Taisu Ventures and Keio FinTEK Center Launch Keio ChainHack 2026 Focused on Web3 Innovation

TheNewsCryptoPublicado a 2026-01-05Actualizado a 2026-01-05

Resumen

Taisu Ventures, a global Web3 venture capital firm, has announced Keio ChainHack 2026, a one-day pitch and hackathon co-hosted with the Keio FinTEK Center. The event aims to support early-stage builders working on blockchain infrastructure, regulation, and real-world adoption. It will bring together students, founders, academics, and investors to explore practical blockchain applications. The announcement highlighted several portfolio companies: Helix, which provides institutional infrastructure for real-world asset (RWA) tokenization and stablecoins; Lofty, a blockchain-based real estate exchange enabling fractional property ownership; and Pruv, Indonesia’s first licensed platform for permissionless RWA issuance. Each company emphasized Taisu’s active support beyond capital, including strategic partnerships and regulatory guidance. Keio ChainHack 2026 reflects Taisu’s strategy to foster innovation through academic-industry collaboration. Taisu Ventures has over 120 early-stage investments in Web3 sectors and supports the ecosystem through events and founder forums.

Singapore, Singapore, January 5th, 2026, Chainwire

Taisu Ventures, a global Web3 venture capital firm, today announced Keio ChainHack 2026, a one-day pitch and hackathon co-hosted with the Keio FinTEK Center. The event forms part of Taisu Ventures’ broader initiative to support early-stage builders working at the intersection of blockchain infrastructure, regulation, and real-world adoption.

Keio ChainHack 2026 will bring together students, founders, academics, and investors to explore practical applications of blockchain technology and on-chain economic systems. Participation and attendance details are available at https://luma.com/e0pbv2og.

Alongside the event announcement, Taisu Ventures highlighted several portfolio companies that reflect a broader industry trend toward rebuilding real industries on-chain by addressing structural gaps that traditional systems have not solved.

Helix: Building Institutional RWA and Stablecoin Infrastructure

Helix was founded to address a core challenge facing financial institutions exploring blockchain adoption: while demand for tokenized assets and on-chain money flows exists, the institutional infrastructure required to support compliant issuance, custody, reporting, and distribution has historically been fragmented.

Through partnerships with banks, fintechs, and regulated originators, Helix has evolved into a unified orchestration layer spanning structuring, issuance, tokenization, and distribution of real-world assets (RWAs). The platform has been validated through initiatives such as a Malaysia tokenization whitepaper with Kenanga and Saison Capital, Shariah-compliant invoice financing with SILQFi, and a LATAM private credit pipeline via AmFi.

“Taisu doesn’t just invest; they show up, think with us, and connect us with partners who matter,” the Helix team said. “Their support has been essential to our momentum, and to making our pivot possible.”

Lofty: Expanding Access to Real Estate Ownership

Lofty was founded on the insight that real estate investors often face barriers to access rather than a lack of information. After initially developing an AI-driven analytics platform, the company pivoted toward building a blockchain-based real estate exchange that enables fractional ownership and continuous trading of properties.

To deliver this model, Lofty has integrated multiple parts of the real estate value chain, including sourcing, underwriting, transaction execution, and property management. The company is now focused on enabling on-platform leverage through fractional property-backed lending, with the goal of replicating mortgage-driven economics in an on-chain environment.

“Taisu proactively reaches out, asks how they can help, and connects us with the right partners,” said Lofty CEO Jerry Chu. “It’s the kind of support most investors promise, but very few actually deliver.”

Pruv: Unlocking a Licensed RWA Pathway in Indonesia

Pruv emerged from founder Chung Ying Lai’s experience building digital asset infrastructure during the early growth of Southeast Asia’s crypto markets. After multiple market cycles, the team identified the lack of yield-bearing, regulated assets as a key source of instability.

Indonesia offered a unique opportunity, with regulators developing a digital-asset-specific framework separate from traditional securities law. After more than two years of regulatory engagement, Pruv has received formal approval to operate as Indonesia’s first licensed platform for permissionless real-world asset (RWA) issuance. The company now utilizes a hybrid blockchain architecture and facilitates cross-chain asset integration in collaboration with regulated asset managers.

“Taisu has been one of the most engaged partners we work with, consistently proactive, accessible, and willing to support us in ways that go far beyond capital,” said Chung Ying Lai.

Strengthening the Builder Ecosystem

According to Taisu Ventures, Keio ChainHack 2026 reflects the firm’s broader strategy of supporting founders beyond capital by fostering early experimentation, talent development, and collaboration between academia and industry through specialized research and innovation centers such as the Keio FinTEK Center.

About Taisu Ventures

Taisu Ventures is a global Web3 venture capital firm with over 120 early-stage investments across Infrastructure, DeFi, AI/DePIN, IP & Entertainment, and User Platforms. The firm partners with founders building technically complex and regulated blockchain systems and actively supports the ecosystem through events, founder forums, and academic-industry collaborations, including Keio ChainHack 2026, co-hosted with the Keio FinTEK Center (https://luma.com/e0pbv2og).

Founders and builders interested in engaging with Taisu Ventures or submitting projects for investment consideration can find additional information and submit details via the firm’s project submission form here (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekoWOZJwUq-bmKc9j1Gs6FtdTsrIo4zS7rqrl7NeXsgAZWxQ/viewform)

Contact

Raphael Ng
[email protected]

Preguntas relacionadas

QWhat is the Keio ChainHack 2026 and who is co-hosting it?

AKeio ChainHack 2026 is a one-day pitch and hackathon event focused on Web3 innovation, co-hosted by Taisu Ventures and the Keio FinTEK Center.

QWhat is the core challenge that Helix was founded to address for financial institutions?

AHelix was founded to address the fragmented institutional infrastructure required for compliant issuance, custody, reporting, and distribution of tokenized assets and on-chain money flows.

QHow did Lofty pivot from its initial business model and what is its current focus?

ALofty initially developed an AI-driven analytics platform but pivoted to building a blockchain-based real estate exchange for fractional ownership. Its current focus is on enabling on-platform leverage through fractional property-backed lending.

QWhat regulatory achievement has Pruv accomplished in Indonesia and why is it significant?

APruv has received formal approval to operate as Indonesia's first licensed platform for permissionless real-world asset (RWA) issuance. This is significant because it operates under a unique digital-asset-specific regulatory framework separate from traditional securities law.

QBeyond capital investment, how does Taisu Ventures support the Web3 builder ecosystem according to the article?

ATaisu Ventures supports the ecosystem by fostering early experimentation, talent development, and collaboration between academia and industry through events, founder forums, and academic-industry collaborations like the Keio ChainHack.

Lecturas Relacionadas

The AI Investment Landscape Is Being Reshaped: Beyond the 'Magnificent Seven', What Opportunities Lie in the Semiconductor Supply Chain?

AI Investment Map is Reshaping: Opportunities Beyond the 'Magnificent Seven' Since ChatGPT ignited the AI wave, investment initially focused on the "Magnificent Seven" tech giants dominating cloud infrastructure. However, the rise of DeepSeek and debates on AI capital expenditure effectiveness are shifting this dynamic. Investors now recognize opportunities deeper in the supply chain—the companies providing the essential "picks and shovels." Early concerns about an AI investment "arms race" and potential low returns were partly alleviated by strong Q1 earnings from cloud providers, validating robust compute demand. This has highlighted a more certain investment thesis: regardless of which AI applications ultimately win, massive capital expenditure will first fuel demand for semiconductors and related components. This "pick-and-shovel" logic has driven semiconductor ETFs to record highs. Key beneficiaries include: * **Memory Chipmakers (e.g., SK Hynix, Samsung, Micron)**: High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) is a critical bottleneck for AI training. * **Photonics Companies**: Crucial for high-speed data transfer within AI data centers. * **The Broader "AI-11" Semiconductor Ecosystem**: This encompasses foundries & lithography (TSMC, ASML), logic & custom chips (AMD, Broadcom, Intel, Marvell), and enterprise storage (SanDisk, Western Digital). Every dollar of AI infrastructure spending flows through this chain. While the "Magnificent Seven" remain dominant in market size, their earnings growth premium over the rest of the S&P 500 ("S&P 493") is narrowing. Market attention and marginal investment are shifting towards the expanding semiconductor supply chain. The investment narrative is evolving from "betting on the ultimate AI winner" to "investing in the certainty of the infrastructure build-out." Understanding this shift from the demand side to the supply side is key to identifying future AI investment opportunities.

marsbitHace 3 min(s)

The AI Investment Landscape Is Being Reshaped: Beyond the 'Magnificent Seven', What Opportunities Lie in the Semiconductor Supply Chain?

marsbitHace 3 min(s)

600 People, $66 Billion: The First Major Cash-Out in the Era of Large Models

The first systematic "big cash-out" of the AI era occurred in October 2025, when over 600 current and former OpenAI employees sold a total of $6.6 billion in shares via a secondary market. Approximately 75 individuals maxed out a $30 million per-person sale limit, while around 525 others cashed out an average of $8.3 million each. This event, exceeding the scale of any 2024 US IPO, functioned as a "shadow IPO." It marked a radical departure from the traditional Silicon Valley path of waiting for a public listing, instead allowing employees to convert equity to cash after just two years of tenure—a direct retention tool in a fiercely competitive talent market where rivals like Meta have offered packages worth hundreds of millions. This massive liquidity event presents a dual-edged sword for OpenAI. While it helps retain talent, it also risks triggering a brain drain as newly wealthy employees may depart. Furthermore, it creates a dilemma for those who sold: they forfeited potential future gains as the company's valuation soared from $400 billion to $852 billion within months. In stark contrast, employees at rival Anthropic demonstrated greater reluctance to sell during their own secondary offering. The financial narratives of the two labs also diverge sharply. OpenAI, while achieving over $20 billion in annualized revenue by 2025, faces massive projected losses (up to $14 billion in 2026), a long path to cash flow positivity, and significant revenue-sharing payments to Microsoft. Anthropic reports rapid revenue growth, improving gross margins, and a faster path to profitability. OpenAI's trajectory is thus balanced precariously between skyrocketing valuation based on funding narratives and the pressures of sustained financial losses post-cash-out. The event underscores that the AI race has evolved into a capital and human experiment, where immense wealth crystallizes the complex calculations of greed, fear, and ambition within the industry.

marsbitHace 22 min(s)

600 People, $66 Billion: The First Major Cash-Out in the Era of Large Models

marsbitHace 22 min(s)

NVIDIA Begins Adding Soap to the Bubble

NVIDIA is taking on a dual role: not just as a leading chip supplier, but as a massive capital allocator across the entire AI supply chain. In 2026, the company has committed over $40 billion in investments within five months, targeting everything from optical fiber manufacturing and data center operations to foundational AI model development. This investment spree, described as a systematic "sprinkler" approach, primarily funds companies that are major buyers of NVIDIA's own GPUs. Critics, including analysts from Goldman Sachs, label this a "circular revenue" loop—comparable to a supplier financing a customer to buy more of its products. A prominent example is NVIDIA's investment in OpenAI, which is expected to generate around $13 billion in revenue for NVIDIA, much of which may be reinvested back into OpenAI. While CEO Jensen Huang dismisses the "circular financing" critique as "absurd," arguing the investments are confidence votes in long-term generational shifts, some analysts express discomfort. They note that while investments in critical supply chain components like optics are strategically sound, funding new cloud providers like CoreWeave feels like "pre-paying for your own GPUs." The strategy carries significant risks. If the AI investment cycle turns, the market may question how much demand is genuine versus artificially sustained by NVIDIA's own balance sheet. Despite posting record-breaking earnings—$215.9 billion in annual revenue and $120 billion in net profit for FY2026—NVIDIA's stock fell after its report, signaling that "beating expectations" may no longer be enough to assure investors about the duration of the AI spending boom. The article concludes that while a bubble isn't necessarily a fraud, NVIDIA's actions resemble adding soap to a bubble—making it appear more robust and durable. This creates a complex scenario requiring extreme冷静 from investors to distinguish between real structural growth and financial engineering.

marsbitHace 39 min(s)

NVIDIA Begins Adding Soap to the Bubble

marsbitHace 39 min(s)

Short Positions Have Been Squeezed Out: Will the Next Leg of the U.S. Stock AI Rally Continue in Seoul?

"Short Squeeze Exhausted: Will the Next Leg of the AI Rally Continue in Seoul?" A Nomura report suggests the US AI stock rally, which saw the S&P 500 rise ~16.6% in 28 days largely driven by 10 key stocks, may be pausing. The fuel from short covering, CTA fund positioning, and volatility-control strategies is nearing its limit. For the rally to continue, new momentum from retail and sentiment-driven FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is needed. South Korea's market provided a potential answer on the very day the report was published. The KOSPI index surged 4.32%, triggering a buy-side circuit breaker, led by massive gains in chip giants SK Hynix (+11.98%) and Samsung. This surge is characterized by retail "hynix FOMO" and overseas funds precisely buying into AI themes via chip-focused ETFs, shifting from broad Korean market ETFs. The Korean rally is a high-beta extension of the US AI capital expenditure story, as major cloud providers plan massive infrastructure spending, directly benefiting memory chip leaders. However, this linkage also implies vulnerability. The sustainability of this next leg depends on whether US tech stocks correct, the trajectory of US inflation (with upcoming CPI data key), and geopolitical tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. Seoul has emerged as the new epicenter of the AI trade, but its fate remains tied to these broader macro and market dynamics.

marsbitHace 44 min(s)

Short Positions Have Been Squeezed Out: Will the Next Leg of the U.S. Stock AI Rally Continue in Seoul?

marsbitHace 44 min(s)

Trading

Spot
Futuros
活动图片