The ETH merge cometh

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.

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Now, what did we get into today?

Stocks are higher around the world, while major cryptos have risen sharply in the last week.The Ethereum update known as the 'Merge' is just around the corner. The change in consensus model at ETH is a big darn deal. How the tech change goes, and what the market reaction is to it, will be key events this week.And speaking of crypto, the SEC is getting even busier in its efforts to have more oversight of the space.From the startup front, Gotham Greens and Diveplane both raised money, $310 million and $25 million respectively. Each are a part of neat, growing sectors in startup-land, making their fundraising a bit more impactful than individual rounds tend to be.And then quick takes: Everyone's worried about TikTok, Amazon's content budget is bonkers, and EQT has a huge new fund.

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Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. Bryce Durbin is our Illustrator. We'd also like to thank the audience development team and Henry Pickavet, who manages TechCrunch audio products.