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Based in Los Angeles, California, Dequency operates a decentralized, Web3-powered marketplace for on-chain music synchronization licensing. The platform utilizes smart contracts on the Algorand blockchain to facilitate direct peer-to-peer transactions between music rightsholders and visual creators for use in non-fungible tokens, video games, and metaverse productions. By eliminating traditional industry intermediaries, the system allows rightsholders to set their own licensing fees and approve deals while providing instant cryptocurrency payments. The enterprise has raised $4.5 million in seed funding from an investment syndicate that includes lead investor Borderless Capital and Endeavor Entertainment. The marketplace serves clients and catalogs associated with prominent recording artists such as Milky Chance and Major Lazer, successfully executing the music industry's first on-chain sync license. Dequency was founded in 2021 by Keatly Haldeman, George Howard, and Mark Ross.
Dequency has raised $5.0M across 1 funding round.
Dequency has raised $5.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Dequency has raised $5.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Dequency's investors include Abstract Ventures, Aster Capital, FTX Ventures, Multicoin Capital, Polychain Capital, Race Capital, SeaX Ventures, True Ventures, Jon Kol, Lyndon Rive.
Dequency is a web3-powered, decentralized marketplace for on-chain synchronization (sync) licensing, enabling music rightsholders and visual creators to connect, collaborate, and transact directly without intermediaries.[1][2][3] Built on the Algorand blockchain, it targets blockchain-native content like NFT projects, motion-visual digital art, games, and metaverse productions, solving inefficiencies in traditional music licensing by using smart contracts for faster payments, lower fees, and greater creator control.[1][2][4][5] The platform serves music artists, publishers, and visual creators in web3 spaces, with early traction including a $4.5 million seed round led by Borderless Capital and the execution of the first-ever on-chain sync license.[2][5][7] Following its v1.0 launch from beta, Dequency has established a two-sided marketplace for direct peer-to-peer deals.[2][3]
Dequency was founded in early 2021 in Los Angeles by music industry veterans Keatly Haldeman (CEO, former CEO of Riptide Music Group, specializing in sync licensing), George Howard (co-founder), and Mark Ross (investor and co-founder, former Executive Director at Quincy Jones Productions with experience in major live events).[1][2][5] Haldeman, a lifelong musician and crypto optimist, left Riptide in February 2022 to launch Dequency after identifying web3's potential to streamline sync licensing, which he likened to "booking travel in 1975"—inefficient and intermediary-heavy.[2][4][5] A pivotal early moment came when Dequency executed the world's first music sync license on a public blockchain via Algorand during the Decipher event, demonstrating smart contract viability for instant payments and creator empowerment.[5] The company raised $4.5 million in seed funding shortly after, led by Borderless Capital with participation from Riptide Music Group and 11-11 DG Partners, fueling its shift from beta (with a limited seed catalog) to full v1.0 launch.[2][3][7]
Dequency stands out in music licensing through its web3-native design, emphasizing decentralization, efficiency, and blockchain specificity:
Dequency rides the convergence of web3 music licensing and the metaverse/NFT boom, addressing a fragmented $2+ billion sync market by tokenizing rights on Algorand's eco-friendly blockchain amid rising demand for on-chain content soundtracks.[1][4][5] Timing aligns with blockchain's maturation—post-hype, focusing on utility like pure proof-of-stake for scalable, green transactions—while market forces like exploding NFT art, games, and virtual worlds create urgent needs for efficient licensing.[2][3][4] It influences the ecosystem by pioneering economic models for creators, attracting discerning rightsholders, reducing gatekeepers, and potentially expanding to traditional media, much like how Bitcoin disrupted payments.[2][5] Backed by Algorand specialists, Dequency accelerates web3's integration into entertainment, benefiting from network effects in borderless economies.[1][3]
Dequency is poised to dominate web3 sync licensing as metaverse and NFT adoption grows, potentially scaling to broader music-TV-film applications with its intermediary-free model.[2][4] Upcoming trends like AI-generated content and multi-chain interoperability will shape its path, enabling catalog expansion and global reach via Algorand upgrades. Its influence may evolve from niche blockchain pioneer to industry standard-setter, drawing more creators as on-chain royalties become norm—cementing its role as the soundtrack enabler for decentralized entertainment.[3][5] This positions Dequency as a foundational player in web3's creative economy, directly tackling the inefficiencies that sparked its founding.
Dequency has raised $5.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $5.0M Seed in February 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2022 | $5M Seed | — | Abstract Ventures, Aster Capital, FTX Ventures, Multicoin Capital, Polychain Capital, Race Capital, SeaX Ventures, True Ventures, JON KOL, Lyndon Rive | Announced |
