Do you want your paycheck in crypto?

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

This week, Natasha and Alex and Mary Ann got together with Chris and Grace to rock our regular Friday news roundup. This time, however, with extra zip, as we’re staring down a long weekend that, let’s be clear, everyone needs.

Regardless, here’s the show rundown:

• Don’t call us your metamate, friend.
• Startups news of the week: Ro raises even more despite earlier reports of turbulence, Airbase partners with Amex, and Deel wants to give employers a way to fund their payroll in crypto, no matter where their employees are based. As Twitter tells us, they aren’t the first company to try the crypto salary approach.
• The crypto regulatory world is heating up, with news from both India and the United States to chew on. Our read is that some regulation is good, but not every loss can be spun as a win. Come for Alex’s sci-fi connection, and stay for Natasha’s boat metaphor.
• We also took a look at the mental health market for people of color through the lens of MindFi in the APAC region, and She Matters here in the United States. We had some startup-style questions, but are generally bullish about the companies.
• And we closed with the cannabis market of both Germany and the United States. Alex and Natasha are bullish on, well, all of it while Mary Ann nurses a hemp seed allergy.

Thanks to those of you who tuned into our live show last week, we’ll be back next week on Hopin and Twitter Spaces so sign up to hear our OG show without edits. Anyways, fun show as always and just a reminder that we’re off Monday, but back Tuesday. Hugs!