Why Supermoon Ventures Invested in Lantern

It’s no secret that the crypto industry has long battled a persistent challenge: poor UI/UX. Since the early days of this industry, many apps have felt more like confusing treasure hunts than user-friendly products. As a result, mainstream adoption has often stalled because, well, most of us don’t have the time or the patience to puzzle through clunky DeFi interfaces just to borrow bit of crypto.

This has led to an explosion of  “fintech in the front, crypto in the back” companies during the last cycle—startups that aimed to hide the complexities of crypto on the backend, while offering familiar, intuitive fintech interfaces to everyday users. A big part of their value proposition was easy borrowing and lending. But why do users even need borrowing and lending in crypto?

Unlock Liquidity Without Selling

Imagine holding a crypto that you believe in for the long term. Instead of selling and potentially missing out on future gains, you can borrow against it for short-term cash needs.

Access to Capital for Trading or Investing

Borrowing allows you to leverage your holdings (in a responsible way, of course) to seize new market opportunities without fully liquidating your portfolio.

Earning Interest on Idle Assets

Lending can be a way to put your digital assets to work. If you’re long on crypto, why not earn yield while you wait?

Many of these borrowing and lending companies in the last cycle were actually early “fintech in the front, poor risk management in the back” companies that ended up mismanaging user funds—leading to locked-up crypto, major losses, and a jaded community. So while the approach was sound in theory, execution fell short. Still, we at Supermoon Ventures believe the core premise of making crypto intuitive and accessible remains the best way to onboard the next billion users.

The Lantern Opportunity 

That’s why we were intrigued when we first met Prince, Jung Won, and Deegii—the co-founders of Lantern Finance. We could tell right away they understood there was a market gap left by the implosion of several big borrowing-and-lending players. Even though demand for a seamless product is still high, there aren’t many solutions offering robust safeguards and user-friendly design in equal measure. Between them, the Lantern co-founders bring a remarkable blend of traditional finance and innovative tech experience including experiences at Blackstone, Capital One, and Nike Web3.

Lantern helps users borrow and lend crypto without the usual headache. They’ve built an intuitive interface (fintech in the front) while relying on the security and custody of its assets (crypto in the back). Think of it like a friendly neighborhood bank—if the neighborhood was on the blockchain, and the bank told you exactly when you were at risk of liquidation. Why is this important? Because DeFi protocols are often ruthless in their automatic liquidations. Lantern’s approach, by contrast, is to maintain direct relationships with customers, offering early notifications and personalized support. When the market takes a dive, users aren’t suddenly seeing their funds vanish without warning. Instead, they get a heads-up to adjust collateral or repay some loans, avoiding disaster. That’s the power of “fintech in the front.”

We love a good product story, but we also love seeing market traction. Lantern has gained impressive momentum. Total loans originated are growing steadily with February 2025 alone having 40%+ MoM growth. Their portfolio maintains a sub-35% loan-to-value (LTV) ratio—a testament to their disciplined approach. These low LTVs have held steady even with the market volatility were are currently experiencing in Q1 2025, thanks to strong underwriting practices. In other words, while many lenders in the space let risk management slide, Lantern’s building from a foundation of caution and transparency.

We’re thrilled to back the Lantern team as they build their crypto super app—one that truly bridges the gap between crypto and traditional finance. We believe this blend of user-friendly interfaces and robust blockchain infrastructure is how crypto gains mainstream acceptance. By focusing on prudent risk management alongside a delightful user experience, Lantern stands out as the next generation of borrowing and lending platforms.

So if you’re looking for a fresh take on crypto financing—without the messy breakdowns or sudden liquidations—keep an eye on Lantern Finance. We certainly are. We’ve invested because we see a bright future for a product that’s easy to use, responsibly managed, and ready to guide the next wave of users into the world of blockchain and beyond.

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