Petrock Capital is a venture firm that invests in breakthrough blockchain technologies, ranging from ground-breaking Web 3.0 infrastructure to degenerately unorthodox concepts.

PetRock Capital

K300 Ventures

Evangelion Capital is a crypto-focused investment firm, functioning as both an incubator and a backer for the most promising ventures in the blockchain industry

Evangelion Capital

Investing in the forefront of technologies

Hercules Capital

Sand Hill Angels is a group of Silicon Valley angel investors passionate about helping entrepreneurs get to the next level. What makes the group unique is the collective experience of its members building and scaling deep technology companies. The group has been around for more than two decades. Sand Hill Angels works openly and collaboratively with venture capital funds, other angel organizations, and the Bay Area ecosystem that fosters the growth of technology startups.  For additional information, visit www.sandhillangels.com or follow @SandHillAngels.com on Twitter.

Sand Hill Angels

Raydium

Disrupting the traditional financial system using blockchain

Decentralized Finance (DeFi)

Founded in April 2022, Orderly offers a permissionless, decentralized exchange (DEX). Built on the NEAR protocol, it provides users with a risk engine, matching engine, and asset pools for users to build decentralized applications for trading. The platform enables users to spot and margin trade, perform perpetual swaps as well as lend and borrow cryptocurrencies. The company launched on the NEAR mainnet in October 2022 and had plans to release new features such as an on-chain order-book, community pool, and swap functionality, as of the same date.Key partnerships and customersThe development of the platform was supported by <a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/600556">NEAR </a>and WOO Network (a DeFi liquidity solution), which also incidentally launched its DEX on the protocol. WOO DEX was the first dApp to be launched on Orderly Network, later becoming the platform’s main interface for trading tools. The protocol also partnered with Kronos Research, a DeFi market-maker, to access liquidity. The platform went on to <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/21873">partner with Google Cloud </a>to co-develop user-centric developer tools for DeFi applications in September 2023. Functioning as off-chain components of DeFi infrastructure, these tools will enable specific interactions to be processed away from the main blockchain while others are carried out on-chain. The partnership also saw Orderly becoming a listed DeFi infrastructure provider on Google Cloud Marketplace. Funding and financialsIn June 2022, Orderly Network raised USD 20 million in funding from Three Arrows Capital, Pantera Capital, Dragonfly Capital, Sequoia China, Jump Crypto, and Alameda Research, among several others. The company earmarked the funds to expand its employee base, invest in product development, and establish new ecosystem partnerships. It also stated that the funding will enable it to launch new community lending pools for token holders.

Orderly Network is a permissionless, decentralized exchange protocol built on NEAR. Founded in April 2022 with the mission to create the most robust liquidity layer infrastructure for any dApp to utilize and build on, Orderly Network offers market-leading execution with low latency, minimal fees, and access to ample liquidity options.

Ancient8 is developing the infrastructure for GameFi, with a focus on software and community. Ancient8 is building GameFi Identity and Launchpad products to serve as the marketing distribution channel for GameFi and Metaverse projects to onboard millions of users. Ancient8 manages Vietnam’s largest blockchain gaming guild, and enables everyone to build the Metaverse through blockchain software products, guild scholarship, blockchain education, institutional-grade research, and community. Ancient8’s vision is to democratize social and financial access in the Metaverse. Ancient8 is backed by leading investors including Pantera, Dragonfly, Hashed, Makers Fund, C² Ventures, Mechanism, Coinbase, Alameda, IOSG, Animoca,  among others.

CyBall — CyBloc Football, is a soccer-themed, NFT-based game with a play-to-earn model that allows users to collect, trade, mentor, and ultimately battle with CyBlocs.

Ratio Finance aims to improve liquidity and de-risk DeFi, allowing both retail and institutional investors to participate in these emerging markets. Its long-term goal is to be the Decentralized Finance Risk Rating Agency. It is simple to use Ratio Finance. Its Risk Rating Algorithms assist in obtaining maximum leverage against the deposited collateral while preserving the deposited LP's yield.

Step Finance is a Solana-native decentralized finance protocol.

Raydium is an automated market maker (AMM) built on the Solana blockchain which leverages the central order book of the Serum decentralized exchange (DEX) to enable lightning-fast trades, shared liquidity and new features for earning yield.

Raydium offers a decentralized exchange platform built on Solana, which lets users swap or trade a number of cryptocurrencies. The platform also provides features for users to earn yield via aggregated yield farming strategies and as rewards for staking their crypto assets in liquidity pools. The protocol leverages an automated market maker (AMM) that interacts with Serum's central limit order book to provide its liquidity pools access to all order flow and liquidity on Serum. Additionally, it also provides a launchpad named “AcceleRaytor” for Solana projects, which enables users to raise funds and bootstrap liquidity on Raydium and Serum.

Next Cryptocurrency to Explode, 11 December — Gigachad, XRP, SPX6900, Raydium

Orderly Network

Kronos Research

Pantera Capital

ViaBTC

Crypto.com

HongShan

Amber Group

DDEX

BitMart

Cobo

LedgerPrime

AscendEX

Dragonfly

BTSE

IOSG Ventures

Alameda Research

Three Arrows Capital

D1 Ventures

LBank

SevenX Ventures

Hoo.com

Hotbit

MEXC Global

LayerZero Labs

Mirana

Antalpha

SID Venture Partners

Jump Crypto

Lendhub

MetaWeb Ventures

Mentha Partners

Newman Capital

WOO Ventures

Foresight Ventures

C² Ventures

AGBuild

Gate Ventures

Proximity

Decentralized exchanges that help connect buyers and sellers of DeFi tokens without the need to rely on an intermediary

Ancient8

Hashed

C2 Ventures

Animoca Brands

PANONY

Coinbase Ventures

Chromia

Kyros Ventures

Pareto Holdings

Mechanism Capital

SkyVision Capital

Impossible Finance

Arche Fund

Sipher

GuildFi

Folius Ventures

Smrti Lab

3twelve Capital

CyBall

BITKRAFT Ventures

Ascensive Assets

Yield Guild Games

Coin98

Merit Circle

Ratio

Solana

New Form Capital

Divergence Ventures

CMS Holdings

Rarestone Capital

AGE Crypto Asset Investment Fund

Step FinanCrossroads Events Inc.ce

3Commas

Solidity Ventures

MakerDAO is a DAO (governed through the MKR token) that manages the Sky protocol (formerly known as Maker).&nbsp;Developed on the Ethereum blockchain, the protocol allows users to place their funds (through cryptocurrency) as collateral in exchange for its stablecoin DAI, which is pegged to the USD. DAI can be used like any other cryptocurrency and even as savings since holders of DAI are entitled to a return based on the DAI Savings Rate (DSR). The DSR is determined by members of the DAO using a mix of public and proprietary market data.Sky offers access to investing and borrowing DAI through the Oasis app which was developed by some of the creators of protocol. In addition, the protocol is available for developers of DeFi apps who can build apps to facilitate earning, investing, and borrowing DAI. As of May 2024, Sky had integrated with over 400 applications ranging from payment systems to gaming platforms. It generates revenue through stability fees (akin to interest payment on borrowed DAI) and liquidation fees which is an additional charge that occurs when the value of the submitted collateral falls below a set liquidation amount.&nbsp;In April 2022, the protocol announced that it was bridging to StarkNet, a reportedly cheaper and faster zero-knowledge (ZK) overlay chain built by StarkWare. Along with its expansion on Ethereum, the DAO had planned to move toward a multi-chain offering with this rebuild. It planned to roll out this offering in four phases, beginning with a simple bridge between the main blockchain and StarkNet’s Layer 2.&nbsp;In February 2023, the company <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16269?industryIds=64">launched a new lending platform</a> named Spark Protocol, to enable users to borrow, lend, and stake DAI, the protocol’s stablecoin. The platform, which is a fork of Aave's version 3 (v3), will be built by Phoenix Labs, a research and development company formed by the DAO. Additionally, the company also announced the deployment of etherDAI, a liquid staking derivative for Ethereum that will be pegged to the value of ETH. Furthermore, in March, the protocol went on to<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17322"> approve several new proposals </a>that make changes to both its governance structure and the investment of its treasury. These changes divide the DAO’s current structure into smaller self-governed and self-sustained units named SubDAOs, which will also have their own tokens in the MakerDAO ecosystem. Moreover, the proposal also planned to increase the protocol’s revenues by investing a part of its reserves (worth USD 7 billion) into real-world assets and money-market funds.&nbsp;The platform outlined its plans for a major update (named Endgame) in May 2023. The launch was proposed to take place in five phases and will ultimately lead to the creation of a new blockchain. The road map is as follows: 1) launching new branding and website as well as upgraded versions of Dai and MKR tokens; 2) launching six Maker SubDAOs, specializing in user acquisition, decentralized frontends, and collateral allocation; 3) introducing new AI tools to assist governance, including tools for summarizing, interpreting, and generating governance proposals; 4) enabling rewards for governance participation; and 5) deploying a new blockchain to house backend logic for SubDAO tokenomics and governance security. The first phase of the update is expected to be rolled out in the summer of 2024.&nbsp;In August 2024, the protocol followed through with the first phase of its plans by <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/32993">rebranding itself under the new name "Sky"</a>, and launching new versions of DAI and MKR tokens named the USDS and SKY.&nbsp;Key customers and partnershipsIn September 2024, Sky<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/33252"> partnered with Aave Labs</a>, to launch the “Sky Aave Force” initiative. The initiative featured key proposals such as integrating the newly launched USDS and sUSDS stablecoins on Aave’s V3 protocol, introducing an incentive program for sUSDS suppliers and deploying a direct deposit module for USDS into the Aave Lido Market. Additionally, the partnership will enable the companies to distribute SPK tokens, the native token of Sky’s lending protocol Spark, to create a market for sUSDS on Aave. Collectively, these initiatives enable users to earn yields on their sUSDS deposits from the revenues generated by Sky’s protocol and mint USDS directly on Aave without meeting the usual collateral requirements.

MakerDAO

Founded by former executives of Qualcomm, Solana Labs is the developer of the Solana blockchain, which uses the native cryptocurrency SOL. The company enables developers to create decentralized applications in its blockchain and is capable of carrying out 50,000 transactions per second (TPS) with a theoretical upper limit of 710,000 TPS for the architecture. As of May 2024, the blockchain averaged around 2,400 TPS. This is in contrast to Ethereum’s average of between 13 to 15 TPS. In addition to transaction speed, Solana also has other advantages such as lower transaction fees and improved scalability, given its proof-of-stake consensus mechanism and underlying architecture. The mechanism also enables users to stake their SOL and earn yields for validating the network. Solana provides the ability to create specialized tooling and programming functionality to tokens through <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/25910">Token Extensions</a>. This allows developers and businesses to establish rules for tokens, such as dictating their functionality and determining their holders, as well as embed features like whitelisting, automatic transfer fees, and confidentiality provisions for transfers.Solana also provides guides and a content aggregator website for developers to discover tools to create dApps on its blockchain. As of May 2024, more than 440 dApps were created on Solana, ranging across use cases such as DeFi, NFTs, and gaming. It also <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/18094">launched a ChatGPT </a>(a chatbot built on OpenAI's GPT model) plugin to allow developers and users to query the blockchain for on-chain data. The plugin works through the ChatGPT interface and allows users to perform various tasks such as checking wallet balances, transferring tokens, and purchasing NFTs.Key customers and partnershipsWeb browser developer Opera partnered with Solana in December 2021 to integrate the blockchain and create a built-in crypto wallet onto the Opera browser to improve accessibility to dApps hosted on the blockchain.As of May 2024, the company served several enterprise clients such as Shopify, Asics, Helio, and Tiplink.Funding and financialsThe total value locked (TVL) in DeFi projects across the Solana blockchain amounted to USD 4 billion as of May 2024. The company raised USD 314 million through an initial coin offering (ICO) of SOL. The ICO was co-led by Polychain Capital and Andreessen Horowitz. The funding was to be used to create a venture investing arm, a trading desk, and support the development of new applications in its blockchain.

Swiss-based Eidoo is a developer of a wallet that supports cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, along with tokens such as DAI, MKR, AAVE, and UNI, among others. In addition, Eidoo provides a DeFi marketplace that integrates with its wallet, allowing users to trade any tokens that they hold. Eidoo also offers a debit card that allows the conversion of digital assets into fiat currencies, such as the GBP and EURO, and spending or even withdrawing cash from ATMs.Eidoo began with the proprietary token EDO, which it also used to raise USD 27.9 million in an initial coin offering (ICO) in 2017. The token was then upgraded following its merger with blockchain oracle provider Provable Things to establish pNetwork, the infrastructure that facilitates cross-chain interactions between multiple decentralized apps, governed by the token PNT. To obtain an Eidoo debit card, users are required to stake PNT ranging from 20 to 200,000 for various service tiers.Eidoo had several applications such as virtual account numbers to deposit money and obtain a tokenized representation of their deposit as well as features to buy, hold, and trade NFTs in the roadmap as of December 2021.

Eidoo

Synthetix is a DAO (governed by holders of its native token SNX) that offers a platform on which users can trade and vote on the creation of on-chain synthetic assets, which are derivatives based on real-world assets. These synthetic assets enable traders to capture the price movements of assets such as cryptocurrencies, fiat currencies, stocks, and commodities, among others, with zero slippage. The protocol allows users to stake SNX as collateral for the debt pool and earn weekly rewards. As of April 2022, Synthetix had USD 642 million in total value locked (TVL).Additionally, Synthetix also offers the opportunity for developers to build on top of the platform to tap into its liquidity as well as develop decentralized perpetual futures, options markets, deal coordination markets, and more. As of December 2021, the protocol served large DeFi platforms including 1inch, Curve Finance, Yearn Finance, and Paraswap.In February 2023, Synthetix <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16609?industryIds=64">deployed version 3 (v3) of its platform </a>on the Ethereum mainnet. V3 reportedly offers more efficient architecture that enables developers to create products that offer a liquid market for any financial derivative, as well as more complex decentralized applications. Additionally, the solution also offers staking and differentiated debt pools, to enable stakers to earn fees from supplying collateral to specific asset pools. The company went on to deploy its protocol on Base, an Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain developed by Coinbase, in April 2024.&nbsp;Moreover, in May 2024, the company launched a new perpetual futures exchange named Infinex. The solution unifies several DeFi applications into a single layer and enables users to trade across multiple chains. Moreover, it provides users access to passkey authentication and social sign-in options.Key customers and partnershipsIn December 2024, Synthetix&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/37190">partnered with Mass</a>, a cryptocurrency application developer, to integrate its leveraged perpetuals platform into a new mobile trading app. The mobile app combines on-chain trading and self-custody features with a centralized exchange interface, allowing users to trade perpetual futures with up to 25x leverage. The app includes streamlined features like Apple and Google logins, sponsored first transactions, crosschain gas tank, and multiple on/off-ramp options via SEPA, ACH, and credit/debit cards.

Synthetix

Compound is an open-source lending protocol built on Ethereum that allows developers to build DeFi applications for functions such as deposits and lending. Compound offers adjusted money market interest rates based on asset-specific supply and demand and supports a number of Ethereum-based assets for users to take collateralized loans and lock-up assets without borrowing. Locked assets are automatically liquidated if an independent oracle determines that the price has dropped too low. Additionally, since assets are stored in a shared pool, even users with liquidated collateral can claim tokens if they are able to repay the general pool. Compound also <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/13038">offers borrowing services</a> for institutional clients that allow them to borrow USD or USDC at a fixed annual percentage rate of 6% using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ether as collateral, with a loan-to-value of 90%.As of April 2024, Compound had a total value locked (TVL) of USD 2.3 billion. The protocol is governed by its native-token COMP, which along with a variety of other digital assets that are a part of the Compound ecosystem, are supported by Coinbase Custody, a crypto asset custodian. In August 2022, Compound launched a version of its protocol named “Compound III” which features a single borrowable asset. Users can supply collateral that can never be withdrawn by other users (except during liquidation) and borrow USDC.In May 2022, Compound<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/10267"> received a B- credit rating from S&amp;P Global Ratings</a> on its enterprise credit facility which offers 4% annually on deposits of the stablecoin USDC. Notably, Compound claims that this is the first time an "institutional DeFi" product has been scored by a major credit rating agency.Funding and financialsCompound’s last funding round was in November 2019 where it raised USD 25 million in a Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz’s a16z crypto fund to help the company further decentralize the protocol by enabling crypto exchanges and custodians such as Coinbase to maintain the protocol going forward.

Compound

Organizations and protocols that allow individuals to lend their crypto assets and take out collateralized or uncollateralized loans from to/from these projects

Organizations that allow individuals to invest in tokenized financial and real assets

Organizations that provide fully decentralized insurance products

Organizations that apply NFTs across areas of finance such as documentation and non-fractionalized ownership records for assets

Organizations that provide digital wallets for users to take custody of DeFi tokens

Blockchains and related protocols that allow developers to build DeFi apps

All companies within this industry are either blockchain-based platforms or offer blockchain-centric services

Promotes financial inclusivity, allowing those that won't traditionally have access to credit to raise funds

Companies with the infrastructure segment offer solutions for users to build decentralized applications

Raydium

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