Crypto VC funding: Stripe buys startup Bridge for $1.1b, Bluesky bags $15m

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As a seasoned researcher with over two decades of experience in the tech and finance industry, I must say, this week’s crypto funding rounds are a breath of fresh air. The sheer number of projects attracting significant investments is a testament to the maturing of the blockchain ecosystem.

A startup called Bridge, which was established less than three years ago and specializes in stablecoins, made an announcement this week that would undoubtedly excite many crypto innovators.

Stripe, the San Francisco-based payment processing company, agreed to buy Bridge for $1.1 billion.

This deal is done. $1.1b

— Michael Arrington 🏴‍☠️ (@arrington) October 20, 2024

Could you be pondering when your cryptocurrency businesses might catch the eye of a major investor? In the meantime, fledgling companies must carry on wooing venture capitalists in order to prolong their operational lifespan.

According to recent data gathered by Crypto Fundraising between October 20th and October 26th, here are the latest startups making significant strides:

Bluesky, $15 million

  • Bluesky completed a Series A funding round.
  • The decentralized social media platform raised $15 million from lead investors like Blockchain Capital.

In a significant funding round, the decentralized social media initiative known as Bluesky secured $15 million in Series A investment, with Blockchain Capital taking the lead. Additionally, SevenX, True Ventures, and Alumni Ventures also joined in this fundraising effort. Moreover, Bluesky disclosed…

— CoinNess Global (@CoinnessGL) October 24, 2024

Variational, $10.3 million

  • Variational is a peer-to-peer trading protocol that is created for perpetual and generalized derivatives.
  • The firm has raised $10.3 million in a seed round led by investors like Bain Capital Crypto and Peak XV Partners.

As a crypto investor, I’m thrilled to share that I’ve been part of the team at Variational, who just secured $10.3 million in seed funding. This financing will propel our efforts to construct the future of derivatives trading, ushering in a new era.

— Variational (@variational_io) October 23, 2024

Validation Cloud, $10 million

  • Validation Cloud is a web3 infrastructure platform that focuses on scalable and compliant infrastructure for enterprises.
  • The firm raised $10 million from True Global Ventures.
  • Validation Cloud has raised a total of $15.8 million so far.

🚀 Exciting news! Validation Cloud is delighted to welcome TrueGlobalVCs as our main investor, contributing $10M to boost AI integration within Web3.

— Validation Cloud (@ValidationCloud) October 23, 2024

Crypto VC funding rounds < $10 million

  • Web3 mobile gaming platform Party Icons raised $9 million.
  • Digital investment marketplace STOKR raised $7.98 million from Fulgur Ventures.
  • Karpatkey, which provides DAO Treasury services, raised $7 million.
  • Full-stack decentralized platform Azura raised $6.9 million in a seed round.
  • Non-custodial crypto trading platform Shuttle Labs raised $6 million from CMCC Global.
  • Crypto exchange Hata raised $4.2 million in a seed round led by Castle Island Ventures and Nic Carter.
  • Hana Network raised $4 million from investors like Binance Labs, Sushi, Orange DAO, etc.
  • Decentralized borrowing platform Fluid Protocol raises $3.9 million in a seed round.
  • Moonwalk Fitness has raised $3.4 million from lead investors like Hack VC.
  • Borderless has raised $3.3 million in a pre-seed round led by Amity Ventures.
  • Opti Games Studio raised $2 million with L1 Digital as the lead investor.
  • NFT marketplace Ordzaar raised $2 million from lead investors like LongHash Ventures.
  • Decentralized infrastructure platform Craftt raised $2 million in a seed round.
  • Decentralized exchange BulbaSwap raised $1.3 million from lead investors like Foresight Ventures.
  • Skyfire raised $1 million from Coinbase Ventures and a16z crypto.

Check out our last week’s column from here.

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2024-10-26 16:40