Crypto Fundraising weekly
Dates: 18 – 24, May 2025

This week's biggest funding round

World (ex Worldcoin) raised $135M in a funding round from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z crypto), Bain Capital Crypto, Selini Capital, Mirana Ventures, Arctic Digital.

World is a decentralized identity and financial network designed to verify human uniqueness in the age of AI. At its core is World ID, a privacy-preserving digital passport that enables users to prove their humanity online without revealing personal information. Verification is achieved through the Orb, a biometric device that scans users’ irises to generate a unique identifier, ensuring each individual is verified only once. The World App serves as the primary interface, allowing users to manage their World ID, conduct transactions, and access various services. The network operates on World Chain, a blockchain tailored for human-centric applications, and utilizes the WLD token for transactions and governance.

Pre-seed and Seed investment rounds

Fermi Labs raised $1.2M in a Pre-seed funding round from Equilibrium co*, Big Brain Holdings*, Nom.

Fermi Labs is a Web3 research and development studio focused on building next-generation decentralized applications and infrastructure. Their flagship product, Fermi DEX, is a decentralized exchange (DEX) leveraging a capital-efficient Decentralized Limit Order Book (DLOB) architecture that separates deposit requirements from order placement, enhancing liquidity and reducing latency. Operating on the Solana blockchain, Fermi DEX aims to provide a high-performance trading experience with just-in-time order settlement and liquidity abstraction. Fermi Labs also offers consulting services and educational programs to support the broader adoption of decentralized technologies.

Catena Labs raised $18M in a Seed funding round from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z crypto)*, Breyer Capital, Circle Ventures, Coinbase Ventures.

Catena Labs is pioneering the development of the first AI-native financial institution, tailored to meet the unique needs of AI agents and their human collaborators. Recognizing the limitations of traditional financial systems in accommodating autonomous AI activities, Catena Labs is constructing a regulated infrastructure that enables AI agents to securely identify themselves and conduct financial transactions. Their offerings include the open-source Agent Commerce Kit (ACK), which provides foundational components for AI agent identity and payments.

Rover raised $4.1M in a Seed funding round from Animoca Ventures, CMS Holdings, Bloccelerate, Maelstrom, UTXO Management, Infinity Ventures Crypto (IVC), Builder Capital, RockTree Capital, Wise3 Ventures, Veil, Optic Capital, Relayer Capital, Stake Capital, WAGMI Ventures, NxGen, Zephyrus Capital, Global Coin Research (GCR), Revelo Intel, Cogitent Ventures, MH Ventures, Meltem Demirors, Ben Lakoff, Kartik Talwar.

Rover is a decentralized liquid staking protocol for Bitcoin, operating on the Botanix Spiderchain. It allows BTC holders to stake their assets and receive rovBTC, a liquid staking derivative that maintains liquidity while earning rewards. Rover delegates staked BTC to a network of validators, ensuring decentralized security and yield generation.

Other investment rounds

HeyMint raised undisclosed amount in a M&A  funding round from Alchemy Ventures.

HeyMint is an NFT creation and community engagement platform designed to empower creators without technical expertise. It offers a suite of tools including a free NFT art generator, customizable smart contract builder, minting website, allowlist manager, and a quest-based engagement system. Supporting multiple EVM-compatible blockchains like Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, and Optimism, HeyMint has facilitated the launch of over 4,000 smart contracts and served more than 1 million users.

Stablecorp (QCAD) raised $1.8M in a  funding round from Coinbase Ventures, Side Door Ventures.

Stablecorp is a Canadian fintech company specializing in digital money infrastructure. Their flagship product, QCAD, is a fully fiat-reserved Canadian dollar stablecoin designed for on-chain foreign exchange, local and global payments, and other capital markets use cases. Stablecorp’s platform also includes tools for digital asset development, management, and compliance, aiming to provide bank-grade blockchain solutions.

Hyperdrive raised $6M in a Series A  funding round from Hack VC*, Arrington Capital*, Delphi Digital, SIG DTI (a Susquehanna International Group Company), Proof, Caladan, Amber Group, CMS Holdings, Will Price.

Hyperdrive is a decentralized stablecoin money market built on the Hyperliquid blockchain. It offers users the ability to supply and borrow stablecoins, engage in liquid staking of $HYPE tokens, and utilize HLP (Hyperliquid Liquidity Provider) tokens as collateral. The platform provides one-click yield strategies, aiming to simplify the user experience in decentralized finance (DeFi).

Roxom raised $17.9M in a  funding round from Draper Associates, Borderless Capital, Kingsway Capital, Ego Death Capital.

Roxom is a Bitcoin-denominated market platform that allows users to trade stocks, ETFs, commodities, cryptocurrencies, forex, and bonds using Bitcoin. The platform aims to revolutionize traditional finance by integrating Bitcoin as the primary currency for trading a diverse range of financial assets. Roxom provides a seamless and secure trading experience, leveraging advanced technology to facilitate transactions and manage portfolios in a decentralized and transparent manner. By offering a comprehensive suite of financial instruments, Roxom empowers users to diversify their investments and capitalize on the growing adoption of Bitcoin.

Impossible Cloud Network (ICN) raised undisclosed amount in a  funding round from NGP Capital.

Impossible Cloud Network (ICN) is a decentralized cloud platform that connects global hardware providers with cloud service developers. It leverages SLA oracle nodes and a transparent protocol-powered marketplace to deliver high-performance, scalable, and secure cloud infrastructure. ICN focuses on efficiency, programmability, and resiliency, providing an open platform for innovative cloud solutions.

Acurast raised $5.4M in a Public sale  funding round from .

Acurast is the first decentralized verifiable compute network powered by smartphones, enabling scalable, secure, and confidential application execution without relying on data centers. By transforming mobile devices into compute nodes through Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) and Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), Acurast delivers a privacy-focused, energy-efficient alternative to traditional cloud platforms. With over 65,000 compute units on its incentivized testnet, Acurast supports AI workloads, decentralized VPNs, and secure data processing, redefining how the world accesses and utilizes computing power.

Plasma raised undisclosed amount in a  funding round from Founders fund.

Plasma is a high-throughput, zero-fee payment platform built on Bitcoin. It enables USD₮ transfers with no fees and supports over 1,000 transactions per second, leveraging Bitcoin’s security. Plasma introduces a novel Nakamoto PoS consensus mechanism and a hybrid UTXO/Account architecture, allowing developers to build and execute modular smart contracts. The platform is designed to enhance Bitcoin’s utility for payments and decentralized applications with scalable, low-latency solutions.

XNET Foundation raised undisclosed amount in a  funding round from Alpha Sigma Capital.

XNET is a decentralized wireless network (DeWi) that integrates blockchain technology to enhance mobile connectivity. Operating on the Solana blockchain, XNET utilizes a network of enterprise-grade Wi-Fi and CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) nodes deployed by individuals and businesses. These nodes provide seamless Hotspot 2.0 Wi-Fi offload, enabling mobile network operators (MNOs) and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) to offload data traffic efficiently. Node operators are rewarded with $XNET tokens based on factors like uptime, data throughput, and location.

Astar Network raised undisclosed amount in a  funding round from Animoca Brands.

Astar Network is a multichain smart contract platform designed to bridge the Polkadot and Ethereum ecosystems. It supports both Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and WebAssembly (Wasm) environments, enabling developers to build interoperable decentralized applications (dApps). Astar’s unique Cross-Virtual Machine (XVM) facilitates seamless interaction between EVM and Wasm smart contracts. The platform incentivizes developers through its Build2Earn program and allows users to stake ASTR tokens to support dApps via dApp staking. Astar also integrates with Soneium, an Ethereum Layer 2 solution developed by Sony, to enhance scalability and foster Web3 adoption in Japan and beyond.

VOYA Games (Craft World) raised $5M in a  funding round from 1kx*, Makers Fund*, RockawayX, Sebastien Borget, Jeffrey Zirlin.

VOYA Games is a Berlin-based Web3 gaming studio that focuses on developing accessible, fun-first blockchain games that empower players through ownership and participation. Their debut title, Craft World, is a casual resource management game where players collaborate with friendly dinosaurs to rebuild civilization post-apocalypse. Craft World serves as the foundation for VOYA’s interconnected gaming ecosystem, unified by the Dyno Coin utility token.

Tokeny raised undisclosed amount in a M&A  funding round from Apex Group.

Tokeny is an enterprise-grade platform enabling financial institutions to issue, manage, and distribute tokenized securities across public and private blockchains. Built on the ERC-3643 standard, it ensures full on-chain compliance, automates KYC/AML onboarding, and facilitates asset lifecycle management. The platform supports a variety of asset classes including real estate, funds, and private equity, while offering white-label solutions and seamless legacy system integration.

Slash raised $41M in a Series B  funding round from Goodwater Capital*.

Slash is a verticalized neo-banking platform built for online businesses, offering tailored financial tools like checking accounts, virtual and physical cards with cashback, ACH/wire transfers, and integrations with major accounting software. It enables multiple users, real-time account segmentation, and seamless crypto-fiat management—catering to sectors like performance marketing, e-commerce, and crypto-native firms. Unlike broad fintech competitors, Slash focuses on niche use cases, delivering high-efficiency financial services without traditional banking overhead.

TrueX raised $11M in a Series A  funding round from Accomplice Blockchain*, RRE Ventures*, Reciprocal Ventures, Variant Fund, PayPal Ventures.

TrueX is a non-custodial, stablecoin-native cryptocurrency exchange offering advanced trading technology for modern traders. With a proprietary matching engine and stablecoin settlements (PYUSD), TrueX ensures secure and efficient transactions. The platform leverages external custodians like Paxos Custody for asset protection and provides advanced APIs for customizable trading strategies. Offering markets and liquidity as a service globally, TrueX is designed for traders seeking robust liquidity, seamless trade execution, and heightened security.

ClaimLink raised undisclosed amount in a M&A  funding round from Origyn.

ClaimLink is a decentralized NFT and token distribution platform built on the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP). It enables creators, brands, and event organizers to mint and distribute digital assets through claimable links, QR codes, and bulk dispensers, eliminating gas fees and simplifying user onboarding. ClaimLink integrates with ICP-native wallets like Plug and NFID, offering a frictionless Web2-like experience while maintaining Web3 ownership principles.

Bitlayer raised undisclosed amount in a  funding round from MN Capital.

Bitlayer introduces itself as the first Bitcoin security-equivalent Layer 2 solution, built upon BitVM. This innovative platform envisions shaping the future of the Bitcoin ecosystem with its key pillar solutions, aiming to enhance scalability, efficiency, and security for Bitcoin transactions. Bitlayer seeks to empower developers and users within the Bitcoin community by providing advanced infrastructure for the decentralized web.

* fund, that lead investment round