**Entry Raises $1M Pre-Seed to Pioneer AI-Powered Compliance with Zero-Knowledge Privacy in Regulated DeFi**
*Toronto, Canada | 20 October 2025* — Entry, the compliance-native infrastructure bridging institutions and decentralized finance (DeFi), has raised $1 million in a pre-seed funding round. The investment backs Entry’s innovative approach to combining AI-powered compliance with zero-knowledge privacy, positioning the company at the forefront of regulated digital asset infrastructure.
This funding round, led by Modern Niagara with participation from Qrecendo and Perrfin, marks a significant milestone as the company rebrands from Zekret Protocol to Entry. The financing includes both equity and SAFT components, reflecting a seed Fully Diluted Valuation (FDV) of approximately $25 million, with a projected $50 million at Token Generation Event (TGE). These figures align closely with Entry’s strategic go-to-market plans geared towards regulated digital assets.
**Institution-Ready Compliance and Privacy Combined**
Rodney Prescott, CEO of Entry, emphasized the platform’s mission, stating:
*“Institutions need foundations that are private by design and regulator-ready by default. Our compliance-native protocol brings verified users and screened assets together so adoption isn’t gated by risk.”*
Bryce Jones, VP & Area Manager of Modern Niagara, added:
*“We invested because Entry delivers what institutions actually need: regulator-grade controls without sacrificing developer velocity or overall privacy. By bringing together Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) with an explainable compliance engine, they make it possible for Real-World Assets (RWAs) to move on-chain safely and at scale.”*
Suzanne Ley, CEO of Qrecendo, also noted the potential of Entry’s approach:
*“The dual-utility ENT token of Entry creates a powerful economic flywheel for compliant DeFi. We see a clear path to enterprise adoption across the US and EU as regulators and market participants converge on transparency with confidentiality.”*
**Building the Foundation for Regulated Digital Assets**
Entry is developing a foundational layer that merges zero-knowledge identity (zkID) with an explainable AI compliance engine. This innovative combination enables institutions to transact privately while fully meeting regulatory standards. The protocol verifies users and screens assets under auditable controls, effectively turning proof into permission and addressing key institutional blockers within DeFi.
As the world’s first compliance-first Layer 1 protocol, Entry empowers regulated institutions with comprehensive KYC/KYB processes, pre-screened tokens, and verifiable compliance trails embedded directly onto the blockchain. The network operates using ENT — a versatile utility token that powers both zero-knowledge computations and AI-based compliance reasoning.
Key utilities of the ENT token include:
– zkID and permissioning
– Node staking
– Work rewards
– Governance
– AI access fees for per-use compliance calls
**Aligning with Global Regulatory Frameworks**
The Entry team is actively aligning the protocol with global rule sets including MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation), MAS (Monetary Authority of Singapore), and SEC/FATF guidelines. These efforts are part of the company’s roadmap toward mainnet launch.
Entry’s public testnet has been live since July 2025, focusing initially on institutional pilots and developer integrations. The commercial pipeline currently boasts over 20 Letters of Intent (LOIs) along with selection into regulatory sandboxes across the EU and APAC regions, creating well-regulated environments for early adoption.
**Go-to-Market and Strategic Partnerships**
Entry’s go-to-market approach centers on compliance-first DeFi infrastructure targeting banks, brokers, custodians, funds, and government entities. Revenue streams are expected to come from enterprise deployments, institutional subscriptions and licensing, ongoing management and maintenance, as well as compliance-as-a-service offerings.
The project benefits from strategic collaborations with prominent organizations including Cardano Foundation, Avalanche, Secret Network, and BitcoinOS. Additionally, capital markets partners such as Qrecendo and Perrfin reinforce Entry’s vision of building an open, protocol-agnostic compliance layer for on-chain finance.
Operating as a Layer 1 blockchain and integrating Layer 3 compliance technology developed by Zekret Labs, Entry aims to make regulated DeFi scalable, secure, and ready for institutional adoption.
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For more information about Entry and its technology, please visit [Entry’s official website].
https://coinpedia.org/information/entry-raises-1m-pre-seed-to-bring-ai-powered-compliance-and-zk-privacy-to-regulated-defi/
