Recently, a fascinating phenomenon has emerged in the crypto space: projects with similar backgrounds have vastly different fates. The name 0G might still be unfamiliar to many, but its recent funding round is enough to turn heads—raising over $560 million, which is quite rare in the current market environment.

Even more interesting is that 0G and CFX, a project many in the industry are familiar with, originate from the same group of founders, yet they have taken completely different paths. Rather than being just fellow alumni, 0G seems to have completed a certain level of advancement. The most obvious difference lies in funding: the investment institutions backing CFX in its early days are entirely different from the major international firms now supporting 0G. From the start, 0G aimed at top global capital, and this "dimensionality reduction" style of fundraising demonstrates that the market’s recognition of it is now on a different level.

To understand why 0G stands out so much, we need to start with the fundamental factor: the team. The ultimate success of any project depends heavily on the core team. 0G is led by four co-founders, with a total team size of about 50 people. At first glance, this isn’t a particularly large team, but the phrase "each member a big shot" fits perfectly here—comprising four professors and eight PhDs. This is no longer just about academic credentials.

The backgrounds of these team members are even more critical. They are not theoretical types who only talk on paper; each has solid practical experience. Many have worked at top industry institutions like Microsoft and Conflux, with real-world experience in distributed systems, blockchain architecture, AI and blockchain integration, and financial technology. This combination results in a team that combines academic rigor with industrial execution—something quite rare in the entire Web3 space.

Strong fundraising ability and excellent team composition make it hard for 0G not to stand out. But what’s even more worth observing is the future development potential of such projects. Fundraising is just the beginning; whether they can convert capital into real technological output and market share is the true test. Based on the information currently available, 0G’s technological direction and market positioning are still relatively clear, but the specifics of product implementation and ecosystem development will need time to verify.

The funding landscape in the crypto market has indeed been changing over the past two years. Major institutions are raising their standards for project selection, no longer solely focusing on stories and whitepapers but emphasizing the team’s strength and technological feasibility. 0G’s ability to secure such substantial funding indicates that it has at least passed the scrutiny of professional institutions on these dimensions. This also signals to the entire industry that a good team and solid technical reserves remain the most critical factors in attracting top-tier capital.

What’s next? Keep an eye on it, but don’t overhype. The cyclical volatility and risks in the crypto market are still present, and no matter how strong 0G’s background is, it can’t change that. The key is whether it can truly turn its funding and team advantages into product competitiveness in the upcoming development stages.