Original text by Stacy Muur
Compiled | Odaily Planet Daily Golem (@web3_golem)
VCs always invest in narratives and marketing, and VC investment activity is a good way to understand which narratives 'smart money' is betting on in the coming quarters. This article shares projects that secured significant funding in Q4 2024. Let's explore which protocols attracted VC attention in the first two months before Q4 2024.
Infinex
Funding Situation
Total Funding Amount: $65.3 million;
Latest Round: $65.3 million (September 25);
Participating Institutions: Framework Ventures, Solana Ventures, Wintermute, Eden Block, Moonrock Capital, Bankless Ventures, etc.
Brief Introduction
Infinex is a secure, user-friendly platform that simplifies access to DeFi and on-chain protocols. It offers intuitive cross-chain wallets and non-custodial accounts protected by keys and biometrics.
Infinex aims to bridge the gap between centralized finance and DeFi, making cryptocurrency accessible to everyone.
Data Source: Messari
Early Participation Opportunities
You can now create an account using a security key. The platform allows users to bridge tokens to Arbitrum, Optimism, Solana, Polygon, Base, and Ethereum. Users can also swap tokens via Curve, and in the 'Earn' section, users can deposit assets into various yield protocols.
An interesting feature is the 'Bullrun' game, where users can purchase cards and earn points daily based on the price changes of cryptocurrencies in those cards. Testing is currently underway, and the first season of gaming activities is coming soon.
Related Links
Website | dApp | Twitter | White Paper | Funding Announcement
Huma Finance
Funding Situation
Total Funding Amount: $46.3 million;
Latest Round: Series A, $38 million (September 1);
Participating Institutions: HashKey Capital, Circle, ParaFi Capital, Fenbushi Capital, Distributed Global, etc.
Brief Introduction
Huma is a revenue-backed lending protocol that allows businesses and individuals to connect with global investors on-chain and use future income as collateral. It offers credit services such as revolving credit facilities and accounts receivable factoring. Additionally, it utilizes decentralized signal processors and evaluation agents for credit underwriting and risk management.
Early Participation Opportunities
The project has launched a points mining program for providing USDC to any pool. Users can also earn points from other projects in these pools (like Scroll). To deposit USDC, users need to complete KYC/KYB verification.
Related Links
Website | dApp | Twitter | Documentation | Funding Announcement
Balance
Funding Situation
Total Funding Amount: $30 million;
Latest Round: $30 million (September 4);
Participating Institutions: Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Animoca Brands, Amber Group, etc.
Data Source: Messari
Brief Introduction
Balance, developed by the E-PAL team, is a Web3 gaming platform aimed at transforming the gaming industry through blockchain and AI technologies.
Balance has a traffic of 2.4 million Web2 users and is dedicated to building an open, inclusive, and fair gaming ecosystem. The platform enables developers to build and promote games more effectively, providing players with diverse and personalized experiences. This approach aims to drive growth in the Web3 gaming space.
Early Participation Opportunities
Currently, users can play platform games and join activities that feature daily social tasks and interactions with the project's social media to earn points.
Related Links
Website | dApp | Twitter | Documentation | Funding Announcement
Drift Protocol
Funding Situation
Total Funding Amount: $52.3 million;
Latest Round: Series B, $25 million (September 25);
Participating Institutions: Multicoin Capital, Blockchain Capital, Folius Ventures, Primitive Ventures.
Brief Introduction
Drift Protocol is a decentralized Solana perpetual contract and spot DEX. Its main features include cross-margin risk engines, instant auction liquidity, on-chain perpetual and spot order books, and decentralized order books (DLOB) for enhanced liquidity. Recently, it expanded into prediction markets and now competes with Polymarket and Azuro.
Early Participation Opportunities
The project recently shifted to open a prediction market on the platform. As there are no ongoing airdrop activities, users can participate in these activities. To participate, users can visit the homepage 'BET' section and select the event they wish to bet on.
Related Links
Website | dApp | Twitter | Documentation | Funding Announcement
Solv Finance
Funding Situation
Total Funding Amount: $22 million;
Latest Round: Strategic Financing, $11 million (October 14);
Participating Institutions: Blockchain Capital, CMT Digital, OKX Ventures, gumi Cryptos, Laser Digital.
Brief Introduction
Solv Protocol is a decentralized platform that bridges liquidity between DeFi, CeFi, and TradFi. It offers a diversified range of asset classes and yield opportunities in a secure and transparent manner. The platform enables global institutions and retail investors to access trusted crypto investments through a trustless infrastructure powered by ERC-3525.
Early Participation Opportunities
Solv Protocol has already launched mining pools where users can earn points by staking BTC. As a reward, users will receive SolvBTC.BBN and earn points from Babylon, along with two airdrops.
Related Links
Website | dApp | Twitter | Documentation | Funding Announcement
Helius
Funding Situation
Total Funding Amount: $34.35 million;
Latest Round: $21.75 million (September 19);
Participating Institutions: Founders Fund, Haun Ventures, 6th Man Ventures, Chapter One, Foundation Capital, Spearhead.
Brief Introduction
Helius provides Solana RPC (Remote Procedure Call) powered by top-tier hardware, ensuring reliable and optimized performance for applications. With global coverage and dedicated nodes along with the Geyser plugin, Helius offers excellent 24/7 support for developers. This ensures a seamless experience for users, including advanced options for traders, bot developers, and exchanges.
Early Participation Opportunities
Currently, there are no special activities aimed at users, but users can explore the project documentation and developer platform on their own.
Related Links
Website | dApp | Twitter | Documentation | Funding Announcement
Ithaca
Funding Situation
Total Funding Amount: $20 million;
Latest Round: $20 million (October 11);
Participating Institutions: Paradigm.
Data Source: Messari
Brief Introduction
Ithaca aims to advance decentralized technology by collaboratively designing a powerful open-source developer tool stack. It leverages blockchain technology to create innovative solutions for building dApps, L2, and developer frameworks.
An important initiative from Ithaca is Odyssey, a testnet that facilitates seamless development and experimentation in DeFi and other areas. Ithaca's mission is to simplify and expand decentralized crypto frontiers for developers and users.
Early Participation Opportunities
The project has now launched the Odyssey testnet, allowing users to easily bridge tokens from Sepolia to the project's network. Detailed guides can be found on the website and CryptoRank.
Related Links
Website | dApp | Twitter | Funding Announcement
Hypernative
Funding Situation
Total Funding Amount: $25 million;
Latest Round: Series A, $16 million (September 3);
Participating Institutions: Quantstamp, CMT Digital, Borderless Capital, Boldstart Ventures, Bloccelerate, Re 7 Capital, etc.
Brief Introduction
Hypernative is a Web3 security platform that provides real-time monitoring and risk management tools to protect blockchain projects from potential threats. Utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning, it analyzes on-chain and off-chain data to detect over 200 types of risks, including smart contract vulnerabilities, bridge security flaws, and market manipulation.
By identifying risks before they escalate, Hypernative allows developers and organizations to take proactive measures to ensure the security and stability of their decentralized applications.
Early Participation Opportunities
The project is currently in a closed testing phase. Users can apply for a trial and follow its social media channels for the latest updates.
Related Links
Website | dApp | Twitter | Funding Announcement
