ChainCatcher news, the Web3 startup NFKings, supported by YZi Labs under Binance Labs, plans to launch a new RWA protocol ecosystem. NFKings was founded by Matthew Lim and Mario Ho in 2021 and has received support from several well-known funds and institutions, including YZi Labs (Binance Labs), Vertex China, Team Holding, Mirana Ventures, Ventech, The Brooker Group, and the founder of PopMart.The company's self-developed ONA Protocol serves as the core protocol, building the infrastructure and tools that connect Web2 and Web3, as well as the online and offline worlds, to achieve cross-border value creation. The protocol includes three core pillars: Proof of Contribution, Non-Fungible RWA Protocol, and The Boxx, a social e-commerce metaverse platform.

ChainCatcher news, the full-chain Rollup L1 network Initia co-founder zon stated on social media, "Back in early 2023, Binance Labs (now YZi Labs) became our first investor and has been the largest investor to date.At that time, Initia was struggling with just a vision and a minimum viable product (MVP), but fortunately, Binance Labs saw it. I would like to believe that, more importantly, they saw the strength of the team we were building."Previous news, Initia (INIT) launched on Binance Launchpool.

ChainCatcher message, Astherus posted on platform X stating that no tokens have been issued at this stage, but they are preparing for the Token Generation Event (TGE), with more details to be announced soon, reminding the community to stay vigilant against scams.It is reported that the multi-asset liquidity center Astherus is the seventh season incubation project of Binance Labs (now renamed YZi Labs) and has received investment from Binance Labs.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, Deutsche Telekom has become a validator for the Binance Labs incubated project Injective, to help secure the Injective network and validate transactions.

ChainCatcher news, according to Theblock, the Sei Foundation has announced the launch of a $65 million venture capital fund named "Sapien Capital --- Open Science Fund I," which focuses on supporting decentralized science (DeSci) startups built on the Sei blockchain.The fund is fully funded by the Sei Foundation and plans to complete capital deployment over the next 3 to 4 years, with investment amounts ranging from $100,000 to $2 million, covering both token and equity forms. DeSci aims to improve the funding model for scientific research, data sharing, and the distribution of scientists' rights through blockchain technology, and has attracted the attention of mainstream institutions such as Binance Labs and a16z.

ChainCatcher news, Astherus, a multi-asset liquidity hub strategically invested by Binance Labs, recently announced the official integration of the Arbitrum network. Through this integration, Arbitrum users can trade on the Astherus platform to continuously earn Rh points; mint ALP to earn Au points, generating stable returns with low risk.It is reported that Astherus aims to address inefficiencies in DeFi by focusing on maximizing the real yield of assets, providing sustainable and substantial returns. Its ecosystem product AstherusEx offers a comprehensive decentralized trading experience, featuring products such as the Degen mode, which supports up to 1001x leverage, and the Dumb mode, which predicts the value of underlying assets fluctuating minute by minute. AstherusEx attracts numerous traders with its trading experience and generous reward mechanisms, with a trading volume exceeding $2.5 billion per week.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, as the cryptocurrency continues to rise, Changpeng Zhao's net worth has reached $70 billion, and he has transformed the venture capital firm Binance Labs into a large family office.Binance Labs announced its rebranding to YZi Labs. Ella Zhang has returned to YZi Labs and will serve as the head. Ella Zhang co-founded Binance Labs with Changpeng Zhao in 2018 and was its first head.In an interview, Ella Zhang stated that YZi Labs is a variation of the name of Binance's co-founder and has now become "a pure family office investment tool." A spokesperson for YZi Labs mentioned that the company does not have a formal headquarters, as its employees work remotely.

ChainCatcher news, Binance Labs has been renamed to YZi Labs, while expanding its investment focus to cover Web3, AI, and biotechnology.It is reported that Ella Zhang will return to YZi, serving as the head of YZi Labs. In 2018, Ella co-founded Binance Labs with CZ and served as its first head. Ella left the company in 2020, and now she is returning to YZi Labs.

ChainCatcher news, according to official sources, Gate Ventures, the venture capital arm of Gate.io, has officially announced an investment of $20 million to support the global innovation program initiated jointly by the BNB Chain and Binance Labs—the BNB Incubation Alliance (BIA). This strategic investment reflects Gate Ventures' commitment to supporting the development of early-stage blockchain startups through financial backing, technical empowerment, and mentorship.Through this collaboration, Gate Ventures will provide developers and entrepreneurs with exclusive programs, co-investment opportunities, and launch services, further promoting innovation and global expansion of Web3 technology.

ChainCatcher news, Astherus has surpassed a total TVL of 150 million USD after its S0 phase. The new S1 phase introduces the Rh points system, allowing users to trade on the AstherusEX platform to earn Rh points. In S1, a new Au points leaderboard is launched, where users can earn Au points in AstherusEarn by minting asTokens, USDF, or ALP, and can also gain additional referral bonuses and team points by inviting friends to join and forming teams.As a multi-asset liquidity hub strategically invested by Binance Labs, Astherus aims to address inefficiencies in DeFi by focusing on the real yields of assets, providing sustainable and substantial returns while enhancing the utility and liquidity of digital assets within the ecosystem. With the official announcement of the S1 phase Spectra program, it not only offers users more opportunities to earn and appreciate their crypto assets but also advances its points system process.

ChainCatcher news, Binance Labs posted on social media that with Changpeng Zhao's return and spending most of his time investing in the industry, he is eager to connect with existing and new founders and engage with projects on a personal level.In addition, Binance Labs is expanding its investment scope from primary market trading to any type of trading, including secondary market liquidity, over-the-counter trading, and more.

ChainCatcher news, Binance Labs stated on social media that as we transition to 2025, the Year of the Wood Snake, Binance Labs expects the crypto industry to enter a vibrant phase. The wood element symbolizes growth and creativity, heralding a mature year for innovation and development. The anticipated supportive stance of the incoming Trump administration towards cryptocurrencies is expected to create a more favorable regulatory environment.This shift may enhance institutional interest and investment in the crypto space, aiding the maturation of the industry and building a stronger foundation on solid ground. Binance Labs' main focus areas for 2025 are crypto/blockchain, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology, and they are also excited to see innovations emerging at the intersection of these three fields.It is expected that underperforming sectors such as gaming, ZK technology, and privacy solutions may make a comeback as they transition from development to production, thereby supporting new use cases. Additionally, existing narratives such as DeSci, RWA/stablecoins, and AI agents should continue to perform well with strong momentum.

ChainCatcher news, according to official sources, Binance Labs announced on social media that it will soon be rebranded while still focusing on fundamentals, aiming to create a long-term impact. Entering 2025 and beyond, the organization will continue to support founders with a shared long-term vision for building.

According to ChainCatcher news, Binance Labs officially stated on social media that it is "about to rebrand" while still focusing on fundamentals, aiming to create a long-term impact. Entering 2025 and beyond, the organization will continue to support founders who share a common long-term vision for building.Additionally, it mentioned that this year it has invested in 46 projects, of which 14 are from the BNB Chain-centered MVB program or laboratory incubation programs unrelated to the chain, and 32 are from direct investments. The allocation ratio between infrastructure and application transactions is 50:50. Among these 46 transactions, 10 belong to DeFi, 7 belong to AI, 7 belong to the BTC ecosystem, 4 belong to Restake, 3 belong to gaming, 2 belong to ZK, 2 belong to RWA, and 2 belong to consumer applications. The remaining investments cover infrastructure (ranging from security to wallets and chain abstraction) as well as emerging fields like Move. Approximately 20% of the investments come from BNB ecosystem projects (its MVB program).

ChainCatcher news, Binance Labs announced an investment in THENA, a decentralized exchange (DEX) and liquidity protocol based on the BNB Chain.The funds will be used to accelerate the development and expansion of the THENA platform, enhance security measures, increase user acquisition efforts, strengthen partnerships and collaborations within the BNB Chain ecosystem, and drive DeFi innovation.