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April 16, 2022

Welcome to today's edition of The Reader, a weekly roundup of Fortune's stories and insights.

MUST READ

How Anatoly Yakovenko’s crypto startup Solana Labs is building what investors think will be a core layer of Web3

The team behind the buzzy blockchain, an apparent Ethereum challenger, took over a block in Miami in early April for one its Hacker House events—a six-day gathering of developers, programmers, founders, and NFT creators to network and learn about and create projects on the Solana blockchain.

It’s just one of several extravagant events the Solana Foundation, an offshoot of startup Solana Labs, has hosted in various cities over recent months. And it’s something of a physical manifestation of the company’s raison d’etre: to incentivize developers to experiment with and collaborate on projects on the Solana blockchain—and, just maybe, build the next hot app that draws droves of users to the protocol.

BY ANNE SRADERS AND DECLAN HARTY

APRIL 12, 2022

CATCH UP ON THIS WEEK'S BIGGEST STORIES IN BUSINESS

• 10 housing markets poised to see home prices rise the most by 2030
• If Elon Musk succeeds at buying Twitter, one thing’s for sure: He’s making a horrible investment
• This husband and wife each founded a unicorn. Here are their secrets for success.
• Paradigm, Andreessen Horowitz, and Union Square Ventures sued over alleged ‘rampant fraud’ on Uniswap exchange
• How a doll named Clare is trying to help solve trucking’s labor shortage—by attracting women and girls to the field
• Hydrogen fuel cells are finally attracting VC interest

• Employers can’t afford to raise wages as cost of living soars—here’s what they’re doing to retain talent instead

• 3 charts show why the housing market won’t crash anytime soon
• The hottest new perk in corporate America: Pay your employees to stop working
• China cracked down on Meituan. Now it needs the food delivery giant to feed Shanghai
• Why REI is betting big on diversity to help double its membership to 50 million customers
• Warren Buffett lieutenant Charlie Munger was the ultimate Alibaba bull. What finally changed his mind?
• Shoppers are obsessed with Publix and Wegmans. Here’s what it’s really like to work there.
• Delta Air Lines’ chief health officer role is here to stay, even as the pandemic recedes
• A college degree is no longer always the best pathway to the middle class. That might be a good thing

FORTUNE ON DEMAND

Watch: Hybrid work is here to stay (if employees have anything to say about it)

But many companies want workers to return to the office.

FORTUNE'S 100 BEST

COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

Fortune and our partner Great Place to Work have been publishing the Best Companies list for 25 years—none more fraught than the past two. While COVID-19 has forever changed the way we work, the best businesses are stepping up to support their employees as they navigate uncharted waters. So these days, what helps a company stand out? (Hint: Flexibility, diversity, and a few extra paid days off go a long way.)

 Explore the list here.

IN THE KNOW

In The Reader, we always bring you the best from this week, and four of Fortune’s articles were recently honored by the Best in Business Awards, which honors excellence in business journalism. One of them is Geoff Colvin’s 2021 reporting on the skyrocketing cost of insulin.

Over the past few years, the ongoing pandemic has exacerbated concerning flaws in our medical system. And in a drug-pricing system driven by perverse incentives and greed, everyone wins but patients. Especially for those suffering from America’s most expensive chronic disease, diabetes, the cost of insulin in these times is more costly than you'd think.

How much do you think a 30-day supply went for in 2021?

Find the answer here.

A note from Fortune

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