Crypto VC Boosts Key Sectors: $100M for Bitcoin Treasury, Securitize & More
While May might have felt like a quieter period for crypto funding compared to previous months, Crypto VC activity remained focused on strategic investments. Notable raises highlight ongoing interest in core infrastructure, particularly in areas like tokenization and decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN). This roundup covers some of the key deals that shaped the landscape last month, including significant backing for a Bitcoin treasury company and a major player in the tokenization space.
Venture Capital Flows Into Strategic Crypto Areas
The overall volume of deals may have dipped slightly, but Venture Capital firms continued to deploy capital into projects building foundational elements of the crypto ecosystem. This suggests a maturing market where investors are prioritizing long-term infrastructure and utility over speculative trends.
Major Boost for Bitcoin treasury Company
Perhaps the most significant financial news came from Twenty One Capital, a company focused on building a Bitcoin treasury. Backed by industry heavyweights like Tether, Bitfinex, and Cantor Fitzgerald, Twenty One Capital received an additional $100 million investment last month. This came as backers exercised an option to purchase convertible bonds, bringing the company’s total funding to an impressive $685 million. The company recently emerged from stealth mode with plans to acquire billions in Bitcoin and is launching a public ledger for proof of reserves, signaling transparency in its holdings.
Jump Capital Backs Tokenization Leader Securitize
The Tokenization sector continues to attract significant interest, particularly from institutional players. Jump Crypto made an undisclosed investment in Securitize, a leading tokenization platform. This investment aims to support greater institutional adoption of tokenized assets and collateral management solutions. Securitize already boasts $4 billion in onchain assets, making it the largest tokenization market. Notably, BlackRock’s USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL), which accounts for nearly $3 billion in total value locked, is tokenized by Securitize.
aZen Raises Funds for DePIN Development
Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) are another area seeing investor confidence. Decentralized computing layer aZen closed a $1.2 million seed round led by Waterdrip Capital. The funding will fuel aZen’s efforts to build DePINs specifically for AI applications, aiming to reduce reliance on traditional hardware supply chains. The platform reports strong user growth, with over 500,000 users and more than 80,000 active nodes on its DePIN testnet.
Other Notable Funding Rounds:
- **Savea:** A UK-based Tokenization company, Savea secured $2.5 million in seed funding. Led by venture studio EmergentX, the funding will support launching tokenized investment products backed by scarce physical assets like fine wine, luxury watches, and classic cars. Their platform uses the SAVW token, an ERC-20 token fully backed by assets held in reserve and secured via the DESAT network.
- **Dexari:** A self-custodial crypto wallet built on the Hyperliquid decentralized exchange, Dexari closed a $2.3 million seed round. Co-led by Prelude and Lemniscap, the funding will enhance the mobile trading app wallet and expand its developer team. The company plans future launches on major app stores.
In conclusion, while May’s Venture Capital activity might have seemed subdued on the surface, the strategic nature of the investments made in areas like Bitcoin treasury, Tokenization, and DePIN demonstrates continued confidence in the long-term growth and infrastructure development within the crypto space. These deals highlight key trends shaping the future of decentralized finance and technology.
