Why Ventuals matters — a new way to bet on startups
Traditional venture investing is reserved for insiders. Retail investors usually wait years before they can buy shares in companies like OpenAI, SpaceX, or Stripe—and they miss much of the early upside.
Ventuals aims to change that. Built on Hyperliquid’s high-performance Layer-1, it introduces perpetual futures tied to private-company valuations. These contracts let traders go long or short on a company’s “valuation unit” (e.g., splitting a $350B valuation into a unit priced at $350 for OpenAI) with up to 10× leverage. Using the HIP-3 standard, Ventuals targets instant settlement, zero gas fees, and sub-second on-chain order-book execution.
The project’s founders, Alvin and Emily Hsia, previously built the on-chain data platform Shadow, which raised seed funding from top crypto investors. While Ventuals’ own funding isn’t public, its association with Hyperliquid suggests serious technical backing. The team remains mostly under the radar—typical of a stealthy crypto launch.
Understanding the Ventuals testnet and potential airdrop
Ventuals is currently running a public testnet. Participants receive 500 mockUSDC (roughly $1 equivalent in gas/credits) to trade pre-IPO valuation contracts.
There are two key components:
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Ventuals trading platform — Connect a wallet or log in with Privy to open long/short positions using mockUSDC. A public leaderboard encourages consistent volume.
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Ventuals Liquidity Provider (VLP) vault — Built on Hyperbeat (a vault hub on Hyperliquid). By depositing stablecoins like USDC or USDT, users can supply liquidity to Ventuals markets and earn performance-based returns. Vaults carry smart-contract, leverage, and liquidation risks—DYOR.
Step-by-step: How to farm the Ventuals testnet
Step 1 — Connect
Go to https://testnet.ventuals.com/trade and log in with a Web3 wallet or Privy. (A Privy login may also qualify you for separate incentives if they’re announced.)
Step 2 — Trade
Ensure your Privy or Web3 wallet has mockUSDC. Open long/short positions on names like OpenAI or SpaceX. Aim for steady volume and leaderboard growth.
Step 3 — Provide liquidity (optional)
Visit https://app.hyperbeat.org/earn, connect your wallet, and choose the Ventuals VLP Vault. Deposit USDC/USDT to supply liquidity. This may boost future eligibility if tokenomics favor VLP stakers.
Step 4 — Stay active
Maintain activity and volume across trading and liquidity. With no token confirmed, ongoing participation is the safest bet for potential credit.
Step 5 — Follow official channels
Bookmark https://docs.ventuals.com and follow Ventuals on X/Discord. Trust only official announcements.
Is there a confirmed airdrop?
There is no official token or airdrop announcement yet. However, the structure of testnet tasks—trading, providing liquidity, leaderboard performance—strongly suggests early users could be rewarded retroactively if/when a token launches. Because Ventuals builds on Hyperliquid, active users may also benefit indirectly from network-wide initiatives. Expect rewards to skew toward high-volume traders and LPs.
Key features and the market opportunity
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Pre-IPO access for retail — Trade exposure to private-company valuations before an IPO via “valuation units.”
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Leverage + speed — Up to 10× leverage with instant settlement and on-chain order books.
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HIP-3 & safeguards — Market deployers stake HYPE; validators can slash malicious actors. Position limits, dynamic funding, and circuit breakers help during extreme volatility.
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Experienced founders — The team’s prior build (Shadow) and ecosystem ties add credibility.
Rewards vs. risks
Upside:
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Early testnet activity could position you for a future airdrop.
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Trading + LP participation may earn the highest weighting.
Risks:
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Smart-contract & liquidation risk in the VLP vaults.
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Paid testnet credits (mockUSDC) are not entirely free.
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No guarantee of a token or airdrop—time spent may not be rewarded.
Bottom line
Ventuals is an ambitious experiment in on-chain private-equity derivatives. If it succeeds, retail traders could speculate on startup valuations long before public markets can. While the token isn’t confirmed, consistent testnet trading, liquidity provision, and community engagement are your best shots at future rewards. Manage risk, avoid phishing, and only commit what you can afford to lose.
