Placeholder Ventures

Tally is a frontend for DAOs running on Ethereum and other EVM blockchains. Tally gives users real power in their decentralized organizations. On Tally, users can delegate voting power, create or pass proposals to spend DAO funds, manage a protocol, and upgrade smart contracts—all onchain.

Squads is a developer of a decentralized program that enables the establishment of better and easier decentralized autonomous groups. The company's application combines all of the key components of a decentralized autonomous organization, such as deployment, treasury, vault management, on-chain voting, and chat, into a single portal with an easy-to-use interface, allowing users to streamline daily operations using a decentralized autonomous organization structure.

Botanix Labs is a technology company that develops decentralized applications (dApps) for the cryptocurrency ecosystem. It combines the strengths of Bitcoin and Ethereum to create a platform that offers secure, decentralized, and fair distribution of cryptocurrencies. This platform enables users to explore decentralized lending, earn interest on their assets, and manage their wealth with ease.

Eclipse is building Ethereum's first Solana Virtual Machine Layer 2. While other L2 networks on Ethereum focus on providing Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility, Eclipse leans into performance improvements developed by the Solana Layer 1 and adds additional verification features to deploy the blockchain as a rollup. The Eclipse team includes veterans from dYdX, Uniswap, Citadel, and Airbnb. Eclipse Labs is backed by top investors including Polychain, Placeholder, and DBA.

Polymer Labs is building the fabric of web3. We're working on an IBC based multi-cluster routing/roll-up protocol providing E2E IBC connectivity across ecosystems.

Squads is a developer of a decentralized program that enables the establishment of better and easier decentralized autonomous groups. The company's application combines all of the key components of a decentralized autonomous organization, such as deployment, treasury, vault management, on-chain voting, and chat, into a single portal with an easy-to-use interface, allowing users to streamline daily operations using a decentralized autonomous organization structure.

Rated Labs is a Web3 infrastructure company that provides granular data on validators and node operators to help users compare performance and understand the health of digital currency networks. Through an API-based data utility platform, Rated Labs offers independent third-party ratings for nodes and operators, robust data pipelines, and a comprehensive infrastructure dataset, enabling developers to analyze the crypto base layer and extract actionable insights about network reliability, security, and performance.

Across is a cross-chain bridge secured by UMA's optimistic oracle for L2s and rollups. It also optimized for capital efficiency with a single liquidity pool, a competitive relayer landscape, and a no-slippage fee model.

Rated Labs is a Web3 infrastructure company that provides granular data on validators and node operators to help users compare performance and understand the health of digital currency networks. Through an API-based data utility platform, Rated Labs offers independent third-party ratings for nodes and operators, robust data pipelines, and a comprehensive infrastructure dataset, enabling developers to analyze the crypto base layer and extract actionable insights about network reliability, security, and performance.

Matter Labs designs and develops blockchain technology that uses zero-knowledge proofs to scale Ethereum and improve privacy, removing interaction obstacles between untrusted parties. The company builds a scaling decentralized application that provides succinctly verifiable computation, enabling businesses and others to prove integrity without disclosing sensitive data. It aims to accelerate public blockchain adoption by offering an open, scalable alternative to existing financial systems. Founded in 2018, it has been associated with Berlin, Germany, and is based in the Cayman Islands.

Async Art, Inc. operates an innovative online platform that connects artists and collectors in the realm of programmable art. Founded in 2019 and based in Fort Bragg, California, Async Art utilizes the Ethereum blockchain to facilitate the creation, collection, and trading of unique digital artworks. The platform allows users to own distinct components of a piece, referred to as "Layers," which interact with a central "Master" work. This structure enables multiple owners to independently modify their respective layers within parameters set by the artist, fostering a collaborative and dynamic art experience. For example, one user may control the sky in a landscape painting, while another controls a figure, and an AI adjusts elements based on external factors such as market trends. This approach aims to redefine the art world by integrating technology and user participation in the creative process.

Nexus Mutual Limited is a London-based company that operates a decentralized insurance platform utilizing blockchain technology, specifically the Ethereum public blockchain. Founded in 2017, it offers a novel alternative to traditional insurance by enabling users to become members and collectively share insurance risks without the involvement of conventional insurance companies. Members can purchase coverage, and their decisions are governed by smart contracts, which ensure transparency and enforceability. Initially, Nexus Mutual launched with a product focusing on earthquake coverage, allowing participants to manage and mitigate risks collaboratively. The platform aims to recreate traditional mutual insurance models on a broader scale, providing an innovative approach to risk management in the insurance industry.

Matter Labs designs and develops blockchain technology that uses zero-knowledge proofs to scale Ethereum and improve privacy, removing interaction obstacles between untrusted parties. The company builds a scaling decentralized application that provides succinctly verifiable computation, enabling businesses and others to prove integrity without disclosing sensitive data. It aims to accelerate public blockchain adoption by offering an open, scalable alternative to existing financial systems. Founded in 2018, it has been associated with Berlin, Germany, and is based in the Cayman Islands.

Matter Labs designs and develops blockchain technology that uses zero-knowledge proofs to scale Ethereum and improve privacy, removing interaction obstacles between untrusted parties. The company builds a scaling decentralized application that provides succinctly verifiable computation, enabling businesses and others to prove integrity without disclosing sensitive data. It aims to accelerate public blockchain adoption by offering an open, scalable alternative to existing financial systems. Founded in 2018, it has been associated with Berlin, Germany, and is based in the Cayman Islands.

3Box Labs is a technology company based in New York that specializes in decentralized identity and data management solutions for web3 applications. Founded in 2018, it offers a suite of products including 3box.io, a social profiles application tailored for Ethereum users, and 3box.js, an API that facilitates user onboarding and data management for developers. Additionally, 3Box provides the 3box-dapp, which enables users to create and manage their social profiles, interact with decentralized applications, build reputations, and securely store data. The company's platform is designed to enhance user experience by ensuring that applications are lighter, more trustworthy, and carry reduced data management liabilities, thereby fostering a sustainable ecosystem where users have greater control over their data.

MakerDAO is a decentralized autonomous organization that operates a smart contract platform on the Ethereum blockchain to back and stabilize the value of its Dai stablecoin through collateralized debt positions and autonomous governance mechanisms. It issues Dai, a collateral-backed cryptocurrency designed to maintain low volatility, and MKR, a token used for governance and recapitalization of the system. Founded in 2015, MakerDAO is headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, with additional offices in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Enzyme is a decentralized asset management infrastructure built on ethereum. They offer an autonomous system that has both its frontend and its backend hosted and executed on decentralized platforms, thereby replacing a large proportion of the middlemen with smart contracts and enabling asset managers to perform the same tasks at a fraction of the cost and with higher transparency, greater security, and a reduced requirement for trust.

0x is an open protocol facilitating peer-to-peer token exchange on the Ethereum blockchain.

The Ethereum Foundation, through its subsidiary Ethereum Switzerland GmbH, operates a decentralized platform that enables developers to create and publish distributed applications. Founded in 2014 and based in Baar, Switzerland, the foundation provides essential tools and services, including the Ethereum Wallet, which allows users to securely hold ether and other crypto-assets, as well as interact with smart contracts. The platform supports a variety of applications, such as crowdfunding, decentralized autonomous organizations, and the creation of new cryptocurrencies. By leveraging the principles of decentralized consensus, Ethereum facilitates the trading and management of diverse assets, including voting systems, financial exchanges, and intellectual property. The Ethereum Foundation is dedicated to promoting and supporting the development of the Ethereum ecosystem, ensuring its resilience and adaptability in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Agoric is a framework facilitating secure smart contract development in JavaScript. It aims to enable widespread global cooperation and new digital asset businesses by providing safer tools for smart contract creation. Agoric's team comprises experienced technologists, economists, and business leaders, collaborating with notable projects like Cosmos.