Donut Labs Raises $22M to Launch AI Browser for Autonomous Crypto Trading

AI browsers are emerging as the next frontier in how users interact with the web, and Donut Labs is leading the charge for crypto traders. The New York-based startup announced a $22 million raise across pre-seed and seed rounds to develop what it calls the first agentic AI browser capable of researching, analyzing, and executing crypto trades autonomously.

Founder and CEO Chris Zhu explained that Donut was born from frustration with limited existing platforms after his team’s TikTok-based app was shut down. He said the goal was to “build the largest front end on the internet—but for crypto.” With AI quickly becoming the universal digital interface, Donut Labs aims to give traders an intelligent browser designed for decentralized finance.

The funding round was led by Bitkraft Ventures, Sequoia China, Sky9 Ventures, Matrix Partners, Makers Fund, and Altos Ventures—positioning Donut Labs among early innovators redefining the intersection of AI and crypto. Zhu said Donut’s browser understands a user’s trading context, synthesizes data from multiple exchanges, and executes trades securely. Its layered security system is modeled after Tesla’s autonomous driving “levels,” ensuring tasks from research to transactions are authorized with multiple confirmations.

To enhance safety, Donut handles all authorizations on the backend, partnering with key management firm Turnkey to protect private keys. The agent never accesses wallet balances directly, reducing the risk of prompt injections.

Using an “open router,” Donut dynamically selects the best AI model for each task—drawing liquidity data from sources like CoinGecko and Pyth. The company plans to launch a full suite of products including a browser, extension, and mobile app, covering every stage of a trader’s journey.

Zhu believes AI browsers won’t replace traders but will empower them, acting as “trading equalizers.” As AI evolves, Donut Labs envisions a future where human intuition and machine intelligence collaborate to shape the next era of crypto trading.