While Others Cut Back, These 5 DeFi Startups Build Forward 🚀

📉 Crypto VC capital dropped 40% in Q3’25.
📊 Global fintech investment stayed strong at ~$11B.
The message is clear: the market is consolidating around real utility.

DeFi isn’t dead — it’s evolving.
And while most projects fade, some are quietly building infrastructure for what’s next. From AI-driven trading to RWA tokenisation and crypto-native banking.

We spotlight 5 early-stage startups from the InnMind ecosystem that are gaining traction and solving real pain points in DeFi.

🔎 Full breakdown inside — traction, token models, and why these projects matter right now:
👉 Read the article here

🧠 AI is getting smarter. But who’s keeping it honest?

The State of Crypto 2025 report dives deep into the emerging alliance between crypto and AI, and it’s not just hype.

After ChatGPT launched in late 2022, the share of crypto startups working in “AI x Crypto” doubled: jumping from 12–16% to 25%+. Founders aren’t sleeping on this trend. Investors neither 🏄

AI may be stealing the spotlight right now, but crypto isn’t going anywhere. In fact, сrypto’s becoming essential infrastructure for AI’s next phase, especially in areas where current systems fall short:
▪️ verifying humans (proof-of-human)
▪️enabling payments for autonomous agents (on crypto rails forecasted by Gartner to power a $30T market by 2030)
▪️ managing IP rights via open ledgers
▪️decentralising compute to reduce dependence on a handful of tech giants.

Because that dependence is already extreme🤦: OpenAI and Anthropic control 88% of AI-native revenue. Amazon, Microsoft, and Google own 63% of cloud infrastructure. And NVIDIA supplies 94% of the GPUs powering AI data centres.

Crypto offers a path to rebalance that power structure — if we build it right.

🤔 So be honest: do you believe crypto has a real chance to counterbalance Big AI — or just open-sourcing our way into another monopoly?

Tell us in the comments 👇

🚩 They call it “0 listing fees.” But the real cost? 8% of your token + $2.5M.

No one warned you about this. Until now.

A founder broke the silence and leaked Binance’s listing terms — and what followed shocked even the most seasoned web3 insiders.

If your token dumped post-listing… this might explain why.
If you're planning a CEX launch… this could save your project.

👉 https://blog.innmind.com/binance-listing-drama-real-costs-founders/

Read it. Then share it. Every founder needs to see this.

⌚️ Stop Wasting Time Chasing Meetings — Let AI Handle It

Founders spend hours every week syncing calendars, rescheduling calls, and sending follow-ups. What if an AI could do it all for you?

Meet LinkCal, your new AI scheduling assistant that actually acts on your behalf — not just books slots.

Why founders love it:

✅ Book smarter, faster: AI suggests the best times for your group — no back-and-forth
✅ Agentic workflows: Tell LinkCal “reschedule my calls” — it emails everyone and rebooks them
✅ Unified dashboard: Sync multiple calendars and email accounts in one place
✅ AI summaries + recording recaps: Instantly recap investor or team calls without note-taking
✅ Linktree-style public profile: Share one branded link with your bio, booking options, and availability

It’s not just another calendar app. It’s your personal AI coordinator that keeps you 10x more organised and frees up your time to build what matters.

🔥 InnMind Deal:
Get FREE access during LinkCal’s Public Beta + 20% lifetime discount on LinkCal Pro after launch.
Perfect for busy founders who want to move faster and smarter.

👉 Сlaim the deal now

🔥 They’re finally back!
After a long break, InnMind Pitching Sessions are making a powerful comeback — this time in partnership with EasyMM! 🚀

📅 EasyMM x InnMind Demo Day
November 12th, 2025 | 12:00 CET

This isn’t your average pitch day — it’s a high-energy virtual summit connecting TGE-ready Web3 projects with top-tier investors, launchpads, and exchanges already deploying capital this Q4. 💸

Why you can’t miss this:
🔹 Direct exposure to specialised Web3 VCs
🔹 Accelerated exchange listing pathway
🔹 Access to committed liquidity & EasyMM market-making support
🔹 Professional-grade pitch recording for your fundraising toolkit

🧩 How to apply:
Submit your application through the Telegram bot — it only takes a minute to start your journey to the stage.

⚠️ Deadline: November 11th, 2025 — one day before the big event!

👀 Want to watch it live or learn all the details? Get here

🎙 Today’s the day! Fundraising in 2026: what’s next for Web3 founders?

If you want to understand how fundraising is evolving — from VC rounds to community sales and launchpads — don’t miss The Founders Show #61 by YAY Network, live today on X.

It’s where real Web3 builders and investors meet to talk strategy, not hype. 🚀

Our CEO Nelli Orlova, alongside top minds from CoinMarketCap, Cointelegraph, and more, will share insights on what it really takes to raise and grow in the next wave of Web3 funding.

📅 Today, Nov 6 | 3 PM UTC
🎧 Join here → https://x.com/i/spaces/1lDGLBVEDePxm

👉 Hit Set a reminder so you don’t miss the live session!

💡 Expect real talk about where the capital is flowing in 2026, how community rounds reshape fundraising, and what founders need to get right.

🎧 Fundraising in Web3: Real talk from the trenches

At The Founders Show by YAY Network, our CEO Nelli Orlova and other experts dropped some hard truths about what actually works in Web3 fundraising today.

Here’s the raw version — no buzzwords, just what founders need to hear 👇

🔥 Fundraising = positioning game
If your story doesn’t scream why you’ll win, no pitch deck will save you. You need market proof, clarity, and a strong narrative that makes investors want in.

💰Capital ≠ success — it’s fuel
Stop chasing “VC logos.” Pick smart money that matches your timeline and adds network power. Misaligned capital burns faster than bear market liquidity.

🌍 Community before coin
If your users don’t love the product, token hype will fade in days. Build retention loops before you build tokenomics.

📉 Distribution isn’t demand
Launchpads and oversubscriptions make noise, but not buyers. Design your GTM so people actually use (and hold) your token.

📊 Know your numbers cold
Revenue, CAC, LTV, runway — if you can’t talk metrics like a pro, VCs will ghost you faster than Telegram bots.

💡 Don’t sell vapor — sell traction
The new fundraising meta: data, users, utility. Investors want proof, not promises.

🎧 Want the full playbook? Listen to the attached audio — it’s packed with real founder insights you won’t find on X threads 👇

🚀 LIVE TODAY: EasyMM x InnMind Demo Day

🔥 The pitch arena is open!

EasyMM x InnMind Demo Day is going LIVE at 12:00 CET — expect sharp 5-min pitches, active Q&A, and direct exposure to investors allocating for Q4.

🎯 Tune in now and catch the next breakout startup before everyone else:
👉 Join the livestream in 10 min.

EasyMM x InnMind Demo Day Recap 🧙‍♂️

Our first pitching session after a long break is now wrapped up, and the results speak for themselves.

Here is the snapshot of what we achieved together:
▪️ 300+ views
▪️ 4+ warm intros already happening
▪️ 30+ signups in Luma
▪️ 5 top investors in the room

A big thank you to all projects and investors who joined and contributed to this productive session. More sessions ahead will bring even more positive results for everyone involved.

🗓 The next Demo Day is on December 10. Bigger. Louder. More epic.

▶️ Watch the full recording here

Stay tuned to our posts so you don’t miss the next pitching session and upcoming announcements.

🚀 The AI Funding Shortcut Every Founder Needed

Breaking into the AI funding world just became a lot easier. We’ve added a new document to the InnMind Knowledge Base that gives you direct access to 200+ AI angel investors ready for pre-seed and seed conversations⚡️

Angel investors often act as the fastest and most founder-friendly entry point into fundraising. They tend to move quicker than VC firms, are far more approachable for first-time founders and provide those early checks that pave the way toward bigger institutional rounds later on💡

This database helps you reach them directly with full names, background info, stage focus, investment verticals and direct links to their LinkedIn or Twitter for immediate outreach.

No more cold searching for weeks. No more dead ends. Just a curated path straight to the right investors✨

Tap in, open the list and start reaching out today. Your next backer might be one DM away🤝

👉 Get the database

⚙️ Your Tokenomics Need Real Math, Not Guesswork

Strong token models quickly win investor trust. But most token models collapse the moment an investor asks: "What's your selling pressure at Month 6?"

🚀 Our Tokenomics Calculator PRO helps 200+ Web3 startups build models that withstand investor scrutiny, including supply schedules, valuation, liquidity, unlock cliffs, and everything.

It provides a comprehensive token economy model with smart automation: parameters sync instantly when you adjust core parameters. No messy spreadsheets, no blind spots.⚙️📊

➕ Inside, you get eight structured tabs, clean dashboards, investor-ready visuals and a framework trusted by leading Web3, DeFi, L1, L2, GameFi and infra teams raising right now.💼🚀

If you want your tokenomics to feel solid, transparent and ready for VC review, start here

👉 Download the Tokenomics Calculator PRO

90% of “investment strategies” explained.
The other 10% is just luck.

❄️ Winter Demo Day for Web3 Founders is Coming!

As promised, we continue to roll out sessions that connect web3 startups with active investors. And the next one is just around the corner.

📆 Winter Demo Day by EasyMM x InnMind is taking place on December 10, 17:00–18:00 CET.

A fully virtual event bringing together TGE-ready founders and top investors, launchpads and exchanges actively deploying capital in Q4 2025 and Q1 2026.

What to expect:
A sharp, fast-paced and investor-heavy demo day connecting strong web3 products with real decision makers deploying capital this upcoming season.

Whether you want to pitch or watch the session live, you can secure your spot now.

👉 Register or Apply to pitch here

Let’s kick off winter with a powerful boost to deal flow between founders and investors.❄️🚀

🔥 Velvet Capital Did 5X in a Bear Market. Yes, Really.

Most projects collapsed this year. Velvet Capital didn’t. They grew 5X after the TGE, even as the market was bleeding. If you are building in Web3, you need to understand how they did it.

This interview hits hard.
No hype. No magic. Just strategy, discipline and execution.

You’ll see how they built a community that didn’t disappear after launch, structured tokenomics without destroying momentum, and kept growth alive when everyone else was fighting for survival.

Every founder planning a 2026 launch will feel this. It is packed with lessons you can actually use.

If you want to build something that lasts, start here.

👉 https://youtu.be/ZQH0hzL5CQU?si=YCu-kACWbj6RSPZz

🔥 Claimr: Your Shortcut to High Engagement 🔥

Every growing Web3 startup needs a way to turn passive followers into active users. Claimr makes it simple with gamified experiences that boost traction from day one. And now you can try it on special InnMind terms with 10% off for a full year + 3 free months on the Basic plan.

Here is why founders love Claimr👇
▪️ Gamified quests that turn onboarding into a fun, fast experience
▪️ Reward mechanics that keep users coming back
▪️ Social leaderboards that drive friendly competition
▪️ Campaigns that help you acquire, activate, and retain users
▪️ Easy setup so you can launch interactive flows instantly

This perk is perfect for founders preparing for fundraising or pushing early growth. It helps you save budget while boosting adoption with tools your users will enjoy.

🚀 Claim the perk and start building engagement

🔥 50+ Active Web3 Grants You Can Apply For Right Now

December starts strong. We just pushed a major update to InnMind’s Ultimate Blockchain Grants List 2025.

📌 Fresh programs added. Dead ones removed. Every link and deadline is verified by hand to give founders the most reliable grant resource in Web3.

What’s inside the updated version:
▪️ 15+ new active grant programs added this week
▪️ Ecosystems like Ethereum, Base, Solana, Polygon, Starknet, zkSync, BNB and more
▪️ Clean breakdown of grant sizes, eligibility and requirements
▪️ Real application links, not screenshots or outdated forms
▪️ Spreadsheet structure for planning your funding pipeline

Grants are one of the few capital sources still moving in 2025. Use them strategically.

👉 Access the updated Grants List

Founders who act early get funded early. Move fast, apply smart, keep building forward.

📘 Web3 Grants in 2025 Are Tough. Here’s How to Navigate Them

Grant programs tightened their rules this year. Forms got longer, requirements got stricter, and most founders waste days applying to grants that are already outdated or irrelevant.

Here’s what actually matters now:

🔹 Relevance beats volume
Apply only where your product clearly fits the ecosystem.

🔹 Cold forms rarely work
Warm intros and community presence drastically increase your chances.

🔹 Documentation is key
A clean deck, milestones and a transparent budget speak louder than promises.

🔹 Avoid grant hopping
Switching chains every quarter kills focus and builds tech debt fast.

We summarised all practical tactics, founder mistakes and ecosystem tips in one guide.
👉 Read the full article

Execute smart and keep moving forward.

🌓 The Real State of Web3 Grants in 2025

Grant applications today feel like a full time job. Milestones, reports and long forms replaced the easy 2021 days and too many founders get ghosted after doing all the work.

Our video breaks down the real problems and what actually works:

🔹 Grant hopping drains teams
Rebuilding for every new chain kills momentum.

🔹 Inner circle bias exists
If you’re not active in the ecosystem, your form often disappears.

🔹 Traction wins
Even small real usage matters more than any pitch deck.

🔹 Strategy matters
Choose one ecosystem, get warm intros and treat guidelines seriously.

The video explains all of this with real founder stories and sharp takeaways.
👉 Watch here

Stay focused founders. Smart strategy beats grind.

4️⃣ Critical Tokenomics Metrics Every Founder Should Model Before Fundraising

In 2025, investors evaluate tokenised projects very differently from previous cycles.

They don’t care about “big supply” or “cheap token price”. They care about fundamentals that show whether your token can survive unlocks and real market behaviour.

Here are the four metrics that matter most:

▪️ Distribution & Vesting: how balanced the early allocations are and when each cohort unlocks
▪️ FDV/MC Ratio: whether the project is structurally overvalued at listing
▪️ Token Velocity: whether users hold or immediately sell the token
▪️ Network Usage: whether real product activity creates actual token demand

If these four are not modelled clearly, founders end up negotiating from a weak position — and investors walk away.

Get the detailed explanations and examples from real Web3 use cases inside the article.
👉 Creating Successful Tokenomics in 2025: Key Metrics to Consider

The New Visibility Layer for Web3 Projects 🌟

In Web3, you are not only building tech. You are competing for visibility. SEO, AEO and GEO form a powerful funnel that works 24/7. SEO builds trust, AEO wins the answer box, and GEO gets your project inside AI search results like ChatGPT and Perplexity.

One of our latest articles breaks down why classic SEO fails in Web3: people no longer search. They ask AI and expect a direct answer.

For founders, this means one thing:
📥 Engine Optimisation puts your startup inside the conversations users and investors already have with AI tools.

Visibility is not luck anymore. It is an infrastructure choice⚡️

💬 Founders & marketers — quick question: tried AI optimization already?

👉 Share your experience in the comments — what worked, what didn’t?
Let’s learn from each other. 🚀