A process for thermally cracking one or more C 2 -C 8 hydrocarbons comprising integrating a chemical looping combustion reaction with a steam cracker wherein: a) a moving bed of reduced inorganic particulates having a melting temperature greater than 1500°C and a particle size from 10 to 300 microns is passed through an oxidation reactor at a temperature from 300°C to 1200°C for a period of time less than 2 minutes at a gas hourly space velocity for the oxidant from 500 hr -1 to 6000 hr -1 , weight hourly space velocity from 0.5 to 60, to oxidize not less than 20 wt% of said inorganic particulates passing through said oxidation reactor; b) passing said oxidized inorganic particulates to and through a moving bed in a fuel reactor together with a fuel in the absence of a gaseous oxidant for a period of time of less than 2 minutes at a gas hourly space velocity for the fuel from 500 hr -1 to 6000 hr -1 , weight hourly space velocity from 0.5 to 60, to substantially burn the fuel and any surface carbon on the inorganic particulates and reduce the inorganic particulates and heat them to a temperature from 1000°C to 1200°C; c) passing said heated reduced inorganic particulates as a moving bed through at least a portion of a cracking reactor, concurrently or counter-currently, optionally with steam and one or more alkanes at a temperature from 750°C to 1200°C for a period of time less than 2 minutes at a gas hourly space velocity for the alkanes from 500 hr -1 to 6000 hr -1 , weight hourly space velocity from 0.5 to 60, and cracking said one or more alkanes, to produce a product stream comprising: H 2 , one or more olefins, steam, and mixtures of alkynes, aromatics, di-olefins, heavy hydrocarbons and coke; and d) passing the reduced inorganic particulates from said cracking reactor to said oxidation reactor. a) a moving bed of reduced inorganic particulates having a melting temperature greater than 1500°C and a particle size from 10 to 300 microns is passed through an oxidation reactor at a temperature from 300°C to 1200°C for a period of time less than 2 minutes at a gas hourly space velocity for the oxidant from 500 hr -1 to 6000 hr -1 , weight hourly space velocity from 0.5 to 60, to oxidize not less than 20 wt% of said inorganic particulates passing through said oxidation reactor; b) passing said oxidized inorganic particulates to and through a moving bed in a fuel reactor together with a fuel in the absence of a gaseous oxidant for a period of time of less than 2 minutes at a gas hourly space velocity for the fuel from 500 hr -1 to 6000 hr -1 , weight hourly space velocity from 0.5 to 60, to substantially burn the fuel and any surface carbon on the inorganic particulates and reduce the inorganic particulates and heat them to a temperature from 1000°C to 1200°C; c) passing said heated reduced inorganic particulates as a moving bed through at least a portion of a cracking reactor, concurrently or counter-currently, optionally with steam and one or more alkanes at a temperature from 750°C to 1200°C for a period of time less than 2 minutes at a gas hourly space velocity for the alkanes from 500 hr -1 to 6000 hr -1 , weight hourly space velocity from 0.5 to 60, and cracking said one or more alkanes, to produce a product stream comprising: H 2 , one or more olefins, steam, and mixtures of alkynes, aromatics, di-olefins, heavy hydrocarbons and coke; and d) passing the reduced inorganic particulates from said cracking reactor to said oxidation reactor. <EOS>