San Francisco-based startup The Clearing Co. has successfully closed a $15 million seed funding round, aiming to establish a new, regulated on-chain prediction market. The announcement, which has garnered significant attention, was notably endorsed by prominent venture capitalist Diogo Mónica, who stated on social media, > "Really excited to back @tonigemayel and @theclearingco. Hands down the best team in prediction markets." This investment signals growing confidence in the future of compliant prediction markets.
The Clearing Co., led by CEO Toni Gemayel, is focused on building an on-chain, permissionless platform designed to meet stringent regulatory standards. Gemayel, a former head of growth at Polymarket and Kalshi, brings extensive experience from the prediction market sector. The company's strategy emphasizes creating a transparent and accessible market for real-world outcomes, spanning crypto, politics, sports, and culture, while navigating the complex regulatory environment.
The seed round was spearheaded by Union Square Ventures (USV), a venture capital firm known for its investments in Web3 companies. Other notable participants include Coinbase Ventures, Haun Ventures, Variant, and Compound. Diogo Mónica's endorsement carries significant weight given his role as a General Partner at Haun Ventures and co-founder and Executive Chairman of Anchorage Digital, the first federally chartered crypto bank in the U.S., underscoring a strategic alignment with regulated digital asset infrastructure.
The prediction market space is experiencing increased activity and regulatory scrutiny. While platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi have navigated their own paths, The Clearing Co. aims to distinguish itself by prioritizing regulatory compliance from its inception. This approach is crucial as regulators, such as the CFTC, continue to define frameworks for these markets, influencing their mainstream adoption and institutional participation.
The newly secured capital will be utilized to further develop The Clearing Co.'s platform and accelerate its efforts to achieve necessary regulatory approvals. By focusing on a compliant framework, the company seeks to foster broader trust and liquidity in prediction markets, positioning itself as a key player in the evolving landscape of decentralized finance and forecasting.