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  3. /Olaf Carlson-Wee
  4. /Briefing
Pre-Pitch Briefing

Olaf Carlson-Wee

Founder & CEO at Polychain Capital

SeedSeries ATokenInfrastructureDeFiCross-chainGovernance

Their Thesis

Crypto protocols are the native business model of the internet. Protocol-level investments, governance tokens, cross-chain infrastructure.

How to Pitch Them

Show how your token captures value at the protocol layer. Less interested in applications, more in fundamental infrastructure.

What Excites Them

Protocol-level value capture, novel governance models, cross-chain infrastructure, decentralized coordination

What They Pass On

Application-layer without protocol moat, centralized services with a token, governance tokens without utility

Key Frameworks

Protocol Value Capture

Most valuable crypto investments are at the protocol layer where value accrues through usage

Staking Economy Model

PoS networks create productive digital assets where holding equals participating in network security.

In Their Own Words

“Proof-of-stake transforms passive holders into active network participants.”

— Polychain

“Protocols are to the internet what corporations are to the physical economy, except protocols are open, permissionless, and composable.”

— Unchained

Recent Writing

The Staking Economyblog

Proof-of-stake transforms token holders into active network participants earning yield.

Why I Invested in Cosmosblog

The future is multi-chain, and Cosmos is the best bet for blockchain interoperability.

Protocols as Businessesblog

Crypto protocols are the internet native business model

Fat Protocolsessay

In crypto, value accrues at the protocol layer rather than the application layer (originally by Joel Monegro, but Olaf popularized the counter-thesis).

Podcast Appearances

The Protocol Thesis — Bankless
protocolsinvesting
Building Polychain Capital — Unchained
PolychainCoinbaseinvesting
The Staking Economy — Unchained
stakingPolychain thesisPoS economics

Polychain Capital Portfolio

Top Sectors

Infrastructure9
L1/L24
DeFi4
Bitcoin1
Layer 21

Stage Distribution

Series A7
Early5
Seed3
Series B3
Token2
Dfinity (Internet Computer)L1/L2
Series A$15.0M
Cosmos (Tendermint)Infrastructure
Seed$2.0M
AcalaDeFi
Seed$2.0M
Nervos NetworkL1/L2
Early$5.0M
Avalanche (Ava Labs)L1/L2
Series A$15.0M
Polkadot (Web3 Foundation)Infrastructure
Early$5.0M
MakerDAODeFi
Early$25.0M
AlchemyInfrastructure
Series B$100.0M
NansenInfrastructure
Series A$15.0M
BlockdaemonInfrastructure
Series B$40.0M

+ 10 more investments. View fund →

← Full profile@olaborafcwPolychain Capital website