The NFT ecosystem continues to move forward, but the vast majority of volume is still moving through centralized OpenSea NFT Market lanes, leaving crypto VCs eager to find new channels.
Katie Haun’s new company, Haun Ventures, has landed its first deal with NFT startup Zora Labs. The $50 million funding round values the company at $600 million.
Zora’s protocol allows artists and developers to create NFT marketplaces and collections. Zora has its own main marketplace where users can list NFTs similar to OpenSea, but the vast majority of NFTs sold on its protocol take place on third-party sites. Crypto organizations like publishing startup Mirror and FWB collective have leveraged Zora’s protocol to sell NFTs to community members.
In addition to Haun Ventures, backers of the round also include Coinbase Ventures and Kindred Ventures. Haun notably led OpenSea Series B while at a16z, earning a seat on the board.
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