UAE Further Ventures invests in Web3 research firm Four Pillars

UAE Further Ventures alongside Pantera Capital invest in South Korean Four Pillars, Web3 Research firm. The series A round which brings the total value of Four Pillars to $20.9 million will be used to expand its institutional-focused blockchain research and infrastructure provider.

Chief Executive Officer Kim Nam-woong said at a press conference on April 27 at Episode Gangnam 262 in Seoul’s Seocho district that Four Pillars had secured a Series A round from Pantera Capital and Further Ventures. The company did not disclose the size of the investment.

Kim said the fundraising validated the company’s expansion potential in the eyes of global institutional investors. He described the Series A round as more than a capital raise, saying it reflected the scalability built on data-driven trust the company has accumulated in global markets over the past three years. Founded in 2023, Four Pillars has partnered with more than 100 global blockchain projects and published more than 600 research reports.

Pantera Capital, which led the investment, cited balance as a core reason for Four Pillars’ growth potential. A Pantera representative said the company has four co-founders whose expertise in research, technology, strategy and operations creates a well-balanced team. The technology infrastructure Four Pillars is building on the back of its research capabilities will be a key driver of on-chain ecosystem expansion, the representative added.

Kim framed the company’s next phase around a new identity as a Web3 solutions company. Research was not the end goal, he said, but a way to prove the firm’s capabilities. Four Pillars is now moving into what he called “Chapter 2,” focused on creating tangible value through institutional seminars, validator infrastructure and product development.

The company also plans to strengthen services for institutions in step with the formalization of tokenized securities, or STOs, and won-denominated stablecoins in South Korea. Four Pillars said validator services for staking institutional assets will become a key pillar of its business. Bok Jin-sol, research lead at Four Pillars, said the institutional staking industry would expand quickly once South Korea formalizes its digital-asset framework. There are currently few domestic providers capable of handling large-scale institutional staking demand, he said.

In a blog post on Four Pillars website, it noted that Blockchain, by design, is a borderless technology, an infrastructure where capital, information, and participants ineract without geographic constraints. However, the reality of today’s market tells a different story. While infrastructure operates globally, information flows, knowledge, and networks remain fragmented across regions.

As such Four Pillars seeks to position themselves at the global stage offering global research collaborating with over 100 protocols, and companies as well as publishing over 600 research pieces.

The blog adds that the Series A round serves as a validation of boththeir direction and capabilities. Four Pillars aims to function not as a broker, but as a trust-based interface, facilitating efficient, high-quality collaboration between global projects entering Asia and Asian companies expanding globally.

Four Pillars aims to design actionable collaboration frameworks between traditional finance and leading Web3 networks. With proven validator operations and a team of over ten specialized researchers across DeFi, RWA, infrastructure, and security, Four Pillars possesses the ability to deliver both technical evaluation and strategic insight.

In short the company notes, “We are now moving toward generating tangible value beyond research.” It will be building institutional grade validator infrastructure starting with staking services. It will also conduct training and advisor services.

UAE Further Ventures also invested in KAIO Blockchain in April 2026

UAE based KAIO blockchain operating out of ADGM, also recently raised a total of $19M after it recently received an addition of $8 million in a strategic round backed by Tether, Systemic Ventures, Further Ventures and Laser Digital. Prior to this, KAIO was backed by Brevan Howard Digital, Lyrik Ventures, Karatage, and Shorooq Partners.

As per the announcement, the capital will accelerate KAIO’s onchain fund distribution infrastructure and expansion across asset classes. KAIO is developing infrastructure to open access to institutional funds at significantly lower entry points, targeting minimums from $100 for eligible investors.

Further Ventures has also invested in GRVT decentralized exchange in 2025, as well as in digital asset wallet dfns.