The landscape of crypto venture capital has seen a notable shift back towards Bitcoin, largely fueled by its increasing prominence as an institutional asset.
As reported by Cointelegraph, the nascent Bitcoin DeFi sector attracted $175 million in 32 VC deals during the first half of the year. Concurrently, Bitcoin treasury firms are investing billions into the market by accumulating BTC for long-term strategic reserves.
In addition to Bitcoin, several recurring VC trends were evident in July, as investors continued to support startups focused on tokenization, stablecoin infrastructure, and settlement technologies.
Inveniam Partners with Mantra for Institutional RWA Adoption
Inveniam Capital, a decentralized data infrastructure provider, has invested $20 million in the layer-1 blockchain Mantra to facilitate institutional-grade real-world assets (RWAs) on the blockchain, alongside asset reporting and surveillance. This collaboration is expected to considerably enhance the total value locked (TVL) on Mantra Chain and encourage compliant tokenization amidst rapidly growing RWA adoption.
Stable Blockchain Raises $28 Million for USDt Expansion
Stable, a layer-1 blockchain dedicated to Tether’s USDt, has raised $28 million in seed funding to enhance its infrastructure and promote global USDt adoption. This funding round attracted several prominent investors including Bitfinex and Franklin Templeton, coming at a time of increasing regulatory clarity concerning dollar-backed stablecoins.
Spiko Secures $22 Million for Tokenized Asset Access
The French fintech Spiko, which specializes in offering tokenized US and EU T-Bill Money Market Funds, raised $22 million in a Series A funding round led by Index Ventures. This infusion of capital will support Spiko’s goal of expanding access to tokenized money markets and bridging the gap in digital asset adoption between Europe and the US.
Dakota Secures $12.5 Million for Stablecoin Banking
Dakota, a stablecoin-based business banking platform, raised $12.5 million in a Series A funding round led by CoinFund. Founded by former Coinbase Custody CEO Ryan Bozarth, Dakota aims to enhance global banking services via digital dollars, streamlining payments and cross-border transactions for over 500 onboarded businesses.
BridgePort Raises $3.2 Million for Settlement Network Expansion
BridgePort, an off-exchange settlement layer, successfully raised $3.2 million in seed funding. The funds will be utilized to enhance its middleware that connects crypto exchanges, trading firms, and custodians, optimizing capital allocation and settlement efficiency.
