About
About Haneul Ventures
Pioneering Web3 Innovation from Seoul to the World
Established in 2022 in the heart of Seoul's Gangnam District, Haneul Ventures is a visionary investment firm driving Korea's Web3 evolution. Founded by former Kakao Blockchain architects and KAIST cryptographers, we bridge Korean tech excellence with global blockchain innovation.
Our portfolio spans decentralized protocols, privacy-first infrastructure, and applications redefining digital ownership and value exchange.
Our Mission
Empowering the Next Wave of Web3 Builders
We support startups and protocols solving real-world challenges through decentralized technologies. Our focus:
- DeFi Innovation: Scalable liquidity solutions, cross-chain interoperability, and risk frameworks for Asia's markets.
- Digital Ownership: NFT platforms, metaverse economies, and tokenized IP for creators and enterprises.
- Privacy & Security: Zero-knowledge proofs, decentralized identity systems, and secure smart contract architecture
By merging Korea's tech DNA with global insights, we help founders scale from local adoption to cross-border impact.
Our Roots
Engineered in Seoul, Inspired by the World
Haneul ("Sky" in Korean) was born from Korea's passion for cutting-edge technology. Our founders pioneered enterprise blockchain solutions at Kakao and led cryptography research at KAIST. Today, we unite:
- Technical Mastery: Expertise in building scalable infrastructure, from Layer 2 solutions to decentralized storage.
- Cultural Relevance: Partnerships with K-pop metaverse creators, digital art collectives, and gaming studios.
- Research-Driven Approach: Sponsoring groundbreaking studies in blockchain's most critical fields (see below).
Our Research Initiatives
Fueling Web3's Future
We fund and collaborate on open-source research to push the boundaries of decentralized technology:
- Cross-Chain Interoperability: Developing protocols for seamless asset and data transfer between Ethereum, Klaytn, and Cosmos-based chains.
- Privacy-Preserving AI: Exploring zkML (zero-knowledge machine learning) for trustless on-chain AI integration.
- Decentralized Governance: Novel DAO voting mechanisms to balance efficiency, security, and community representation.
- Sustainable Consensus: Researching energy-efficient alternatives to PoW, including DAG-based and sharded systems.
- NFT Utility Expansion: Frameworks for dynamic NFTs in gaming, real-world asset tokenization, and decentralized IP licensing.
These initiatives are conducted with academic partners, developer communities, and portfolio companies.
Our Network
The Pulse of Web3's Global Growth
- Korea: Bithumb, Klaytn ecosystem projects, IPX (Line Friends), and leading K-content studios.
- Asia: Strategic ties with Japan's enterprise blockchain innovators and Singapore's DeFi liquidity hubs.
- Global: Collaborations with Ethereum core contributors, European privacy startups, and MENA fintech pioneers.
- Academia: Joint research grants with KAIST's blockchain lab and Seoul National University's cryptography department.
About Haneul Ventures
Pioneering Web3 Innovation from Seoul to the World
Established in 2022 in the heart of Seoul's Gangnam District, Haneul Ventures is a visionary investment firm driving Korea's Web3 evolution. Founded by former Kakao Blockchain architects and KAIST cryptographers, we bridge Korean tech excellence with global blockchain innovation.
Our portfolio spans decentralized protocols, privacy-first infrastructure, and applications redefining digital ownership and value exchange.
Our Mission
Empowering the Next Wave of Web3 Builders
We support startups and protocols solving real-world challenges through decentralized technologies. Our focus:
- DeFi Innovation: Scalable liquidity solutions, cross-chain interoperability, and risk frameworks for Asia's markets.
- Digital Ownership: NFT platforms, metaverse economies, and tokenized IP for creators and enterprises.
- Privacy & Security: Zero-knowledge proofs, decentralized identity systems, and secure smart contract architecture
By merging Korea's tech DNA with global insights, we help founders scale from local adoption to cross-border impact.
Our Roots
Engineered in Seoul, Inspired by the World
Haneul ("Sky" in Korean) was born from Korea's passion for cutting-edge technology. Our founders pioneered enterprise blockchain solutions at Kakao and led cryptography research at KAIST. Today, we unite:
- Technical Mastery: Expertise in building scalable infrastructure, from Layer 2 solutions to decentralized storage.
- Cultural Relevance: Partnerships with K-pop metaverse creators, digital art collectives, and gaming studios.
- Research-Driven Approach: Sponsoring groundbreaking studies in blockchain's most critical fields (see below).
Our Research Initiatives
Fueling Web3's Future
We fund and collaborate on open-source research to push the boundaries of decentralized technology:
- Cross-Chain Interoperability: Developing protocols for seamless asset and data transfer between Ethereum, Klaytn, and Cosmos-based chains.
- Privacy-Preserving AI: Exploring zkML (zero-knowledge machine learning) for trustless on-chain AI integration.
- Decentralized Governance: Novel DAO voting mechanisms to balance efficiency, security, and community representation.
- Sustainable Consensus: Researching energy-efficient alternatives to PoW, including DAG-based and sharded systems.
- NFT Utility Expansion: Frameworks for dynamic NFTs in gaming, real-world asset tokenization, and decentralized IP licensing.
These initiatives are conducted with academic partners, developer communities, and portfolio companies.
Our Network
The Pulse of Web3's Global Growth
- Korea: Bithumb, Klaytn ecosystem projects, IPX (Line Friends), and leading K-content studios.
- Asia: Strategic ties with Japan's enterprise blockchain innovators and Singapore's DeFi liquidity hubs.
- Global: Collaborations with Ethereum core contributors, European privacy startups, and MENA fintech pioneers.
- Academia: Joint research grants with KAIST's blockchain lab and Seoul National University's cryptography department.