We are proud to announce our investment in Daniel Hannum and Daniel Pfeffer, the CEO and CTO of GasHawk. They are tackling one of the fundamental elements of blockchain—transaction efficiencies—including gas fee optimization, fraud detection, and MEV protection. Here’s why we decided to back these two outstanding founders.
Daniel Hannum, A Story of Determination and Execution
We have always placed our faith in founders who exhibit exceptional determination and execution. Daniel Hannum embodies these qualities, making him the ideal leader to position GasHawk for scalable success.
Dan’s journey is a testament to his resilience and determination. Raised by a single mother in Washington, D.C., Dan’s early life instilled in him a powerful drive for greater attainment. His business acumen became evident at Hawke Media, where he played a crucial role in boosting the company’s annual recurring revenue (ARR) from US$10K to US$25M. This success continued at ZenLedger, where, as COO, he dedicated himself to the company’s growth, helping it achieve several millions in ARR.
However, Dan consequently faced a major setback at ZenLedger with resume inconsistencies, which led to the loss of years of hard work overnight. Rather than sulking in defeat, Dan took full responsibility for his actions and used the experience as a motivator to restart, do the right thing and truly prove himself.
Dan’s life story includes overcoming significant challenges, including a legal setback as a teenager, and later, public scrutiny after his departure from ZenLedger. Despite these obstacles, Dan continued to demonstrate resilience. His ability to regroup, learn from his mistakes, and correct his mindset caught the attention of the founder of Corpus Ventures, the incubator behind GasHawk, who eventually offered Dan the position of CEO after countless hours of conversations.
In 15 months, Dan has led GasHawk to onboard nearly 7,000 users, generate US$500K in revenue and grants, and demonstrated solid early traction. Dan’s journey reflects his ability to face challenges, even those of his own making, and turn them into opportunities for growth, success, and redemption.
Daniel Pfeffer, The Data Science PhD Revolutionizing Blockchain Transactions
Daniel Pfeffer brings a diverse and technical background to his role as CTO of GasHawk. From a young age, Daniel was influenced by his father’s handyman skills, which sparked his interest in building and understanding how things work. This early passion led him to pursue a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology. Throughout his career, Daniel has worked on data-related projects across various industries, including manufacturing, IoT, and construction. His experience spans embedded systems, data science, and web applications, giving him a well-rounded technical perspective.
Daniel’s transition into blockchain technology was influenced by his brother, who was involved with Corpus Ventures. This connection led Daniel to apply his data science expertise to optimize blockchain transactions, ultimately resulting in the development of GasHawk’s core technology. Daniel’s combination of academic rigor, hands-on experience in multiple industries, and deep understanding of data science positions him well to drive GasHawk’s technical development and innovation in the blockchain space.
GasHawk’s Vision for a Comprehensive Transaction Layer
GasHawk is addressing a significant challenge in the blockchain space: high and volatile transaction fees, particularly on turbulent networks like Ethereum. The company offers an innovative solution that can save users, including individuals and institutions, up to 95% on transaction fees by monitoring network activity and predicting optimal times to submit transactions. While recent improvements like EIP-4844 have reduced gas fees, as more Layer 2 networks, app-chains, and rollup-as-a-service platforms launch, there’s potential for significant congestion in Layer 2 transactions, which could lead to surges in blob fees. The team is already developing a blob-based service for enterprise clients, which is set to launch in the second half of 2024.
Looking ahead, GasHawk envisions itself as more than just a gas optimization tool. The company aims to position itself as a transaction layer between users’ wallets and blockchain networks, potentially offering additional services such as security protections, transaction previews, unified management, and even features like rebates or private order flow. By owning this critical transaction layer, GasHawk seeks to add value and leverage for its customers across multiple blockchain ecosystems.
As investors in GasHawk, we’re excited about their potential to revolutionize blockchain transactions. If you’re a wallet provider, Layer 2 protocol, exchange, DeFi platform, NFT marketplace, DAO, or any blockchain-based enterprise looking to optimize transaction costs and enhance user experience, reach out to the GasHawk team and us!
