Recently, blockchain trading platform HelloTrade announced the completion of a $4.6 million seed funding round, led by Dragonfly Capital.
This startup was founded by former BlackRock crypto directors Wyatt Raich and Kevin Tang. Their mission is to leverage blockchain technology to provide global investors with convenient access to U.S. stocks and assets.
01 Star Team and Key Investors
One of HelloTrade’s standout features is its founding team’s deep expertise in both traditional finance and digital assets.
Co-founders Wyatt Raich and Kevin Tang both hail from BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management firm, where they worked in the digital assets division.
During their time at BlackRock, they played a pivotal role in launching the company’s spot Bitcoin ETF products. They contributed to well-known products such as IBIT, ETHA, and BUIDL.
Among these, IBIT is particularly notable for being the fastest ETF in history to reach $100 billion in assets.
HelloTrade’s $4.6 million funding round was led by Dragonfly Capital, with participation from Mirana Ventures and a group of angel investors.
The fundraising process was swift, wrapping up in just one week. This speed reflects strong market confidence in the trend of tokenizing stocks and recognition of the founding team’s capabilities.
02 HelloTrade’s Platform Features and Solutions
HelloTrade is dedicated to overcoming the barriers global investors face when accessing the U.S. market.
For years, geographic restrictions, high capital requirements, complex derivatives, and the limitations of traditional brokerage systems have made it difficult for both retail and professional investors to gain leveraged and directional exposure to global equities.
Lowering Barriers for Overseas Investors
HelloTrade aims to simplify access for overseas users to invest in U.S. stocks and other assets through on-chain infrastructure.
The platform places particular emphasis on providing investors in regions like Vietnam and Indonesia with easy channels to invest in U.S. equities and commodities.
Comprehensive Asset Class Coverage
HelloTrade will enable users everywhere to gain leveraged exposure to stocks, ETFs, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.
With just a tap in the app, users can trade at the speed of traditional brokerage platforms while benefiting from the transparency and security of blockchain technology.
Eliminating Friction in Crypto Trading
The HelloTrade app is designed for everyday investors, offering a mobile-first experience that removes common friction points in crypto trading.
Users don’t need to set up wallets, pay gas fees, or understand complex technical jargon, dramatically lowering the barrier to entry.
03 Technical Foundation and Performance Advantages
HelloTrade is built on MegaETH, a high-performance blockchain infrastructure.
MegaETH can process over 100,000 transactions per second, providing a robust technical foundation that ensures a seamless user experience.
When users open the HelloTrade app, they enjoy transaction speeds comparable to traditional brokerage platforms, along with global market access powered by blockchain technology.
This combination enables HelloTrade to realize its core vision: applying the transformative power of crypto derivatives to traditional stocks, so investors worldwide can participate in the world’s most active markets.
04 Market Positioning and Competitive Edge
HelloTrade has a clear market positioning, competing primarily with platforms like Robinhood and Revolut.
Compared to these traditional trading platforms, HelloTrade’s differentiator lies in its blockchain-based architecture and global accessibility.
By leveraging blockchain technology, HelloTrade can bypass many of the constraints of traditional finance, offering investment opportunities in U.S. markets to a broader user base.
The platform also offers perpetual futures trading, allowing users to gain exposure beyond their platform cash balance.
This feature further enhances product appeal, especially for investors seeking leveraged trading.
05 Advisory Team and Institutional-Grade Security
HelloTrade benefits from the support of a strong advisory team, including:
- Arthur Hayes (Maelstrom)
- Josh Lim (FalconX)
- David C. (LeadBlock Partners & LeadBlock Bitpanda Ventures)
- Larry Florio (Ethena)
- Andrew Saunders (Amazon)
These advisors bring extensive experience and networks from both the crypto and traditional finance sectors, providing strategic guidance for HelloTrade’s growth.
On the security front, HelloTrade emphasizes its institutional-grade safeguards—a priority for its founding team, who spent years at leading financial institutions like BlackRock.
06 Development Roadmap and Future Plans
HelloTrade plans to launch as a mobile app on both iOS and Android platforms.
Currently, interested users can join the waitlist via the official website hello.trade to get early access to platform services.
According to the company, HelloTrade aims to officially launch between the end of this year and early next year.
The newly raised funds will be used to expand operations and development, accelerating platform construction and market outreach.
Outlook
HelloTrade is set to debut as a mobile app on iOS and Android, and users can already register for the waitlist at hello.trade. As the boundaries between traditional finance and blockchain continue to blur, HelloTrade is striving to forge a new path beyond established platforms like Gate.
Blockchain technology is no longer a fringe concept in the financial world—it is rapidly becoming a foundational force reshaping global capital markets.
