Eigen Labs, the core development team contributing to EigenLayer, has raised $100 million in funding from a16z crypto. The company aims to empower open innovation in the blockchain space by building the EigenLayer protocol, which provides developers with access to a network that powers Ethereum. Eigen Labs plans to support various infrastructure verticals, including cross-chain messaging, AI inference and secure hardware enclave networks.
Eigen Labs says its partnership with a16z crypto reflects the organizations’ shared values, including a commitment to research and open-source contributions. a16z crypto’s research team, led by researchers Tim Roughgarden and Dan Boneh, aligns with Eigen Labs’ focus on academic research.
Eigen Labs derives its name from the German word “Eigen,” meaning “your own,” reflecting its mission to make crypto-economic trust programmable and accessible. The company aims to empower builders to launch their own protocols and applications in order to foster open innovation in the blockchain infrastructure.
