In late 2020, Gnosis announced plans to fully decentralize into a DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization). Today, the GnosisDAO treasury has effective control of over 150K ETH and 8 Million GNO tokens, with the GNO tokens vested over 8 years.  A year later, in 2021, the xDAI and GnosisDAO communities voted to combine their vibrant ecosystems to create the Gnosis Chain: An Ethereum forerunner companion that addresses scaling issues through solid engineering. Gnosis Chain is the associated execution-layer EVM chain for stable transactions. It uses the xDai token and includes a wide-ranging group of projects and users. The Gnosis mission has always been centered on experimentation and building decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem. When Gnosis was founded in 2015, it focused on building prediction markets to enable worldwide access to accurate information. While creating the prediction market platform, it became clear that Gnosis needed to build the infrastructure required to support it.  As a DAO, Gnosis uses the products that it creates to transparently guide decisions on the development, support, and governance of its ecosystem. Gnosis Safe (multisig and programmable account), Cow Protocol (formerly CowSwap and Gnosis Protocol), Conditional Tokens (prediction markets), Gnosis Auction, and Zodiac (standard and tooling for composable DAOs) are all products incubated by Gnosis. Their success is demonstrated by the recent spin-out of Cow Protocol and the formation of SafeDAO. By combining needs-driven development with deep technical expertise, Gnosis has built the decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem.

Gnosis

Established in 2014, Outlier Ventures is one of the first VC firms dedicated to investing in the emerging crypto ecosystem. Since launching its Base Camp accelerator in 2019, Outlier Ventures has received over 5,000 applications for its highly sought after virtual accelerator and has helped raise over $350 million in seed funding for its growing portfolio of 220+ high-profile projects from across the world, such as Crucible and Biconomy. In addition, Outlier Ventures has supported the launch and growth of several billion-dollar crypto economies including Fetch.ai, Boson Protocol, Secret Network, Blox Move, Swash and DIA Data. Their portfolio includes notable projects across DeFi, NFTs and blockchain infrastructure with a focus on emergent Metaverse use cases such as NFT-based digital couture fashion brands, avatar marketplaces, decentralized music publishing platforms, play-to-earn games, augmented reality social positioning protocols, and more. Outlier Ventures has expanded its Base Camp program to partner with leading protocols such as Aptos, Filecoin / IPFS, Polygon, and Polkadot along with FARFETCH, to host dedicated accelerator programs for these Web3 ecosystems along with Ascent, Outlier Ventures’ advisory offering targeted at later stage teams. Through its blockchain agnostic approach, Outlier Ventures has achieved record growth, doubled its cohort intake year after year, and is on target to accelerate well over 100 startups in 2022, making it one of the most active investors in the space by deal volume and the most active Web3 accelerator globally and top 3 crypto investor globally by volume of investment. Since its inception, Outlier Ventures has always viewed its portfolio as an open stack of technologies that contribute to a new web paradigm, referred to as Web3, based on principles that prioritize the sovereignty of the user, their data and digital wealth, over platform and shareholder supremacy. In January of 2021, Outlier Ventures published its thesis on the imminent arrival of the Metaverse, outlining how Web3 would serve as an operating system for an Open Metaverse.

Outlier Ventures

XBTO is a cryptoﬁnance company that provides institutional-grade liquidity to major trading platforms. It continues to grow and shape the market today through its extensive trading experience and deep technical knowledge of blockchain. The company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

XBTO Group

SingularityDAO is a developer of artificial intelligence (AI) technology designed to explore ways in which AI can be used to drive efficiencies and profit optimization opportunities.

SingularityDAO

Lucid Blue Ventures operates as a venture capital firm.

Lucid Blue Ventures

Cogitent Ventures operates as a venture capital firm.

Cogitent Ventures

Hodl is the leading cryptocurrency fund for the future-oriented investor. Since our inception in 2017, we have been helping hundreds of investors navigate the cryptocurrency market with close involvement and proactive communication.  Our unique investment strategy is based on experience in traditional wealth management and cryptocurrency. This includes a structured bottom-up distribution of the funds and optimized services adapted to digital assets.  As part of our strategy, Hodl maintains the highest compliance and safety standards. The funds are registered at the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) and protected by the best-in-class security solutions. We have offices in The Netherlands, Spain, Luxembourg and Switzerland. Learn more about us at Hodl.nl or contact us at info@hodl.nl

Hodl

Zero Knowledge is an investing and building in crypto/web3.

Zero Knowledge

Purechain Capital is a venture capital firm focused on promoting the blockchain sector through smart investments in innovation and technology.

Purechain Capital

BABs Labs LLC specializes in graphic design and offers a range of services tailored to the digital realm, including the creation and management of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). With a focus on innovation in the digital art space, the company supports artists and creators through technology-driven solutions. BABs Labs LLC is dedicated to leveraging blockchain technology to empower digital artists and collectors, providing a platform for the creation, sale, and management of digital assets. The company's services are designed to bridge the gap between traditional art and digital innovation, making it easier for creators to monetize their work and for collectors to discover and invest in unique digital art pieces.

BABs

CryptoHedge operates as an investment firm.

CryptoHedge

NODEIFI gives scalability, security, and dependability a priority.NODEIFI is aware that setting up and maintaining an infrastructure can be difficult, particularly for people who lack the necessary time, knowledge, or finances.

NODEIFI

Black Alpha Capital  Embracing the decentralized future of cryptocurrency and its boundless potential, recognize the tremendous opportunities within the crypto market, followed by its inherent high volatility.

Black Alpha Capital

Credbull

Credbull manages on-chain private credit funds that provide vital financing solutions to creditworthy small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Credbull is a DeFi platform that offers private credit investment opportunities for users to earn fixed yields from lending to SMEs. The platform converts investors' USD Coin (USDC) into dollars and allocates capital to established lending originators that offer loans to creditworthy SMEs for purposes such as working capital, trade receivables, and invoice factoring. It provides real-time visibility of on-chain fund performance and all off-chain activities, It also operates via decentralized governance on strategy, risk policies, and oversight of performance.&nbsp;

Disrupting the traditional financial system using blockchain

Decentralized Finance (DeFi)

Credbull launches high-yield private credit offering on Plume Network

Credbull is a DeFi platform that offers private credit investment opportunities for users to earn fixed yields from lending to SMEs. The platform converts investors' USD Coin (USDC) into dollars and allocates capital to established lending originators that offer loans to creditworthy SMEs for purposes such as working capital, trade receivables, and invoice factoring. It provides real-time visibility of on-chain fund performance and all off-chain activities, It also operates via decentralized governance on strategy, risk policies, and oversight of performance.&nbsp;Notably, the company's fund is registered in the Bahamas and offers investors shorter lock-up periods of 6–12 months compared with typical multi-year commitments in traditional private credit. Moreover, it provides several reporting tools for institutional clients as well as multi-branding solutions with the option to whitelabel.In October 2024, Credbull&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/34392">launched LiquidStone</a>, a new fixed-yield credit facility, on the Plume Network blockchain. The fund is initially capped at USD 100 million and will expand to USD 500 million in Q1 2025. The fund's assets are diversified across high-quality liquid assets, collateralized on-chain lending, and trade financing solutions for small and mid-size businesses.&nbsp;

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.

Solana

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

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

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

PROMINENT_CATEGORY

<div>
 
 Credbull, a decentralized private credit platform, has launched a new fixed-yield credit facility called LiquidStone on the Plume Network blockchain. It has an initial cap of USD 100 million, with plans to expand to USD 500 million in the first quarter of 2025.
 LiquidStone offers a 30-day fixed yield of 10% annualized, with daily redemption features. The fund's assets diversify across high-quality liquid assets, collateralized on-chain lending, and trade financing solutions for small to mid-size businesses.
 
</div>

Credbull

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