VC-backed NFT social platform Metalink launches mobile app

by James · March 15, 2023

Non-fungible token (NFT) portfolio management and social platform Metalink has launched its mobile application, creating what it says is a token-gated space where NFT collectors can interact with each other, collect announcements and track their performance portfolio. The app also plans to launch a transaction functionality later this year to allow users to buy, sell and exchange digital assets.

The all-in-one NFT app is now available on the Apple App Store and serves as a complement to Metalink’s website, which has already connected 100,000 crypto wallets. The platform launched in August 2021 as a private chat app for CryptoPunks collectors and expanded to include official chat rooms for other blue-chip NFT projects such as Bored Ape Yacht Club.

“Our goal was to make it incredibly easy for anyone to quickly and securely chat with holders of any collection in their portfolio,” said Metalink’s Chief Product Officer, Adam Ceresko. “With Metalink, you simply connect to your wallet and start typing. Only token holders, one chat per collection. No Discord, Telegram or verification bots.”

Metalink also announced a previously undisclosed $6 million seed round with funding from an impressive list of venture capital funds and Web3 personalities. Investors include Guy Oseary, Gary Vaynerchuk, MoonPay CEO Ivan Soto-Wright, The Sandbox founder Sebastien Borget, former Coinbase Chief Technology Officer Balaji Srinivasan, DJ Justin Blau, Social Capital, Arrington Capital and Sound Ventures. NFT collectors including Cozomo de Medici, Gmoney, Seedphrase, SobyLife, Tony Herrera and Farokh, as well as corporate investors Gemini Frontier Fund, Dapper Labs’ venture arm, BallerVC and Genies’ Human Ventures also provided funding.

The Metalink app is meant to simplify the fragmented process of trading NFTs and building communities. The platform automatically generated a token-gated chatroom for each NFT collection created on the Ethereum network, and holders can access these chatrooms by connecting to their wallet and verifying their holdings.

“No more communicating through Web2 messaging apps and separate buying and selling through multiple different marketplaces,” said Metalink CEO Jake Udell.

Metalink also pulls live NFT floor price data as well as rarity move data from multiple marketplaces to help holders accurately measure the value of their NFT portfolio and track price movements in real time. In addition, the platform offers aggregated announcements from NFT collection chat rooms, providing users with a scrollable feed of all major updates.

Several startups have been working on ways to simplify the process for NFT collectors, taking popular ideas from Web2 and bringing them into Web3. Metaverse-focused blockchain MultiversX recently launched its xPortal “super-app,” which combines elements of chat, finance, and artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, NFT management app Floor recently acquired NFT data platform WGMI.io to build out its portfolio management tools.