Accomplice is a seed-led venture capital firm that invests in technology startup companies. Its specialties are cybersecurity, eSports, data analytics, SMB class software, emerging hardware platforms, and marketplaces.  Through platforms like AngelList, Boston Syndicates, and Maiden Lane, Accomplice harnesses the community to empower and fund the best founders. It has pioneered a community approach through platforms like Spearhead, BOSS, Rev, and TUGG. A majority of Accomplice’s investments are in Boston, with others throughout the U.S., Canada, and the E.U. Formerly known as Atlas Venture, the firm announced in October 2014 that it was splitting its technology and life sciences franchises. The technology group was renamed Accomplice; the life sciences group retained the name Atlas Venture.  Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Accomplice is one of the most active early-stage firms in New England.

Accomplice

Placeholder is a venture capital firm that invests in decentralized networks and web services.

Placeholder

Inflection is a first-check venture firm investing in the open economy. We are a team of venture investors and entrepreneurs with diverse backgrounds based out of Berlin, Boston, and Munich complemented by a global network of innovators. We perceive ourselves as a startup company, not an established venture fund. We incentivize our founders and community through ownership. We take risks and experiment. We run nodes, govern crypto networks, write code, and scale DAOs.  Our investment process is radically transparent and doesn't take more than 10 days from initial call to an investment decision. ''Which school did you go to?'', ''You are too early.'' or ''Who else is investing?'' are sentences you won't hear from us.  We initially invest between $500k and $1.5M in the earliest stages across equity and cryptographic assets of all sorts. We cover European markets first but have a global mandate.

Inflection.xyz

Pantera Capital is an investment firm focused exclusively on Bitcoin, other digital currencies, and companies in the space. The company believes that Bitcoin has the potential to transform the way people use money and that it will do for payments what the Internet has done for communications and commerce. Until 2014, Pantera focused on global macro hedge fund investments. The firm was founded in 2003 by Dan Morehead, who was a chief financial officer and head of Macro Trading at Tiger Management. The firm has since shifted its investment advisory services to focus exclusively on Bitcoin, other digital currencies, and companies in the space. Shareholders include Benchmark, Fortress Investment Group, and Ribbit Capital.

Pantera Capital

CoinFund is a private cryptoasset investor and blockchain research and advisory firm that focuses on crypto and blockchain investments. The firm was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States.

CoinFund

Alameda Research is a quantitative cryptocurrency trading firm that provides liquidity in cryptocurrency and digital assets markets. It was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Central and Western, Hong Kong.

Alameda Research

Three Arrows Capital is a hedge fund manager that provides risk-adjusted returns. The firm was established in 2012 by Su Zhu and Kyle Davies and is headquartered in Singapore, Central Region, Singapore.

Three Arrows Capital

Defiance Capital is a Decentralized Finance (DeFi) focused cryptoasset fund that combines fundamental research with an activist investment approach.

DeFiance Capital

Balancer Labs

Disrupting the traditional financial system using blockchain

Decentralized Finance (DeFi)

Curvance is a DeFi application that provides lending and borrowing services across multiple chains and protocols. Users can earn interest from lending, collateralize assets for borrowing, and consolidate DeFi yields across liquidity pools and interest-bearing stablecoins. The protocol supports Ethereum and Layer 2 chains, such as Arbitrum, Optimism, Scroll, Base, and Polygon zK EVM, and employs liquidity from decentralized exchanges like Curve, Balancer, Velodrome, GMX, and Pendle.Moreover, the Curvance money market leverages the composability of yield-bearing assets and ERC-20 tokens to enable users to create tokenized treasuries, NFT markets, and other primitives to borrow against.The protocol operates as a DAO, governed by holders of its native token, CVE.Funding and financialsIn December 2023, Curvance <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24645">secured USD 3.6 million</a> in seed funding from more than 20 DAOs, developers, and angel investors including Offchain Labs, Wormhole, Eigenlayer, and Curve Finance.The company earmarked the funding for expanding its operations, supporting security audits, and increasing its employee base.

Curvance is a crosschain lending market for yield-bearing assets and any other ERC-20 tokens on Ethereum, Polygon zkEVM, Base, Arbitrum, and Optimism and aspires to establish itself as the de-facto money market for any ERC-20 token.

Balancer Labs is a non-custodial portfolio manager, liquidity provider, and price sensor.

Balancer Labs offers an automated and non-custodial portfolio manager as well as a trading platform that acts as a liquidity provider and price sensor. The company targets three types of end-users—investors, traders, and developers.&nbsp;

Decentralization at Balancer Labs

Aave

To enhance its protocol with features like 100% Boosted Pools, a Hooks Framework, and custom pool types, Balancer has partnered with Aave to optimize liquidity for their users.

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

Curvance

Offchain Labs

Frax Finance

Pendle Finance

Curve Finance

Scroll.io

Wormhole

Convex Finance

EigenLabs

Mantle Network

Aura Finance

Balancer Labs offers an automated and non-custodial portfolio manager as well as a trading platform that acts as a liquidity provider and price sensor. The company targets three types of end-users—investors, traders, and developers.&nbsp;The protocol provides investors with access to portfolios that automatically generate yield (primarily in the form of the protocol’s native BAL token) and rebalance without needing to pay any fees. Traders can use the platform to access decentralized trades at optimal prices by pooling crowdsourced liquidity of over USD 1.1 billion from over 230,000 liquidity providers (as of April 2024) and using a “Smart Order Router” to find the best available price. Lastly, developers are able to use Balancer for programmable liquidity and to build custom token weights and swap fees as well as liquidity pools that can operate on any price curve. ‘In December 2024, Balancer<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/37297"> launched Balancer v3</a>, the newest version of its protocol. It includes three main features: 1) 100% Boosted Pools that route capital into external yield markets while maintaining swap liquidity, 2) a Hooks Framework for extending liquidity pool functionality, and 3) custom pool types for building tailored automated market makers (AMMs). Additionally, the platform has introduced StableSurge Hook, which protects stable-asset pegs during market volatility while offering higher returns to liquidity providers.&nbsp;Key customers and partnershipsIn December 2024, the company<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/37297"> partnered with Aave</a> to power the initial rollout of Boosted Pools. The integration leverages Boosted Pools to optimize liquidity for Aave users, providing access to more efficient lending and swapping markets.&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 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>
 Ethereum-based yield aggregation protocol, Balancer, has launched its latest version, Balancer v3. New features of the protocol include: a 100% Boosted Pools function that directs capital to external yield markets while maintaining swap liquidity; a Hooks Framework which extends the functionality of liquidity pools; and custom pool types for creating customized automated market makers (AMMs).
 The platform also introduced the StableSurge Hook which safeguards stable-asset pegs during periods of market volatility and offers improved returns for liquidity providers. Balancer also confirmed the platform's security has been audited by Trail of Bits, Spearbit, and Certora. 
 Concurrently with the v3 launch, Balancer announced its collaboration with Aave, a lending protocol in the DeFi sector. This partnership will initiate the launch of Boosted Pools, utilizing them to enhance liquidity for Aave users, which will allow access to more efficient lending and swapping markets. 
</div>

Balancer Labs

About EDGE

Contact Us

Resources

Area of Focus

Technology Research Made Effortless