Do Kwon Guilty, Powell Pivot & OpenAI’s $12B Run Rate | E2168

Today’s show:

Terra’s collapse, Powell’s pivot, and OpenAI’s explosive growth all collide in this TWiST deep dive.

Do Kwon has pled guilty after Terra/Luna’s $60B implosion, Fed Chair Powell hints at a September rate cut, and OpenAI has officially crossed $1B in monthly revenue (on a $12B run rate). Jason and Alex unpack what this means for founders, LPs, and the next wave of AI + crypto.

They also cover Canva’s $42B comeback, Anthropic’s doubled $10B fundraise, and the brewing battle between Figma & Canva.

Plus: Uber, Nuro & Lucid’s $6B robotaxi push — and why drivers are already protesting in Wuhan & Boston.

#Startups #Crypto #AI #VentureCapital #OpenAI #Anthropic #Canva #Figma #ThisWeekInStartups

Timestamps:

(0:00) INTRO

(01:15) Fed rate cut signals & market reaction

(05:36) Jason’s $400K in new fund bets

(10:25) Miro - Help your teams get great done with Miro. Check out miro.com to find out how!

(11:30) Show Continues…

(16:22) Do Kwon & the Terra/Luna collapse

(20:22) Bolt - Don’t be left behind. Build apps quickly without knowing how to code with Bolt.new. Try it free at https://www.bolt.new/twist.

(21:23) Show Continues…

(29:43) Alphasense - Get deeper insights into your business with the power of AI search and market intelligence. Start with a free trial at https://www.alpha-sense.com/twist

(30:55) Show Continues…

(36:14) OpenAI’s $1B/month revenue run rate

(42:13) Anthropic’s $10B round & AI market sizing

(51:31) Canva’s $42B valuation & Figma comparison

Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com

Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

Follow Lon:

X: https://x.com/lons

Follow Alex:

X: https://x.com/alex

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm

Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/Jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

Thank you to our partners:

(10:25) Miro - Help your teams get great done with Miro. Check out miro.com to find out how!

(20:22) Bolt - Don’t be left behind. Build apps quickly without knowing how to code with Bolt.new. Try it free at https://www.bolt.new/twist.

(29:43) Alphasense - Get deeper insights into your business with the power of AI search and market intelligence. Start with a free trial at https://www.alpha-sense.com/twist

Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

Follow TWiST:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916