Morning must-reads Zone raises $8.5M for blockchain-enabled payment infrastructure: Nigerian fintech company AppZone, known for its banking software, in 2022 split into two parts to focus separately on new blockchain tech and its traditional SaaS products. Now, its blockchain-focused arm, Zone, has landed fresh capital to build interoperable payment infrastructure. You could call this a more serious crypto round, though I think the fintech tag fits better than anything related to web3. How GitHub is handling the AI era: Microsoftâs code repository and developer tool GitHub is no stranger to legal tussles. After all, access to GitHub is not guaranteed around the world, something that it has to both advocate for and defend. But with the AI wave crashing onto techâs shores lately, how is GitHub handling the various thorny legal issues cropping up? We spoke with the companyâs chief legal officer, Shelley McKinley, to learn more. Aaron Levieâs Box fights for its third era: Box was once a startup darling, but ever since it went public, the ECM giant has had quite the tumultuous journey. But thanks to its endless perseverance, a willingness to shake up its product offering, and tactical acquisitions, Box is today clocking over $1 billion in annual recurring revenue. The company is now planning its third major iteration, which, of course, involves AI. Starbucks bids adieu to its blockchain experiment: U.S.-based coffee giant Starbucks is dropping its NFT program. TechCrunch recently interviewed the team behind the effort, so we have excellent recent context. The decision is a blow to those hopeful that crypto would cross over to the mainstream, as Starbucksâ validation of web3 was a big deal for the space. However, it seems that brew and blockchain arenât a match made in heaven. |
