Today marks the first episode of Loup TV Weekly, where we discuss the most important developments in tech for the week ending on March 25.
- Spotify and Google announced User Choice Billing, a new agreement to allow users to pay subscriptions through Spotify or Google Play. The first iteration should be available later this year as an initiative to build on alternative billing policies that were first applied in South Korea.
- The global supply chain will likely change rapidly over the next decade, shifting away from China. Apple saw it coming in 2018 and will be aggressively investing a projected $430B in US tech infrastructure over the next five years, along with investing to a lesser extent in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
- Instacart has cut its valuation by 40%. The company is now valued at $24B, compared to DoorDash at $36B. This not only reflects the present market but indicates a new valuation paradigm.
- Bitcoin initiatives are growing. Exxon and Crusoe Energy plan to convert gas through digital flare mitigation systems for BTC mining. As sanctions intensify in Russia, the country seeks diversification of currency including BTC as a potential payment for oil and gas exports.