Original text from Stacy Muur
Compilation | Odaily Planet Daily Golem (@web3_golem)
VCs always invest in narratives and marketing; VC investment activities are 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 leading up to Q4 2024.
Infinex
Funding Status
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, allowing everyone to access cryptocurrencies.
Data Source: Messari
Early Participation Opportunities
Accounts can now be created using security keys. 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 the cryptocurrencies on these cards. Testing is currently in progress, and the first season of game activities is approaching.
Related Links
Website | dApp | Twitter | Whitepaper | Funding Announcement
Huma Finance
Funding Status
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 enables businesses and individuals to connect with global investors on-chain and use future income as collateral. It offers credit services such as revolving credit limits 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 (such as Scroll). To deposit USDC, users need to complete KYC/KYB verification.
Related Links
Website | dApp | Twitter | Documentation | Funding Announcement
Balance
Funding Status
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 technology.
Balance has a traffic of 2.4 million Web2 users and is dedicated to creating an open, inclusive, and fair gaming ecosystem. The platform enables developers to build and promote games more effectively, offering players a diverse and personalized experience. This approach aims to drive growth in the Web3 gaming sector.
Early Participation Opportunities
Currently, users can play platform games and join activities, which include daily social tasks and interaction with the project's social media, allowing users to earn points.
Related Links
Website | dApp | Twitter | Documentation | Funding Announcement
Drift Protocol
Funding Status
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 perpetual contract and spot DEX on Solana. Key features include a cross-margin risk engine, instant auction liquidity, on-chain perpetual and spot order books, and a decentralized order book (DLOB) for enhanced liquidity. Recently, it expanded into prediction markets and now competes with Polymarket and Azuro.
Early Participation Opportunities
The project has recently pivoted to open a prediction market on the platform. With no ongoing airdrop activities, users can participate in these activities. To join, users can visit the homepage 'BET' section and select the events they want to bet on.
Related Links
Website | dApp | Twitter | Documentation | Funding Announcement
Solv Finance
Funding Status
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 diverse range of asset classes and yield opportunities in a secure and transparent manner. The platform allows global institutional and retail investors to access trusted crypto investments through a trustless infrastructure powered by ERC-3525.
Early Participation Opportunities
Solv Protocol has launched mining pools where users can earn points by staking BTC. As a reward, users will receive SolvBTC.BBN and earn points from Babylon while enjoying two airdrops.
Related Links
Website | dApp | Twitter | Documentation | Funding Announcement
Helius
Funding Status
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 Geyser plugins, Helius offers outstanding 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 for users, but users can explore project documentation and developer platforms on their own.
Related Links
Website | dApp | Twitter | Documentation | Funding Announcement
Ithaca
Funding Status
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, L2s, and developer frameworks.
A significant initiative by Ithaca is Odyssey, a testnet that facilitates seamless development and experimentation in DeFi and other areas. Ithaca's mission is to simplify and expand the decentralized crypto frontier 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 Status
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 trials and follow its social media channels for the latest updates.
Related Links
Website | dApp | Twitter | Funding Announcement
