Hiya! It's $4 checking in from NYC (but not for long — $4 I plan on winning it soon and jetting off some place where it's always 80 degrees).
Today we've got stories on $4, $4, and some $4.
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But first, tales from the crypt(o).
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1. BlackRock's crypto quest.
It's been a tough year for crypto, but there's at least one bright spot.
Set aside the$4$4, the$4$4, and the fact that bitcoin has$4 — OK, that's a lot to set aside — and the industry has actually secured a huge victory.
BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, has slowly but surely embraced digital assets throughout 2022.
Sure, there are plenty of other traditional players that beat BlackRock to the punch. But few are as powerful, from both a size and $4, as the $8 trillion money manager.
The culmination, and perhaps biggest step, in BlackRock's crypto journey came this summer, when it$4.
Insider's Rebecca Ungarino and Morgan Chittum$4, which essentially dates back to an initial memo in 2015.
Nearly seven years later, some of the biggest moves BlackRock has made occurred this year:
-The Coinbase partnership that allows Aladdin users access to the crypto exchange.
-A private trust to $4.
-Managing a fund for $4.
While that might not seem like a lot of progress, thus is the pace of play when it comes to large institutions' acceptance of digital assets.
Which is why mapping out BlackRock's journey is so interesting, Rebecca told me. In many ways, the firm's path into crypto is a microcosm of what is taking place across Wall Street, she said.
Whether BlackRock, $4, will turbocharge other firms' acceptance of crypto remains to be seen. But one can't deny the benefit of having a firm that size in your corner.
In other news:
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3. Inside the bloodbath at tech companies. Industry insiders detail a difficult week for the tech industry that saw thousands lose their jobs. $4.
4. It's getting spicy between two of the richest people in crypto. Binance's Zhao "CZ" Changpeng and FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried aired out grievances on Twitter. $4.
5. Here's everything you need to know about Twitter under Elon Musk. A lot has happened since the billionaire took over. $4.
6. The owners of English Premier League club Liverpool FC are considering a sale. Fenway Sports Group Holdings, which also owns the Boston Red Sox, has tapped $4.
7. Ken Griffin has already made his pick for who he'd like to see in the White House. The billionaire CEO of hedge fund Citadel told Politico he's prepared to back Florida governor Ron DeSantis if he chooses to run. $4.
8. Republicans might be biting the hand that feeds them. Susquehanna International Group cofounder Jeff Yass and his wife Janine are massive Republican benefactors. But over half of Yass' $33 billion fortune stems from his investment in TikTok parent company ByteDance, which is a popular target of the GOP, $4.
9. The newest addition to your startups' term sheet could be from your favorite Netflix dating show. "Love Is Blind" star Sikiru "SK" Alagbada hopes to one day work in early-stage VC investing. $4.
10. It might not be time for spring cleaning, but that doesn't mean you can't get rid of stuff around the house. A long-time interior designed shared some advice on what you do, and don't need, in your home. $4.
Keep updated with the latest business news throughout your day by checking out $4, a dynamic audio news brief. $4
Edited by Jeffrey Cane (tweet @jeffrey_cane>$4) in New York.