In an impressive showcase of confidence in the future of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, New York-based Donut Labs has successfully raised $7 million in a pre-seed funding round. The primary goal of this funding is to develop what they are proclaiming to be the world’s first “agentic” crypto browser. This innovative tool is designed to empower users by enabling seamless interactions with blockchain-based applications using artificial intelligence.
The funding round, led by notable investors including Sequoia, Bitkraft, and HackVC, has also seen participation from a range of angel investors, including figures from Solana and other industry leaders such as Matrix Partners, Sky9 Ventures, Makers Fund, and SonicSVM.
This $7 million infusion will facilitate the development of Donut—a next-generation crypto browser equipped with artificial intelligence agents. This browser will feature a native cryptocurrency wallet, decentralized exchange integration, decentralized network access, and on-chain execution capabilities. Unlike conventional web browsers, Donut’s AI algorithms will comprehend page contexts and user intents, allowing it to autonomously execute operations on the blockchain.
As Donut’s founder and CEO, Chris Zhu, articulated, “The traditional browser hasn’t changed for more than 30 years. We’re re-architecting everything. We’re reconstructing the front end of the internet to be hyper-financialized for AI agents.” This reflects a broader ambition to reshape how users engage with digital currencies and blockchain-based services.
Donut promises its users a comprehensive array of decentralized tools and cryptocurrency services available through a unified agentic interface, which holds the potential to make digital asset transactions not only more accessible but also inherently safer. Zhu emphasized that secure transaction protocols will be in place, wherein architecturally isolated signing environments coupled with AI-powered risk screening ensure that each transaction is optimized for speed and efficiency while adhering to high standards of safety.
Furthermore, the AI agents powering Donut will be capable of executing a variety of tasks, from trading or swapping tokens to placing bets or earning passive yields on digital assets.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Agentic Browsers
While Donut’s initial adopters are likely to be crypto traders, builders, or users of decentralized finance (DeFi), the potential for agentic browsers to penetrate mainstream markets may become evident over the following decade. In the upcoming five years, it is anticipated that Ethereum layer-2 (L2) networks will incorporate agentic browsers to mitigate settlement costs, while mainstream browsers may evolve to include agentic functionalities or achieve interoperability with dedicated agentic browsers as the costs associated with AI technology decrease, according to Zhu.
Looking even further ahead, Zhu posits that the paramount adoption will occur within the next decade, where on-chain and off-chain environments will seamlessly converge for internet users. He remarked, “Agentic browsers are poised to become the default entry point – much like smartphones replaced feature phones.”
Ultimately, Donut aims to evolve into a multifaceted platform supporting payments, gaming, content creation, and social interaction—all within a single crypto-native browser. In its vision for the future, the company plans to leverage advancements in decentralized identity and confidential computing, transforming the browser into a personal “crypto CFO” for retail users.
