Former Binance.US chief raises $20M for stablecoin network

January 16, 2025 Coin Telegraph

Former Binance.US chief raises M for stablecoin network

The stablecoin market, which is dominated by Tether and Circle, is worth more than $214 billion.

Layer-1 stablecoin payments network 1Money has raised more than $20 million in seed funding to further develop its digital payments infrastructure.

According to a Jan. 16 announcement, more than two dozen venture capital firms participated in the seed round, including F-Prime Capital, Galaxy Ventures, Hack VC, Tribe Capital, Kraken Ventures, KuCoin Ventures, BitGo Ventures, Bankless Ventures, MoonPay Ventures, Portage and Ethereal Ventures.

1Money said its protocol is developed solely for stablecoin payments using a patent-pending Byzantine consistent broadcast design.

Switzerland’s Crypto Valley hits 3B with 17 unicorns in 2024

Switzerland’s Crypto Valley hits $593B with 17 unicorns in 2024

Sigma Capital’s $100M fund plans to invest in 100 Web3 projects

January 15, 2025 Coin Telegraph

Sigma Capital’s 0M fund plans to invest in 100 Web3 projects

Coin Telegraph

The Dubai-based venture capital firm said it plans to invest in 100 early-stage Web3 projects, 25 liquid tokens and 10 fund-of-fund allocations.

Cryptocurrency venture capital firm Sigma Capital has launched a $100 million investment fund, tipping plans to invest in Web3 startups across the United Arab Emirates and globally.

According to the announcement, the capital will be used to invest in early-stage Web3 companies and liquid tokens in the decentralized finance, blockchain infrastructure, metaverse, gaming and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization markets.

The capital will also be used for fund-of-fund allocations, a portfolio diversification strategy that distributes capital to a group of funds.

Switzerland’s Crypto Valley hits $593B with 17 unicorns in 2024

VCs: Unlikely Heroes of Crypto Fundraising? Expert Says Current System Is Flawed, Better Models Exist

January 11, 2025 Bitcoin.com

bitcoin.com

A founder of the Web3 product studio argues that venture capital (VC) participation in token launch events has filled the gap left by the decline of initial coin offerings as a fundraising method. Crypto Ecosystem Reached Current State with Help from VCs and Whales According to Griff Green, venture capital (VC) participation in token launch […]

Switzerland’s Crypto Valley hits $593B with 17 unicorns in 2024

Multicoin Capital eyeing AI agents, institutional ‘frenzy’ in 2025

January 7, 2025 Coin Telegraph

agentic ai

The venture firm expects 2025 to see a proliferation of tokenized securities and the emergence of AI agent "alpha hunters."

Multicoin Capital expects 2025 to be a “pivotal year” for Web3 as artificial intelligence flourishes and tokenization triggers a “frenzy of institutionalization,” the venture capital firm said in a Jan. 7 report.

The report, dubbed “Frontier Ideas for 2025,” anticipates the emergence of AI-run “zero-employee companies” and a “dizzying pace” of institutional adoption as security tokens finally “take off in a meaningful way.”

Meanwhile, investors will turn to AI agent “alpha hunters” to navigate the growth of new tokens and crypto-native financial products, the report said.

Switzerland’s Crypto Valley hits $593B with 17 unicorns in 2024

Plume Network secures $20M for tokenization platform

December 18, 2024 Coin Telegraph

Plume Network secures M for tokenization platform

Coin Telegraph

Investors in the round include Brevan Howard Digital, Haun Ventures, Lightspeed Faction and Galaxy Ventures.

Tokenization startup Plume Network has closed a $20-million funding round to support the development of its real-world assets ecosystem.

According to a Fortune report on Dec. 18, the investment round was led by Brevan Howard Digital, Haun Ventures, Lightspeed Faction and Galaxy Ventures. Previous investors in the startup included SV Angels and Portal Ventures.

The funding follows Plume’s testnet launch in July in partnership with Celestia. The company is developing a tokenization ecosystem that will allow holders of tokenized assets to use them as collateral for loans and other forms of yield generation.

Switzerland’s Crypto Valley hits $593B with 17 unicorns in 2024

Beam Foundation to debut $150M gaming fund in Abu Dhabi

December 11, 2024 Coin Telegraph

abu dhabi

Beam Ventures will launch in 2025, providing funding and acceleration for blockchain gaming startups in the United Arab Emirates.

The Beam Foundation has disclosed plans for an upcoming venture fund in Abu Dhabi targeting blockchain gaming projects.

According to a Dec. 11 announcement, the fund will launch in the first half of 2025 and manage $150 million in capital backed by local investors.

The fund’s investment thesis is primarily focused on blockchain-based games and gaming infrastructure, but capital will also be deployed for startups working on solutions tied to artificial intelligence, augmented reality and user-generated content.

Switzerland’s Crypto Valley hits $593B with 17 unicorns in 2024

VC Roundup: Funding falls to $2.4B in Q3 2024, early-stage startups dominate

November 15, 2024 Coin Telegraph

VC Roundup: Funding falls to .4B in Q3 2024, early-stage startups dominate

AI startups

This edition of Cointelegraph’s VC Roundup features Eidon AI, Brevis, Multiledgers and Alluvial.

Venture capital funding in blockchain-based startups reached $2.4 billion in the third quarter of 2024, marking a 20% decline compared to the previous quarter, according to Galaxy Research.

Between July and September, crypto startups closed 478 deals, a 17% decrease from the second quarter. Despite the slowdown, the year remains on pace to match or slightly exceed 2023 investment levels, with $8 billion invested in the industry’s startups so far. Crunchbase’s Web3 Tracker has previously reported a more conservative figure, citing $5.4 billion in venture capital in the first three quarters of the year.

According to Galaxy’s report, a fivefold increase in funding has been witnessed by startups combining artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies over the last three months. Key contributors included rounds from Sentient, CeTi, and Sahara AI, collectively raising $188 million.

Switzerland’s Crypto Valley hits $593B with 17 unicorns in 2024

a16z sees ‘greater flexibility to experiment’ with crypto under Trump

November 11, 2024 Coin Telegraph

A16Z

Legal and policy experts from the crypto arm of a16z are confident that “the future of crypto in the US is bright.”

The crypto arm of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (A16z) said that there will be “greater flexibility to experiment” as the regulatory landscape for crypto improves in the United States.

“While we’ll likely have greater flexibility to experiment, we can’t forget that the fundamental regulatory principles applicable to blockchain systems remain unchanged,” it stated before adding that this means that “where there is trust, there is regulation” still applies.

A16z Crypto legal and policy experts Miles Jennings, Michele Korver, and Brian Quintenz shared their positive outlook for crypto regulations in a blog post on Nov. 10, days after Donald Trump’s presidential election victory on Nov. 6.

Switzerland’s Crypto Valley hits $593B with 17 unicorns in 2024

Sequoia to make $100M windfall from Stripe’s Bridge acquisition: Report

October 29, 2024 Coin Telegraph

Acquisition

Sequoia Capital owns 16% of Bridge, which is set to be acquired by payments platform Stripe for $1.1 billion.

Venture capital firm Sequoia Capital, which owns 16% of stablecoin platform Bridge, could rake in over $100 million from Stripe’s $1.1 billion acquisition deal of the firm.

Sequoia made a $19 million investment in the crypto firm’s Series A round, which took place within the last year, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 29, citing people familiar with the matter.

Other VC firms are also set for hundreds of millions of dollars in windfall from their stakes in Bridge, including Ribbit Capital, Haun Ventures, Index Ventures, and Bedrock Fund Management.

Switzerland’s Crypto Valley hits $593B with 17 unicorns in 2024

Mercy Corps CIO explains how NGOs can integrate blockchain to amplify their efforts

October 16, 2024 Coin Telegraph

Adoption

Rapid and efficient humanitarian aid distribution is enhanced through the use of blockchain technology. Mercy Corps CIO Scott Onder explains how.

Over the past few years, saying “blockchain fixes this” has become a common trope. However, in the case of international aid distribution being enhanced by the integration of blockchain, the phrase has proven to be true.

When a crisis occurs, reaction time is paramount, and according to Mercy Corps chief investment officer Scott Onder, using data analytics and blockchain to take action before disaster strikes is even more effective from a humanitarian impact and cost perspective.

On Episode 47 of The Agenda podcast, hosts Ray Salmond and Jonathan DeYoung discuss how Mercy Corps — a global team of humanitarians focused on alleviating suffering, poverty and oppression — has embraced Web3 and blockchain to amplify its charitable efforts and aid distribution.

venture capital

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