Theta

Coldware ($COLD) is making significant strides in the blockchain space by merging hardware with blockchain technology. Currently, the project is in its presale phase, with only 37% of tokens remaining at a price of $0.00625. Coldware aims to create a seamless bridge between hardware and blockchain, focusing on usability rather than vague promises. By offering devices like the Larna 2400 smartphone and ColdBook laptop, which function as lite nodes right out of the box, Coldware is making it easier for users to engage with decentralized finance (DeFi) without the need for complex setups. The project is powered by the $COLD token, which facilitates transactions, governance, and staking rewards while also allowing users to create their own tokens through a unique feature called Freeze.Mint. In the broader landscape of blockchain projects, Pi Network and Theta Network are also noteworthy contenders. Pi Network has garnered a massive user base of over 60 million, but recent turbulence in token price has raised concerns about transparency. Despite this, Pi Network is pushing forward with a $100 million fund to support new projects within its ecosystem. Meanwhile, Theta Network is focusing on decentralized video infrastructure and has recently launched an AI Model API service to enhance its offerings. While both projects have potential, they have yet to achieve mass adoption, which remains a critical factor for their future success. Overall, Coldware distinguishes itself by prioritizing real-world usability and privacy in its offerings. Unlike many crypto projects that are still in the conceptual phase, Coldware is already delivering functional hardware and a privacy-focused operating system. With its presale ongoing and a unique approach to integrating blockchain into everyday devices, Coldware presents an attractive opportunity for investors looking to enter the Web3 space. As the market evolves, the success of these projects will depend on their ability to deliver tangible benefits to users and achieve widespread adoption.

Coldware ($COLD) is making significant strides in the blockchain space by integrating hardware with blockchain technology. Currently, the project is in its presale phase, with only 37% of tokens remaining at a price of $0.00625. Coldware aims to create a seamless bridge between hardware and blockchain, focusing on usability and real-world applications. Unlike many crypto projects that often rely on vague promises, Coldware is delivering tangible products such as the Larna 2400 smartphone and ColdBook laptop, which are designed to plug directly into the ecosystem and function as lite nodes out of the box. In the broader context of the crypto landscape, Coldware is not alone. Pi Network and Theta Network are also making their mark with unique approaches. Pi Network, boasting over 60 million users, is focused on mobile-first crypto adoption but has faced challenges related to transparency after a significant token transfer raised concerns. Despite this, Pi Network is actively investing in its ecosystem with a new $100 million fund. On the other hand, Theta Network is carving out a niche in decentralized video infrastructure, recently launching an AI Model API service to enhance developer capabilities. However, it remains to be seen if these projects can achieve mass adoption. What sets Coldware apart is its commitment to usability and privacy. The custom operating system is designed to block trackers and minimize data leaks, offering a stark contrast to mainstream tech solutions. With its focus on delivering a plug-and-play Web3 experience, Coldware is not just targeting crypto enthusiasts but aims to appeal to a broader audience. As the presale continues, the project presents a unique opportunity for early investors to engage with a platform that is already operational and focused on real-world usability.

Theta EdgeCloud has introduced a significant enhancement by enabling users to launch GPU clusters, which are essential for training large AI models. This new feature allows the creation of clusters composed of multiple GPU nodes of the same type within a specific region, facilitating direct communication among nodes with minimal latency. This capability is crucial for distributed AI model training, as it allows for parallel processing across devices. Consequently, tasks that traditionally required days or weeks to complete on a single GPU can now be accomplished in hours or even minutes, significantly accelerating the development cycle for AI applications. The introduction of GPU clusters not only enhances training efficiency but also supports horizontal scaling, allowing users to dynamically add more GPUs as needed. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for training large foundation models or multi-billion parameter architectures that exceed the memory capacity of a single GPU. The demand for this feature has been voiced by numerous EdgeCloud customers, including leading AI research institutions, highlighting its importance in the ongoing evolution of Theta EdgeCloud as a premier decentralized cloud platform for AI, media, and entertainment. To get started with GPU clusters on Theta EdgeCloud, users can follow a straightforward three-step process. This includes selecting the machine type, choosing the region, and configuring the cluster settings such as size and container image. Once the cluster is created, users can SSH into the GPU nodes, enabling them to execute distributed tasks efficiently. Additionally, the platform allows for real-time scaling of the GPU cluster, ensuring that users can adapt to changing workloads seamlessly. Overall, this new feature positions Theta EdgeCloud as a competitive player in the decentralized cloud space, particularly for AI-driven applications.

Sungkyunkwan University’s AI & Media Lab (AIM Lab), led by Professor Sungeun Hong, has become the 32nd academic institution globally to adopt Theta EdgeCloud, a decentralized GPU infrastructure tailored for AI and machine learning research. This partnership will significantly enhance the AIM Lab's capabilities in areas such as multimodal learning, domain adaptation, and 3D vision. Notably, their recent work, supported by Samsung, titled "Question-Aware Gaussian Experts for Audio-Visual Question Answering," has been accepted as a Highlight Paper at CVPR 2025, one of the most prestigious AI conferences. The integration of Theta EdgeCloud will allow researchers to access high-performance GPU resources on demand, facilitating faster iterations while reducing costs. Professor Hong, an expert in multimodal AI and robotic perception, emphasizes the advantages of Theta EdgeCloud in providing the necessary computing flexibility to advance their research. The AIM Lab's focus on vision-language modeling and privacy-preserving domain transfer will benefit from the decentralized architecture, enabling rapid training and evaluation of models. The collaboration with Samsung further strengthens the lab's research output, showcasing a strategic relationship that enhances the development of impactful AI technologies. The AIM Lab's recent achievements, including the innovative QA-TIGER model for video question answering and a memory-efficient attention mechanism for image segmentation, highlight the lab's commitment to cutting-edge research. By joining a network of esteemed institutions leveraging Theta EdgeCloud, such as Stanford and KAIST, Sungkyunkwan University is poised to lead in the advancement of AI innovation. This partnership not only accelerates research but also positions the AIM Lab at the forefront of developing socially relevant AI applications, demonstrating the power of academic-corporate collaboration in the tech landscape.

Last week, the blockchain fundraising landscape witnessed a significant surge, with 26 projects collectively raising a remarkable $267 million. The standout was World Foundation, which successfully completed a $135 million public token sale aimed at creating a proof-of-personhood protocol that facilitates universal digital identification and global financial access. Following closely was Catena Labs, which secured $18 million in seed funding to develop an AI-native financial institution. Other notable projects included Roxom, True Markets, and Hyperdrive, each attracting substantial investments to enhance their innovative offerings in the blockchain space. In addition to fundraising, the week also saw notable mergers and acquisitions (M&A) that are reshaping the blockchain ecosystem. DePIN Pulse made headlines by acquiring DePIN.Ninja and Who Loves Burrito, consolidating fragmented data within the DePIN ecosystem. This strategic move aims to streamline operations and enhance data analytics capabilities. Meanwhile, Alchemy expanded its portfolio by acquiring NFT launchpad HeyMint, which provides no-code tools for NFT creation, thereby bolstering its Smart Wallets initiative. Apex Group also announced plans to acquire Tokeny, further solidifying its commitment to digital asset infrastructure. On the venture capital front, Theta Capital Management launched Theta Blockchain Ventures IV, a $175 million fund-of-funds dedicated to supporting crypto-native VCs focused on early-stage blockchain startups. This fund aims to leverage the expertise of specialist managers to navigate the evolving landscape of digital assets. Insights from industry experts highlighted a shift in crypto VC dynamics, with a focus on long-term fundamentals rather than speculative investments. As the sector continues to mature, these developments signal a promising trajectory for blockchain innovation and investment.

Amsterdam-based Theta Capital Management has successfully raised over $175 million for its latest fund-of-funds, Theta Blockchain Ventures IV, which is designed to support early-stage blockchain startups through specialized venture capital (VC) firms. Ruud Smets, managing partner and chief investment officer at Theta, emphasized that the new fund will invest in crypto-native VC firms known for their ability to back blockchain innovation. Smets highlighted the importance of specialization in the VC space, stating that dedicated crypto VCs have developed a competitive edge over generalist investors, particularly in the initial funding rounds. Since shifting its focus to digital assets in 2018, Theta has managed approximately $1.2 billion and has invested in prominent firms like Polychain Capital and CoinFund. The launch of Theta Blockchain Ventures IV coincides with a resurgence in crypto venture capital, as reported by Galaxy Digital, which noted a 54% increase in VC investment in digital assets during the first quarter of 2025, totaling $4.8 billion. This uptick signals a renewed confidence in the crypto sector following a period of downturn. Despite a decline in the number of deals—405 completed in Q1 2025 compared to 670 in the same period last year—total funding more than doubled year-over-year, reaching $6 billion, up from $2.6 billion in Q1 2024. This indicates that while fewer deals are being made, the overall investment in the sector remains robust. Furthermore, PitchBook's analysis revealed that the majority of the funding, approximately $2.55 billion, was directed towards asset management, trading platforms, and crypto financial services. Infrastructure and development firms also attracted significant investment, raising nearly $955 million. Web3-focused companies followed, securing $231.2 million across 23 deals. Additionally, the anticipated IPO of Circle is expected to be a pivotal moment for the crypto equity market, potentially influencing valuation expectations across the payments and infrastructure sectors. With $1.18 billion in VC funding raised so far, PitchBook estimates a 64% likelihood that Circle will go public, which could further invigorate the market.