You’ve made it.
You're now reading The Brief by Introduction.com.
The private digest for entrepreneurs, operators, and investors shaping the future with technology.
In this industry, the ceiling isn't talent, it's access.
Success is defined by the hands you shake and the company you keep.
We exist to streamline that proximity, ensuring the "best of the best" are never more than one connection away.
Join a private network of leaders from a16z, Goldman, NBA, Coinbase, Stripe, and more.
Powered By OKX
OKX has over 120 million users worldwide, and there's a reason it's one of the top crypto exchanges.
If you've been on the fence about where to trade, now's the time to make a move.
New U.S. signups can earn up to $300 in welcome rewards, plus a 5% deposit match on up to $100K in net-new deposits across both crypto and fiat.
You'll also get instant access to OKX's full suite of automated trading bots. Stack the rewards, see what your crypto can do.
This content is not an offer/solicitation to buy, sell, or hold digital assets, which are subject to volatility & not FDIC-insured. Not financial/investment advice. Not all services and products offered in all regions, including certain states in the US. See OKX's US Terms & Risk & Compliance Disclosures. Terms and conditions apply.
Meet Kevin Leffew 👋
Kevin leads go to market for the Coinbase Developer Platform, driving how developers build and monetize onchain applications.
His focus on agentic use cases for stablecoins led to him co creating the x402 protocol.
And honestly, x402 just makes sense. But don’t take my word for it, check it out yourself 👈
Last week marked a major milestone.
The x402 Foundation officially launched under The Linux Foundation, bringing together leaders across tech, payments, and infrastructure.
The protocol has already processed 166M+ transactions, with support from companies like Amazon Web Services, Google, Stripe, Visa, and Coinbase, alongside a broad coalition of industry leaders.
This is the type of building we can get behind. Kevin has been there since day one. Curious what he introduces next.
Lets show Kevin some love!
Consensus Miami has partnered with Introduction.com
You never stop building.
Neither do we.
We’re now official Community Partners with Consensus Miami.
20,000+ operators across crypto, finance, AI, and policy.
If you’ve been watching from the sidelines, this is your moment.
Use code Intro20 for 20% off.
⸻
And we’re not slowing down.
⸻
Next stops:
Malibu (TONIGHT)
Private dinner at Soho House with BH3 and Privé.
Terrace views. Tight room. Same signal.
⸻
Different cities. Same standard.
Membership has its privileges.
Access is earned.
Events
TONIGHT, April 8
5:00 PM - 9:00 PM PDT
Malibu, California
Tuesday, April 14
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Pubkey
New York, New York
Thursday, April 30
6:30 PM - 9:30 PM GMT+8
Thirsty Shaker Cocktail Bar
Hong Kong Island
Welcome to the Network
We are proud to introduce the newest innovators and leaders joining our community; please take a moment to connect with them and welcome them to the inner circle 👇
Andranik Mnatsakanyan
Jean-Maxime Fangous
Michael Tant
Harrison Frye
Alfredo Galli
Top Raises
Member Activity
Member Activity
VC
OpenFX raised $94M in a Series B round led by Accel and Atomico.
The capital will scale API-driven FX liquidity to enable instant, stablecoin-powered settlement for cross-border transfers.
Huge shoutout to Lauren Stephanian and the team at Pantera for their leadership in this strategic move!
Seed
Latitude secured $8M in a seed funding round led by NEA.
The proceeds will expand its "Global Payouts" engine, simplifying stablecoin payments for contractors and employees in over 50 countries.
Big win for Pia Maria Szabo and the Coinbase team for their support in this milestone raise!
TBMC closed a $10M seed round led by FinTech Collective.
The capital will launch its digital banking platform, focused on delivering institutional-grade DeFi yield to retail savers.
Shoutout to Pyrs Carvolth and the team at a16z for their leadership here!
Non-Member Activity
VC
Valinor secured $25M in seed funding led by Castle Island Ventures.
Founded by Blackstone veterans, the firm is building smart-contract workflows to migrate the private credit lifecycle onto blockchain networks.
Secondary
The World Foundation completed a $65M OTC token sale of WLD to four institutional counterparties.
The transaction provides treasury liquidity to accelerate the global rollout of Orb hardware and the World ID ecosystem.
Headlines
The New Scarcity: Global Markets in Transition
Global markets are currently navigating a fundamental macro regime shift defined by severe energy shocks and deepening geopolitical fragmentation. Crude oil has surged past $100 per barrel as escalating tensions threaten nearly 20% of the world’s daily supply. This structural transformation signals the end of traditional market cycles, moving toward a new era defined by persistent resource scarcity and supply-chain constraints.
The resulting commodity chain reaction is creating a broad inflationary cycle that extends far beyond the energy sector. This shift is highlighted by several critical market developments:
Input Costs: Fertilizer and LNG prices are spiking, directly impacting global food security and industrial production.
Capital Rotation: Investors are fleeing bonds, with $19 billion in outflows redirected toward real assets, gold, and inflation hedges.
Global Fragmentation: Trade flows are bifurcating into regional blocs as China accelerates its electric and renewable infrastructure, while oil-producing nations like Russia reap the rewards of elevated prices.
Central banks now face significant policy limitations as inflation is driven by supply shocks rather than consumer demand. With traditional monetary tools proving less effective, the global economy is undergoing a permanent repricing around the end of cheap capital. This new environment demands a total reallocation toward real assets to survive a policy-constrained world.
Japan’s extreme energy vulnerability has been laid bare by the escalating conflict in Iran, as the nation still relies on the Middle East for nearly 95% of its crude oil imports.
This heavy concentration leaves the country’s industrial base at the mercy of regional stability, as any supply disruption immediately spikes the cost of production for Japan’s energy-intensive manufacturing sector.
Labor market data for March significantly outperformed analyst forecasts, signaling continued resilience in the U.S. economy despite high interest rates.
The strong jobs report provides the Federal Reserve with additional policy cover to maintain elevated rates, directly impacting valuations for high-growth risk assets.
Chinese regulators have directed Apple to remove Jack Dorsey’s BitChat from the regional App Store, following the app's widespread use during recent protests in Iran.
The move highlights the growing tension between decentralized communication tools and state-level censorship efforts across the burgeoning "Splinternet."
Circle is launching its proprietary Arc blockchain, featuring post-quantum cryptography to secure digital dollar flows against future computing threats.
The network is engineered to provide high-throughput institutional settlement while maintaining strict regulatory compliance for global USDC movement.
Polymarket has secured an exclusive partnership with LaLiga to integrate real-time forecasting data into fan experiences across North America.
The deal marks a major milestone for the legitimacy of prediction markets as they become a core component of global sports engagement and media.
California has implemented a new law prohibiting state officials from wagering on prediction markets where they may hold non-public information.
The move is seen as a precursor to potential federal legislation aimed at preventing "insider betting" on legislative and geopolitical outcomes.
The OKX campaign and related content is not (i) investment advice or recommendations, (ii) an offer, solicitation, or inducement to buy, sell or hold digital assets, or (iii) financial, accounting, legal or tax advice. Digital assets, including stablecoins and NFTs, are subject to market volatility, involve high risk, can lose value, and are not FDIC insured. You should consider whether trading or holding digital assets is suitable for you and consult your advisors for questions about your circumstances.
Certain cryptocurrencies, services, and products are not available to users located in the United States and may be restricted depending on the state in which you reside. See OKX's US Risk & Compliance Disclosures for more information. OKX INC. ("OKX US") operates under the OKX brand and is a federally registered money service business and a state licensed money transmitter (NMLS ID: 1767779). Users of OKX US are subject to the restrictions and terms contained in the U.S. Terms of Service. Foreign entities affiliated with OKX use the OKX brand to offer services and products to non-US users. US users are expressly prohibited from accessing any of those foreign products and services. © 2026 OKX.