Verda Ventures

Thank you for the feature @BusinessInsider @RobinMadell! I got the chance to share some future predictions around venture capital, tech, and innovation. Here are some highlights: ?? Emerging managers will be the winners ?? The Industrial Renaissance is here ?? Africa + Global South will lead VC-backed innovation Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gid7GBfQ More to come on these predictions from @VerdaVentures so stay tuned!

The Fed is irrelevant in 2024—and that’s the most important thing to understand about Bitcoin’s price this year. Here’s why ??: During COVID, the Fed drove monetary policy with stimulus and rate changes, shaping markets and liquidity. But now, the Fed's power has been undercut, thanks to the U.S. Treasury. This shift started in 2023, when Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen took a surprising turn. Here’s how it happened ?? The Fed tightened money supply by raising interest rates, making it attractive for financial institutions to park money in its Reverse Repo Facility (RRP), which swelled to $2.5T. This restrictive policy reduced liquidity in markets. Then came May 2023. Janet Yellen flipped the script. The Treasury shifted from issuing long-term debt to short-term securities—directly competing with the Fed's RRP. Instead of money being "parked" at the Fed, institutions bought Treasury securities. The kicker? The government then spent that money or paid interest—injecting liquidity back into the economy. The result: The Treasury's actions counteracted the Fed’s tightening. Imagine bailing water out of a bucket with a cup while someone pours in twice as much water. The bucket still overflows. The impact: Increased liquidity boosted the economy. Bitcoin saw a correlation with Treasury moves, pushing its price higher. This also had a political effect: Yellen's policies were highly stimulative in the year leading up to Biden's election. Coincidence? Not likely, since the Treasury is not required to be neutral like the Fed. TLDR: While the Fed tightened, the Treasury loosened—rendering the Fed’s monetary policy ineffective. Understanding this dynamic is key to predicting Bitcoin and economic trends in 2024. Source: https://lnkd.in/gYXfED9E

Crypto’s next frontier isn’t about tech—it’s about access. Minipay is changing the game, making crypto as simple as sending a text. Built on Celo & embedded in Opera’s Mini browser, it’s unlocking financial freedom for millions. Here's how: https://lnkd.in/gtnGYNH6

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the $40M MiniPay Fund, a bold initiative to transform financial access in underserved markets. In partnership with Opera, with additional support from Jump Crypto, Borderless Capital, and other leading investors, this fund is dedicated to empowering fintech startups building scalable solutions for emerging markets. Why it matters: - Hundreds of millions of adults lack access to basic financial services. - Small and medium-sized enterprises often struggle to secure funding. - Currency volatility limits opportunities for growth and wealth-building. The MiniPay Fund targets financial infrastructure like payments, remittances, identity, and stablecoin-based banking services, with portfolio companies leveraging a significant and growing distribution channel through MiniPay: ? MiniPay’s infrastructure and 4.8M+ user base ? Opera’s 320M+ monthly active users ? Support from the Celo Foundation This is more than a fund—it’s a movement to redefine financial access. If you’re a founder building fintech solutions that can scale and make an impact, we want to hear from you. Let’s transform global finance together. ?? Read more: https://lnkd.in/gbA957-P

"We are on the precipice of more sophisticated implementations of blockchain technology in capital markets, with private credit being one of the most suitable beneficiaries." Read more about the emerging tokenized private credit landscape from Amit Chu, CFA!