April was a dynamic and impactful month for us at DWF Labs, marked by strategic expansion into the U.S., new partnerships, the public launch of Falcon Finance, and conference participation. Here’s a full recap of the key milestones and initiatives we led in April.
Partnerships, Investments, and Launches
Investment in WLFI and New York Expansion
In April 2025, we took a major step in our global expansion by opening a new office in New York City. This is a key milestone in establishing a stronger presence in the U.S. market. As part of this move, we invested $25 million into World Liberty Financial (WLFI). WLFI is building an institutional-grade DeFi platform and stablecoin infrastructure, and we’re proud to support its vision. With this partnership, we’re not just backing a promising protocol, we’re also playing an active role in providing deep crypto liquidity for the USD1 stablecoin across both centralised and decentralised markets.
Falcon Finance Public Launch
On 30 April, Falcon Finance officially opened to the public following a successful closed beta that surpassed $200 million in TVL. Users of this synthetic dollar protocol can now mint the USDf token by depositing assets such as USDT, USDC, Ethereum (ETH), Bitcoin (BTC), Toncoin (TON), and NEAR.
For DWF Labs, this marks a key step forward in our mission to support and back sustainable on-chain yield infrastructure to unlock real utility in synthetic dollar protocols.
Strategic Partnership with Mask Network
We also deepened our commitment to the future of decentralised social by partnering with Mask Network and investing $5 million into their native token, MASK. Mask is building crucial infrastructure at the intersection of Web2 and Web3, enabling users to access encrypted messaging, NFTs, and DeFi features directly from traditional social platforms.
Conferences and Events
TOKEN2049 Dubai 2025
We returned as a Platinum Sponsor at the TOKEN2049 crypto conference in Dubai. On top of having the opportunity to meet with our partners at our booth, we also participated in side events, speaking engagements, and hosted our highly anticipated DWF Labs Haus.
DWF Labs Haus: TOKEN2049 Dubai
During this edition of TOKEN2049, we co-hosted DWF Labs Haus: TOKEN2049 Dubai alongside Falcon Finance, and it was a major highlight of this week. We gathered in an elegant setting and had the chance to connect in person with friends and partners throughout the evening. We were also excited to welcome the team from World Liberty Financial to our event.
Andrei’s Keynote at TOKEN2049: Changing the Crypto World Order
On 30 April 2025, Managing Partner of DWF Labs Andrei Grachev delivered a keynote speech at TOKEN2049 titled ‘Changing the Crypto World Order.’ In his talk, he explored the evolution of the digital asset space, and also highlighted DWF Labs’ forward-looking strategy for 2025.
DWF Labs at ZIGChain Summit: Real User Needs Powering Web3
We were honoured to participate in the ZIGChain Summit 2025 in Dubai, where VP of Ecosystems at DWF Labs, Alessia Baumgartner, joined the panel discussion ‘The Women Powering Web3’s Next Growth Curve.’ Her message focused on the human side of innovation, reminding us that behind every protocol and product are real people solving real challenges. Read the full recap here.
Lingling Jiang joined ‘Mastering Web3 Finance & Compliance’
At the ‘Mastering Web3 Finance & Compliance’ panel discussion during TOKEN2049 week, Lingling Jiang highlighted the rise of on-chain infrastructure and tokenisation of illiquid assets, hedge funds, and RWAs as major growth areas in crypto. She pointed to Falcon Finance as a strong example — offering access to both retail users and institutions. Read the full recap here.
Andrei Grachev at Daos Hub: Bullish? Bearish? Or Just Building?
At VC & Angel Investors Connect by Daos Hub in Dubai, Andrei Grachev, Managing Partner at DWF Labs, joined a private panel ‘Bullish? Bearich? Or Just Building?’ to share insights on what makes a strong founder in the eyes of a crypto venture capitalist. He also dived into some of our recent impactful investments, and unveiled how DWF Labs supports its portfolio.
Hong Kong Web3 Festival Participation: Sharing Insights on TON, DeFi, and Beyond
We had an incredible week at the Hong Kong Web3 Festival 2025, where our DWF Labs team had a vibrant presence. Builder momentum was high and the community’s enthusiasm remained strong.
Read DWF Ventures’ recap here.
Lingling Jiang at BUIDL Summit
Another highlight was seeing our partner Lingling Jiang take the stage at the BUIDL Asia 2025 summit to share DWF Labs’ perspective. Lingling participated in a panel focused on investment strategies, the rise of institutional adoption, and global crypto regulation. Read the full recap here.
Fiona Ma Speaking at TON Day at Web3 Festival
Fiona Ma, Investments and Research Lead at DWF Labs, shared during a panel on the main stage during TON Day at the festival. In a discussion alongside fellow panellists from Animoca Brands and HashKey Capital, she discussed investment strategies and insights about crypto venture capital.
DWF Ventures Threads
DWF Ventures kicked off April with a breakdown of the top DeFi protocols by revenue from 2021 to 2025, highlighting which revenue models have demonstrated the most sustainable fee generation and long-term value accrual.
Their in-depth analysis of the Movement blockchain explored its modular Layer-2 architecture and unique approach to combining MoveVM with Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility, positioning it as a powerful infrastructure layer for secure, high-performance dApps.
The team also covered Sophon Network, a zkSync-based Layer-2 built to serve the next wave of consumer crypto, including entertainment, gaming, and AI applications.
At the end of the month, DWF Ventures also released a detailed guide into token buybacks, highlighting different buyback models, ways for crypto projects to use them, and the impact of this mechanism on prices of cryptocurrencies.
Media Coverage: Andrei Grachev on Market Volatility and the Future of Web3
In April, our Managing Partner Andrei Grachev contributed expert commentary to two major publications, offering a Web3 perspective on shifting global market dynamics. In CCN, Andrei discussed how growing tariff tensions and macroeconomic instability are impacting digital asset markets, demonstrating the need for decentralised alternatives during times of global uncertainty.
In a second piece for Bitcoin.com he explored the limits of unilateral economic policies and highlighted how decentralised financial systems can offer resilience and inclusivity in a rapidly changing world.
Wrap-Up
April 2025 has been a month full of exciting developments with our U.S. expansion, strategic investments, and conference participation.
We’re looking towards an even more action-packed 2025 and look forward to sharing our journey with our community.
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