Ethereum NFT Marketplace OpenSea Launches Investment Arm and Grants Program

High seasA major market that is skyrocketing NFT The industry today announced that it will set up an investment department to raise funds. Web3 A community-funded program that supports community initiatives that benefit startups, projects, and the broader Web3 and NFT ecosystem.

OpenSea Ventures provides portfolio companies with financing, advice, technical support, and strategic connectivity as well. This initiative is led by OpenSea co-founder Alex Attalah, who goes beyond access to its own leadership to provide access to partners and investors such as Andreessen Horowitz. Animoka brand, Katie HornAnd musicians 3LAU..

According to today’s announcement, the investment sector will have four “transitions into the multi-chain world” for both replaceable and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), NFT-related protocols, Web3 games and social projects, and NFT. Focus on the main themes. An aggregator and analytics platform that supports both OpenSea and other marketplaces.

In addition to OpenSea Ventures, the company aims to support projects born from the Web3 community with the Ecosystem Grants initiative. OpenSea aims to improve user accessibility and developer tools for NFTs, create educational resources, and support projects that promote inclusiveness and accessibility.

Initially, OpenSea aims to support short-term projects that can be launched within two-quarters of receiving a grant, but the company is evolving its standards and expanding its focus over time. increase. The company will set up a review board to announce initial details and criteria before selecting the first grantee.

NFTs act like a certificate of ownership of your own digital items and can represent profile pictures, digital illustrations, video-based collections, and more.Created by the wider NFT market Transaction volume worth $ 25 billion For each data from DappRadar, in 2021. OpenSea was responsible for most of that number Transactions surged Later in the year.

Today’s announcement will be made later Record month of trading volume In the case of OpenSea, which recorded a value of over $ 5 billion in trading with Ethereum and Polygon in January.This is above the previous total record for the NFT market to be less than $ 3.5 billion since last August. Started to soar to new heights..

Also last month, OpenSea announced a $ 300 million Series C round. Startup value is $ 13.3 billionIn a round led by Paradigm and Coatue. This is a significant increase in ratings from the Series B round. Brought $ 100 million At a valuation of $ 1.5 billion.