Renzo Raises $3.2 Million in Seed Funding Round
Renzo, an Ethereum restaking protocol based on EigenLayer, has secured $3.2 million in a seed funding round. Maven11 Capital led the round, with participation from Figment Capital, SevenX Ventures, IOSG Ventures, and other investors. The funding process began in November and concluded in December, bringing Renzo’s post-money valuation to $25 million.
What is Renzo?
Renzo is a third-generation protocol that allows users to restake ether (ETH) via EigenLayer. The protocol plans to expand its support to liquid staking tokens (LSTs) in future releases. To get started with Renzo, users deposit ETH (and eventually LSTs) to receive ezETH — Renzo’s liquid restaking token (LRT). This token can be used in DeFi applications to earn additional yield beyond ETH staking yield.
Renzo vs. EigenLayer Restaking
Renzo offers a simpler alternative to restaking on EigenLayer. While EigenLayer requires users to actively manage node operators and reward tokens, Renzo abstracts away these complexities and allows users to be liquid on their position.
Renzo’s Plans
With the new funding, Renzo aims to undergo additional audits, increase bug bounty rewards, integrate with more DeFi protocols, and expand its team. The launch of Renzo’s general mainnet will occur after EigenLayer’s Stage 3 launch. Renzo also intends to support other blockchains in the future and transition governance to token holders through a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO).
Hot Take: Renzo Revolutionizes Restaking on Ethereum
Renzo’s innovative protocol simplifies restaking on Ethereum by abstracting away complexities and providing users with a liquid position. With its recent funding, Renzo is poised to enhance its offerings, expand its reach to other blockchains, and establish a decentralized governance structure. As the first liquid restaking protocol that accepts both ETH and LSTs, Renzo is making restaking accessible to a wider audience and contributing to the growth of the DeFi ecosystem.