We’re all about NFTs here at Coffee and Crypto. We’re also all about portfolios. Whether that’s a digital portfolio or a classic manila folder, we love them all equally.

But it simply can’t be denied: not all portfolios are created equal. Some have risen higher and brighter than all the others. So today we’re gonna take a look at the absolute best and brightest.

In today’s edition, not only are we giving you the news: we’ve also compiled a list of the World’s top NFT portfolios.

Espresso Shots

☕️ Binance’s Early Blunders 😬💥

Documents and texts from 2017 have revealed some of Binance’s earliest growing pains.

One particular highlight: Regulation fears for Binance.US and failed attempts to recruit Gary Gensler. Yes, that Gary Gensler.

Two years before he became chairman of the SEC and crypto’s primary antagonist, Gensler was fielding offers from crypto firms while he was teaching at MIT.

It was also revealed that Binance.US, founded in an attempt to create a US-compliant Binance branch, may not have always been the separate entity it claimed to be.

It also appears that Binance.US employees were reporting to Changpeng Zhao and other top Binance executives, despite the supposed “separation.”

An official spokesperson for Binance claims that the company, “did not have adequate compliance and controls in place during those early years…” 

“We are a very different company today when it comes to compliance. Binance.US was founded specifically to serve U.S. customers with products and services that adhere to U.S. rules and regulations.”

Despite the hazy legality of Binance’s inter-branch proceedings, the failed attempt to bring Gary Gensler to crypto is still our favorite reveal.

It’s really going to raise the emotional stakes in the inevitable lightsaber fight between Gary Gensler and Changpeng Zhao in the third act.

☕️ Tether’s Lies 🏦 ❌

Tether, the company behind USDT, the world’s largest stablecoin, is in hot water after an investigation by The Wall Street Journal unearthed some troubling history.

The report alleges that Tether used fake companies and fake documents to manipulate itself into a favorable position in the banking world.

Tether had also become involved with an account that had been used to launder money for a Turkish terrorist organization.

Tether is currently under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department, but apparently the Wall Street Journal beat them to the punch.

This means that despite their name, crypto’s stablecoins aren’t looking all that stable. Two of the largest: BUSD & USDT are both currently under federal investigation.

If there’s anything good to come out of this investigation, it’s that Tether got a fantastic new banking slogan. Tether: We Do Negotiate with Terrorists.

☕️ Crypto Maintains Charitable Giving 🎁 💰

Despite a bear market and the hazards of crypto winter, some of crypto’s largest firms are still dedicated to charitable giving.

Support has been particularly strong when it comes to assisting the war-torn nation of Ukraine, but of course many crypto firms pivoted their focus to Turkey and Syria in the wake of the region’s devastating earthquake.

Though, it’s been noticed that the support for the earthquake hasn’t matched that for Ukraine, and some in the space think there may be ideological reasons.

“This is a community that is very rights and sovereignty focused, so it was very easy for them to grasp and feel empowered to be an activist about the invasion of Ukraine,” 

Robbie Heeger, President and CEO of Endaoment, a crypto nonprofit, went on to say:

“In the case of the earthquakes, also a terrible tragedy, but a natural one, we’re seeing great donation activity–but not at the same scale.”

Charitable donations in crypto are now up 300% since Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao was visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.

Spilling the Beans

The Top NFT Collections 😳

If you have a connection to the internet, which we presume you do given you’re reading this email based newsletter, you know that NFTs are sometimes sold for insanely high sums.

So, it was only a matter of time before we got down to the nitty gritty, the who’s who of the largest, most expensive NFT portfolios.

But we’ll be doing a countdown to the number one spot, of course, to build suspense, obviously. And pay attention, you’re probably going to see some names you recognize.

10. LaMelo Ball - $504,667

LaMelo Ball, point guard for the Charlotte Hornets and the youngest American to sign a professional basketball contract, may not have the largest NFT portfolio on this page, but hey, he placed.

9. Serena Williams - $539,629

Yep, Tennis Queen and partially the focus of last year’s heartwrenching biopic, King Richard, is also onboard the NFT train. Ninth place isn’t bad for a 41-year old mother, but at Wimbledon she’s used to first.

8. Jay-Z - $706,575

HOV! From selling crack to pushing NFTs, Jay-Z, aka Beyoncé’s wife, can do it all. This may only be a paltry sum to Jay-Z, but this investment was still enough for the rapper to lock in the eighth seed.

7. DJ Marshmello - $1,070,000

Our first celebrity NFT portfolio worth over a million belongs to DJ Marshmello. Much like DeadMau5 or Daft Punk, this artist has maintained his secret identity throughout a very acclaimed career.

Nobody’s ever seen this guy’s face, but if you’re like us, you assume that his flesh is made of marshmallow and his eyes are candy.

6. Steve Aoki - $1,910,000

Another professional DJ, Steve Aoki, known for his tasty beats and equally tasty locks, comes in at number six.

The fact that Steve Aoki’s been so vocally bullish on crypto and NFTs is just another piece of evidence that this DJ is actually a time traveler from the future.

5. Alexis Ohanian - $3,910,000

Ohanian is an “internet entrepreneur” and investor. He may not be as famous as our previous entries but apparently he’s got a lot more money. And after doing some cursory digging, it also turns out that this nerd is married to Serena Willliams.

Now we know who got her into crypto. If you also think this marriage doesn’t make any sense, be sure to note that Ohanian is 6’5”.

4. Logan Paul - $4,850,000

Despite the debacle that was Crypto-ZOO, a controversy that just seems to be the most recent in a long line of controversies, fake-boxer Logan Paul still has one of the fattest NFT portfolios in crypto at almost $5 mil.

Why can’t he just make us all happy and fist-fight his brother?

3. Snoop Dogg - $19,280,000

Despite being perpetually, catastrophically high, Snoop Dogg has a pretty good nose for investments. He’s been bullish (doggish) on crypto for years and seems to accept every spokesperson deal or paid promotion that comes across his agent’s desk.

2. Gary Vee - $107,910,000

Gary Vaynerchuck aka “Gary Vee” is a soviet born internet personality who somehow pivoted from a career as a wine critic to becoming one of the biggest voices in crypto.

He also co-founded Resy, that app that sets you up with restaurant reservations. Cool, but this newsletter prefers Opentable.

1. Mark Cuban - $502,610,000

And without further ado, the largest private NFT portfolio in the world belongs to none other than… Mark Cuban. Makes sense that one of the richest men in the world would have a proportionally large NFT portfolio.

This dude has his fingers in everything and the funds to back it up. Though we still don’t understand why he hasn’t launched “Mark Cuban’s Cuban Cigars.”

And that wraps up our list!

It’s always difficult to conclude a listicle, so we’re going to do what Buzzfeed does and send signals to your brain that promote Attention Deficit Disorder in adults.

Enjoy!

Meme of the Day

Think of it, Gary!

Crypto 101

Token: A token is a sort of catch-all term for the digital representation of an asset or interest that has been “tokenized” using the blockchain.

A token is different from a cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies exist on their own proprietary blockchains whereas tokens are built on existing networks such as Ethereum.

In that way, a token can be created on the Ethereum network and use that technology, but it’s entirely separate from the Ethereum cryptocurrency.

The Last Sip

Instead of the most valuable NFT portfolios, we’re going to list the qualities that make you, the reader, so valuable to us.

• Your Attention.

• Your Loyalty.

• Your Support.

• And those indefinable qualities that make you you. Never change, reader. You’re so special to us.

Stay Caffeinated,

Coffee & Crypto Team

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DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.