Fri. 04/22 – The Demise Of CNN+ Makes Quibi Look Good

CNN+ only made it, what, 1/8th of a Quibi? There’s blood on the streaming wars dance floor. a16z’s new crypto research lab makes me feel like I have to start covering them like a startup or a conglomerate. More bad news for Meta: they’re way behind in the payments race in India. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: discover.upland.me/techmeme Links: CNN+ Streaming Service Will Shut Down Weeks After Its Start (NYTimes) a16z Crypto is launching an academic research lab focused on web3 (The Block) How Meta Platforms Fell Behind in Indian Mobile Payments (WSJ) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: ApeCoin & the death of staking (Cobie Substack) Cutting-Edge Crypto Coins Tout Stability. Critics Call Them Dangerous. (WSJ) Rivian CEO Warns of Looming Electric-Vehicle Battery Shortage (WSJ) Video Game Junkie Quietly Builds $3 Billion Payments Powerhouse (Bloomberg) The Sidekick Was the Best Smartphone Ever (Debugger)