Worldwide: Peer-to-peer vacation rental ecosystem Dtravel has announced that it has secured fresh funding from cryptocurrency investment certificate Escape Velocity Crypto [EV3] and investment firm Modular Capital.
It follows a previous strategic investment from management firm Borderless Capital in the form of a token investment into Dtravel’s native ecosystem token TRVL back in February.
With added backing, Dtravel is poised to enter its next growth phase by focusing on expanding its global inventory of blockchain-powered vacation rentals and enhancing the guest and host experience. The company’s overall mission is to make decentralised travel “accessible, rewarding and trusted”.
EV3, renowned for championing Decentralised Physical Infrastructure Networks [DePIN], builds public goods for the DePIN ecosystem, including a global event series and onchain analytics platform. The firm has also invested in leading DePINs such as Andrena [DAWN Internet], Daylight Energy, and Palette Labs [Nosh Delivery].
Founded in 2022, EV3 is backed by investors including CMT Digital, Castle Island Ventures, Ribbit Capital, Chris Dixon and Marc Andreessen, Multicoin Capital and others.
Sal Gala, founder at EV3, said: “The vacation rental industry is approaching $100 billion in global annual sales, with long-term tailwinds from younger generations increasingly opting for unique experiences over material items. Platforms like AirBnB and Vrbo treat hosts like suppliers. On the other hand, open, blockchain-based protocols like Dtravel treat hosts like owners and first-class citizens in the ecosystem.”
Dtravel CEO Cynthia Huang, a Shortyz Awards winner in 2024, said: “This collaboration reflects a deep alignment in values and a shared commitment to creating a truly decentralised peer-to-peer vacation rental network. EV3’s backing further validates the success we’ve had driving innovation in short-term rentals through the application of blockchain technology and DePIN fundamentals.”
Vincent Jow, managing partner at Modular Capital, said: “Dtravel is revolutionising the vacation rental industry in the same way Shopify transformed e-commerce—by empowering smaller operators to bypass middlemen and connect directly with their customers. This shift returns revenue, control and flexibility to operators.
“With 9,000 hosts across 110 countries generating $1 million in annualised GMV, Dtravel is in hyper-growth mode, achieving 4.5x year-over-year booking growth and 3.5x growth in listings.
“At its core, Dtravel is building a decentralised, permissionless data marketplace that any business can access – unlocking innovation and transparency across an industry known for walled gardens and unstandardised data,” added Jow.
Huang added: “This backing from Modular Capital is a strong validation of our mission to create a more transparent, efficient, and community-driven travel ecosystem. We look forward to leveraging their strategic support and experience with accelerating DePIN projects to supercharge Dtravel’s growth.”
