Highlights of This Issue
According to incomplete statistics from PANews, there were 22 financing events in the global blockchain sector last week (1.13-1.19), with a total funding scale exceeding $450 million, a significant increase compared to the previous week. The overview is as follows:
- DeFi announced 2 financing events, including the decentralized exchange (DEX) Global Token Exchange (GTE) built on the MegaETH blockchain, which raised $10 million in three rounds of financing;
- The Web3 gaming sector announced 2 financing events, with Hyve Labs completing $2.75 million in Pre-Seed funding, led by Framework Ventures;
- The AI+Web3 field announced 3 financing events, with Crypto x AI company Reppo Labs announcing $2.2 million in funding, with participation from Protocol Labs and others;
- The Infrastructure & Tools sector announced 9 financing events, with Phantom announcing $150 million in Series C funding, co-led by Sequoia Capital and Paradigm;
- The Other category announced 3 financing events, with the Solana-based social graph protocol Tapestry completing $5.75 million in Series A funding;
- The Centralized Finance sector announced 3 financing events, with crypto bank Sygnum announcing $58 million in strategic financing, led by Fulgur Ventures.
DeFi
DEX GTE built on MegaETH raises $10 million in three rounds of financing
The decentralized exchange (DEX) Global Token Exchange (GTE), built on the MegaETH blockchain, raised $10 million in three rounds of financing. GTE co-founder Enzo Coglitore revealed that the financing includes $1.5 million in Pre-Seed, $6.942 million in Seed, and $2.5 million in community financing from Echo. The Pre-Seed was completed in Q3 2024, the Seed round in Q4, and the Echo round just concluded last week. GTE's venture capital investors include Maven 11, Wintermute, Flow Traders, Robot Ventures, IMC Trading, Guy Young from Ethena, Max Resnick from Anza, and an undisclosed trader from Jump Trading.
RWA tokenization platform Brickken completes $2.5 million Seed round financing
Barcelona-based RWA tokenization platform Brickken has completed a $2.5 million Seed round financing, achieving a post-investment valuation of over $22.5 million. Participants in the Seed round include Psalion, Ergodic Fund, SNZ Capital, Blue Bay Ventures, Mocha, and Hodl Ventures. It is reported that Brickken has tokenized assets worth over $250 million in less than two years and is preparing to launch an enterprise-level AI agent. Brickken is also the official tokenization solution provider for BNBChain.
Web3 Gaming
Web3 gaming company Hyve Labs completes $2.75 million Pre-Seed round financing
Web3 gaming company Hyve Labs has completed $2.75 million in Pre-Seed round financing, led by Framework Ventures, with participation from Volt Capital, Builder Capital, 32 Bit Ventures, and numerous angel investors. Hyve Labs plans to use the funds to expand its team and develop core infrastructure, such as launching a testnet chain, the first game, and other on-chain assets. It is reported that Hyve Labs has developed a game rollup using decentralized data availability services like EigenDA as a game launcher. The protocol also allows Hyve to integrate with Telegram, Discord, Farcaster, and other social platforms.
BeraTone completes $2 million Seed round financing, led by Animoca Brands
The blockchain game project BeraTone announced the completion of $2 million in Seed round financing, led by Animoca Brands, with participation from SNZ Holding, Citizen X, Avid3, Metazero Capital, and several angel investors. This round of financing will be used for team expansion, feature development, and enhancing the gaming experience. BeraTone is a farm life simulation game developed on Berachain, combining a Proof of Liquidity consensus mechanism to provide players with tradable game assets and a robust economic ecosystem. The game is inspired by "Story of Seasons," "Stardew Valley," and "Animal Crossing," creating an engaging bear-themed virtual world through rhythm challenges, social interactions, and other gameplay.
AI
NULS secures $3.4 million funding led by Ape Terminal to drive its AI transformation
Blockchain infrastructure platform NULS announced on platform X that Ape Terminal has officially completed its acquisition of NULS and committed to investing $3.4 million to drive AI innovation within the NULS ecosystem. This investment marks a strategic transformation for NULS, focusing on advancing AI applications within its ecosystem. NULS is a blockchain infrastructure platform based in Singapore, providing cross-chain consensus, multi-chain mechanisms, and smart contract support. The Parachain architecture and ChainBox functionality offered by NULS have integrated cross-chain interoperability for over 40 mainstream blockchains and is the first public chain network to support multiple assets like BTC/ETH as gas fees.
Crypto x AI company Reppo Labs completes $2.2 million financing
Crypto x AI company Reppo Labs announced the completion of $2.2 million in financing, with participation from Protocol Labs, CV VC, CMS Holdings, and others, some of which were raised on Echo.xyz. The new funds will be used to develop key infrastructure that enables data owners to collaborate without permission with AI developers and agents on niche datasets. Reppo Labs was spun off from Protocol Labs Venture Studio in March 2024, and Reppo is a permissionless network that facilitates seamless collaboration between AI developers and data owners through intent and intellectual property (IP) co-ownership. Reppo introduces "Pods," which act as sovereign human-machine collectives for reasoning DAOs, allowing individuals or groups to manage and monetize AI assets.
AI-driven cryptocurrency analysis platform Mind AI completes $1.2 million strategic financing
AI-driven cryptocurrency analysis platform Mind AI announced the completion of $1.2 million in strategic financing, with participation from aixcb, Castrum Istanbul, Dewhales, SMO Capital, Metazero Capital, X21 Digital, Lunar Labs Capital, Zephyrus Capital, AlfaCatalyst, Decubate, Maven Capital, Unreal Capital, GAINS Associates, Coinvestor Ventures, Kef Ventures, Carbon Browser, Danxia Capital, and Unicorn Ventures. Mind AI is a cryptocurrency analysis platform that leverages AI and machine learning to provide insights into the digital asset market for investors, aiming to transform social signals into AI-driven profitable trading decisions.
Infrastructure & Tools
Crypto wallet Phantom announced the completion of $150 million in Series C financing, reaching a valuation of $3 billion. This round of financing was co-led by Sequoia Capital and Paradigm, with other investors also participating. Phantom plans to use the new funds to accelerate the adoption of cryptocurrency and drive its transformation into the world's largest consumer finance platform. Since its launch in 2021, Phantom has reached 15 million monthly active users, supporting 85 billion on-chain transactions and managing $25 billion in self-custodied assets. In 2024, Phantom will enhance security and infrastructure by acquiring Bitski and Blowfish. In the future, Phantom will increase investment in social features and peer-to-peer payments to further simplify the user experience.
Crypto startup 1Money has completed a $20 million Seed round financing to build a Layer 1 network called "1Money Network," designed specifically for stablecoin payments. This round saw participation from over ten investors, including F-Prime Capital, Galaxy Ventures, Hack VC, Kraken Ventures, MoonPay Ventures, and Bankless Ventures. Brian Shroder, co-founder and CEO of the startup, stated in a press release, "1Money will make stablecoin payments more convenient and practical for everyday use cases, from paying friends to e-commerce shopping and remittances."
Paris-based crypto wallet technology company Dfns has completed $16 million in financing, led by Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ, with other investors including market maker Wintermute, Motive Partners, Bpifrance, and the family office Motier Ventures, owner of Galeries Lafayette Group. Dfns, founded in 2020, has developed technology that allows developers to more easily build and securely manage digital asset wallets. Its clients include Fidelity International, Zodia Custody, and the stablecoin company Bridge, which was acquired by Stripe last year. The startup plans to expand its workforce from 25 to 35 employees and had previously raised $13 million in 2022.
WalletConnect developer Reown completes $13 million Series B financing, led by USV and 1kx
Reown announced the completion of $13 million in Series B financing, led by Union Square Ventures (USV) and 1kx, with participation from SC Ventures, SBI Holdings, Shopify Ventures, Kraken Ventures, and others. To date, Reown has raised a total of $38 million. As the developer of the WalletConnect Network, Reown focuses on improving the on-chain user experience (UX). This round of financing will be used to accelerate the development of its core products, AppKit and WalletKit, to simplify user interactions on the blockchain.
Brooklyn-based Merit Systems announced the completion of a $10 million Seed round financing, led by the crypto fund of Andreessen Horowitz and Blockchain Capital. Merit aims to address the long-standing "attribution problem" by establishing a protocol that provides fair attribution and reward mechanisms for open-source developers, allowing users to pay software creators directly. Founded by Sam Ragsdale, Ryan Sproule, and Mason Hall, the company is currently valued at $55.5 million and plans to launch a broader product version by the end of February. The company is located in the Domino Sugar Factory office building in Brooklyn and plans to add seven employees in the coming months to foster a team culture focused on in-person collaboration.
Cross-chain infrastructure SYNTHR announced that it has completed five rounds of financing, raising a total of $10 million, with participation from Kronos, NGC Ventures, Morningstar Ventures, and others. Additionally, the project has received support from 11 grants.
Bitcoin on-chain financial infrastructure Alpen Labs announced the completion of $8.5 million in strategic financing, co-led by DBA and Cyber Fund, with Ribbit Capital, Castle Island Ventures, and Geometry being the largest investors in its Seed round financing, who also supported Alpen in this round. The funds will help accelerate the development of Bitcoin ZK Rollup "Strata," which is set to launch on the mainnet in 2025. Strata will be introduced as an open platform aimed at expanding and facilitating the use of Bitcoin, unlocking many practical features: simple self-custody, intuitive and privacy-protecting payments, interoperability, Bitcoin-backed lending and stablecoins, and many other on-chain applications. Strata will be open to the public starting next month with the upcoming release of its test network.
EarnOS completes $5 million Seed round financing, promoting a privacy-first advertising model
EarnOS announced the completion of $5 million in financing, led by EV3 Ventures, with participation from Animoca Brands, GD1, Laser Digital, and strategic partners including Burnt XION, Mysten Labs, and Opacity Network. EarnOS aims to disrupt traditional advertising models by allowing brands to directly reward users' interests and interactions with stablecoins while protecting user privacy through zkTLS technology. Built on the XION walletless blockchain, it simplifies the complexities of Web3 to create a more user-friendly crypto advertising solution for mainstream users. EarnOS plans to promote mutual trust and transparent cooperation between users and brands in the digital economy through its upcoming crowdfunding system and privacy protection features.
Web 2.5 infrastructure company Torram completes $710,000 Pre-Seed round financing
Web 2.5 infrastructure company Torram announced the completion of $710,000 in Pre-Seed round financing, with participation from Draper Associates, Blockchain Founders Fund, Boost VC, Side Door Ventures, Deep Ventures, MH Ventures, Silvermine Capital, and Trive Digital.
Others
Social:
The Solana-based social graph protocol Tapestry has completed $5.75 million in Series A financing, co-led by Union Square Ventures and Fabric Ventures, with participation from Stellation Capital, Slow Ventures, and Foresight Ventures. This round of financing values Tapestry's equity at $35 million, with a token network valuation of $70 million, bringing the total financing amount to $12.5 million. Tapestry focuses on providing integrated social functionality infrastructure for blockchain applications, utilizing Solana's state compression technology to reduce costs. The team plans to expand to other blockchain ecosystems, such as Aptos and Monad, and adopt a freemium model to provide services to developers while exploring future data read-write protocol charging models.
The innovative platform Oh has completed $4.5 million in Seed round financing, planning to empower the creator economy through the integration of AI and Web3 technologies. This round of financing was led by well-known institutions such as Tangent, Big Brain Holdings, and Kosmos Ventures, with angel investors including Yan Liberman from Delphi Ventures participating in support. Oh focuses on providing disruptive solutions for creators and users through AI's personalization capabilities and Web3's decentralization and censorship resistance. Its core products include AI-driven OhChat, with users spread across 174 countries, and it will soon launch "superModels"—next-generation AI digital creators with dynamic interaction and social capabilities.
AI-driven Web3 social platform Metya completes a new round of financing, with participation from TIDO Capital and others
AI-driven Web3 social platform Metya announced the completion of a new round of financing, with investors including TIDO Capital, Candaq Ventures, and Oasis Labs. Metya is an innovative Web3 platform that integrates DePIN infrastructure, AI Agent technology, and on-chain social protocols. By combining AI and blockchain technology, the platform provides personalized social experiences and value-driven interactions, with the upcoming AI Agent feature set to further enhance the intelligence and fun of user interactions on-chain.
Centralized Finance
Supported by Nomura Holdings, crypto custody company Komainu Holdings Ltd. announced that it has raised $75 million from Blockstream Capital Partners. This financing will be used to support Komainu's global expansion plans and integrate the collateral management and tokenization technology developed by Blockstream Corp., pending regulatory approval. Additionally, Blockstream CEO Adam Back will join Komainu's board, further strengthening the collaboration and technological integration between the two companies.
Crypto bank Sygnum completes $58 million strategic financing, valuation surpasses $1 billion
Swiss and Singapore-based crypto bank Sygnum announced the completion of $58 million in strategic financing, with a valuation surpassing $1 billion, officially entering the unicorn club. This financing was led by Fulgur Ventures, which focuses on Bitcoin technology, with participation from new and existing investors as well as team members. The funds will be used to expand the product portfolio (focusing on Bitcoin technology), enhance compliance capabilities, expand institutional infrastructure, and explore strategic acquisition opportunities. Sygnum plans to strengthen its European operations and establish a regulated entity in Hong Kong. The bank currently manages over $5 billion in assets and serves more than 2,000 clients from 70 countries. In 2024, Sygnum achieved profitability for the full year, with total transaction volume increasing by over 100% year-on-year.
AI-driven crypto exchange VOOX receives $50 million investment from Pinnacle Capital
AI-driven crypto exchange VOOX announced that it has received a $50 million investment from Pinnacle Capital. This round of financing will primarily be used for infrastructure development, enhancing security measures, and strengthening marketing efforts aimed at attracting users. At the same time, VOOX will accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence and real-world needs. Additionally, Pinnacle Capital will provide strategic guidance to ensure VOOX meets key regulatory compliance requirements while optimizing its business model for sustainable growth. VOOX Exchange, established in 2022 and headquartered in Singapore, is an AI-driven crypto exchange that offers cryptocurrency spot trading, margin trading, futures trading, copy trading, and AI trading strategies aimed at optimizing user returns.
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