Hedge fund blacklist - BNPL deal wave - Crypto startups 'nightmare scenario'

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On the agenda today:

• A group of five alt data firms have a blacklist of hedge funds they won't work with.
• Square's Afterpay deal could kick off a wave of buy now, pay later deals.
• Experts outlined a "nightmare scenario" for crypto startups.

Let's get started.

Alt data vendors have blacklisted a dozen hedge funds

Hedge funds can end up on the list - which outlines the firms alt data vendors won't work with - by ripping off methodologies and swiping sample data. Get the full rundown here.

Here's how top funds are performing in 2021

Lee Ainslee's Maverick Capital is up big, while technology-focused managers like Tiger Global and Whale Rock slipped in July. See how different hedge funds are performing so far this year.

Vice Media's public listing plans have stalled

Vice Media's plan to go public via a SPAC is being held up in part by negotiations with its private equity backer, TPG. Here's what the disagreement is over.

Square's Afterpay deal could kick off a wave of deals in buy now, pay later

Buy now, pay later is the fastest growing area in payments, and experts say dealmaking is set to ramp up in the space - spurred on by Square's $29 billion Afterpay deal. Here are eight players in the BNPL space that could be targeted next.

These private banks and wealth managers are staffing up

Private wealth managers and banks are competing for talent to service the super rich. These are four of the top players on the hiring hunt.

Experts outline one "nightmare scenario" for crypto startups

We asked four crypto experts about the worst-case scenario for startups, and they listed everything from a huge attack on the blockchain to a hacker draining users' wallets. Here's one concern they all agreed on.

Financial firms have nearly tripled digital ad spending in the past five years

As fintechs increasingly prioritize branding and marketing as a way to differentiate themselves, the industry's ad spending has skyrocketed - and is expected to reach $24 billion in 2021.

Nominate someone for Insider's 2021 class of Wall Street rising stars

We're putting together a power list of the young talent on Wall Street. If you know a standout in investment banking, investing, or sales and trading, you can nominate them here.

On our radar:

• Bloomberg reported that BlackRock and Wells Fargo have delayed their return to the office by a month because of Delta concerns. More on that here.
• According to Bloomberg, JPMorgan is pitching a Bitcoin fund to its wealthy clients.
• In his first interview since the divorce was finalized, Bill Gates says he regrets his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, calling it a "huge mistake."
• Employees reveal how Grubhub dominated food delivery, then nearly lost it all to Uber Eats and DoorDash. Read up on its plunge to the bottom.
• Luxury fashion houses Louis Vuitton and Burberry are diving into the world of NFTs and online gaming. How they plan to use NFTs to promote their brand.
• Want to land a Supreme Court clerkship? We spoke to clerks for Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Anthony Kennedy, who told us how to snag one of the coveted positions.
• We followed firefighters in Oregon to see how they battle some of the largest wildfires in the US. See how it's done.