Solana Co-Founder Joins Forces with New Crypto VC Firm Credibly Neutral in $5.5 Million Funding Round

Solana and Polygon co-founders, along with Joe Lubin's investment firm, have invested in a new cryptocurrency venture capital firm, Credibly Neutral. The firm, which recently raised $5.5 million, is led by Viktor Bunin, head of protocol operations at Coinbase Cloud, and Lisa Cuesta Bunin, COO of Ethereum privacy startup Aztec Protocol.

Based in Brooklyn, New York, Credibly Neutral is an early-stage-focused fund that plans to invest $50,000 to $250,000 in various crypto projects. The firm is primarily interested in protocols, infrastructure, and crypto software-as-a-service (SaaS) projects. Its areas of investment include layer 1 and 2 blockchains, decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, developer tools, security software, analytics tools, and the infrastructure needed to transfer fiat in and out of crypto.

Lisa Cuesta Bunin, the COO of Aztec Protocol, said in an email to CoinDesk, "Credible neutrality can be defined as transparent systems that create an equal playing field for all participants – we are passionate about investing in teams and communities who are building protocols, tools, and products that provide open access and fuel innovation."

The $5.5 million funding round attracted a diverse group of investors. Among them were Anthony Sassano, author of the Ethereum-focused Substack Daily Gwei; Patricio Worthalter, founder of the "proof of attendance" protocol POAP; Surojit Chatterjee, former chief product officer of crypto exchange Coinbase; Joe Lallouz and Aaron Henshaw, founders of blockchain infrastructure provider Bison Trails; Solana co-founders Anatoly Yakovenko and Raj Gokal; Mara Schmiedt, CEO of staking solution Alluvial; Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal; and Joe Lubin's Ethereal Ventures.

The investment by industry leaders like the Solana and Polygon co-founders and Joe Lubin's investment firm demonstrates the growing interest and confidence in early-stage crypto projects. By providing financial support and guidance, Credibly Neutral aims to help drive innovation and build a more inclusive and accessible cryptocurrency ecosystem.