Share this article
Fractionalized NFTs Get Funding Boost as SZNS Raises $4M From Framework, Dragonfly
As PleasrDAO and Paperclip grab headlines, a new service is aiming to popularize DAO-governed NFT collecting and investing.
Updated May 11, 2023, 5:10 p.m. Published Sep 9, 2021, 6:05 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
Following the success of non-fungible token (NFT) trading collectives like PleasrDAO and Paperclip, a new platform is aiming to make governing, fractionalizing and collateralizing digital art easier.
In a blog post Thursday, SZNS (pronounced “seasons”) announced a $4 million funding round led by Framework Ventures and Dragonfly Capital, with contributions from Pear.vc and Baller ventures, among others.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
SZNS allows users to create “albums,” or collections of NFTs, that can be fractionalized as governance tokens and managed by a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). (Roughly speaking, DAOs are internet communities with a shared checkbook.)
There are a swath of fractionalization services currently on the market, including NFTX and Fractional, but according to SZNS founder John Bisu, the new platform is aiming to expand functionality.
“There’s a limitation on what users can do with their fractionalized tokens,” Bisu said in an interview with CoinDesk. “It’s very buyout-based, where the only option for them is to buy out the NFT.”
He said that giving users access to the upside of non-fungible assets is a “very noble” thing; SZNS is aiming for a more fluid vault model that allows for easy entry and exit of assets based on governance decisions.
Read more: Why Everyone in NFTs Is Suddenly Talking About Price ‘Floors’
In July, PleasrDAO used four NFTs to obtain a $3.5 million loan from decentralized finance (DeFi) platform CREAM Finance’s Iron Bank; as the platform develops, SZNS albums could also be used to collateralize NFTs and vote to use funds in the DeFi ecosystem.
Album governance tokens will function as a fungible proxy for the NFTs in the album vaults, and will be listed on decentralized exchanges such as SushiSwap. Sushi core contributor 0xMaki is an adviser to the project.
The platform is aiming to launch in early October with a series of preset albums focusing on certain NFT projects, including CryptoPunks and Meebits.
SZNS is also planning to release a native token, SZNS. Album DAOs will have the option to deposit 1% of governance tokens into the SZNS treasury in exchange for liquidity provision and dispute resolution management, effectively leading to SZNS functioning as a NFT index token over time.
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Deus X CEO Tim Grant: We aren't replacing finance; we're integrating it
The Deus X CEO discussed his journey into digital assets, the company's infrastructure-led growth strategy, and why his Consensus Hong Kong panel promises "real talk only."
What to know:
- Tim Grant entered crypto in 2015 after early exposure to Ripple and Coinbase, drawn by blockchain’s ability to improve traditional finance rather than replace it.
- Deus X combines investing and operating to build regulated digital finance infrastructure across payments, prime services, and institutional DeFi.
- Grant will be speaking at Consensus Hong Kong in February.
Top Stories
