a16z-backed Eco unveils Beam, a P2P crypto transfer service aiming to be a 'global Venmo'

The crypto payments space is seeing a surge of activity these days as developers strive to make decentralized finance as user-friendly as web2 experiences. Eco Inc, an a16z-backed payments startup that's raised $95 million in funding to date, just unveiled a decentralized payments project called Beam. In an interview with TechCrunch, the company's CEO Andy Bromberg described Beam as a non-custodial payment system that functions like a "global Venmo."

• 2023-07-27
• Andy Bromberg Eco Inc Beam wallets decentralized finance Bromberg wallet

What are cryptocurrency wallets?

Wallets are pieces of software that allow a user to hold cryptocurrency. The movement of cryptocurrencies to and from and wallets are controlled by public and private keys. There are several different types of wallets, characterised by their internet connectivity.

• 2023-07-19
• cryptocurrency digital currencies cryptocurrency wallet public and private keys wallets

Backed with $3M, Soul Wallet aims to bring self-hosted crypto wallets to the next billion

If you own a non-custodial crypto wallet like MetaMask, you know the headache of keeping your 16-word seed phrase safe. A third-party wallet, like one hosted by an exchange, on the other hand, stores private keys on users' behalf and provides a better user experience. At the center of the movement is the ERC-4337 standard introduced by the Ethereum Foundation, the non-profit research affiliate of Ethereum, the world's second-largest cryptocurrency that boasts a vibrant developer community.

• 2023-03-16
• seed phrase wallets Ethereum Foundation

Ant veteran turns to NFT verification for SXSW festival VIP feast

As funding into web3 projects cool down during the crypto winter, startups in the space are increasingly focused on building bridges for mass adoption and exploring revenue opportunities to stay afloat. Offer experiences that are so seamless that users don't realize blockchain is involved. One company that is demonstrating how blockchain can come in handy in real life is Kansas-based Redeem, which allows users to claim non-fungible tokens using phone numbers rather than having to set up crypto

• 2023-03-09
• phone number NFT Toby Rush wallets Redeem hardcore business