Highlights of this issue
According to incomplete statistics from PANews, there were 19 investment events globally in the blockchain sector last week (11.4-11.10), with a total capital scale exceeding $73 million, a decrease compared to the previous week. An overview is as follows:
In the DeFi sector, three investment events were announced, including the RWA stablecoin protocol Usual, which announced the completion of a new round of financing of $1.5 million, with Comfy Capital participating.
The Web3 gaming sector announced two investment events, with Web3 chain game A-world announcing the completion of $5 million in Series A financing, with IBGTG Capital participating.
The AI sector announced two investment events, with AI startup Pond, focusing on the cryptocurrency field, raising $7.5 million in seed round financing, led by Archetype.
The DePIN sector announced one investment event, with MelosBoom completing Series B financing with a valuation of $80 million, led by LBank Labs.
The infrastructure and tools sector announced six financing events, among which crypto startup Vlayer completed $10 million in pre-seed financing, with participation from a16z Crypto Startup Accelerator (CSX).
Other blockchain/crypto applications announced four financing events, among which Web3 shopping app Bion announced the completion of a new round of strategic financing, with TON Ventures participating.
DeFi
RWA stablecoin protocol Usual completed a new round of financing of $1.5 million, with participation from Comfy Capital.
The RWA stablecoin protocol Usual announced the completion of a new round of financing of $1.5 million, with participation from Comfy Capital, early crypto project investor echo, Breed VC founder Jed Breed, among others; specific valuation data has not been disclosed. Usual stated that the project plans to launch a token generation event (TGE) to support the construction of a USD0 stablecoin backed by real-world assets. The protocol previously raised $7 million in strategic round financing in April this year, with investors including IOSG Ventures and Kraken Ventures; to date, the total financing amount has reached $8.5 million.
Solana re-staking protocol Fragmetric completed its first round of financing, with participation from Solana founder Anatoly Yakovenko.
Solana re-staking protocol Fragmetric completed Builder round financing, with investors including Solana founder Anatoly Yakovenko, Solana Foundation Chair Lily Liu, Jito Labs founder Lucas Bruder, Backpack founder Tristan, and Wintermute co-founder Yoann Turpin. Fragmetric launched the SANG system: SolanA Network Guard, providing users with a convenient and fair path to participate in re-staking, ensuring the security and stability of the Solana network by integrating SOL and LST.
DWF Ventures made a strategic investment in DeFi solution provider XYZ.
DWF Ventures announced a strategic investment in XYZ, with specific amounts undisclosed. XYZ is an innovative startup focused on decentralized finance (DeFi) solutions. DWF Ventures' investment will enable XYZ to strengthen its tech team, enhance product development, and explore strategic partnerships that help achieve its mission. The funds will also help XYZ enhance marketing efforts, increase user acquisition, and expand its DeFi service suite into previously underserved markets.
Web3 Games
Web3 chain game A-World completed $5 million in Series A financing.
Web3 chain game A-world, launched by SPF Meta, announced the completion of $5 million in Series A financing, primarily with participation from IBGTG Capital and Sketch Venture, along with other investors like Soave Swap, AU21 Capital, Skyview Capital, etc. A-world is a super metaverse card tower defense combat game based on BNB CHAIN, where players can build hero towers to defeat monsters.
Web3 gaming platform Game Beast completed $2 million in seed round financing.
Web3 gaming platform Game Beast announced the completion of $2 million in seed round financing. This round of financing was led by Tido Capital and T Fund, with other participating investment institutions including K300 Ventures, Notch Ventures, Asva Capital, Aza Ventures, and Buzzbridge Capital.
NFT
NFT project Rekt Drinks' parent company Rekt completed $1.5 million in seed round financing.
Rekt Brands Inc. (Rekt) is the parent company of the Rektguy NFT project Rekt Drinks and the Rekt brand intellectual property, announcing the completion of $1.5 million in seed round financing. This financing was fully funded by angel investors and the community (with no venture capital involvement). Rekt Brands Inc. owns the Rektguy NFT project Rekt Drinks and the Rekt brand intellectual property. The brand originated from the Rektguy NFT series by artist Ovie Faruq (OSF) and has now expanded into consumer goods and community equity models. Rekt aims to redefine brand ownership and engagement through its Web3 foundation, innovative products, and global community.
AI
AI company Pond, focusing on cryptocurrency, completed $7.5 million in seed round financing, led by Archetype.
AI startup Pond, focusing on the cryptocurrency field, raised $7.5 million in seed round financing, led by Archetype, with other investors including PAKA, Web3.com Ventures, Cyber Fund, Delphi Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, Near Foundation, and several angel investors. Pond aims to build a decentralized AI model layer to provide AI support for blockchains. Pond initially developed an on-chain data-based user search engine, which has now expanded to create a complete model ecosystem covering data, model computation, training, and inference. Its products are applied in security, recommendations, and DeFi, wherein the security model predicts malicious addresses with an accuracy of 0.936; the recommendation model provides personalized suggestions for NFTs and DeFi protocols; and the DeFi dynamic fee model helps liquidity providers optimize transaction costs. Pond plans to further expand its crypto AI applications to cover DeFi risk management, internal trading detection, etc. The company currently has 11 team members and is recruiting for key positions such as COO and product manager.
Decentralized AI orchestration platform Naptha AI completed $6 million in Pre-Seed round financing, led by Cyber Fund.
Decentralized, multi-agent AI orchestration platform Naptha AI announced the completion of $6 million in Pre-Seed round financing, co-led by Arche Capital and Cyber Fund, with participation from Seed Club Ventures, Polymorphic Capital, GnosisDAO, Halo Capital, and others. Naptha AI is a decentralized, multi-agent AI orchestration platform designed for the network economy. Unlike mainstream AI approaches that aim to develop general artificial intelligence (AGI) as a single holistic entity, Naptha AI envisions AGI as a network of billions to trillions of agents collaborating together. Naptha AI provides developers with a platform to build and deploy large collaborative intelligent agent systems. The platform will allow decentralized, multi-agent orchestration in a scalable, trustless, and collaborative environment, transforming the narrative of AI from a single entity to a dynamic, interconnected entity system.
DePIN
MelosBoom completed Series B financing with a valuation of $80 million, led by LBank Labs
MelosBoom has completed Series B financing, led by LBank Labs, with participation from several well-known investment institutions in Web3, giving the project a valuation of $80 million. This financing round will accelerate the global expansion of the MelosBoom ecosystem, particularly in international markets such as South Korea, and promote the widespread application of DePIN technology. Funds will mainly be used to accelerate the development and promotion of the DeIOE series of products, further improving the global ecological deployment and hardware market development of the decentralized data life network. Support from LBank Labs will help MelosBoom enhance its influence in international markets, especially in the competitive advantages within smart hardware and the DePIN ecosystem.
Infrastructure & Tools
Stacks co-founder: A new entity Bitcoin L2 Labs has been established, which has obtained $20 million in financing and focuses on core development.
Muneeb Ali, co-founder of Bitcoin Layer 2 network Stacks, stated on the X platform: 'We have established a new Stacks entity, 'Bitcoin L2 Labs', which has obtained $20 million in financing, focusing on core development. Adriano DiLuzio (formerly a member of Algorand Labs) will serve as CTO and lead the development of Stacks core and SBTC.'
According to the official website of Bitcoin L2 Labs, with approximately $20 million in funding support, assistance from the Stacks Foundation, and collaboration with various working groups, Bitcoin L2 Labs is building a dedicated base for Stacks core development. Bitcoin L2 Labs will adopt a product-driven approach to enable the ecosystem to launch key features faster and regularly update the progress of core development.
‘Solidity 2.0’ development company Vlayer completed $10 million in pre-seed round financing.
Crypto startup Vlayer completed $10 million in pre-seed financing, with investors including a16z Crypto Startup Accelerator (CSX), Credo Ventures, and BlockTower Capital. The company is dedicated to developing 'Solidity 2.0', a new version of Ethereum smart contracts, aiming to introduce verifiable data infrastructure. Vlayer plans to introduce four new features in the Solidity language: time travel (executing contracts based on historical on-chain data), teleportation (running contracts across EVM-compatible networks), web proof, and email proof (verifying and integrating web and email content). Co-founder and CEO Hubert Rachwalski von Rejchwald stated that this move will make zero-knowledge proofs (ZK) more accessible for Solidity developers. Vlayer is currently in the public testing phase, with the mainnet and tokens expected to launch in 2025.
Layer 1 blockchain Cytonic, designed with a 'multi-virtual machine' architecture, completed $8.3 million in seed round financing.
Layer 1 blockchain Cytonic, designed with a 'multi-virtual machine' (MultiVM) architecture, completed $8.3 million in seed round financing, co-led by Lemniscap and Lattice. Cytonic, developed by MultiVM Labs, is the first Layer 1 blockchain to run multiple virtual machines (VMs) with shared storage within the same network layer, addressing blockchain compatibility challenges. Cytonic is compatible with most blockchains (such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana) and can handle different types of transactions simultaneously within a single block. Its goal is to simplify on-chain interactions while reducing transaction costs and wait times when transferring assets across chains.
L1 blockchain developer Pharos completed $8 million in seed round financing, led by Lightspeed Faction and Hack VC.
L1 blockchain developer Pharos has raised $8 million in seed funding, led by Lightspeed Faction and Hack VC, with SNZ Capital participating as a strategic investor. Other investors include Reforge, Dispersion Capital, Hash Global, Generative Ventures, MH Ventures, Zion, and Chorus One. Pharos is building a new L1 blockchain specifically targeting fintech use cases such as real-time payments and real-world assets.
Bitcoin L2 interoperability layer Map Protocol received a $1 million strategic investment.
The Bitcoin L2 interoperability layer Map Protocol announced a $1 million strategic investment from blockchain company Gryps; the new funds will be used to enhance the functionality of Bitcoin Layer 2 solutions. MAP Protocol was established in 2019 and utilizes ZK light client technology as a gateway for developers and users within the Bitcoin ecosystem, promoting interoperability between different blockchain ecosystems.
On-chain identity protocol Phi completed strategic seed round financing, led by Neoclassic Capital
Phi successfully completed strategic financing led by Neoclassic Capital to build a decentralized on-chain identity credential system. Neoclassic Capital is led by Steve Lee and Mike Bucella, with support from a16z partners Marc Andreessen and Chris Dixon. This round of financing also includes participation from Decima Fund, Cyber, PAKA Fund, and Incubate Fund. Phi was founded in January 2022 and launched its first product Phi Land, aimed at visualizing on-chain activities through ENS, having minted over 4.3 million NFTs and attracted 296,000 users and partnerships with over 65 protocols. Phi Protocol is based on a community-driven on-chain identity credential system that allows users to create, validate, and showcase on-chain activities, extending their social and economic value on-chain.
Others
Decentralized fan interaction platform AmplifyWorld announced a $1.2 million investment
Decentralized fan interaction platform AmplifyWorld announced that it obtained $1.2 million investment from early venture capital firm Chapel Ventures through a Simple Agreement for Future Tokens (SAFT). The new funds will be used to promote the issuance of its AMPS token. AmplifyWorld is a decentralized content platform that uses blockchain technology to bridge artists and fans, providing new ways to connect, monetize, and interact. By leveraging the AMPS token, AmplifyWorld aims to provide artists with a transparent, community-driven ecosystem.
Smart weather data network operator SkyX completed $1 million in Pre-Seed round financing.
Smart weather data network operator SkyX recently announced the completion of $1 million in Pre-Seed round financing, led by EV3, EOT Ventures, and Waterdrip Capital, with follow-on investments from Daedalus, J17 Capital, and Opulence. SkyX focuses on building a global localized weather data network, providing disaster prevention, travel, energy, agriculture, and other vertical industry solutions through the deployment of smart weather data collection devices combined with dynamic meteorological data models.
Web3 shopping app Bion completed a new round of strategic financing, with participation from TON Ventures.
Web3 shopping app Bion announced the completion of a new round of strategic financing, with participation from TON Ventures; specific financing amounts and valuation data have not been disclosed. Bion primarily uses blockchain technology to enhance the shopping experience and provide value-added services to consumers. The new funds will be used to expand its Web3 shopping platform offering cash-back rewards and enhance its crypto rewards.
Binance Labs announced an investment in BIO Protocol (BIO)
Binance Labs announced an investment in BIO Protocol (BIO) to accelerate funding innovations in decentralized science (DeSci). BIO Protocol reshapes the financing and commercialization of early scientific research through blockchain technology, providing a global community for scientists, patients, and investors to collectively fund, develop, and co-own new drugs and therapies. This round of financing will be used to expand the BioDAO ecosystem, provide seed funding for new BioDAOs, and strengthen community and token economic support. The model of BIO Protocol is similar to 'Y Combinator for on-chain science', covering various fields including rare diseases, longevity research, and mental health, aiming to address key gaps in traditional research funding. BIO currently has seven BioDAOs, with the next batch of projects focusing on developing therapies for long COVID and rare diseases, as well as research on quantum microscopy.
BIO Protocol is currently conducting the second round of the BIO Genesis event, providing users with the opportunity to obtain $BIO tokens early, until the tokens are transferable. Users can exchange $BIO for ETH or DeSci tokens. BIO aims to build an on-chain scientific community (BioDAOs) through DeFi mechanisms and real intellectual property (IP).
Investment Institutions
Hong Kong venture capital group The Z Label completed HKD 90 million financing, intending to empower its products with technologies such as AI and blockchain
Hong Kong venture capital group The Z Label announced the completion of HKD 90 million financing, led by Beyond Ventures (Hai Kuo Tian Kong Venture). The new funds are intended to create innovative consumer products aimed at the global Generation Z, leveraging new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, spatial computing, and blockchain to empower its products to find early market fit, while combining technology research and development with cross-industry enterprises to promote business incubation and industry innovation.
Former ParaFi Capital partner launched private equity fund Inversion Capital.
Santiago Roel Santos, former partner at blockchain venture capital firm ParaFi Capital, announced the launch of private equity fund Inversion Capital, aimed at acquiring traditional enterprises and transforming their operations through the adoption of crypto technologies. Santos believes that some businesses can address coordination issues manifested as higher operational costs, capital expenditures, or declining unit economics by adopting crypto tools. Whether business owners are reluctant to accept cryptocurrencies is irrelevant, as Inversion Capital will not become investment partners—it will directly acquire these businesses.
