If you’re holding crypto and leaving it idle, you’re literally leaving money on the table. YO Labs just made it easier to fix that.
The San Francisco-based startup just raised $10 million to take its YO Protocol—basically a crypto yield optimizer—to more blockchains. And if you’re not familiar, this is the kind of tool that can literally help your crypto work for you while you sleep.
YO Labs has secured $10m in Series A financing, led by @FoundationCap with participation from @cbventures, @ScribbleVC, and Launchpad Capital.
— YO (@yield) December 14, 2025
The raise will accelerate YO’s unified, risk-optimized yield platform as it powers the next generation of crypto and fintech apps. pic.twitter.com/rTl1LkqDka
Here’s what’s happening:
1. Automated Yield That Actually Makes Sense
YO Protocol doesn’t just chase the highest advertised percentages. Instead, it looks at risk-adjusted yield—meaning it balances your money across multiple DeFi platforms based on real risk, not hype. It currently offers vaults like yoETH, yoUSD, yoBTC, yoEUR, and yoGOLD.
2. Cross-Chain Power
Most DeFi yield platforms stick to one blockchain. YO doesn’t. Its vaults work across multiple chains, moving capital to where the returns are safest and most profitable.
3. Smart Safety Features
Bridges are risky. Hackers love them. YO Labs avoids this by creating “embassies”—vaults that hold native assets on each blockchain. Mehdi Lebbar, the co-founder, puts it simply: “If you have USDC on Arbitrum, that’s the same USDC as on Ethereum. No bridge in the middle… much safer.”
4. Protects Against Market Chaos
YO Protocol also uses a “DeFi Graph” to monitor dependencies up to five layers deep. If a pool or protocol is about to fail, it can automatically withdraw funds to protect your assets. Lebbar calls this guarding against “Armageddon scenarios.”
5. Big Backing Means Big Ambitions
This $10 million Series A round was led by Foundation Capital, with Coinbase Ventures, Scribble Ventures, and Launchpad Capital joining in. YO Labs’ total funding is now $24 million, including a seed round led by Paradigm. Their goal? To become core infrastructure for fintechs, wallets, and developers who want reliable yield built into their products.
Here’s the takeaway: if you’re serious about crypto and not just HODLing, YO Protocol is worth watching. It automates yield in a smart, cross-chain, risk-aware way—basically letting your money do the heavy lifting for you.
