Blog - Investing in Mezo | Pantera

Investing in Mezo

April 15th, 2024 | Jonathan Gieg

 

THE BITCOIN OPPORTUNITY

 

Bitcoin is the cornerstone of crypto. It represents 50% of total crypto market cap and has attracted investments from Fortune 500 companies and nation-states alike. But despite its prominence, Bitcoin has lagged behind in scalability, programmability, and developer engagement. This is partly due to its inherent resistance to change and the simplicity of its design, which ensures its security and stability, but limits its utility.

 

As we mentioned in our February Blockchain Letter, we believe the introduction of Layer 2 solutions on Bitcoin can unlock a world of possibilities, particularly in decentralized finance (DeFi). Scaling Bitcoin as a technology has the potential to significantly expand Bitcoin’s use cases beyond a store of value. With Bitcoin’s recent Taproot upgrade and the introduction of BRC-20 tokens, Bitcoin is on the cusp of a transformation that could parallel Ethereum’s evolutionary leap with the proliferation of DeFi and NFTs.

 

WHY WE’RE INVESTING IN MEZO

 

Mezo is uniquely positioned to capitalize on these developments by creating a Bitcoin Economic Layer that integrates industry-leading products developed by Thesis, including tBTC. The 100+ million users and holders of Bitcoin will have the opportunity to put their assets to work and power a new layer of economic activity centered on Bitcoin. This has the power to unleash Bitcoin’s programmability, while maintaining its robust security.

 

The team behind Mezo is a blend of seasoned entrepreneurs and technologists with a proven track record and immense credibility building the Bitcoin ecosystem. Matt Luongo, CEO, brings a wealth of experience as the co-founder of Thesis and former CTO of Scholrly. COO Carolyn Reckhow was previously Director of Global Operations at Consensys and Head of Ops at Casa. CTO Antonio Salazar Cardozo, CTO at Thesis and Tech Lead at Keep Network, brings deep technical expertise to Mezo, particularly in protocol and smart contract deployments. The Mezo team is uniquely positioned to navigate the complexities of Bitcoin’s ecosystem and lead the way forward.

 

We are excited to lead Mezo’s $21 million round and to partner with them to transform Bitcoin into a more versatile and accessible asset and technology, creating new avenues for economic engagement and financial inclusion across the globe.

 

If you would like to learn more about Mezo or explore open roles, please visit their website here.

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