VC Roundup: ZK proofs, DeFi protocol and longevity DAO attract investment

2023 is disconnected to a tepid commencement for crypto task capital, arsenic the manufacture continues to look from a prolonged carnivore market. But that doesn’t mean determination aren’t deals. In January, Cointelegraph reported a $125 cardinal rise from Blockstream, a $60 cardinal allocation to QuickNode and brace of ecosystem funds from Injective and SSV worthy $150 cardinal and $50 million, respectively. 

The latest variation of VC Roundup brings you 7 smaller task deals that whitethorn person slipped done the cracks.

Related: Venture superior investments into blockchain proceed to free-fall: Report

=nil; Foundation closes $22M fundraise

In January, Polygon Capital led a $22 cardinal backing circular for =nil; Foundation, an Ethereum improvement institution focused connected zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs. The superior rise valued =nil; Foundation astatine $220 cardinal and volition beryllium utilized to assistance the steadfast grow its ZK proofs marketplace. The company's Proof Market is simply a information accessibility protocol that enables layer-1 and layer-2 blockchains to make ZK proofs connected request without relying connected centralized intermediaries. Proof Market has been developed to supply unafraid information transportation betwixt Ethereum and nationalist protocols, according to =nil; Foundation co-founder Konstantin Lomashuk.

Related: Top crypto backing stories of 2022

Ethereum infrastructure supplier Blocknative raises $15M

Web3 infrastructure institution Blocknative has raised $15 cardinal to enactment its continued maturation successful the Ethereum and nationalist blockchain marketplace. The company, which provides real-time transaction monitoring that enables validators to optimize staking rewards, is positioning itself arsenic a artifact builder for post-Merge Ethereum. The backing circular progressive respective task firms, including Blockchain Capital, Foundry Group, Fenbushi Capital, Hack VC and IOSG Ventures. Blocknative has raised $34 cardinal successful cumulative backing to date.

Web3 startup Nillion raises $20 million

Web3 infrastructure platform Nillion closed a strategical backing circular valued astatine $20 cardinal arsenic portion of its ongoing efforts to beforehand decentralization without blockchain technology. Over 150 investors participated successful the round, including Big Brain Holdings, Chapter One, GSR, Hashkey and SALT Fund. Nillion’s founding squad includes erstwhile executives of Uber, Hedera Hashgraph and Indiegogo. The institution has besides recruited executives formerly of Coinbase and Nike. While Nillion promotes decentralization without blockchains, its exertion offers a multi-chain wallet compatible with existing blockchains.

Hack VC leads Archimedes’ $4.9M effect round

Decentralized concern (DeFi) lending marketplace Archimedes launched successful February with a $4.9 cardinal effect circular backed by task firms Hack VC, Uncorrelated Venture, Psalion, Truffle Ventures and others. Archimedes’ marketplace uses nonfungible tokens to facilitate borrowing and lending, wherever leverage takers person an NFT representing a yield-generating stablecoin. The level provides leverage up to 10 times the main collateral amount.

The DeFi assemblage held up to scrutiny during the centralized concern contagion of 2022. As reported by Cointelegraph, DeFi filled an important recognition gap for the marketplace successful the aftermath of CeFi’s evident failures.

Related: DeFi’s Next Big Thing: Liquid Staking Derivatives

Ethos Wallet receives task backing

Sui Blockchain’s Ethos Wallet closed a $4.2 cardinal effect circular successful January led by Boldstart Ventures and gumi Cryptos Capital. Ethos is simply a integer wallet that allows users to store their crypto and NFTs utilizing a Chrome extension. The wallet besides provides entree to decentralized applications connected the Sui blockchain, which was founded by Mysten Labs. In 2022, Mysten Labs raised $300 million successful enactment of Sui, with backers that included Coinbase Ventures, Jump Crypto, Andreessen Horowitz and the now-defunct FTX Ventures.

VitaDAO raises $4.1M

The marketplace for decentralized autonomous organizations, oregon DAOs, appears to beryllium ramping up amid caller usage cases for the caller entity structure. In January, the longevity subject research enactment VitaDAO raised $4.1 cardinal from contributors specified arsenic Pfizer Ventures, Shine Capital, L1 Digital and Web3-natives Beaker DAO and Spaceship DAO. VitaDAO said the superior raisewould money longevity probe and rotation disconnected a caller biotechnology startup aboriginal this quarter. The funds volition besides beryllium utilized to beforehand the commercialization and licensing of VitaDAO’s IP-NFT assets, which are NFTs representing intelligence spot and patents to therapeutic probe projects.

Hyper Oracle closes pre-seed backing backed by Sequoia China

Hyper Oracle, different ZK-focused company, has raised $3 cardinal successful a pre-seed backing circular led by Sequoia China and Dao5. The institution has developed blockchain indexing and automation protocols for integrating ZK-proof systems — thing Hyper Oracle says volition marque middleware tally faster and much securely. Hyper Oracle volition usage the backing to grow its probe and improvement and prosecute further personnel.