Aegis Custody, a fully licensed and insured digital assets custodian, is offering to provide free custodial services to crypto companies founded or led by women.
The company, which is U.S.-qualified through its entity Aegis Trust, said in a press release on Thursday that the initiative is aimed at supporting the growth of women-led crypto companies and promoting gender parity in a historically male-dominated space. Qualifying companies can receive six months of free custody services, worth a total of $28,000, regardless of their size or stage of development.
“This frees up resources to allow these companies to focus on growth and building innovative products and services without worrying about the expenses associated with custody services,” the company said in a statement.
Serra Wei, CEO and founder of Aegis Custody, was inspired to provide end-to-end custody and security services to other women after reflecting on the challenges she faced in Web3. “As a female founder, I am acutely aware of the lack of community and support for female-led crypto companies in the industry,” said Wei.
“It’s evident that there’s a significant lack of women in the industry, but we can bring about change by leveling the playing field,” she added. “Women in the crypto industry often face an uphill battle to receive the same level of support and respect as their male counterparts,” she continued. “These obstacles can be incredibly discouraging and demotivating, making it even harder for women to succeed in the industry.” Those interested in onboarding more women into Web3 should focus on “donating services, time or knowledge.” “In the long run, supporting women-led businesses and fostering a culture of collaboration can help to create a stronger and more resilient crypto industry,” she said.
The Web3 digital asset custodian has been expanding its offerings in recent months, announcing a $25 million insurance policy for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) held by institutional investors, hedge funds and exchanges. The custodian covers over 4,000 cryptocurrencies, NFTs and blockchain-based tokens, and also offers services like staking, DeFi governance, KYC and AML.