# Placeholder

Placeholder is an Asset Manager based in Brooklyn, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Asset Manager
- **Headquarters:** Brooklyn, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Brooklyn, NY, United States
- **Founded:** 2017
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** placeholder.vc

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

We’re a capital partnership based in New York City that invests in decentralized information networks.

## Sectors

- Crypto & Digital Assets
- Enterprise Software
- AI/ML
- DeFi
- Infrastructure

## People

- Joel Monegro — Managing Partner
- Chris Burniske — Managing Partner
- Brad Burnham — Venture Partner
- Mario Laul — Head of Research
- Shelly Gogol — General Manager

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at Placeholder?

Managing partners Joel Monegro and Chris Burniske lead investment decisions, with Brad Burnham serving as venture partner. The firm operates a lean partnership structure without a large investment committee. Mario Laul oversees the research function, which directly informs the partnership's thesis-driven deployment.

### How is Placeholder structured — is it a traditional venture fund or something else?

Placeholder is a capital partnership that functions as a venture firm but frames itself as investing in decentralized information networks. It runs a venture-style portfolio alongside an in-house research publication engine, making it a hybrid of investment manager and open-source crypto think tank. This structure pairs proprietary deal flow with public thought leadership.

### What does Placeholder invest in beyond L1 blockchains?

The firm's portfolio spans L1 and L2 networks, DeFi protocols, middleware, governance infrastructure, and onchain AI. Confirmed investments include Solana, Ethereum, zkSync, Celestia, and Eclipse on the infrastructure side, plus Balancer, Gyroscope, Magic, and Zerion on the application and middleware layers.

### How does the firm's research function influence its investments?

Placeholder's research team, led by Mario Laul, publishes detailed analyses on cryptoeconomic design, governance mechanics, and market structure. This public research often covers protocols the firm has backed, creating a signal that Placeholder's capital comes with a strong point of view on network design rather than passive financial support alone.

### Is Placeholder related to Union Square Ventures?

Joel Monegro developed USV's early crypto thesis while at the firm, and USV co-founder Brad Burnham is a venture partner at Placeholder. However, Placeholder is an independent capital partnership, not a USV-affiliated fund. The intellectual lineage is notable, but the firms are operationally separate.

## Related profiles

- [Pittsford Ventures Management](https://altss.com/profile/pittsford-ventures-management)
- [Poolit](https://altss.com/profile/poolit-inc)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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