Cointelegraph Accelerator

⚡️ RESEARCH: Funding patterns from 2021–2025 map a full cycle, from peak deal activity to contraction, and into a more conservative phase. In 2025, funding rebounded toward $35B but flowed into fewer, higher-conviction deals, reflecting a pullback from speculative plays and a return to revenue-backed models. RWA tokenization emerged as the dominant narrative, attracting strategic capital from banks, asset managers, and exchanges. As venture capital narrows its focus to products with real demand, where does capital go next? Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/gKZmwt7K

What does $34B in crypto VC tell us about 2025? Not what you’d expect. • Top-3 deals account for $5B • Focus is on Strategic rounds, investments up 160% • RWA’s funding exploded (from $0.8B to $2.5B in 2 years) • L2 funding collapsed (down 72% YoY) The market didn’t just recover. It reorganized. Our new report breaks down who’s winning and who got left behind. Featuring insights from: CryptoRank , DWF Labs, Canton Network, RWA.xyz, and Mercuryo Read the full report: 👇 https://lnkd.in/gKZmwt7K

This is what an unfair advantage looks like ⚡️

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭-𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 Speak in outcomes, not internals. Users read to learn what they get and when they get it. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 🥇 • Outcomes map to user goals, not your architecture. • Clarity reduces support tickets and speeds activation. • Benefits are easier to remember and repeat. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐭 🗒️ 1. Start with the job: “Help [who] [do what] so they can [result].” 2. One verb, one object, one benefit. 3. Replace jargon with the user’s own words. 4. Put the benefit in the button text. 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 🔥 Before: “AMM v3 with advanced routing.” After: “Swap to best net result in seconds.” Before: “Modular bridge infrastructure.” After: “Bridge to the cheapest L2 right now.” 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 ⏳ ✅ Headline states the outcome. ✅ Subhead names who it is for and when it happens. ✅ Button completes the promise. ✅ Proof bar shows one receipt: audit, uptime, or user quote. Write the copy your user would type into a wish box. Then ship the button that makes it true.

🎙 Cryptic Talks with SMAPE Capital x IVC x Cointelegraph Accelerator! 🎙 Dry Powder Meets Cold Winter: Where’s the Web3 Capital Actually Going? 📆 Date: Wednesday, October 22nd, 2025 ⏰ Time: 1:00 PM UTC / 3:00 PM CEST Host: Pauli Speaks, BD & PR Specialist at Cryptic Guests: Alexander Lenz, General Partner & COO at Smape Clement Chen, Investment Analyst at IVC Anthony Francis, Head of Program at Cointelegraph Acceleration Link: https://lnkd.in/eWPev6CP We’ll break down how capital is actually moving in a cold market, digging into whether VCs are truly deploying or just extending runway, which sectors still attract real checks (infra, DeFi, gaming, AI + crypto), how conviction is shifting, and how deal structures are evolving with token warrants, valuations, and liquidation preferences. Be there. This one matters. 🫵

The 7-of-10 clarity rule If 7 of 10 strangers can restate your pitch in their own words, keep it. If not, simplify. Clarity beats clever. Run it in 24 hours 1. Write one sentence under 20 words 2. Share with 10 people outside your bubble 3. Ask them to repeat it back 4. Log the repeats Score 7-10 - correct repeats: keep 5-6 - simplify nouns and verbs, remove jargon 0-4 - rebuild from user outcome Fix fast 1. One subject, one verb, one result 2. Replace buzzwords with outcomes 3. Cut adjectives that don’t change meaning 4. Use “so you can” to tie benefit to action If seven can repeat it, you have message clarity. If not, keep cutting. #ProductMarketing #Messaging #GoToMarket

VC<>Startup Connect coming to Asia this autumn! 🌍 Get the inside scoop and join the conversations from CT Accelerator. Invited guest Brandon Slack from Messari shares: “Crypto moves faster than any industry ever. Real-time data is key — costly, complex, but essential. Portal makes it clear, visual, and instantly accessible. We’re proud to be the Bloomberg of crypto.” 🎟 Don’t miss out — register now for exclusive insights: Next one - Buenos Aires - https://luma.com/bknmiosg

Great TGEs have a Release Conductor. Not PM. Not PR. One person who freezes scope, runs the checklist, and owns go or no go. What the role covers ✔️ Scope freeze window and change control ✔️ Final owner for readiness checklist across product, infra, legal, comms ✔️ Rollback plan written and tested before launch day ✔️ Single source of truth for timings and status ✔️ War room setup, channel hygiene, decision log ✔️ Green light criteria defined and measured in real time Why it works Clarity removes last minute debate. One owner shortens response times. Quiet coordination prevents loud problems. If TGE is on your near horizon, name your Release Conductor this week and publish their responsibilities to the team. #Web3 #TGE

📍 Seoul — Tomorrow Korea Blockchain Week Tomorrow we pack the room with founders, funds & KOLs. No fluff — just builders + capital, face to face. 🇰🇷 KOLs Gathering: Seoul Edition Sept 24 | 3–7PM 🔗 RSVP: https://luma.com/956dcxh1 🇰🇷 VC <> Startup Connect: Seoul Edition Sept 25 | 12–5PM 🔗 RSVP: https://luma.com/mz0y9xug Builders get capital. VCs get dealflow. Everyone gets alpha. Meet teams from NewTribe Capital, Cookie3, Triangle Web3 and many more! See you there.

Launch day is easy to make loud. The hard part is keeping non-incentivized users interested and active. Use this 30-day checklist: 1. State the first value moment. Write the single sentence that explains what users get and how quickly. 2. Shorten the path. Remove or merge steps until the first core action is obvious and fast. 3. Pick one daily health metric. Examples: D7 retention percentage, weekly active teams, WAU to MAU ratio, or percent of users who complete onboarding. Put it on a dashboard everyone sees. 4. Ship plus distribute. Every week, pair one shipped improvement with one distribution move such as a partner announcement, newsletter blurb, or concise explainer thread. 5. Listen and iterate. Capture one real user insight per day and turn at least one into a small release each week. Retention beats hype. Distribution beats luck. Systems win over time. https://lnkd.in/dwJ9a8fs #Web3 #Founders #Growth