Apple releases a public beta version of iOS 12, AT&T works with the NSA and Andreessen Horowitz announces a new crypto fund. Here's your Daily Crunch for June 26, 2018.

1. iOS 12 is all about making your phone work better

Apple has released the first public beta version of iOS 12, and after playing around with the early betas, TechCrunch's Romain Dillet has an overview of the major changes.

This isn't quite as splashy as past updates, but in a welcome change, your phone or tablet should actually get faster, not slower, even if it's older. There are also additions like Screen Time designed to help you look at your phone less often.

2. AT&T collaborates on NSA spying through a web of secretive buildings in the US

The Intercept reports that eight AT&T data facilities in the U.S. are regarded as high-value sites to the NSA, giving the agency direct "backbone" access to raw data that passes through — including emails, web browsing, social media and any other form of unencrypted online activity.

3. Andreessen Horowitz has a new crypto fund — and its first female general partner is running it with Chris Dixon

The fund had become the worst-kept secret in the venture industry, largely because so many other venture firms are trying to figure out their own strategies and have been watching a16z's slow-but-growing number of investments in crypto-related startups over the past five years.

4. Celonis scores $50M Series B on $1B valuation

It's not typical for an enterprise startup to have such a lofty valuation so early in its funding cycle, but Celonis is not a typical enterprise startup. It launched in 2011 in Munich with the idea of helping companies understand their processes through "process mining".

5. With CBD, marijuana-based medicine gets its first greenlight from the FDA

The FDA has announced its approval of a marijuana-derived drug called Epidiolex for the treatment of seizures in a subset of patients suffering from severe epilepsy. As the organization notes, "This is the first FDA-approved drug that contains a purified drug substance derived from marijuana."

6. Autonomous delivery drone startup Matternet raises $16M round led by Boeing's venture arm

Just last month, the Federal Aviation Administration selected Matternet as one of the participants in its Unmanned Aircraft System pilot program, which will provide drone logistics operations to U.S. hospitals.

7. Beleaguered electric vehicle firm Faraday Future gets $2B investment boost

This is rare good news for Faraday Future, which has been beset by what seems like constant cash shortfalls.