When Asta Li and Henri Stern decided to launch a Web3 startup, they decided to take a different approach from many others: build stuff consumers actually want to use. The result was Privy, a wallet tool that is powering the likes of Blackbird—a hot new dining service featured in the New York Times—as well as the sports card site Courtyard.
Privy's approach, which Stern describes as combining the modular and privacy benefits of Web3 with the simple-to-use interface of companies like Facebook, is connecting with consumers but also with investors. On Tuesday, the startup disclosed it has raised an $18 million Series A round led by Paradigm, and with participation from earlier investors including Sequoia Capital.
