RBV + Denarii Labs Weekly Newsletter 🧔📖 Week of 04/24/25

Open Deals, Portfolio Updates, Crypto News, & More

Author

Austin Ritter
April 24, 2025

Welcome to the latest edition of the Red Beard Ventures newsletter, where we dive into exciting updates and insights from all over blockchain, frontier tech, and the angel investing landscape.

As a reminder, Red Beard Ventures has a syndicate, fund, tokenomics accelerator, and Web3 consultancy:

  • The Red Beard Ventures Syndicate is stage agnostic and invests in Frontier Technology with a focus on Web3, Space, FinTech, Sports, Robotics, Biotech, and Climate. We invest anywhere between $100k - $1.5M.

  • Red Beard Ventures Fund I invests $100k - $1M in Pre-seed and Seed blockchain based companies.

  • Denarii Labs is a tokenomics accelerator which invests $100k into companies interested in designing and launching a token over a twelve week hands-on program. Denarii also features a consulting business for later stage clients with higher touchpoint needs in tokenomics, communications, growth, and marketing.

🎤 RBV / Denarii Labs Announcements:

Denarii Labs Accelerator Cohort 003 - Applications Now Open

Denarii Labs is accepting applications for its third accelerator cohort - designed to help Web3 founders refine their token models, prepare for investors, and execute a best in class GTM strategy. Participating teams will receive $100,000 in funding and gain access to a robust network of 200+ Web3 portfolio companies—including Animoca, Dapper Labs, and SuperRare—for business development. Additionally, founders will connect with a community of over 4,000 investors ready to support their growth.

Red Beard Ventures Fund II - Now Raising

Red Beard Ventures is launching Fund II, building on the success of our first fund and extensive network in Web3, blockchain, and DePIN. With a track record of early investments in high growth companies and a strong investor base, Fund II is positioned to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the space.

Reach out to [email protected] for more information.

🚀 RBV Spotlight:

Blaize has been tapped by the Chungbuk Institute of Science and Technology to lead the charge in developing South Korea’s 2025 smart city initiative through the Chungbuk Digital Innovation Hub. This collaboration will see Blaize’s cutting edge AI, edge computing, IoT, and data analytics solutions integrated into the infrastructure of Chungcheongbuk-do, enabling real-time, on-site decision-making across urban environments. Unlike traditional cloud reliant systems, Blaize’s architecture is built for ultra-low power and latency, making it ideal for the demands of smart cities. The company will also provide technical consulting and pilot testing support, reinforcing its position as a turnkey partner in digital transformation. CEO Dinakar Munagala emphasized the shared mission with CBIST to build “a smarter planet powered by edge AI,” highlighting the broader global implications of the partnership. With this announcement, Blaize continues to demonstrate its leadership in edge AI innovation and its growing influence in international markets. This milestone underscores Blaize’s scalability and relevance in mission critical applications - positioning it to lead in the smart city revolution!

đź’Ľ Portfolio News:

  • Enabled crypto-backed Mastercard by Pay It Now for real-world purchases.

  • Demonstrates real utility for DeFi-linked payment solutions.

  • Reinforces Web3 adoption in traditional finance rails.

  • Integrated Digital Watchdog’s CCTV hardware into Deep Sentinel’s AI guard platform.

  • Broadens market access and customer base in commercial and enterprise security.

  • Combines proactive monitoring with best-in-class video surveillance tech.

  • Hired Dr. Stephen Ryu to lead clinical direction as BCI device enters FDA process.

  • Bridges neurotech R&D and clinical validation for brain-computer interface use cases.

  • Boosts credibility ahead of regulatory milestones and commercialization.

  • Announced sunset of Huygens and Ascraeus testnets by April 30, 2025.

  • Instructed users to migrate tokens and claim rewards in advance of mainnet.

  • Signals technical maturity and readiness for production launch.

  • Surpassed $20 million TVL on its gamified DeFi and NFT yield platform.

  • Reflects rapid adoption and liquidity growth on the Flow blockchain.

  • Signals user trust and validates market positioning in DeFi x NFTs.

  • Migrated community rewards to Merkl’s on-chain platform for claimable incentives.

  • Enhances transparency and efficiency for staking and liquidity mining rewards.

  • Demonstrates Saga’s commitment to scalable community engagement tooling.

  • Upgraded its Midland test site to support next-gen engine trials with the USAF.

  • Increases test cadence and readiness for aerospace commercialization.

  • Boosts credibility with military partners and accelerates defense adoption.

  • Community approved burn of 800 million $OORT from future emissions.

  • Reduces sell pressure and aligns incentives with long-term holders.

  • Signals governance maturity and investor focus on value creation.

  • Pool #3 exceeded 8 million $LMWR staked in just one week.

  • Indicates strong user commitment and token lock-up participation.

  • Improves liquidity dynamics and supports long-term platform health.

  • Launched “Buy Any Asset on Any Network” feature across 69+ chains.

  • Aggregates trading into a seamless, universal interface.

  • Reduces friction and positions Mintify as a liquidity layer for crypto assets.

  • Dapper Labs introduced Meowcoin and gamified tokenomics for CryptoKitties.

  • Brings new utility and engagement to a legacy NFT brand.

  • Modernizes early NFT infrastructure with tokenized mechanics.

🥳 Upcoming Events:

Some of the events you’ll find our team at include:

🚀 Onwards!

Drew, Elana, Joshua, Lauren, and Austin