In a move that signals a groundbreaking convergence of crypto and robotics, Pantera Capital has led a $20 million funding round for OpenMind, a startup developing a decentralized operating system for robots.
The investment round, announced on Monday, August 4, also drew backing from major players including Coinbase Ventures, Digital Currency Group (DCG), Ribbit Capital, Lightspeed Faction, Pebblebed, and Topology.
Today, we are thrilled to announce our $20M raise led by @PanteraCapital.
The future of thinking machines is OPEN. pic.twitter.com/81JwiMtKY3
— OpenMind (@openmind_agi) August 4, 2025
OpenMind, founded by Stanford bioengineering professor Jan Liphardt, is developing an open coordination platform called FABRIC — a blockchain-powered operating system designed to connect and control robots from diverse manufacturers.
“If artificial intelligence is the brain and robotics is the body, coordination is the nervous system,” said Liphardt. “We’re building the system that lets machines reason, act, and evolve together.”
Described as “Linux on Ethereum,” FABRIC aims to dismantle the current siloed structure of the robotics industry, where machines are typically confined to single-vendor ecosystems. By leveraging decentralized technologies, the platform enables machines to collaborate securely across different environments and producers — a shift that could redefine how robots operate in the real world.
Pantera Capital partner Nihal Maunder likened OpenMind’s vision to major tech milestones of the past. “OpenMind is doing for robotics what Linux and Ethereum did for software,” he said. “In hindsight, this feels like an obvious next step.”
FABRIC draws inspiration from the open-source ethos of both Linux and Ethereum — ecosystems where interoperability and modularity have led to global innovation. Similarly, OpenMind’s architecture will allow developers to build and deploy tools that can seamlessly integrate with robotic systems, encouraging innovation without centralized gatekeeping.
Meanwhile, Ether Machine, a DeFi firm backed by Pantera Capital announced plans to go public, revealing control of 400,000 ETH valued at approximately $1.5 billion.
As industries continue to explore the potential of intelligent machines, the synergy between blockchain infrastructure and robotics may be the catalyst for the next wave of decentralized automation — and OpenMind appears to be leading that charge.
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