Skolem

Skolem Technologies, established in 2020 by co-founders JP Smith and Taotao He, operates as a specialized provider of institutional-grade infrastructure for decentralized finance (DeFi). The firm is headquartered in New York City and caters specifically to institutional investors seeking secure and efficient access to the digital asset markets. Smith's background at Trail of Bits, a security research firm, provides a foundation in the security-first mentality that underpins Skolem's platform.

The company's core offering is a full-stack data and trade execution platform designed to simplify institutional participation in DeFi. This enables clients to engage in activities like trading, staking, lending, and liquidity provision without needing to significantly expand their in-house technical teams or increase portfolio risk. The platform supports the entire trade lifecycle, featuring a user-friendly web UI and API, reliable execution, risk management tools, portfolio construction, and comprehensive post-trade analytics and accounting support. Key features include real-time streaming of on-chain data, pre-transaction simulations, and advanced order automation, which allow clients to manage their digital asset portfolios effectively.

Skolem's business model centers on providing these data and trade execution services, including white-label solutions, to a clientele of sophisticated institutions. A significant milestone in the company's history was its Series A funding round on June 8, 2022, where it raised $20 million. The round was led by Galaxy Digital and saw participation from prominent investors such as Point72 Ventures, Jump Crypto, and Dragonfly Capital. This capital was earmarked for team expansion and scaling the platform's technological capabilities. On May 30, 2024, Skolem was acquired by Talos, a leading provider of institutional digital asset trading technology, in a move to integrate Skolem's DeFi capabilities into the Talos platform.

Keywords: institutional DeFi, digital asset execution, portfolio management, decentralized finance, crypto trading platform, on-chain data, trade lifecycle support, risk management, DeFi for institutions, staking services, crypto lending, liquidity provisioning, Talos, JP Smith, Taotao He, Galaxy Digital, Point72 Ventures, digital asset infrastructure, DeFi accounting, crypto-native investors