Blockspace launches to build Ethereum off-protocol infrastructure after funding round

The new for-profit Ethereum infrastructure company says more than 90% of global Ethereum blockspace traffic relies on services outside the protocol and plans to recycle ETH income from staking and operations back into staking.

ETH

Summary

Blockspace has launched as a for-profit Ethereum infrastructure company focused on building off-protocol, or out-of-protocol, services around Ethereum to improve the economics, reliability, performance and resilience of transaction pipelines and help more applications globally access Ethereum blockspace. The company said Ethereum's core business is providing blockspace, yet more than 90% of global Ethereum blockspace traffic currently depends on infrastructure outside the protocol. Blockspace said its business model is entirely tied to ETH and the Ethereum ecosystem: it plans to operate and support Ethereum infrastructure, including staking, earn ETH income and transaction fee rewards through staking and infrastructure operations, and redeploy those proceeds into additional staking. The company also said it completed a funding round led by BlueYard Capital, also referred to as BlueYard, with participating investors named across the two accounts as ether.fi Ventures or etherfi Ventures, SharpLink Gaming or Sharplink, Quasar, Breed VC, Luganodes and Stakely. The amount raised was not disclosed.

Terms & Concepts
  • Ethereum blockspace: The transaction-processing capacity available on Ethereum blocks, which applications compete to access.
  • Off-protocol infrastructure: Systems and services built outside Ethereum's base protocol that support transaction flow, performance and related operations.
  • Staking: Locking ETH to help secure the network and earn rewards, which Blockspace said it plans to reinvest.