Giggles, a mobile app blending TikTok-style scrolling with prediction markets, has raised $1.2M in pre-seed funding led by 1kx Capital, with participation from Virtuals Protocol, Noar Ventures, Bain Capital Scout, and Night Capital. The app lets users discover content from TikTok, Instagram, X, and YouTube, then trade 'trend coins' using aura points—soon to be real money—on whether trends go viral. The capital will fuel a public trading launch and real-money integration in the US.
Prediction Markets Funding Surge
The raise arrives amid a prediction markets boom, with the sector attracting $1.7B in Q1 2026 funding. Kalshi recently raised $1B at a $22B valuation, while Polymarket secured $600M from NYSE owner ICE. Giggles differentiates by targeting micro social trends rather than macro events like elections or economics.
Passive Scrolling Locks Out Creators
Social media users spend hours doomscrolling short-form videos, but creators struggle to monetize early virality signals. Traditional platforms reward views after the fact, leaving early backers without skin in the game. Giggles addresses this by letting users bet on trends upfront, turning passive consumption into active investment.
TikTok Feeds Meet Tradable Coins
Users scroll endless feeds of cross-platform content, create AI-generated videos with Google Veo 3 and Suno, or upload their own to launch trend coins. These markets use aura points for now, with Apple Pay deposits simplifying entry versus crypto-only rivals. Blockchain underpins the system, though positioned as entertainment.
As CEO Justin Jin told TechCrunch:
"The goal for us is to be the first crypto app where people spend more than, like, 30 minutes a day on it."
This gamified approach has driven 250,000+ users, 400,000 waitlist signups, and top 40 App Store rankings in the US and Canada.
Crypto VCs Bet on SocialFi
1kx Capital's lead signals conviction in consumer crypto apps, with partner Jakub Rusiecki noting prediction markets' appeal. Investors like Virtuals Protocol bring Web3 expertise, while Bain Capital Scout adds traditional finance ties. The syndicate reflects bets on Giggles scaling beyond beta's 150,000 users across 10,000 videos.
Volumes Eye $1T Milestone
Prediction markets hit $64B trading volume in 2025, up fourfold in two years and projected to reach $1T annually by 2030 per recent analysis. The adjacent SocialFi market stands at $1.07B with 15.5% CAGR via Business Research Insights. Trends like tokenizing attention and AI content creation fuel capital inflows.
Giggles enters as CFTC advances prediction market rules, easing regulatory paths for fiat integration.
Teen Founders with Proven Exits
Co-founders Justin Jin (CEO) and Edwin Wang (CTO) are teenage dropouts who met on Minecraft server Hypixel Skyblock. Jin previously sold Mediababy—a media firm generating 20B+ views—for $3.8M. Wang founded MyBite, raising $200K for AI food delivery. Their blend of viral media savvy and tech chops suits meme prediction markets.
Real-Money Trading Launch Ahead
Post-beta, Giggles plans a US real-money launch after aura points testing, with active development via recent app updates. Beta metrics include 30,000 DAU and high trading volume, positioning for national rollout amid crypto bull market hype.