Vanguard’s Crypto Clash, Volkswagen Taps Solana For Autonomous Vehicles & More

Welcome back!

This is J264G and this week I’ve got these titbits for you: 

• Crypto Clash: Vanguard holds MSTR but snubs crypto ETFs.

• Autonomous Vehicles: Volkswagen leverages Solana-based DePIN project. 

• Space Startup: Cheaper & less clunky satellite links with Decen Space.

Gold had a 6,000-year head start. Bitcoin needed a decade and a Wi-Fi signal. Demand is through the roof, and the message is clear: math is replacing matter.

Now, let’s jump right into this week’s newsletter!

Click on any underlined heading/hyperlink to learn more.

Spotlight

Onchain IPOs

12 minutes.

That’s all it took for pump.fun to raise $600 million via an initial coin offering (ICO) on Solana last week.

And it all happened without a single pinstriped suit in sight. No investment bank. No glossy pitch decks. No traditional roadshow. No seven-figure fees to swallow. Instead, pump.fun tapped into a global swarm of online investors armed with nothing more than internet access and conviction.

At its core, this proves two things. First, that capital formation on Solana is becoming remarkably sophisticated—far beyond the speculative, gimmicky ICOs of yesteryear. Second, that ambitious startups now have a tantalising new way to raise money outside the usual confines of Sand Hill Road or Wall Street. To be clear, fundraising incumbents aren’t obsolete, but they’re no longer the only game in town. The playing field is opening up, and it’s open 24/7.

Which brings us to the bigger picture: ICOs are just the opening act. What’s coming next is real onchain equity—the ability for companies to raise capital and distribute ownership directly on Solana, without traditional gatekeepers. If an ICO can fund a project such as pump.fun, onchain funding rounds and IPOs are starting to look not only possible, but inevitable.

This is what capital meeting ideas at the speed of the internet looks like.

What pump.fun achieved in 12 minutes wasn’t just a raise. It was a warning shot. Fundraising incumbents can adapt—or fade. Because the next chapter of capital formation won’t be written in mahogany boardrooms. It will be minted, block by block, in public.

Chart Of The Week

News Bites

Autonomous Vehicles: Volkswagen has teamed up with Bee Maps—powered by Solana-native DePIN trailblazer Hivemapper—to tap into its spatial intelligence services for autonomous vehicle testing. The convergence of blockchain and AVs is no longer hypothetical, it’s operational.

Complexity Abstraction: Phantom has introduced in-wallet perpetual futures trading. Users can now access sophisticated derivatives products with the ease of a tap—no separate exchange or additional custody layers required. The campaign to make crypto user-friendly rolls on.

Kon'nichiwa! Minna Bank, a subsidiary of Japan’s Fukuoka Financial Group, is trialing payments, tokenised real-world assets, and settlements powered by Solana. The initiative underscores Japan’s accelerating interest in blockchain infrastructure as a means to modernise financial services and explore alternative rails for domestic and cross-border transactions.

Stablecoin Strategy: Stripe has released a strategic guide highlighting how businesses stand to benefit from a stablecoin strategy, citing new insights from proprietary data. The gist of it: stablecoins are no longer a curiosity—they are fast becoming a necessity. 

Retail Crypto: BBVA has launched Bitcoin trading and custody services for retail customers in Spain, fully integrated within its mobile banking app. Should the model prove viable in Spain, the U.S. may not be far behind—especially with legislative frameworks such as the CLARITY Act gaining momentum.

Derivative Trades: SOL futures have now crossed $4 billion in trading volume on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The milestone cements Solana’s place in institutional portfolios, joining the ranks of Bitcoin and Ether as instruments for hedging and speculation.

Tokenised Commodities: BioSig Technologies and Streamex have merged to develop a $1.1 billion gold-backed treasury strategy—powered by Solana. The long-term goal: building infrastructure to bring the $142 trillion commodities market onchain. 

Crypto Skies: Emirates has signed a memorandum of understanding with Crypto.com to explore the integration of crypto payments. The partnership, set to go live next year, reflects increasing institutional confidence in using cryptocurrencies as viable mediums of exchange.

Space Startup: Solana’s DePIN ecosystem continues to evolve with the emergence of Decen Space, a decentralised satellite communications platform. The project aims to cut costs and reduce friction in global satellite connectivity.

Deal Flow

When the Solana ecosystem moves, it moves fast.

We give capital allocators an unfair advantage: high-signal research, due diligence, and warm intros.  

Drop us a line and we’ll help take your Solana deal flow to the next level.

Caught In 4K

Weekly Take

Keks & Giggles

And that's a wrap!

You can reach me anytime over on 𝕏.

Talk soon!

J264G

_{DISCLAIMER
None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research. Lastly, please be advised that we discuss products and services from our partners from which our team members may hold tokens/equity.}