Donut Labs raises $7M pre-seed round to launch first ‘agentic’ crypto browser

Donut, the first agentic crypto browser that unifies wallets, networks, and DEXs, has closed a $7 million pre-seed round led by Hongshan (formerly Sequoia China), BITKRAFT, and HackVC. The round also saw backing from Sky9 Ventures, Matrix Partners, Makers Fund, Altos, Orthogonal Ventures, Vessel Ventures, and SonicSVM.

Based in New York, Donut wants to change how people (and AI agents) use the internet, not just to look around, but to actually do things. Its browser is built for crypto-native activity: swapping tokens, placing bets, earning yield, all without bouncing between tabs.

CEO Chris Zhu puts it this way: “We’re grateful to our investors for sharing our vision. With their backing, we are reconstructing the front-end of the internet to be hyperfinancialized for the AI-agents. The traditional browser has not changed for 30+ years, and we get to re-architect everything.”

So, what exactly is Donut Browser?

Most browsers were built for reading and researching. Donut flips that idea — it’s action-first. The browser acts as a control center where users (or agents) can execute crypto transactions in real time, track tokens, earn yield, or place bets — all from the same screen.

Unlike traditional setups where tools are fragmented, Donut pulls everything together into a single interface: a wallet, a network, and a decentralized exchange (DEX). It’s also built on the CodeAct framework, using a headless browser system and something called the MCP Client to automate tasks for agents.

Chief Scientist Tim Fan, who previously worked at CMU and Meta AI, explains the long game: “Our vision is for crypto executions to be completed by agents. In order to do that, we are building the best in-domain model and a swarm of browser agents across complex environments. Our browser and extensions will be where the agents live.”

In plain terms: they’re training AI agents to move fast, make smart decisions, and get stuff done in crypto. The browser is their home base.

Why this matters

Donut positions itself as the next major front-end for the on-chain economy. The more users (or their AI agents) want to engage with crypto, whether that’s to earn yield, make trades, or react to real-time news, the more value Donut can offer by skipping friction and automating actions.

With crypto moving fast and attention spans shrinking, Donut aims to bridge the gap between interest and action. Clicks turn into transactions. Curiosity turns into outcomes.

Headquartered in New York,  Donut Labs was founded by a team with experience from Meta AI, TikTok AI, Tencent AI, SonicSVM, Primodium, and Sahara AI. Their advisors include NYU Stern Professor Xi Chen and ex-Meta researcher Tim Fan. Their goal? To build the go-to execution layer for everything on-chain.

What’s next

The company is building fast and looking to grow its team. Donut is hiring across the board — from product managers to AI researchers, video editors, and illustrators — as it scales both development and community.

If you’re curious to see what crypto browsing might look like soon, you can join the waitlist and get early access.