Argent and Starknet partner to launch new venture studio Hito Studios

Crypto wallet Argent and the Starknet Foundation, the entity behind the Layer 2 network Starknet, are teaming up to launch a new venture studio, Hito Studios.

Hito Studios will look to entice teams to build startups on Starknet and will help them to do so while also providing early-stage investment, according to an announcement today. The studio will help builders with hiring, engineering, legal and growth, while founders will also be able to draw on Argent’s network of investors for future investment.

“Argent is a company that has been razor-focused on building genuine use cases in crypto that help improve people’s lives, and due to recent technical innovation on Starknet, we’re seeing more and more ambitious founders looking to do the same thing,” said Itamar Lesuisse, Co-Founder & CEO of Argent, in a statement.

“Hito Studios is not only a path to help these founders get their ideas off the ground, but a long-term relationship where we can help support them every step of the way.”

Starknet upgrade

Starknet’s Layer 2 network, Starknet, recently rolled out its “quantum leap” upgrade, which aimed to increase the network’s speed to accommodate larger transaction volumes.

In the past month, the number of unique daily users on apps built on StarkEx ranged between 20,000 and 40,000, according to The Block Research’s data. 

Hito Studios will kick things off with two portfolio companies — Unframed, an NFT marketplace, and Ekubo, a decentralized exchange launched by a former lead engineer at Uniswap.