The 11th Hour Dispatch — Tuesday, September 11, 2018
BINGE WATCH
Broadcaster Hearst Television has launched a new Facebook Watch series. Dispatches from the Middle features local reporting from Hearst’s stations in non-coastal regions (aka the majority of the country, but technicality schmecnacality), and joins Facebook’s lineup of original news content that is funded by the social network. The show will appear in the Facebook Watch news section along with content from companies like Bloomberg, CNN, and Fox News.
YOUNG MONEY
Gemini Trust Company, the firm owned by The Social Network villains the Winklevoss twins, has launched a regulated stablecoin, a cryptocurrency that tends to maintain a value through “price stable characteristics.” The Gemini dollar, which has received approval from the New York Department of Financial Services, allows people to send and receive U.S. dollars via the Ethereum cryptocurrency network. It is shooting to maintain a value of one-to-one with the American dollar in hopes that the currency will give people a way to easily use crypto as a payment option rather than strictly an investment. Finally some good news for the brothers. Prior to this news, Gemini Trust Company was reeling from its second SEC rejection for efforts to list the first-ever bitcoin ETF.
BIG BUSINESS
Gawker is getting its second breath of life. New owner Bryan Goldberg has announced that a relaunch is set for early 2019. The Outline’s former CRO Amanda Hale has also been hired as publisher. ICYMI, founder and CEO of Bustle Digital Group Bryan Goldberg purchased controversial Gawker in July for $1.35 million, yanking it out of two years of dormancy after being sued into oblivion (aka bankruptcy) by Peter Thiel. Said Goldberg in a memo, “We won’t recreate Gawker exactly as it was, but we will build upon Gawker’s legacy and triumphs — and learn from its missteps. In so doing, we aim to create something new, vibrant, highly relevant, and worth visiting daily.” The new iteration of Gawker will be distinct from Bustle Digital Group’s other properties, but it will make use of Bustle’s resources. Goldberg reportedly plans to maintain access to Gawker’s library of 200K+ articles.
NOTHIN’ BUT ‘NET
The Next Web ranked the LinkedIn profiles of LinkedIn execs and it’s amazing.
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