Pencils Protocol
Seed Round in 2024
Pencils Protocol is a decentralized finance platform that facilitates peer-to-peer lending and borrowing of digital assets. The company aims to enhance the user experience for Scroll users by offering an all-inclusive auction platform and yield aggregator. Through its innovative approach, Pencils Protocol enables clients to engage in decentralized financial activities, fostering growth in the decentralized finance sector. The platform emphasizes a user-friendly experience while supporting various transactions within the decentralized finance space.
BitSmiley
Venture Round in 2024
BitSmiley is a cryptocurrency platform focused on providing comprehensive Bitcoin DeFi solutions, specifically addressing gaps in stablecoin and lending infrastructure within the Bitcoin ecosystem. The company's primary offering is an over-collateralized stablecoin, which allows users to leverage Bitcoin as collateral through the BitSmileyDAO and mint BitUSD. In addition to stablecoin services, BitSmiley specializes in peer-to-peer lending and has developed insurance and credit default swap derivatives based on its lending framework. This enables users to access a variety of financial services, including stablecoin transactions, lending options, and related derivatives, contributing to a more versatile and robust financial ecosystem.
BitSmiley
Initial Coin Offering in 2024
BitSmiley is a cryptocurrency platform focused on providing comprehensive Bitcoin DeFi solutions, specifically addressing gaps in stablecoin and lending infrastructure within the Bitcoin ecosystem. The company's primary offering is an over-collateralized stablecoin, which allows users to leverage Bitcoin as collateral through the BitSmileyDAO and mint BitUSD. In addition to stablecoin services, BitSmiley specializes in peer-to-peer lending and has developed insurance and credit default swap derivatives based on its lending framework. This enables users to access a variety of financial services, including stablecoin transactions, lending options, and related derivatives, contributing to a more versatile and robust financial ecosystem.
MYX is a decentralized derivative exchange that "uses intelligent rates and exposure hedging mechanisms to ensure protocol stability and provide sustainable high returns" through a peer-to-pool-to-peer paradigm.
LayerZero
Series B in 2023
LayerZero Labs is a developer of a blockchain messaging protocol that enables decentralized applications to operate across multiple blockchains. The company's platform facilitates data exchange and interoperability by connecting disparate blockchains, offering a streamlined solution for cross-chain applications. Utilizing an on-chain light node for validation, LayerZero improves speed, security, and cost-efficiency, as it streams block headers on-demand through decentralized oracles rather than maintaining all headers sequentially. This innovative approach allows clients to efficiently implement low-level communication primitives necessary for cross-chain functionality.
Genesis Shards
Seed Round in 2022
Genesis Shards is a company dedicated to transforming the non-fungible token (NFT) landscape. It operates a decentralized ecosystem designed for pre-initial decentralized exchange offering tokens, facilitating a model where network participants can access and trade these tokens efficiently and securely. By focusing on early liquidity for projects, Genesis Shards enables traders to cultivate community support and engage in price discovery during the early stages of token development. The company's innovative approach aims to create a more accessible and dynamic environment for both projects and investors in the evolving digital asset market.
Fog Works
Pre Seed Round in 2022
Fog Works is a developer of a decentralized storage ecosystem designed to enhance data management and retrieval. The company focuses on creating a next-generation protocol and marketplace that utilizes public blockchain technology. By eliminating latency in file retrieval, Fog Works empowers users to own, curate, and control their data and applications. The firm is backed by a team with extensive expertise in peer-to-peer networking, blockchain, and entrepreneurship, positioning it to reshape how individuals and organizations interact with the decentralized internet.
Folks Finance
Seed Round in 2022
Folks Finance is a crosschain decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol that addresses liquidity fragmentation by enabling users to deposit and borrow across various blockchain networks without the need for bridging or wrapping assets. The platform offers a comprehensive suite of financial tools, including lending, trading, and liquid staking, making it a fully-fledged hub for digital asset management. As the largest application on Algorand, Folks Finance has achieved significant growth, reaching an all-time high of $400 million in total value locked. The protocol is designed to be non-custodial, allowing users to earn yield on their deposits, use those deposits as collateral for loans, and engage in governance activities within the Algorand ecosystem, all while ensuring scalability, low transaction costs, and security.
Amasa is a company that specializes in a micro income streaming platform aimed at enhancing individuals' financial positions. The platform allows users to aggregate, track, and invest earnings generated from various digital interactions, such as engaging with cryptocurrencies and decentralized finance. By facilitating peer-to-peer networks, Amasa enables participants to combine, stabilize, and amplify their micro income streams, making it easier for them to manage and grow their financial resources within digital environments.
LayerZero
Series A in 2021
LayerZero Labs is a developer of a blockchain messaging protocol that enables decentralized applications to operate across multiple blockchains. The company's platform facilitates data exchange and interoperability by connecting disparate blockchains, offering a streamlined solution for cross-chain applications. Utilizing an on-chain light node for validation, LayerZero improves speed, security, and cost-efficiency, as it streams block headers on-demand through decentralized oracles rather than maintaining all headers sequentially. This innovative approach allows clients to efficiently implement low-level communication primitives necessary for cross-chain functionality.
Equilibrium
Seed Round in 2021
Equilibrium operates as a software service that focuses on decentralized finance by providing a platform for interoperability with various blockchains. Its system features a consensus-based governance model and encompasses a cross-chain money market, which integrates pooled lending with synthetic asset generation and trading. This functionality aims to eliminate market segmentation, allowing users to access and utilize multiple decentralized finance services through a single interface. The platform utilizes various tokens, including the EQ token, EOSDT, and the Native Utility Token, which are not classified as securities or regulated instruments.
Porta Network
Pre Seed Round in 2021
Porta Network is a blockchain project designed to make Web 3.0 products accessible to a broad audience. The name "Porta," meaning "gateway" in Latin, reflects its mission to provide a seamless experience for users, whether they are newcomers or experienced in blockchain technology. Built on the Substrate framework, Porta Network offers a range of products, including decentralized finance, non-fungible tokens, and peer-to-peer lending. Additionally, it explores less common applications such as social platforms, business organization tools, and decentralized creator economies. By simplifying access to these diverse blockchain solutions, Porta Network aims to enhance user engagement and broaden participation in the blockchain ecosystem.
DeversiFi gives traders the edge in fast-moving decentralized finance (Defi) markets by allowing them to trade at lightning speed and with deep aggregated liquidity, directly from their privately owned cryptocurrency wallet. Traders can take advantage of more trading opportunities while always preserving control of their assets when they need to move fast. DeversiFi’s order-books are off-chain, but settlement occurs on the Ethereum blockchain. This means that traders benefit from fast-moving order books and instant execution, without having to trust the exchange and whilst always maintaining control of their assets at all times.