• Stroom

  Participated · Seed · Sep 2023

  Stroom, based in Kyiv, Ukraine, develops a Bitcoin liquid staking protocol that connects the Bitcoin Lightning Network with EVM-based blockchains such as Ethereum. Led by CEO Rostyslav Shvets and CTO Slava Zhygulin, the protocol lets users earn Lightning Network revenue without locking up BTC or maintaining their own node infrastructure. Users deposit staking tokens and receive tradable liquid tokens in return. A DAO-controlled smart contract then stakes tokens with DAO-picked staking providers, and deposited funds are controlled by the DAO so staking providers never have direct access to users' assets. The company raised $3.5M in seed funding to expand operations and to work on releasing its liquid staking token on the Ethereum mainnet.

• Stroom Network

  Participated · Seed · Aug 2023

  Stroom Network, based in Kyiv, builds a Bitcoin liquid-staking protocol for the Lightning Network that enables BTC holders to earn routing fees and optionally harvest additional yield in Ethereum’s DeFi ecosystem. The protocol aims to simplify the technical complexities of running Lightning nodes and to introduce DeFi mechanics to persuade Ethereum‑savvy Bitcoin users to deploy liquidity to Lightning while retaining yield on Ethereum. Stroom implements DAO-like governance using a multi-party signature computation mechanism to govern users’ funds, set incentives, upgrade the protocol, operate a treasury, and determine fee allocation. Company leadership frames the initiative as a solution to Lightning Network liquidity shortfalls that limit robustness and payment success rates. Stroom plans to use new funding to expand the team and to release a Liquid Staking Token on the Ethereum mainnet. The article reports the company secured an oversubscribed $3.5M Seed round.

• AlienSwap

  Participated · Equity · May 2023

  AlienSwap operates a community-based NFT marketplace and aggregator that launched a beta in recent months. The platform has achieved cumulative trading volume exceeding $50M and ranks third in daily active users and fifth in daily trading volume on the Ethereum network. The company is led by founder Ying Mu. AlienSwap plans to use new funding to expand its engineering team, develop NFT liquidity tools and trading products, and increase investment in NFT infrastructure. The goal of these efforts is to enhance the trading experience for NFT community users. The company’s current financial boost follows its beta traction and on-chain metrics reported since launch.

No current team members are available.