Placeholder

Placeholder is a venture capital firm founded in 2017 and based in New York City. The firm focuses on investing in decentralized information networks and the web3 services sector. Placeholder employs a thesis-driven approach to identify and support innovative projects within these domains. As a Registered Investment Adviser, Placeholder is dedicated to fostering the growth of technologies that enhance decentralization and network efficiency.

Burniske, Christopher

Partner and Founder

Monegro, Joel

Co-Founder and Managing Partner

Past deals in ASIC

Monad

Seed Round in 2023
MONAD is a proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchain and decentralized computation platform that combines the best of performance and portability.

Zerion

Series A in 2021
Zerion Inc. is a blockchain software company that provides a platform for accessing decentralized finance (DeFi) to invest, earn interest, and borrow crypto assets. Founded in 2015 and based in San Francisco, Zerion offers an application that allows users to manage their DeFi portfolios across multiple accounts from a single interface, with features such as real-time asset tracking and instant notifications. The platform aggregates data from major decentralized exchanges, enabling users to manage their digital assets easily and securely. As a non-custodial service, Zerion ensures that users retain control of their funds, reducing risks associated with centralization. Additionally, the company provides tools for tracking the crypto market through charts and alerts, supporting users in navigating the evolving landscape of digital finance.

Aleo

Venture Round in 2021
Aleo provides a platform for building fully private applications using zero-knowledge technology. It offers a comprehensive toolkit that includes an application runtime environment, allowing software to compile, execute, and finalize its state autonomously. Aleo also supports a statically-typed programming language called Leo, designed specifically for private application development on the Aleo blockchain. The company engages its community through blogs and incentive programs to test the bounds of its decentralized technology.

Async Art

Seed Round in 2021
Async Art operates an innovative online platform that connects artists and collectors, enabling them to buy, sell, and trade programmable art on the Ethereum blockchain. Founded in 2019 and based in Fort Bragg, California, Async Art allows users to create and engage with multi-layer artworks. Each artwork consists of a Master piece and various Layers, which can be independently owned and controlled by different individuals. This unique structure empowers users to actively participate in the evolution of the art, as they can modify their respective Layers within parameters set by the original artist. For example, one user may control the sky in a landscape painting while another owns a character, allowing for dynamic collaboration and interaction in the creative process. This platform represents a new frontier in the art world, merging technology and creativity in the 21st century.

API3

Seed Round in 2020
API3 data feeds, dAPIs, aggregate data from first-party oracles, operated by some of the world’s premier API providers.

Balancer

Seed Round in 2020
Balancer Labs operates as a decentralized digital asset management company, offering a flexible and trustless platform for programmable liquidity. The company functions as a non-custodial portfolio manager, liquidity provider, and price sensor, allowing users to exchange tokens without the need for deposits. This enables customers to create their own self-balancing index funds or invest in those created by others, facilitating efficient asset management and trading in the cryptocurrency space.

Zerion

Seed Round in 2019
Zerion Inc. is a blockchain software company that provides a platform for accessing decentralized finance (DeFi) to invest, earn interest, and borrow crypto assets. Founded in 2015 and based in San Francisco, Zerion offers an application that allows users to manage their DeFi portfolios across multiple accounts from a single interface, with features such as real-time asset tracking and instant notifications. The platform aggregates data from major decentralized exchanges, enabling users to manage their digital assets easily and securely. As a non-custodial service, Zerion ensures that users retain control of their funds, reducing risks associated with centralization. Additionally, the company provides tools for tracking the crypto market through charts and alerts, supporting users in navigating the evolving landscape of digital finance.

UMA

Seed Round in 2019
UMA is a decentralized platform focused on financial contracts, aiming to provide global market access through innovative technology. It allows users to trade derivative products without reliance on a centralized authority, minimizing risk and eliminating single points of failure. By enabling customers to create customized financial products, UMA facilitates automatic enforcement and immediate settlement of agreements. The platform also features a unique oracle that records verifiable truths or data on a blockchain, enhancing the integrity of the financial contracts. This structure incentivizes participants to challenge and provide evidence against recorded claims, fostering a transparent and robust ecosystem for decentralized finance.

MakerDAO

Venture Round in 2019
Maker is a decentralized autonomous organization on the Ethereum blockchain seeking to minimize the price volatility of its own stable token — the Dai — against the IMF’s international currency basket SDR. Founded in 2014, the company is headquartered in Santa Cruz, California.

Enzyme

Venture Round in 2019
Enzyme is a decentralized asset management infrastructure built on ethereum. They offer an autonomous system that has both its frontend and its backend hosted and executed on decentralized platforms, thereby replacing a large proportion of the middlemen with smart contracts and enabling asset managers to perform the same tasks at a fraction of the cost and with higher transparency, greater security, and a reduced requirement for trust.

Ethereum Foundation

Venture Round in 2017
The Ethereum Foundation is dedicated to supporting the development and promotion of the Ethereum platform, which enables the creation and deployment of decentralized applications and smart contracts. Founded in 2014 and based in Baar, Switzerland, the foundation facilitates a decentralized ecosystem that allows users to securely manage digital assets and engage in a variety of activities such as crowdfunding, decentralized governance, and the creation of new cryptocurrencies. By providing tools and resources for developers, the Ethereum Foundation aims to foster innovation in areas like voting, intellectual property, and financial services. Its commitment to a decentralized infrastructure promotes resilience and security, making it easier for developers to build on the platform.
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