Morpher

Morpher, a Vienna-based financial technology company, was founded in 2018 by CEO Martin Froehler and CPO Denis Bykov. Froehler, a mathematician and veteran quantitative analyst, previously founded a decentralized quantitative hedge fund in Silicon Valley, an experience that highlighted the inefficiencies and exclusivity of traditional financial markets. Bykov brings engineering experience from Stanford University and product management at Apple. The duo established Morpher to democratize access to global financial markets.

The company operates a trading platform built on the Ethereum blockchain that enables users to trade a wide range of assets without fees. This is achieved through a system of 'Virtual Futures,' which are synthetic instruments created using Ethereum smart contracts that mirror the price movements of underlying assets like stocks, cryptocurrencies, commodities, and forex. This structure eliminates the need for traditional intermediaries such as brokers and exchanges, allowing for 24/7 trading, fractional shares, and what the company describes as infinite liquidity. Users do not own the underlying asset; instead, they stake Morpher's native ERC20 token, MPH, to speculate on price changes. Trades are settled directly on the blockchain, with the smart contract minting or burning MPH tokens based on the outcome of the trade.

Morpher's business model forgoes transaction fees, which are a primary revenue source for conventional trading platforms. Instead, the company generates revenue through the daily minting of new MPH tokens, receiving 0.015% of the total token supply, which compounds to an annual inflation rate of approximately 5.6%. This model is designed to sustain platform operations without charging users for trading. The platform serves a global user base, including retail traders, investors, and crypto enthusiasts, though it is not available in the U.S. The company has secured significant backing, including an early investment from Tim Draper and a $6 million Series A round in 2022 led by APEX Ventures and RTP Global, bringing its total funds raised to over $7 million.

Keywords: Morpher, blockchain trading, decentralized finance, DeFi, zero-fee trading, virtual futures, synthetic assets, Ethereum platform, MPH token, crypto trading, stock trading, forex trading, commodity trading, fractional investing, 24/7 markets, infinite liquidity, Martin Froehler, Denis Bykov, Tim Draper, APEX Ventures, RTP Global, non-custodial wallet, smart contract trading, financial markets access, democratizing finance