Zoth, the DeFi protocol building the world’s first privacy-focused stablecoin neobank, has announced a new strategic funding round with participation from Taisu Ventures, Luca Netz (founder of Pudgy Penguins), and JLabs Digital Family Office. This latest investment, announced on February 9, 2026, underscores growing institutional confidence in Zoth’s mission to bridge real-world assets (RWA) with decentralized finance for both retail users and institutions.
With total funding now exceeding $21.5 million across multiple rounds, Zoth is positioning itself as a leader in the rapidly expanding RWA-backed DeFi space.
Zoth Raises Strategic Round with Follow-on from @Taisu_Ventures , @LucaNetz (Founder of @pudgypenguins ) & @jlabsdigital Family Office.
Strategic investment accelerates Zoth’s vision to build the world’s first privacy focused stablecoin neobank for retail users and institutions. pic.twitter.com/TiQutq7qfX
— Zoth (@zothdotio) February 9, 2026
A Vision for Privacy-Focused Stablecoin Banking
Zoth’s core mission is to build the world’s first privacy-focused stablecoin neobank, serving both retail users and institutions. The strategic investment accelerates this vision by bringing on board partners who understand the intersection of Web3 culture, institutional capital, and digital finance infrastructure.
The involvement of Luca Netz, the founder of Pudgy Penguins one of the most recognized and commercially successful NFT brands signals Zoth’s intention to appeal not only to DeFi-native users but also to the broader Web3 consumer market. Meanwhile, Taisu Ventures returns as a follow-on investor, having previously participated in Zoth’s August 2024 strategic round, demonstrating continued conviction in the project’s trajectory.
JLabs Digital Family Office rounds out the investor group, adding the kind of institutional and family office backing that is increasingly important for DeFi projects aiming to serve traditional finance participants.
Zoth’s fundraising history reflects a steady and accelerating trajectory of capital accumulation, with each round larger than the last. Here’s a breakdown of all known funding rounds:
| Round | Date | Amount Raised | Lead/Key Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | April 10, 2024 | $2.50M | Blockchain Founders Fund (Lead), Borderless Capital, Outlier Ventures, Wormhole, Decubate Ventures, Orbit Startups |
| Strategic | August 5, 2024 | $4.00M | Taisu Ventures, DCI Capital, Gemhead Capital, G20 Ventures, Foundership, Fat Cat Ventures |
| Strategic | August 8, 2025 | $15.00M | Bolts Capital |
| Strategic | February 9, 2026 | N/A | Taisu Ventures (Lead), Luca Netz, JLabs Digital |
The total capital raised stands at $21.50M from private funding rounds, with an additional $300K public sale (IDO) upcoming on the Decubate platform.
The Investor Lineup: Why It Matters
Taisu Ventures (Lead Investor – Follow-on): Taisu Ventures first invested in Zoth during the August 2024 strategic round and now returns as the lead investor in the February 2026 round. Follow-on investment from an existing backer is a strong signal of confidence, indicating that Taisu Ventures has seen enough internal progress and product-market alignment to double down.
Luca Netz (Founder of Pudgy Penguins): Luca Netz brings a unique combination of brand-building expertise and Web3 consumer insight. Under his leadership, Pudgy Penguins evolved from an NFT collection into a global consumer brand with physical products in major retailers. His investment in Zoth suggests potential synergies between consumer-facing Web3 brands and DeFi banking infrastructure.
JLabs Digital Family Office: The participation of a family office signals growing interest from traditional wealth management circles in DeFi infrastructure. Family offices tend to invest with longer time horizons and deeper due diligence, adding credibility to Zoth’s roadmap.
The $15M Bolts Capital Commitment: The largest single funding event in Zoth’s history came in August 2025, when Bolts Capital committed $15 million in strategic funding. This round alone accounted for roughly 70% of all capital raised by Zoth and was earmarked to power the future of real-world asset infrastructure. The sheer size of this commitment marked Zoth’s transition from an early-stage DeFi protocol to a more established player in the RWA space.
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