Ryze Labs, formerly known as Sino Global Capital, is a crypto-focused venture firm with roots in Asian digital asset markets. The firm built its early reputation as one of the few institutionally oriented crypto funds bridging Chinese and Western blockchain ecosystems. It later rebranded to Ryze Labs – a shift that coincided with broader pressure on China-facing crypto brands following Beijing's 2021 crackdown on crypto trading and mining.
The firm was founded around 2017–2018 and operated under the Sino Global Capital name for several years before transitioning to the Ryze Labs identity circa 2022–2023. Matthew Graham, a Canadian executive based in Asia, served as CEO and was the public face of Sino Global Capital through much of its active investment period. Public information about the full current leadership team at Ryze Labs is limited following the rebrand. The firm's AUM has not been publicly disclosed with confirmed figures; estimates circulated in industry media placed assets under management in the range of $200 million at peak, but these figures have not been independently verified.
Sino Global Capital built a reputation for early-stage bets across Layer 1 infrastructure, DeFi protocols, and gaming – with particular density in the Solana ecosystem. The firm's geographic focus shifted over time from China-centric deals toward a broader pan-Asian and global mandate.
Notable investments
- FTX – Sino Global Capital was among early backers of Sam Bankman-Fried's exchange. The collapse of FTX in November 2022 wiped out the investment and caused significant reputational damage across its backer network, including Sino Global. The event was widely covered by The Wall Street Journal and others.
- Solana ecosystem projects – The firm placed multiple bets on Solana-native DeFi and gaming protocols, reflecting a conviction position on SOL as an Ethereum alternative.
- Star Atlas – A Solana-based space strategy game; Sino Global was cited as a backer in early funding rounds.
Public information about the complete post-rebrand Ryze Labs portfolio is limited. The firm has maintained a lower public profile since 2023 compared to its earlier years.
Team
Matthew Graham led Sino Global Capital as CEO and was the firm's primary spokesperson in Western and Asian crypto media. He spoke at numerous conferences and gave interviews to outlets including CoinDesk and Bloomberg on Asian crypto market dynamics. Details about the current Ryze Labs management structure after the rebrand are not clearly documented in public sources.
Recent activity
Since the FTX collapse and the rebrand to Ryze Labs, the firm has kept a significantly lower public footprint. No major new fund raises or headline deals have been confirmed in open sources through mid-2025. The rebrand itself was interpreted by some observers as an effort to reset brand associations – both from the China-focused identity and from proximity to the FTX fallout. Whether Ryze Labs is actively deploying from a new fund or managing a tail portfolio from prior vintages is not publicly confirmed.
The firm represents a cautionary case study in concentrated ecosystem risk: heavy Solana exposure and a direct FTX position meant the 2022 crypto winter hit harder than peers with more diversified books. For investors tracking Ryze Labs, the key open questions remain fund continuity, current AUM, and whether a new investment vehicle has been raised. Public filings and a Crunchbase profile offer partial historical deal data but limited current information.
