KOR Protocol announced on July 8 that it has completed a Series A funding round of $7.5 million at a valuation of $100 million, co-led by 1kx and Blockchain Capital. KOR Protocol is positioned as a creative asset clearinghouse built on the Base chain, aiming to provide on-chain registration of creative works and royalty payment functions, enabling automated settlement of licensing fees and royalties with stablecoins.
$7.5 Million Series A Details: Base L2 Architecture, Token Plans, and Key Partners
According to KOR Protocol's announcement, the Series A round structure and current business status are as follows:
Funding Size: $7.5 million Series A at a valuation of $100 million
Lead Investors: 1kx, Blockchain Capital
Other Investors: Republic Crypto, Sfermion, Animoca Brands, Solana, Avalanche, Alumni Ventures, SevenX
Underlying Technology: Built on Coinbase Base (Ethereum L2)
Token Plans: KOR told The Block that it will issue its own token
Key Partners: Black Mirror, Beatport, electronic music label mau5trap, Imogen Heap, Banijay Group, Japanese telecommunications company KDDI
Royalty Settlement Gap for AI-Generated Content
According to market data cited by KOR Protocol, ownership verification of AI-generated content has become a structural bottleneck: Deezer platform sees nearly 75,000 AI-generated songs uploaded daily, accounting for about 44% of all new song uploads, but these new songs only account for 1% to 3% of total streams; 85% of AI-generated content is considered fake and therefore not counted for royalty payments.
KOR noted that the current bottleneck has shifted from content creation to ownership verification, copyright distribution, and payment settlement. According to the IFPI Global Music Report 2026, global recorded music revenue in 2025 is expected to reach $31.7 billion, with nearly 70% coming from streaming.
Comparison of Three Major Players in the AI IP Track: KOR, Story Protocol, and Camp Network
KOR Protocol has chosen a different technological route from its competitors in the AI IP track: KOR is built on the existing Base L2 architecture rather than creating its own blockchain; in contrast, both Story Protocol and Camp Network adopt a dedicated L1 route.
Notably, 1kx and Blockchain Capital have invested in both KOR (Base L2) and Camp Network (L1), indicating that these two firms see long-term value in both middleware and independent chains. Story Protocol completed an $80 million Series B funding round led by a16z in 2024 at a valuation of $2.25 billion, focusing on a programmable IP blockchain; Camp Network has raised a total of $30 million (including a $25 million Series A in 2025), focusing on AI-native IP provenance and royalty infrastructure.
FAQ
What is KOR Protocol's business model and how does it generate revenue?
According to KOR Protocol's introduction, the platform offers three main functions: a registration system to establish ownership of creative content; targeted content distribution to record labels and brands; and automated licensing and royalty payment processes. Applications currently running on the platform include KORUS (allowing artists to release official remix packs) and Pacer (AI music distribution and audience engagement management tool); the platform's total revenue currently exceeds $2 million. Specific business model details are subject to official announcements.
Why did KOR Protocol choose to build on Base L2 rather than its own blockchain?
According to KOR's public statements, the company believes that content creators prefer to use existing Ethereum infrastructure rather than being forced to migrate to a new blockchain ecosystem; choosing Base (Coinbase's Ethereum L2) provides better interoperability and ease of adoption for creators and IP holders without increasing ecosystem switching costs.
What is the strategic difference between KOR Protocol and Story Protocol?
According to reports, KOR chooses to build smart contracts on Base L2, focusing on developing applications for creators and IP holders; Story Protocol is creating a dedicated L1 blockchain, positioned as the underlying infrastructure for programmable IP, having completed an $80 million Series B funding round led by a16z at a valuation of $2.25 billion.
