Theta Labs Raises $20 Million in 48 Hours with DHVC-Led Presale

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Theta Labs Secures $20 Million in Rapid 48-Hour Presale Led by DHVC

Theta Labs, the innovator behind the world’s first decentralized video streaming platform built on native blockchain technology, has successfully completed a $20 million token presale. The funding round was led by DHVC (Danhua Capital) and saw overwhelming market response—surpassing its target by over three times within just 48 hours. Joining DHVC in the investment are prominent venture firms including DCM Ventures and Sierra Ventures from the U.S., alongside leading Chinese blockchain investors Node Capital, LinkVC, and Nirvana Capital.

This milestone marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of decentralized content delivery networks (CDNs), positioning Theta at the forefront of blockchain-powered media infrastructure.

Visionary Backing from Industry Leaders

Zhang Feng, founder of DHVC and renowned physicist and academician, emphasized the transformative potential of Theta Labs:

“The team led by Mitch and Jieyi is among the most exceptional we’ve encountered. We’re proud to support a project with the potential to build the world’s first decentralized video streaming network. This opens up massive opportunities to redefine how all forms of video content—from on-demand to live streams in entertainment, music, and esports—are delivered via peer-to-peer technology.”

Zhang further explained that DHVC has been strategically investing in blockchain applications since 2014, focusing on two key areas: virtual private networks (VPNs) and content delivery networks (CDNs). While Orchid Lab represents their bet on decentralized privacy, Theta Labs is their strategic move into decentralized CDN solutions. DHVC also backs Chia Network, founded by BitTorrent inventor Bram Cohen, making Theta a core component of their broader blockchain ecosystem.

👉 Discover how decentralized networks are reshaping digital content distribution.

Industry Experts Rally Behind Theta’s Mission

LinkVC co-founder Jack Lin expressed strong confidence in Theta’s disruptive trajectory:

“We’re thrilled to partner with Mitch and the Theta team. Their breakthrough blockchain technology is poised to revolutionize the global video streaming industry—a multi-billion-dollar market ripe for innovation.”

Nirvana Capital executive partner Jiang Pufan added:

“Having backed successful projects like QTUM, OmiseGO, and Golem, we firmly believe Theta’s blockchain architecture will transform traditional CDN models. Within the next 15 years, Theta’s decentralized streaming network could replace today’s inefficient, centralized systems.”

Building the Next-Gen Streaming Ecosystem

Mitch Liu, co-founder and CEO of SLIVER.tv—the parent company of Theta Labs—outlined the vision driving the project:

“Our goal is to create the next-generation video streaming ecosystem using a decentralized CDN. By leveraging blockchain, we’re building the first distributed streaming network that rewards users for sharing unused bandwidth. Our initial focus is solving the ‘last-mile’ delivery challenge in Asia and globally—where viewers experience lag due to overloaded central servers.”

Theta’s model turns every user device into a caching node. When viewers stream content, nearby devices that have already downloaded parts of the stream can relay data directly, reducing reliance on distant CDN servers. In return for contributing bandwidth and computing resources, users earn Theta tokens—the native cryptocurrency of the network.

This approach not only improves streaming quality by minimizing buffering but also significantly reduces bandwidth costs for platforms—a major pain point in today’s video economy.

Core Technological Innovations

Theta Labs introduces several groundbreaking protocols that differentiate it from existing blockchain and streaming solutions:

Reputation-Dependent Mining

Unlike traditional proof-of-work systems, mining rewards in Theta are not fixed. Instead, they depend on a node’s reputation score, which increases when it successfully delivers video streams to downstream users. This incentivizes high-quality service over mere computational power.

Global Reputation Consensus

Theta enables all nodes in the network to reach consensus on each other’s reputation scores through a fast, verifiable mechanism based on hash minimization puzzles. This ensures transparency and fairness in reward distribution across the decentralized network.

Proof-of-Engagement

A novel protocol that verifies genuine viewer engagement. By embedding cryptographic challenges within video streams, Theta can confirm whether a user actually watched the content. This brings unprecedented transparency to digital advertising—ensuring brands pay only for real views—and forms the basis for rewarding users with tokens for watching videos.

👉 See how blockchain is enabling new user incentive models in digital media.

Real-World Adoption Already Underway

The Theta ERC-20 token has been live since December 2017 on SLIVER.tv, one of the leading 360-degree VR esports broadcasting platforms. Today, over 1 million active users circulate more than 1 million Theta tokens, using them to tip streamers during live broadcasts.

Soon, users will be able to spend tokens on in-game virtual items—a move that bridges blockchain incentives with gaming economies. Additionally, advertisers and sponsors will use Theta tokens to fund campaigns and support creators directly, creating a self-sustaining ecosystem.

A full suite of blockchain-based services—including premium memberships and digital goods marketplaces—is set to launch in 2025.

Strategic Advisory Board and Ecosystem Strength

Theta benefits from an elite advisory team comprising:

Their combined expertise in video platforms, live streaming, venture capital, and decentralized systems provides Theta with unparalleled industry insight.

About SLIVER.tv and Theta Labs

Theta Labs operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of SLIVER.tv, a top-tier esports livestreaming platform with over 1 million monthly active users. Backed by $17 million in funding from top-tier Silicon Valley investors—including DHVC, DCM Ventures, Sierra Ventures, Venture Reality Fund, CAA, BDMI, Greycroft, Advancit Capital, and Japanese mobile gaming giants GREE and COLOPL—SLIVER.tv holds four key patents.

These include innovations in:

These technologies enhance interactivity and immersion, aligning perfectly with Theta’s mission to decentralize and democratize video delivery.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What problem does Theta solve in video streaming?
A: Theta addresses inefficiencies in traditional CDNs by decentralizing content delivery. It reduces buffering, lowers bandwidth costs for platforms, and improves viewer experience through peer-to-peer caching powered by user-incentivized nodes.

Q: How do users earn Theta tokens?
A: Users earn tokens by sharing their unused internet bandwidth and computing resources to relay video streams to others. They can also earn tokens through verified engagement with video content via the Proof-of-Engagement system.

Q: Is Theta compatible with VR and esports content?
A: Yes. Theta is developed by SLIVER.tv, a leader in 360-degree VR esports broadcasting. Its infrastructure is optimized for high-bandwidth applications like VR streaming and real-time gaming content.

Q: What makes Theta different from other blockchain video platforms?
A: Theta uniquely combines decentralized CDN functionality with innovative consensus mechanisms like Reputation-Dependent Mining and Proof-of-Engagement. It also has real-world adoption through SLIVER.tv’s large user base.

Q: Can advertisers benefit from Theta’s ecosystem?
A: Absolutely. Advertisers gain access to transparent metrics via Proof-of-Engagement, ensuring they only pay for verified views. They can also sponsor content and reward creators using Theta tokens.

Q: Where can I learn more about Theta’s technology?
A: Technical details are available in the official Theta whitepaper and open-source code repository on GitHub.

👉 Explore how decentralized streaming networks are powering the future of digital content.