Crypto Fundraising weekly
Dates: 03 – 09, Nov 2024

This week's biggest funding round

Vlayer raised $10M in a Pre-seed funding round from a16z Crypto Startup Accelerator (CSX), Credo Ventures, BlockTower Capital, Zachary Williamson, Joe Andrews.

VLayer is a decentralized data infrastructure using zero-knowledge proofs to enable verifiable, on-chain integration of both on-chain and off-chain data into Solidity smart contracts. Key features include “Time Travel” for historical state access, “Teleport” for cross-chain interaction, and zkTLS-based “Web Proofs” and “Email Proofs” for content verification. VLayer introduces Prover and Verifier smart contracts, ensuring secure and modular dApp development on Ethereum.

Pre-seed and Seed investment rounds

Pharos raised $8M in a Seed funding round from Hack VC, Lightspeed Faction, SNZ Holding, Reforge, Dispersion Capital, Hash Global, Generative Ventures, MH Ventures, Chorus One, Legend Star.

Pharos is a deep-parallel, Layer-1 blockchain network designed for high-speed, scalable, and decentralized applications. It supports EVM compatibility, allowing Ethereum dApp developers to leverage familiar toolchains while benefiting from Pharos’s features like 1-second finality, reduced storage costs, and enhanced security with AsyncBFT consensus. Pharos aims to drive innovation in DeFi, real-world assets (RWAs), decentralized physical infrastructure (DePIN), and cross-chain interoperability by offering a unified account system across multiple virtual machines.

Cytonic raised $8.3M in a Seed funding round from Lattice Fund*, Lemniscap*, IOBC Capital, Nomura, Lyrik Ventures, Public Works, Arthur Hayes.

Cytonic is a Layer 1 blockchain built for universal Web3 compatibility, allowing seamless onboarding for DeFi protocols and integration with existing developer tools across multiple ecosystems, including EVM and non-EVM chains. Featuring zero-effort onboarding, wallet integration, and atomic parallelism for scalable consensus, Cytonic aims to create an ecosystem open to all blockchain technologies. With PoS validators supporting its native token, Cytonic’s unique multi-VM approach enables interoperability without ecosystem dependence.

Pond raised $7.5M in a Seed funding round from Archetype*, Cyber Fund, Delphi Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, Anagram, NxGen, Near Foundation, Web3com Ventures, Aquanow (AQN), Presto Labs, PAKA, Nonce Classic, Comfy Capital, Santiago R. Santos, Illia Polosukhin, Spencer Noon, Dean Eigenmann, Suji Yan.

Pond is a Web3 platform pioneering AI model development in crypto, enabling developers to collaboratively create, own, and monetize AI models through a decentralized model layer. With a team of experts from top tech firms and academic backgrounds, Pond offers advanced model and data infrastructure, making AI accessible for both Web2 and Web3 developers. It focuses on crypto-native AI applications such as security, DeFi, trading, and MEV solutions, enabling revenue-sharing for creators. Notable projects include a security model with GoPlus and DeFi fee solutions with OpenGradient.

Rekt raised $1.5M in a Seed funding round from Gmoney, Luca Netz, Bharat Krymo, Cozomo de’ Medici, Deeze.

Rekt Brands Inc. is the parent company behind the Rektguy NFT project, Rekt Drinks, and the Rekt brand IP. Emerging from the success of the Rektguy NFT collection by artist Ovie Faruq (OSF), Rekt has grown into a Web3-driven brand that merges NFT culture with consumer goods and community equity models. Rekt Drinks, their first consumer product, is a lime-flavored sparkling water with zero caffeine and alcohol.

SkyX raised $1M in a Pre-seed funding round from Escape Velocity*, EoT Ventures*, Waterdrip Capital*, Daedalus, Peaq, J17 Capital.

SkyX Global specializes in advanced drone technology, offering aerial solutions for industrial applications like oil & gas, agriculture, and infrastructure inspection. By utilizing AI and data analytics, SkyX enables efficient, real-time monitoring and data collection, improving safety and operational efficiency.

Vlayer raised $10M in a Pre-seed funding round from a16z Crypto Startup Accelerator (CSX), Credo Ventures, BlockTower Capital, Zachary Williamson, Joe Andrews.

VLayer is a decentralized data infrastructure using zero-knowledge proofs to enable verifiable, on-chain integration of both on-chain and off-chain data into Solidity smart contracts. Key features include “Time Travel” for historical state access, “Teleport” for cross-chain interaction, and zkTLS-based “Web Proofs” and “Email Proofs” for content verification. VLayer introduces Prover and Verifier smart contracts, ensuring secure and modular dApp development on Ethereum.

Betski raised $345K in a Pre-seed funding round from .

Betski is an all-in-one sports betting and casino platform offering users the chance to “be the house” by staking $BETSKI tokens, sharing in platform revenue. It supports traditional and crypto payments, with NFT membership cards providing additional perks. With features like sportsbooks, e-sports, casino games, and lotteries, Betski aims to create a rewarding and community-driven betting experience, including governance rights for token holders.Community-powered betting and casino platform

GameBeast Studio raised $2M in a Seed funding round from Tido Capital*, T-Fund*, K300 Ventures, Notch Ventures, Asva Capital, Aza Ventures, BuzzBridge Capital.

GameBeast is a Web3 gaming platform integrating mini-games, turn-based card games, and AAA titles into a cohesive ecosystem. It offers a membership model through a VIP Pass that provides users with in-game bonuses, revenue-sharing rights, and exclusive benefits. Designed as a multi-platform gaming hub, GameBeast combines community-driven engagement with decentralized incentives, broadening access through multiple interfaces and supporting cross-platform play.

Other investment rounds

BIO Protocol raised undisclosed amount in a  funding round from Binance Labs Fund.

BIO is a decentralized science (DeSci) protocol designed to advance biotech research through community-owned DAOs, tokenized scientific IP, and open funding channels. It provides a financial layer to support early-stage science by enabling the creation and governance of biotech DAOs, where stakeholders can fund, develop, and trade IP assets. BIO’s mission is to accelerate scientific innovation with blockchain technology, making it accessible and collaborative.

Prosper raised undisclosed amount in a  funding round from Waterdrip Capital.

Prosper is a decentralized protocol bridging Bitcoin mining to the blockchain by providing hashrate-backed tokens ($PROS) representing live Bitcoin mining power. Through a community-driven foundation, Prosper directly owns and manages institutional-grade mining hardware, rewarding token holders with Bitcoin production at cost. Users can stake $PROS, earn Bitcoin rewards, and participate in governance to influence protocol development. Prosper’s mission is to integrate Bitcoin hashrate with Web3, supporting long-term ecosystem growth.

Bion raised undisclosed amount in a  funding round from TON Ventures.

Bion is a Web3 shopping platform offering cashback rewards on purchases from over 100 brands. Users earn up to 40% in crypto rewards and can invite friends for additional bonuses. It leverages blockchain for enhanced shopping experiences and offers incentives through personalized links. The platform’s focus is on integrating Web3 features with everyday shopping for added value.

Usual Labs raised $1.5M in a  funding round from Echo, Comfy Capital, Jed Breed.

Usual Labs is a startup building out the USD0 stablecoin ecosystem. USD0 is a stablecoin backed by real-world assets.

CoW Protocol raised undisclosed amount in a  funding round from Greenfield Capital.

CoW Protocol is a fully permissionless trading protocol that leverages Batch Auctions as its price finding mechanism. CoW protocol enables batch auctions to maximize liquidity via Coincidence of Wants (CoWs) in addition to tapping all available on-chain liquidity whenever needed.

Blum raised undisclosed amount in a  funding round from The Open Platform (TOP).

Blum is a hybrid exchange offering seamless access to both centralized and decentralized exchanges (CEX and DEX) through a single platform. It supports over 30 chains and allows users to trade coins without needing to switch networks or pay native token gas fees. Blum provides a gamified experience through a Telegram mini-app, with features like AI co-pilot assistance, localized P2P trading, simple derivatives, and unified CEX/DEX trading. It also offers both self-custody and MPC wallet options.

HackQuest raised undisclosed amount in a  funding round from KIP Protocol.

HackQuest is a Web3 education platform that collaborates with over 10 leading public chains, including Mantle Network, Solana, and Arbitrum, for official developer education and ecosystem construction. The platform aims to expand its curriculum and engage in course partnerships with institutions like Nanyang Technological University to support a broader range of Web3 builders in launching their projects.

AgentLayer raised undisclosed amount in a  funding round from BingX Labs.

AgentLayer is a decentralized AI-driven platform creating a network of autonomous agents for diverse tasks across industries like finance, healthcare, and entertainment. With features like the $AGENT token for rewards and governance, Proof of Provenance (PoP) for validation, and support for AI integrations on platforms like Telegram, AgentLayer allows developers and non-technical users to build, deploy, and interact with AI agents. Its platform supports seamless integration with Ethereum Layer 2 and multiple SDKs, emphasizing security, modularity, and scalability for Web3 applications.

Klaster Protocol raised undisclosed amount in a M&A  funding round from Biconomy.

Klaster is a blockchain clustering protocol designed to enhance existing decentralized applications (dApps) by enabling seamless, sovereign multichain asset support and cross-chain communication. It allows smart contracts to call EVM functions on Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) supported networks from any network, ensuring composability and atomicity. Klaster supports account abstraction, bridging, and orchestrating across multiple chains, providing a unified experience for Web3 developers and users.

Phi raised undisclosed amount in a Strategic  funding round from Neoclassic Capital*, Decima, Cyber, PAKA, Incubate Fund.

Phi is a social gaming metaverse focused on "on-chain identities" created using ENS and verified wallet activity to easily visualize on-chain identities. The protocol allows users to generate personalized spaces using their ENS and then claim in-game objects based on their wallet activity. Using these objects, users can build their own Web3 worlds to showcase their on-chain identities.

Fragmetric raised undisclosed amount in a  funding round from Anatoly Yakovenko, Tristan, Lily Liu, 3nes, Richard Ma.

Fragmetric is a Solana-based liquid restaking protocol aimed at enhancing the security and economic growth of Solana’s ecosystem. With $fragSOL, the first Liquid Restaking Token (LRT), users can earn yields on their staked SOL and liquid staking tokens while participating in DeFi. Fragmetric’s platform utilizes Solana’s token extension to optimize the distribution of staking, MEV, and NCN/AVS rewards, enabling users to leverage $fragSOL as collateral, provide liquidity, or trade on DEXs. The protocol’s goal is to build a robust restaking ecosystem through standardized LRTs and community contributions.

CoinBest raised undisclosed amount in a M&A  funding round from OSL Group.

CoinBest is a Japan-based cryptocurrency exchange offering spot trading, mining support, NFT services, and blockchain development solutions. It provides security through cold wallets, multi-signature authorization, and a commitment to asset separation for customer funds. CoinBest emphasizes compliance and secure digital asset management within a regulated framework.

* fund, that lead investment round