Archive: Articles

NFT Mania: The Perfect Viral Asset

By Adam Sharp on August 27, 2021

I’ve been following the non-fungible token (NFT) space closely over the last three months. NFTs are a form of digital collectible. They’re based on blockchain technology, which makes each one unique, indivisible and verifiable.  NFTs have gotten a lot of attention recently. But they’ve existed for years. In 2017, the CryptoPunks NFT project was launched on the Ethereum network. There were 10,000 ‘punks created — each with its own unique set of features.  Since…
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A founder’s ability to break out of the region where they started their company is a major factor in determining their success.  Starting a small business in the suburbs of Ohio is one thing — expanding that business to Chicago, New York and San Francisco is…

How Crowdfunders Can Invest Better Than Venture Capitalists

By Allison Brickell on August 25, 2021

Drake Dukes, co-founder of startup data platform Gravity, shared some interesting data recently from his analysis of 992 unicorn founders. Now for our secret sauce… Here is the FounderDNA™ of every unicorn founder (992 analyzed): 53% are Serial Founders 35% are Technical…
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The Immense Promise of Microbiome Medicine

By Adam Sharp on August 24, 2021

As many of you know, I’m very excited about the potential of the microbiome as both an investor and as a way to improve your health. Last month, I wrote to you about why startup investors should be excited about this sector. And…
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Startup Insider: A Shocking Amount of Exit Experience

By Early Investing on August 23, 2021

For years, venture capital (VC) firms have favored founders who have experience leading companies to successful exits. “Look for founders with prior exits,” VC investors say. “They know what they’re doing.” But Drake Dukes, co-founder of data company Gravity, analyzed 992 unicorn founders and…
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Introduction to Solana (SOL)

By Adam Sharp on August 20, 2021

Solana (SOL) is an up-and-coming Ethereum competitor. It’s a proof-of-stake coin, and its network is extremely fast and powerful. The requirements to run a validator are extreme (it requires a powerful server with 128GB of RAM, which is a…
Back in December 2020, I wrote the following in “Institutional Bitcoin Is Here to Stay:” Insurance giant MassMutual announced last week that it had purchased $100 million worth of BTC. It also took a $5 million equity stake in New York…
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Deal Details Startup: Ayoba Security type: Crowd SAFE* Discount: 15% Valuation (cap): $7 million Minimum investment: $100 Where to invest: Republic Deadline: August 21, 2021 Note:…

Why the “Friends and Family” Round Needs to Change

By Vin Narayanan on August 18, 2021

I am a true believer in the American Dream — the idea that anyone, regardless of race, social class or birthplace can find success in this great country. I believe because I’ve witnessed my family’s journey. My dad immigrated to the U.S. from India 50 years…

The Startup Valuation Madness Continues

By Adam Sharp on August 17, 2021

I recently went down to Miami for the Mining Disrupt conference. I met some very interesting startup founders building promising crypto companies. But I didn’t invest in any of them. The reason is simple: they were too expensive. For example, there was one pre-revenue startup in…
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Crypto Insider: Crypto Portfolio Review

By Early Investing on August 16, 2021

It’s a good day for the crypto market. Bitcoin has gained 45% over the past month. But interpreting and understanding the crypto market is more of an art than a science. So in this episode of Crypto Insider, Vin Narayanan and Andy Gordon offer…
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Inflation Pushes Bitcoin Higher

By Adam Sharp on August 13, 2021

It was a very nice week for crypto. Bitcoin is up 9% over the last week, while ethereum is up 12.9%, according to CoinMarketCap data. Ethereum jumped on its implementation of EIP-1559, a network upgrade that burns a portion…

A Brutal Market for Shorting Stocks

By Adam Sharp on August 13, 2021

In 2008, I had a big short and put position on mall REITs (real estate investment trusts) and big bank stocks. It worked like a charm at first. My positions were up anywhere from 30% to more than 140%. These companies were leveraged to the hilt.
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Upstack — the outstanding company I’m presenting to you today — finds, vets and provides companies with software developers from all over the world. It makes money from charging its clients an hourly rate that is about 37% more than the rate it pays its developers.  …

Envisioning a Better System for Women’s Health

By Allison Brickell on August 11, 2021

As the senior editor at both KingsCrowd and Early Investing, I do a lot of reading, editing and research on startups.  At KingsCrowd, I edit dozens of analyst reports on a regular basis. These reports provide detailed analysis of…
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Congress is looking to crypto to help fund part of its $1 trillion infrastructure plan. But the language used in the infrastructure bill is so broad, it could spell bad news for the crypto universe.  Essentially, the bill requires anyone who…