RIF Labs, owner of RSK Labs, and Monday Capital, announced the launch of the first Blockchain Innovation and Development Studio for Bitcoin, RSK and RIF OS in San Francisco and a global Ecosystem Fund. The Studio will create new developer tools that will streamline the integration of decentralized infrastructure. It will be a space of experimentation that facilitates the creation of next-generation blockchain solutions in partnership with startups and corporations in order to identify real-world problems that blockchain-based products and services can solve.
The Ecosystem Fund, managed by Monday Capital, a strong supporter of the RIF Ecosystem, will focus on supporting projects around the world that would benefit from RSK/RIF OS technology integration through targeted investments of between $100,000 and $1 million. The Ecosystem Fund will be working closely with the Studio to ensure holistic support of the projects.
Both the Studio and the Fund will work in collaboration: The Studio will be led by Ariel Muslera, who is currently a Strategic Advisor to RIF Labs and brings vast experience with product design, go-to-market strategies for startups and venture investments.
In Muslera’s words: “The Blockchain Innovation and Development Studio is being launched to work in collaboration with startups and companies to identify real-world problems that can benefit from blockchain technology in general, and the RIF/RSK ecosystem in particular over the next several years. In combination with the announced global Ecosystem Fund, our goal is to bring real solutions to the RIF/RSK ecosystem.”
“This is a very important step in turning the Internet of Value vision into very concrete solutions for companies. For years we have been building the low-level protocols (RSK Smart Contracts & RIF OS Infrastructure Services) to turn the Bitcoin ecosystem into the financial system of the future. With the launch of the Studio, we are tackling the final layer, the Application layer. Silicon Valley is at the forefront of innovation, and having a physical presence in the Valley together with Monday Capital will allow us to work closely with the developer community and collaborate on breakthrough initiatives. But innovation is not exclusive to one particular location, and the Ecosystem Fund will help identify and accelerate innovative projects around the world. The synergies of both projects will be extremely powerful and will bridge the gap between Blockchain technology and mass adoption.“
Monday Capital has been supporting the RSK team since its founding days. Recognizing the potential of smart contract capabilities combined with the security and adoption of the Bitcoin blockchain, Monday Capital is now partnering with RIF Labs to further its vision of creating a seamless developer experience which doesn’t compromise on security or decentralization. While the accelerator will be led by Muslera, the Fund will be led by Katerina Stroponiati and Yiannis Varela, Co-Founders and General Partners of Monday Capital.
“Since we founded Monday Capital in 2012, we’ve been fully dedicated to supporting teams around the world who have the skill and vision to build Web 3.0 – something we believe RIF Labs will play a vital role in building,” said Stroponiati. “All of us at Monday Capital are engineers by trade, and we understand the long-term commitment necessary to see such a radical vision succeed. There’s no shortage of projects and teams with the ability to bring the Internet of Value to life – and we need to make sure they have the material support they need to help make that dream a reality.”