've expanded from one to three editions of our newsletter series (aka subscribe to the other two, Web3 Investor Briefing and Community Alpha) and I'm writing much more content myself, it's taking longer lol.

This week I had the pleasure of speaking at Q Summit in Mannheim and meeting friends at the Hockenheimring (thanks Mercedes-Benz) to drive on the racetrack.

My takeaway: I am a good drifter. And: I haven't been on stage for a while and I missed it, especially because I could let my creativity flow freely again. By the way, I shared my best practices on speaking a few days ago on LinkedIn.

Since I'm writing to you from the train back to Berlin with my laptop clinging to its last 20% battery with no power outlet in sight, today's updates are compact and delicious in under 5 minutes reading time.

• Circle's global payments network leverages USDC/EURC to tackle the $150T cross-border market still running on outdated, expensive tech.

• PayPal's PYUSD now trades fee-free on Coinbase with DeFi exploration plans, while offering US users 3.7% yield in PayPal/Venmo wallets.

• "Prompt space" explores AI's vast input/output landscape, highlighting the untapped potential of human-AI creative collaboration.

• Tether becomes Juventus FC's second-largest investor, signaling crypto's push for mainstream visibility through traditional sports.

• Trump Media partners with Crypto.com to launch ETFs as Truth Social pivots from failing ad revenue, leveraging Trump's crypto-friendly administration.

• Ethereum faces a critical moment as Solana dominates user metrics; May's Pectra upgrade and Vitalik's RISC-V proposal could boost performance 100x - if they arrive in time.

• Coinbase's trillion-dollar strategy mirrors Apple's playbook: building an integrated financial ecosystem with network effects, already managing 15% of all crypto assets.

• Zora's token launch disaster allocated 65% to insiders, offered zero utility ("for fun only"), and crashed 50% amid technical failures and community backlash.

Ever wondered how staking actually generates returns? Let me break it down for you:

Similar to how Bitcoin secures its network through miners using computing power, Ethereum and other Proof-of-Stake chains secure their networks through validators using economic stake.

These network participants secure the network by staking their tokens as a collateral. While validators still need servers to operate, this approach uses substantially less energy while effectively verifying transactions and maintaining network security.

And guess what? They get paid for it!

The blockchain gives them new tokens and a cut of the transaction fees as a as a reward for participating in network security.

The impact on portfolios can be significant. By year 5, our example staking portfolio shows a higher value compared to the non-staking approach, demonstrating the potential long-term benefits of staking.

This isn't about getting rich quick. I'm in crypto for the long haul, and staking is perfect for that. Your rewards pile up over time, and it helps smooth out those crazy price swings we all don't like.

Plus, you're actually helping make the network stronger instead of just hoping prices go up.

Interested in learning more about our compliant staking solutions?

You can already start staking your assets with us! We are live on Ethereum, Solana, and Celestia.

Normally I'm the one in front of the camera finding the right words to convince you about our ecosystem.

This week, we're watching Quinn (aka w3.hub intern) make his debut on crypto Twitter with his "all eyes on him" moment.

Berlin Blockchain Week in June means we'll be hosting many events simultaneously across multiple floors. There is still some space to participate - whether it's with an event, a speaking slot, sponsorship or ambassador proposals.

Our friends at M0labs just solved a major problem for Hyperliquid traders with their new HUSD stablecoin.

Despite handling a trillion dollars in trading last year, Hyperliquid was missing its own native dollar - forcing users to deal with bridge risks and extra steps.

HUSD changes everything by offering complete transparency (you can see exactly what backs each token) while sharing the profits with the community instead of keeping them. This means more rewards for users and builders who help grow the ecosystem - a refreshing approach compared to traditional stablecoins that pocket all the revenue.

Our w3.ventures portfolio company Senken acquires Ivy! I'm especially excited since Henrik, Nate (aka my co-founders) and I studied with Ivy's founders. It feels like a full circle moment.

It's time for Token2049 again. And our w3.wave fund manager Philipp will be there. Who should he definitely meet?

Dubai too far away? Fortunately, Julius (the other w3.wave fund manager) will be at Germany's largest marketing festival, OMR, this year.

That’s it.

See you next week 💅🏽

And while we're at it:

I'm on LinkedIn.

I'm on X.

Always here at w3.hub.

Active in the w3.group. Follow on LinkedIn to keep up with our projects.