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Donut Labs, a New York-based company, has secured $7 million in pre-seed funding to build the world’s first agentic crypto browser. The browser, called Donut, uses AI and blockchain to connect users to various Web3 applications, crypto trading, and decentralized finance tools within a single interface.
The funding round was led by HongShan (formerly Sequoia China), BITKRAFT, and HackVC, with participation from Sky9 Ventures, Matrix Partners, Makers Fund, and SonicSVM. Angel investors from the Solana ecosystem also participated. Donut plans to use the funding to accelerate development, hire staff, and expand the platform’s reach ahead of its public rollout.
Donut is designed to combine digital wallets, decentralized exchanges, and blockchain networks within a single browser interface. Unlike regular browsers, Donut relies on AI to analyze both the website and the user’s needs, enabling agents to handle tasks on the blockchain independently. These include trading tokens, placing bets, and earning yield on digital assets, without requiring users to switch platforms.
According to CEO Chris Zhu, Donut is re-architecting the browser experience to fit the needs of the on-chain financial ecosystem. “The traditional browser hasn’t changed for more than 30 years,” Zhu said. “We’re reconstructing the front end of the internet to be hyper-financialized for AI agents.”
The browser involves separate signing and AI-powered risk assessment to secure transactions. Complex blockchain data (calldata) is translated by its agents into readable summaries, and it assigns safety grades to guide user actions. Smart contracts designed in this manner aim to carry out tasks faster, more efficiently, and more securely, while enhancing safety and transparency.
Although crypto traders and friends of decentralized finance may be the first users, Donut plans for wider adoption as artificial intelligence is integrated into more comprehensive digital experiences. Donut’s Chief Scientist Tim Fan, a former researcher at Meta AI and Carnegie Mellon University, said the browser will support a “swarm” of AI agents capable of executing complex on-chain operations.
Donut envisions a future where agentic browsers become the default method of interacting with the internet. The company believes that by merging browsing, trading, content interaction, and financial activity into one platform, it can position Donut as the front-end execution layer for Web3.
To scale its development, Donut has opened positions for engineers, designers, and AI specialists. A public waitlist for early access is now live on the company’s website. The founding team includes talent from Meta, TikTok, Tencent, and NYU Stern School of Business.
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