Strata protocol developer Frontera Labs raises $3 million in seed round

Funding and Investment - Frontera Labs has successfully raised a $3 million seed round led by Maven 11 Capital, with Lightspeed Faction as a major investor, along with participation from Halo Capital, Heartcore Capital, Anchorage Digital Ventures, Nayt Technologies, Split Capital, and a group of angel investors [1] Product Development - Frontera Labs is developing Strata, a generalized risk-tranching protocol that combines on-chain and off-chain yield strategies into tokenized senior and junior tranches, each offering distinct risk-return profiles [2] - Strata aims to provide capital allocators with more precise risk exposure while enhancing capital efficiency and scaling underlying yield strategies [2] Market Positioning - As decentralized finance (DeFi) transitions from a supply-led to a demand-driven model, Strata is targeting investors seeking risk-optimized yields that align with their investment mandates [3] - The model is designed to foster a more inclusive and institution-ready yield market by segmenting risk into tranches, rather than standardizing all depositors into a single risk profile [3] Performance Metrics - Strata launched its first structured products on Ethena's USDe on the Ethereum mainnet in October 2025 and currently holds over $210 million in total value locked (TVL) [4] - The protocol features a modular, chain-agnostic architecture intended to extend beyond USDe into a wider array of USD and non-USD assets across various ecosystems, including managed yield vaults and real-world asset strategies [4]