Overview of Global Blockchain Investment and Financing Last Week

According to statistics, last week (7.14-7.20) there were a total of 11 investment and financing events in the global blockchain field, with a total funding scale exceeding 107 million USD. The financing situation in various fields is as follows:

• In the DeFi sector: Tokenized money market fund platform Spiko has completed a $22 million Series A funding.

• Two events in the Web3 gaming sector: Among them, the Web3 fantasy football game Football.Fun completed a $2 million financing.

• Web3+AI field together: XerpaAI completes $6 million seed round financing.

• 5 events in the infrastructure and tools sector: Among them, the decentralized messaging protocol XMTP completed a $20 million Series B financing.

• Other application areas: The blockchain-based travel platform Blockskye has completed a $15.8 million Series C funding.

• In the field of centralized finance: Stablecoin bank Dakota, founded by former Coinbase executives, has completed a $12.5 million Series A funding.

In addition, the total amount of financing for the cryptographic asset reserves of listed companies exceeds $635 million.

DeFi

The tokenized money market fund platform Spiko has completed a $22 million Series A financing. The platform focuses on providing tokenized money market fund services for European enterprises, allowing users to earn daily returns by investing in low-risk assets such as Eurozone and U.S. Treasury bonds. The platform utilizes blockchain technologies like Ethereum and Arbitrum, and has currently processed over $900 million in liquidity. The company plans to collaborate with multiple institutions, aiming to exceed $1 billion in assets under management by 2025.

A decentralized derivatives exchange has completed the acquisition of the crypto social trading platform Pocket Protector, marking its first external acquisition. The transaction was completed in a cash + token combination, with the specific amount undisclosed. The two co-founders of Pocket Protector will join the exchange as President and Head of Growth, respectively, and their developed Telegram trading bot along with a technical team of 9 will be integrated into the exchange. Pocket Protector was founded last year and has raised $7 million from multiple investors.

Web3 Games

The Web3 fantasy football game Football.Fun has completed a $2 million funding round. This platform is a Web3 fantasy football platform where player cards can be traded like meme coins. Users can build teams using player card packs, participate in tournaments, and trade player shares through a dynamic market based on AMM.

The global mini-game platform PlaysOut has secured a new round of strategic financing. This round of financing will mainly be used to promote the deep implementation of the "Mini-Game 2.0" model in technology and ecology. PlaysOut is a global mini-game infrastructure and distribution platform aimed at embedding modular game systems into super applications. It will build a bridge between web2 and web3 through mini-games, achieving seamless monetization, user growth, and cross-ecosystem expansion.

AI

The artificial intelligence growth platform XerpaAI has completed a $6 million seed round financing. The funds will be used for product innovation, international expansion, and strategic hiring. XerpaAI, centered on AI and social networks, is committed to enhancing user acquisition, brand influence, and distribution efficiency for innovative enterprises in the Web3 and AI fields. Currently, XerpaAI has operational teams in Silicon Valley, Tokyo, and Singapore, and has engaged in deep collaboration with important ecosystem partners in the Blockchain and AI industries.

Infrastructure and Tools

The decentralized messaging protocol XMTP developed by the company Ephemera has completed a $20 million Series B funding round. After this round of financing, Ephemera's equity valuation stands at $300 million, while the broader network encompassing the token issuance of the XMTP protocol is valued at $750 million.

The XMTP protocol has now been integrated into a newly launched application by a certain exchange, upgrading from an optional feature to a core infrastructure. This protocol provides end-to-end encrypted communication services, allowing secure interactions between wallet addresses. The testnet was launched in February this year. Ephemera stated that it will expand its team size to promote the mainnet launch of the protocol and ecosystem development.

The privacy finance protocol AI Cross Matrix (ACM) has completed a $12 million seed round financing. ACM utilizes ZKP (Zero-Knowledge Proof), ring signatures, and AI-based routing obfuscation technology, aiming to build a tracking-resistant cross-chain asset transfer infrastructure.

The crypto infrastructure company Function(, formerly Ignition), has completed a $10 million seed round funding. The company is dedicated to developing institutional-grade yield solutions for Bitcoin. Function's core product FBTC is a fully reserved, composable Bitcoin derivative asset, with a total value locked (TVL) reaching $1.5 billion. This product allows institutional users to allocate Bitcoin to yield scenarios while maintaining custody control and a 1:1 asset backing.

Web3 smart layer W3.io has completed a $7 million seed round financing. The alliance is building a programmable smart automation network called Prodigy Network, aimed at lowering the barriers for enterprises to use Blockchain technology. The CEO of W3.io stated that the project is committed to developing plug-and-play business solutions that cover scenarios such as global micropayments and mortgages.

The stablecoin payment and embedded financial services platform KUN has announced the completion of its Series A financing, with a total accumulated financing amount exceeding 50 million USD.

Other Applications

The blockchain-based travel platform Blockskye has completed a $15.8 million Series C funding round. This round of financing will be used to expand into the European, Latin American, and Asian markets, as well as to develop real-time payment products based on stablecoins. Blockskye directly connects with suppliers such as airlines through blockchain technology, helping corporate clients reduce travel costs. The company claims its platform can reduce travel expenses by 14.5% and achieve an 84% savings in agency fees. Currently, the team consists of more than 40 people, with plans to add 30 positions in technology, sales, and other areas.

Centralized Finance

Stablecoin bank Dakota, founded by former Coinbase executive Ryan Bozarth, has completed a $12.5 million Series A financing. Dakota enables fund transfers through stablecoins, providing bank-like account services for businesses and individuals. Its business model combines traditional banking functions with Blockchain technology, primarily serving overseas corporate clients in non-crypto sectors. The platform has processed $1.6 billion in transaction volume and is expected to reach $4 billion by the end of 2025. Although it does not hold a banking license, the company is registered as a money service business in the United States and Europe.