This Week in Web3...

💖 Layoff season. The start of October and the fourth quarter of the year proved challenging for web3 teams.

• PFP projects Zen Academy and PROOF both announced layoffs early in the week.

• Versum, an NFT platform on Tezos, announced they are closing down.

• Yuga Labs announced a restructure, shifting focus back towards their Otherside metaverse and consolidating & downsizing teams.

If you’re a team that is currently hiring in the space, lots of incredibly talented people in product, BD, community, and other roles are available.

💎 Boss Beauties acquires BFF. These two great web3 companies are combining,​​ amplifying the influence of both communities in educating and empowering women to explore web3 technologies. Lisa Mayer, CEO of Boss Beauties, said that “BFF has already been BB's BFF, and we are excited to begin this chapter together as we set out to make an even larger impact in media, entertainment, web3, and emerging tech."

🐧 Can you start an NFT project without scamming first? A hit piece on Pudgy Penguins founder Luca Netz was released Friday night. The document produced by OkHotShot alleged that Luca has been involved in “drop shipping schemes, dubious marketing practices, and alleged nft rug pulls”.

Luca Netz refuted the claims on a Twitter space, plus the research was allegedly stolen. The situation will likely keep evolving over the weekend. Never a dull moment!

🐱 Cool Cats alpha. I hosted a space with Cool Cats CEO clon on the origin story of Cool Cats and what the team is currently working on, including their Macy’s Day Parade float (the first NFT to do so), and products launching in-store soon!

Read the recap from NFTGo or check out the space.

🎨 A great opportunity for artists! The team at Metaqueens is looking for artists to contribute to their upcoming collection. Details below:

Quick Headlines

• Opensea announced their creator studio.

• A few Friendtech users were the victims of a SIM swap attack. If you’re using the platform, definitely switch away from using SMS authentication and consider moving extra funds into a full-custody wallet.

• Starsarena, the copycat Friendtech on the Avalanche network, was hacked for $3M. Many security experts had warned against the risk of using the platform with its unverified contact, so this isn’t a huge surprise.

• Nike announces new sneakers for SWOOSH holders.

• Instagram’s CEO Adam Mosseri says he’s still bullish on NFTs during their Creator Innovation Summit in New York.

AI Corner

🍿 Not ready for theatres … yet. I participated on a panel for TheWrap’s annual industry conference, focused on AI. We talked about how AI is far from being able to remake Breakfast at Tiffany’s with a different actor, and what it would take to get to that state in terms of technology, data & training sets, regulation, and more.

🎧 Rumors are circulating that Spotify is testing AI-generated playlists, where you could generate a playlist based on a prompt. Spotify previously launched an AI-powered DJ feature and support for AI-translated podcasts.

This Week We’re Bullish On …

Julienne Worring (@julienneworring)

Julienne Worring is the CEO and founder of ensō. She started her first fashion company while still in school (a swimsuit company with her sister), and then spent several years in venture capital and fund management.

Now, she’s building ensō, a decentralized fashion platform that blends fashion, community, and web3. Ensō connects designers, brands, and consumers in a social shopping app that allows for users to get paid from brands they love. Their product is currently in a private beta with 150 brands and designers.

Positive Affirmation for the Week

The balance between ease and flow and setting your boundaries is a beautiful dance! 💃

Hope you enjoyed this week's edition of the Alpha newsletter!

We're looking for brands to share with The Alpha. If you’ve got a product or service you think we’d love, let us know!👇

Remember, I'm Bullish on you!

With gratitude,

Shira