YO Labs Secures $10M In Funding to Develop Yield Optimization Platform: Key Details and What it Means

YO Labs, the developer of the YO Protocol, a decentralized finance platform focused on yield optimization, announced on December 14, 2025, that it has raised $10 million in a Series A funding round. 

This investment, led by Foundation Capital and supported by Coinbase Ventures, Scribble Ventures, and Launchpad Capital, aims to expand the protocol's multichain capabilities and risk assessment features. 

The funding comes as DeFi platforms continue to attract capital amid growing interest in automated yield generation tools, with YO Labs positioning its protocol as a single integration point for users and applications seeking risk-adjusted returns across multiple blockchains.

What is YO Protocol?

YO (Yield Optimizer) Protocol is a unified yield layer that integrates multiple blockchains, enabling users to generate yields through a single interface. It evaluates opportunities across more than 50 DeFi protocols and chains, using a risk framework inherited from Exponential.fi to assess and rank them. The system then automatically rebalances capital allocations to prioritize those with the strongest risk-adjusted performance.

Key features include non-custodial asset management, in which users retain control over their holdings rather than transferring them to the platform. Pool listings are community-driven, promoting transparency by allowing participants to propose and vote on inclusions. The protocol integrates with various wallet providers and aggregators, including Tuyo, the Base app, Binance, Enso, CowSwap, Odos, and Velora, providing seamless access for both individual depositors and institutional users.

YO Protocol addresses DeFi fragmentation by scanning for yield opportunities in real time and applying diversification strategies across underlying pools. This setup aims to balance potential returns with risk mitigation, using data-driven models to evaluate factors like liquidity, volatility, and protocol security. For example, vaults within the protocol allocate funds across multiple pools and adjust allocations based on ongoing assessments to maintain optimal exposure.

The platform's design emphasizes multichain compatibility from the outset, supporting operations across various networks without requiring users to manage separate integrations. Risk awareness is embedded in its core architecture, drawing on Exponential.fi's methodologies to score and filter opportunities. This makes YO Protocol suitable for crypto applications and fintech services that need embedded yield features without building their own optimization layers.

What Will The Funding Be Used For?

According to Coindesk, the funding round brings YO Labs’ total raised to $24 million, including a previous seed round led by Paradigm. YO Labs plans to deploy the $10 million toward several specific development areas. These include extending the platform to additional blockchains and asset types, thereby broadening the scope of yield opportunities available to users. The team also intends to refine its risk models by incorporating more granular data to improve optimization accuracy.

Infrastructure enhancements form another priority, with investments aimed at strengthening systems to handle larger-scale integrations and partnerships. This involves upgrading backend components to support high-volume transactions and ensure reliability for enterprise-level adopters.

Team expansion is also on the agenda, with funds allocated to hire specialists in areas such as blockchain engineering, risk analysis, and product development. This growth is expected to accelerate feature rollouts and maintenance efforts.

How Has YO Protocol Performed in the Blockchain Industry?

Since its inception, YO Protocol has recorded several operational milestones. It has managed over $80 million in total value locked across its vaults, indicating user adoption and capital commitment. Users have collectively generated more than $2.67 million in yields through the platform's automated strategies.

“YO has already managed over $80 million in total value locked across its vaults, generated more than $2.67 million in yield for users, and today secures over $60 million in assets. None of the vaults have been impacted by any hacks or exploits, with nearly 15,000 unique depositors trusting YO with their assets,” YO Blog read. 

Security remains a focal point, with over $60 million in assets secured, and no reported hacks or exploits to date. This track record is notable in an industry where vulnerabilities have led to significant losses in other protocols. Nearly 15,000 unique depositors have engaged with the system, reflecting a growing user base that spans individual investors and integrated applications.

These figures were highlighted in the funding announcement and align with data from YO Labs' official site, providing a baseline for evaluating the protocol's efficiency in yield optimization.

What the Funding Means for DeFi Yield Optimization

This funding round highlights ongoing investor interest in tools that streamline DeFi interactions. By focusing on risk-aware, automated yield generation, YO Protocol helps make decentralized finance more accessible. Its emphasis on a single integration point could reduce the complexity users face when navigating multiple protocols, potentially encouraging broader participation.

For developers in crypto and fintech, the platform enables the integration of yield features without diverting resources from core functionality. As blockchain adoption expands, such infrastructure plays a role in handling increased onchain capital flows.

Conclusion

YO Labs' $10 million Series A funding will enable enhancements to the YO Protocol's multichain yield-optimization capabilities. The protocol's risk framework, non-custodial operations, and integrations with wallets and aggregators such as Tuyo, Binance, and Enso position it as a tool for efficient yield generation across more than 50 DeFi protocols. 

With milestones including $80 million in total value locked and $2.67 million in generated yields for nearly 15,000 depositors, the platform demonstrates operational scale and security. This development underscores the demand for simplified DeFi tools that enable users and applications to pursue risk-adjusted returns. 

Sources

• YO Blog - $10 million Series A round Details

• YO Documentation - What is YO Protocol

• Coindesk - Total Funding Details