Subzero Labs Raises $20 Million

Subzero Labs, a web3 infrastructure startup, has announced a $20 million in seed funding. The investment round was led by Pantera Capital and included backing from Coinbase Ventures, Fabric Ventures, Mysten Labs, Susquehanna Crypto, and Variant. The company aims to use the funding to advance the development of Rialo, a new layer-1 blockchain designed to support large-scale decentralized applications.

Subzero Labs Raises $20 Million

Subzero Labs is building Rialo with a clear focus on making the development of decentralized applications as straightforward as building applications in the web2 ecosystem. According to the company, current blockchain environments often present a steep learning curve and performance limitations that deter developers. Rialo is positioned to address these issues by offering a platform that supports responsive and reactive applications typically seen in traditional internet services.

In a statement, the company highlighted its intention to support use cases ranging from tokenized assets to AI agent orchestration and global trading platforms. It emphasized that developers will be able to build using tools they are already familiar with, aiming to improve both the cost-efficiency and user experience of decentralized applications compared to centralized alternatives.

Subzero Labs Raises $20 Million

Rialo’s Technical Foundation

The Rialo blockchain is being developed using RISC-V, an open instruction set architecture that has gained attention in the web3 space, including from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. In addition to using RISC-V, Rialo will be compatible with the Solana virtual machine. This combination is intended to deliver the scalability required for internet-scale applications while maintaining compatibility with an existing ecosystem of tools and standards.

The funding round reflects strong interest from established venture firms in the web3 sector. Paul Veradittakit, managing partner at Pantera Capital, described Rialo as a full-stack network built to support real-world applications. He noted the high concentration of technical talent at Subzero Labs and expressed confidence in the leadership of co-founders Ade and Lu. According to Veradittakit, the firm believes Subzero Labs is well-positioned to deliver infrastructure that enables developers to build decentralized products that are practical and accessible to everyday users.

Subzero Labs Raises $20 Million

Final Thoughts

Subzero Labs enters the web3 space with the goal of bridging the gap between centralized and decentralized development environments. By focusing on performance, ease of use, and compatibility, the company aims to lower the barriers for developers and encourage broader adoption of blockchain-based applications. As the web3 ecosystem continues to mature, infrastructure projects like Rialo are expected to play a significant role in shaping the future of application development.