#Stride head of strategy John Galt recently revealed that the Interchain Foundation (ICF) holds a significant 1.6% stake in Celestia ( $TIA ), currently worth $70 million, in addition to a $125 million stake in #Cosmos ( $ATOM ).
The news revealed the ICF’s large holdings during the time of its decision to support Celestia. In addition to Celestia, the ICF also holds assets such as Bitcoin ( BTC ), Ethereum ( ETH ), ATOM, and U.S. dollars in its vaults, totaling $350 million, according to Galt.
Galt highlighted that of the $350 million in cumulative holdings, the ICF allocated its funds to ATOM, with another $125 million allocated to BTC and ETH, and another $100 million allocated to USD.
In 2021, Celestia raised $1.5 million in seed funding, with seed investors receiving 15.9% of TIA supply. Sam Hart, head of product and strategy at Skip Protocol who previously worked at #ICF , revealed that ICF invested $100,000. In just two years, the investment ballooned to $70 million.
Uncertainty about ICF operations
Galt said that while the ICF emphasized its lack of official alignment with any specific Cosmos chain, some industry commentators still viewed it as leaning toward the Cosmos Hub, creating some tension within the crypto community.
Despite the ICF’s significant investments and contributions to Cosmos, questions remain about its operational clarity. Zaki Manian, co-founder of Sommelier Protocol, criticized the ICF’s operating model for being inconsistent and the effectiveness of its funding being mixed.
Galt believes that as Celestia’s value soars, the ICF may move toward modular blockchains, even if it maintains a non-aligned stance. This could lead to increased funding for modular public goods and a move to build projects with Celestia.
ICF’s future trajectory remains uncertain, but its significant annual investment in building and promoting Cosmos will undoubtedly benefit the broader Cosmos ecosystem. Osmosis and #celestia are poised to reap huge gains in the coming years. $BTC