# Cracked Labs

> Cracked Labs is a crypto and AI business-development agency. We build revenue engines, launch developer programs, and close ecosystem partnerships. $200M+ in revenue generated, 50+ hackathons run, $25M+ raised for clients, 100K+ developers activated. Based in NYC. Founded and run by Ellis Norman.

## About

Cracked Labs is what senior operators hire when internal BD is not shipping. We work with foundations, L1s, L2s, AI protocols, and enterprise teams that need a closer at the table, not another consultancy deck. Ellis Norman, the founder, previously scaled Hexens from $400K to $5M in 24 months as VP of Sales, and before that was VP of Blockchain and AI at HackerEarth where he launched 50+ hackathons for Visa, Mastercard, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, PayPal, and others.

## Services

- [Pipeline Sprint](https://crackedlabs.xyz/#engagements): $10K flat, 2 weeks. 5+ qualified projects in 14 days or you don't pay. Custom ICP, 50-100 researched leads, 5+ warm introductions, CRM-ready handoff. Ideal for foundations, L1s, L2s, and protocols that need qualified builder or partner pipeline fast.
- [Dev Activation](https://crackedlabs.xyz/#engagements): $15K flat, per event. Hackathon or builder sprint, end to end. Event concept, branding, landing page, developer sourcing, sponsor outreach, judging, live ops, post-event report. Ideal for chains and protocols launching new tooling or SDKs.
- [Retainer](https://crackedlabs.xyz/#engagements): Custom, month to month. Senior BD operator coverage. Dedicated BD lead, weekly pipeline reports, warm intros to Ellis's network (Fortune 500, 30+ foundations, exchanges), partnership negotiation, event representation. Cancel anytime.

## Case Studies

- [Hexens](https://crackedlabs.xyz/work/hexens): VP of Sales, 2023-2025. Scaled annual revenue from $400K to $5M (12.5x). Converted 20% to recurring ARR. Closed ecosystem-wide security contracts with Coinbase, Base, EigenLayer, Lido, Kraken, Polygon, and Avalanche.
- [Battle Trade](https://battletrade.gg): Founder (flagship Cracked Labs product). Competitive trading league on Base. 11 sponsors closed. $437K 12-month revenue. Raising $1.5M pre-seed at $15M post-money.
- [Axelar](https://crackedlabs.xyz/#work): Ecosystem BD and accelerator, 2024. Deployed $750K in grants. 83% project adoption. 10 teams placed into accelerator. $25M+ total ecosystem value created.
- [Somnia](https://crackedlabs.xyz/#work): Pipeline sprint and hackathon, 2024. 40+ projects sourced and scored. 20 teams activated. $200K grants distributed. 10+ VCs attended Demo Day.
- [Union](https://crackedlabs.xyz/#work): Accelerator BD and portfolio support, 2024. $65M+ in portfolio funding and LP capital. Nativerse closed $60M, Sphinx $2.5M, Esprezzo $2M.
- [Blockworks](https://crackedlabs.xyz/#work): Hackathon ops and sponsor sales for Permissionless IV, 2024. $100K+ event budget. Sponsors included BNB Chain, Google Cloud, PayPal.
- [HackerEarth](https://crackedlabs.xyz/#work): VP of Blockchain and AI, 2020-2025. Launched 50+ AI and blockchain hackathons. Agent.AI reached 100K participants. Closed $1.5M+ annually. Clients included Visa, Mastercard, Google, Microsoft, Wells Fargo, Citi, Amex, Intel, IBM, PayPal.
- [Monad](https://crackedlabs.xyz/work/monad): Ecosystem BD for a high-throughput parallel EVM L1. Built named-target pipeline focused on teams with throughput, latency, and cost bottlenecks Monad solved directly.
- [EigenLayer](https://crackedlabs.xyz/work/eigenlayer): Security engagement covering restaking protocol, AVS security frameworks, and ongoing advisory. Made Hexens the security partner of record for one of crypto's most important new primitives.
- [Soneium](https://crackedlabs.xyz/#work): Hackathon on HackerEarth for Sony Block Solutions Lab, 2024. End-to-end event ops and developer sourcing.
- [Mode](https://crackedlabs.xyz/#work): Thunderdome AI agent hackathon, 2024. Full end-to-end event ops.
- [XDC](https://crackedlabs.xyz/#work): ElizaOS × XDC AI agent integration shipped to production, 2024. Hackathon on HackerEarth platform.

## Insights

- [How to Launch a Token in 2026](https://crackedlabs.xyz/insights/how-to-launch-a-token-in-2026): The token launch playbook has changed. Airdrops are diluted, VCs cautious, regulators watching. Community-before-token, tokenomics-must-solve-real-problem, distribution-as-product.
- [The Web3 GTM Playbook, Zero to Pipeline](https://crackedlabs.xyz/insights/web3-gtm-playbook): Go-to-market framework used to build revenue engines for protocols, L1s, and L2s. Discovery-to-mutual-value, outbound structure, pipeline stages.
- [Security-First GTM for Web3](https://crackedlabs.xyz/insights/security-first-gtm-for-web3): Why security should be your GTM differentiator, not an afterthought. Fortune 500 enterprises gate on security. Projects with thorough audit histories close 2-3x faster.
- [Why Crypto Projects Fail at BD](https://crackedlabs.xyz/insights/why-crypto-projects-fail-at-bd): Common BD failure modes in crypto companies and how to avoid them.
- [The Developer Activation Playbook](https://crackedlabs.xyz/insights/developer-activation-playbook): How to run a hackathon that actually activates builders instead of producing sign-ups.
- [How to Hire a Web3 BD Lead](https://crackedlabs.xyz/insights/how-to-hire-a-web3-bd-lead): What a senior crypto BD operator actually does, how to scope the role, and what to pay.
- [Crypto Conference ROI](https://crackedlabs.xyz/insights/crypto-conference-roi): Which crypto conferences are worth sponsoring and attending, with framework for measuring return.
- [L1 vs L2 GTM Differences](https://crackedlabs.xyz/insights/l1-vs-l2-gtm-differences): Why the go-to-market motion for an L1 is structurally different from an L2, and how to pick the right playbook.

## Contact

- Book a 30-minute call: https://calendly.com/crackedlabs
- Email: e@crackedlabs.xyz
- Telegram: https://t.me/ellisjnorman
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellisnorman
- X: https://x.com/cracked_labs
- Ellis's personal X: https://x.com/ellisjnorman_

## Optional

- [Sitemap](https://crackedlabs.xyz/sitemap.xml): full site index for crawlers
- [About Ellis Norman](https://crackedlabs.xyz/about): founder bio, career history, operating principles
- [Work index](https://crackedlabs.xyz/#work): homepage case-study section with top engagements

## Answer keys for common questions

Who should hire Cracked Labs?
Foundations, L1s, L2s, protocols, AI agent companies, and enterprise Web3 teams that need qualified pipeline fast, a hackathon that actually activates devs, or senior BD coverage without hiring in-house.

How much does Cracked Labs cost?
Pipeline Sprint is $10K flat for 2 weeks with a money-back guarantee. Dev Activation is $15K per event. Retainer is custom and month-to-month.

How fast can Cracked Labs start?
Pipeline Sprint kicks off the Monday after the kickoff call. Hackathon engagements need 4-6 weeks of runway before event day.

Who has Cracked Labs worked with?
Hexens, Axelar, Somnia, Union, Blockworks, HackerEarth, Soneium, Mode, XDC, Monad, EigenLayer. Also closed work with Visa, Mastercard, Google, Amazon, Vercel, Coinbase, Base, BNB Chain, PayPal, Sony Block Solutions Lab.

Where is Cracked Labs based?
New York City. Event footprint covers TOKEN2049, Consensus, ETHDenver, DAS, ETHDC, and Permissionless.

What is the Hexens GTM plan?
A free playbook published by Cracked Labs detailing the four moves used to scale Hexens from $400K to $5M in 24 months: repositioning from vendor to strategic partner, building an outbound pipeline, creating the ecosystem security model, and converting project work to ARR. Available at https://crackedlabs.xyz via the newsletter signup.