Blockchain Accessibility Boosted by Crypto Platform Subzero Labs' $20M Funding Round
In the ever-evolving world of technology, two industry veterans, Ade Adepoju and Lu Zhang, have joined forces to create Subzero Labs. This innovative crypto platform, established in 2024, aims to revolutionise the blockchain landscape with its groundbreaking project, Rialo.
Before embarking on this new venture, Adepoju was instrumental in developing distributed systems at Netflix and advanced microchips at AMD, while Zhang built Diem, Meta's crypto initiative, and large-scale AI/ML infrastructure at Meta and Google. Their combined expertise from both Web2 and Web3 sectors is a testament to the ambitious vision they hold for Rialo.
Rialo is not a traditional layer-1 blockchain but a platform built on top of existing layer-1 blockchains. The acronym Rialo stands for "Rialo isn't a layer 1." This unique approach sets Rialo apart from the crowd, offering a "Web2-style" decentralized programmable network that bridges Web2 and Web3 by providing native web connectivity, event-driven transactions, and built-in privacy.
Unlike existing layer-1 blockchains, which primarily focus on throughput and consensus layers, or layer-2 solutions that scale existing blockchains through off-chain methods, Rialo rethinks the blockchain stack. It provides native web connectivity, enabling dApps to communicate directly and seamlessly with traditional web services without requiring complex bridge code or third-party oracles. This design greatly reduces complexity and development friction for developers building internet-scale decentralized applications (dApps).
Moreover, Rialo's event-driven transaction architecture facilitates real-world integration and reactive dApps akin to Web2 applications, creating a better user experience and developer productivity. The platform also incorporates RISC-V architecture and Solana VM compatibility, allowing developers to deploy existing programs easily while supporting a richer feature set. Lastly, Rialo embeds privacy features natively with a focus on real-world usability, which is often an afterthought in many blockchain systems.
The funding for this ambitious project comes from a $20 million initial round led by Pantera Capital, with participation from Variant of Coinbase Ventures, Hashed, Susquehanna Crypto, Mysten Labs, Fabric Ventures, Mirana Ventures, and more. The new funding will be used to build Rialo, a platform that empowers builders to create and launch internet-scale decentralized applications without the constraints of legacy network architecture.
Paul Veradittakit, Managing Partner of Pantera Capital, believes that Subzero Labs will deliver the infrastructure that empowers developers to create decentralized products that are intuitive, useful, and relevant to everyday users. Baek Kim, General Partner of Hashed, sees early signs of a system in Rialo that can lower the barrier for real-world use cases. Susquehanna International Group (SIG) is excited about the opportunity that comes with the growing range of real-world assets.
Adepoju and Zhang have attracted top talent from Meta, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google, TikTok, Citadel, VMware, Solana, EigenLayer, Polkadot, Coinbase, NEAR Protocol, and other industry-leading organizations. They aim to make decentralized apps more user-friendly and easier to build by changing decentralized infrastructure from the ground up. Rialo is designed for non-crypto developers, making off-chain interaction feel native, not bolted on. In essence, Rialo is the only full-stack network for real-world applications, built by leading industry developers for developers.
Adepoju compares the need for their new blockchain, Rialo, to the need for an iPhone, not just another iPod. They believe that what's missing in current decentralized apps is seamless integration with the real world. With Rialo, they aim to make blockchain infrastructure “invisible, fast, intuitive, and scalable” to empower developers to create decentralized applications that match or exceed centralized apps in responsiveness and usability.
- Ade Adepoju and Lu Zhang, with their combined expertise from the technology, finance, and business sectors, aim to revolutionize the blockchain landscape with Rialo, an innovative platform that offers a "Web2-style" decentralized programmable network and bridges Web2 and Web3.
- Unique to Rialo, it provides native web connectivity and event-driven transactions, enabling direct communication between dApps and traditional web services and fostering real-world integration.
- The funding for this groundbreaking project amounts to $20 million, with Pantera Capital leading the round, followed by participation from notable venture capital firms such as Variant, Hashed, Mirana Ventures, and more, paving the way for creating and launching decentralized applications without constraints.
- Top talents from industry-leading organizations have joined Subzero Labs to make decentralized apps more user-friendly, easier to build, and designed for non-crypto developers to ensure off-chain interaction feels native, not bolted on, constructing Rialo as the only full-stack network for real-world applications.
