Highlights of this issue
According to incomplete statistics from PANews, there were 20 investment and financing events in the global blockchain last week (September 15-21), with a total funding amount exceeding US$430 million, including 6 acquisitions. In addition, the total amount of financing for listed companies' crypto asset reserves exceeded US$1.95 billion. The following is an overview:
- DeFi announced four investment and financing events, among which the hybrid decentralized exchange GRVT completed a US$19 million Series A financing round, led by ZKsync and Further Ventures;
- The Web3 gaming track announced one investment and financing event: Web3 action role-playing game RuneSoul completed a new round of financing of US$4 million, led by Bitgo Capital;
- The Infrastructure & Tools sector announced seven investment and financing events, including Web3 smartphone maker Nothing, which completed a $200 million Series C funding round at a $1.3 billion valuation, led by Tiger Global.
- The centralized finance sector announced six investment and financing events, including the wealth management platform Finary, which announced the completion of a €25 million Series B financing round led by PayPal Ventures;
- In other Web3 applications, two investment and financing events were announced. Among them, Metaplanet strategically acquired the Bitcoin.jp domain name and established two new subsidiaries.
- In addition, three listed companies have completed financing to establish crypto treasuries. Among them, Helius has cooperated with Pantera Capital and others to raise more than US$500 million and will launch the SOL treasury company.
DeFi
GRVT, a hybrid decentralized exchange based on Ethereum's scaling layer ZKsync, has completed a $19 million Series A funding round led by ZKsync and Further Ventures, with participation from EigenCloud and 500 Global. The new funding will help GRVT expand its product offerings to include cross-exchange vaults and cross-chain interoperability, and plans to leverage EigenDA's programmable privacy features. GRVT combines the user experience and regulatory compliance of a centralized exchange (CEX) with the self-custody features of a decentralized exchange (DEX). Its mainnet alpha version, launched on ZKsync in late 2024, has expanded its trading offerings from perpetual cryptocurrency contracts to spot and options. GRVT is currently applying for operating licenses in multiple jurisdictions, having already obtained a VASP license in Lithuania in 2023. Previously, GRVT raised approximately $14.3 million through multiple funding rounds, including $2.2 million in a private token sale in March 2024.
DEX aggregator Titan completes $7 million seed round led by Galaxy Ventures
Titan, the Solana ecosystem's meta-DEX aggregator, announced the completion of a $7 million seed round led by Galaxy Ventures, with participation from Frictionless, Mirana, Ergonia, Auros, Susquehanna, and several angel investors. Titan stated, "This funding will accelerate Titan's progress in building a comprehensive portal to the internet capital markets, designed for traders seeking superior trade execution on Solana." Titan has officially exited its private beta phase and is now publicly available on the titan.exchange platform. Titan also launched the Titan Prime API, a meta-aggregator application programming interface that compares quotes from leading Solana routing tools, including Titan's proprietary Argos algorithm.
Tokenized Stock and ETF Platform SHIFT Completes Seed Round, Led by SNZ Holding
SHIFT, a tokenized stock and ETF platform, announced the completion of its seed round, led by SNZ Holding. SHIFT stated that SNZ Holding will help it promote the integration of traditional financial assets with DeFi liquidity.
Sonic Labs Announces Investment in Institutional-Grade RWA Service Provider FinChain
Sonic Labs announced an investment in FinChain, an institutional-grade RWA service provider, to accelerate its strategic goal of becoming the future financial settlement layer. Through this partnership, Sonic will support RWA issuance, institutional-grade settlement channels, and compatibility with DeFi, further expanding the market application of on-chain real assets (RWA).
Web3 Games
Web3 action role-playing game RuneSoul completes $4 million in new round of financing
RuneSoul, a Web3 action role-playing game, has secured $4 million in a new funding round led by Bitgo Capital, with participation from AccelByte and IGC Global P2E Guild. RuneSoul is a 3D card-based action role-playing game that combines real-time strategy with immersive storytelling. Integrating elements of GameFi and SocialFi, RuneSoul allows players to own in-game assets, trade them on the NFT marketplace, and earn tokens through gameplay.
AI
Figure, a humanoid AI company, announced it has secured over $1 billion in funding, bringing its latest post-money valuation to $39 billion. This round was led by Parkway Venture Capital, with participation from NVIDIA, Intel Capital, and LG. The funds will be used to advance the mass production of robots with human-like intelligence, build GPU infrastructure, and support the Helix data acquisition project.
(This round of financing is not included in the statistics of this issue's financing weekly report)
Nvidia to invest £500 million in AI infrastructure firm Nscale, a spin-off of a crypto mining firm
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang revealed that Nvidia will invest £500 million (approximately $683 million) in Nscale, stating that Nscale will be part of an AI infrastructure initiative valued at up to £11 billion. Nscale, a UK data center company spun out from Arkon Energy, a crypto mining company, is reportedly only 16 months old. Nscale is one of a new generation of "neo-cloud" companies that operate and lease capacity in data centers designed specifically for AI and other data-intensive workloads, and has established partnerships with companies such as Microsoft and OpenAI.
(This round of financing is not included in the statistics of this issue's financing weekly report)
Infrastructure & Tools
Nothing, the Web3 smartphone maker, announced the completion of a $200 million Series C funding round at a $1.3 billion valuation. The company previously partnered with Polygon to launch the blockchain-powered Nothing Phone . Tiger Global led the round, with participation from existing investors including GV, Highland Europe, EQT, Latitude, I2BF, and Tapestry. This new funding brings Nothing's total raised to over $450 million. Founder Carl Pei stated, "This marks the beginning of a new chapter for us: from building the only emerging smartphone company of the past decade to building a hardware-software-integrated AI-native platform." The company plans to launch its first AI-native devices next year.
Mavryk Network, a public layer-1 blockchain, announced the completion of a $10 million strategic funding round led by MultiBank Group. The funding will be used to advance its collaboration with MultiBank to bring over $10 billion of UAE real estate assets onto blockchain. The project, powered by a multi-party computing wallet provided by digital asset custodian Fireblocks, will allow investors to trade and stake real estate tokens on the Mavryk platform without having to manage their own private keys.
Bitlight Labs announced the completion of a $9.6 million Pre-A Series A funding round led by Amber Group and Fundamental Labs, with participation from UOB Venture Management, Signum Capital, ArkStream Capital, Side Door VC, Outliers Fund, Taisu Ventures, HV Capital, SuDo Research, and Gate Ventures. The funding will be used to develop a production-grade integration of the RGB protocol and the Lightning Network, aiming to build a low-fee settlement system for Bitcoin-native stablecoins to serve the wallet and merchant ecosystem. Bitlight Labs stated its commitment to continuing to promote the intelligent development of Bitcoin, the Lightning Network, and the RGB protocol.
Openverse Completes $8 Million Series B Funding, with Participation from Bright Capital and Others
Openverse, a Layer 0 blockchain infrastructure platform, announced the completion of an $8 million strategic Series B funding round from investors including Bright Capital, KC International, Innovation Engine, Go2Mars Labs, Becker Ventures, Gaea Ventures, and several global family offices. This round brings Openverse's total funding to $19 million. Openverse is developing the next-generation Layer 0 value internet, focusing on bridgeless cross-chain interoperability, a standardized RWA framework, multi-chain native payments, and Bitgold (BTG) value anchoring.
Miami-based Senpi, a cryptocurrency wallet developer, recently closed a $4 million seed round led by Lemniscap and Coinbase Ventures. The funds will be used to expand the platform's reach and further develop its AI capabilities. In addition to autonomous trading, Senpi also offers copy trading, customizable strategies, real-time profit and loss tracking, market sentiment analysis, and risk management tools. Senpi utilizes a non-custodial design, ensuring users maintain full control of their private keys.
Epoch Protocol, a Web3 intent-resolver and coordination layer, announced the completion of a $1.2 million Pre-Seed funding round, with participation from L2 Iterative Ventures, Alphemy Capital, G20 Group, LongHash Ventures, and several angel investors. Epoch is committed to building an intent-based coordination layer to simplify the Web3 experience—transforming fragmented chains, tokens, and protocols into seamless, intent-driven interactions.
Paxos announced the acquisition of NucleusEarn and the formation of a new division, Paxos Labs, co-founded by Chunda, Jun Kim, and Bhau. Paxos Labs will provide businesses with on-chain financial infrastructure, supporting a wide range of crypto-financial services, from stablecoin issuance to regulated money markets.
other
Consumer entertainment:
LimeWire acquires Fyre Festival brand, plans crypto reboot in 2026
LimeWire has acquired the Fyre Festival brand and plans to restart the music festival in 2026 by integrating LMWR tokens and providing NFT redemption for original ticket holders, promoting the brand's cryptocurrency-driven return.
Media Activities:
Metaplanet Strategically Acquires Bitcoin.jp Domain Name and Establishes Two New Subsidiaries
Metaplanet announced that it has strategically acquired the Bitcoin-related domain "Bitcoin.jp" and established a wholly-owned subsidiary, "Bitcoin Japan Co., Ltd." The subsidiary will be responsible for operating Bitcoin-related media, events, and services, including Bitcoin.jp, Bitcoin Magazine Japan, and the future Bitcoin Japan Conference. Additionally, Metaplanet has established a new US subsidiary, "Metaplanet Income Corp.", focused on Bitcoin income and related derivatives trading. Metaplanet stated that this domain acquisition and subsidiary establishment will enhance operational transparency and profitability, provide significant support for its Bitcoin ecosystem development, and further strengthen its competitiveness in the global Bitcoin market.
Crypto asset reserves: ( not included in this issue's financing weekly report statistics )
Forward Industries spends $1.58 billion to purchase more than 6.82 million SOL
Forward Industries announced that it has purchased 6,822,000 Solana (SOL) tokens at an average price of $232 per token, for a total of approximately $1.58 billion. This transaction represents the first deployment of the company's $1.65 billion PIPE financing led by Galaxy Digital, Jump Crypto, and Multicoin Capital. All of the SOL purchased by Forward Industries has been staked, with some transactions conducted through DFlow, the Solana on-chain platform. The company plans to increase the value of its SOL tokens per share through active management and on-chain operations.
Helius (NASDAQ: HSDT) announced that it has secured over $500 million in private equity funding in partnership with Pantera Capital, Summer Capital, and Newfire Technology. The company plans to use Solana (SOL) as its primary reserve asset to drive the development of the Solana ecosystem. The funding includes common stock and prepaid warrants with an exercise price of $10.134 and a three-year validity period. Helius will use the proceeds to purchase Solana and develop digital asset reserve operations. It will subsequently evaluate DeFi opportunities such as staking and lending, maintaining robust risk management. The company's shares will continue to trade on the Nasdaq. According to Newfire Technology (1611.HK), a Hong Kong-listed company, Newfire invested $10 million in Helius (HSDT)'s private placement to support its strategic transformation.
GD Culture Group Limited (NASDAQ: GDC) announced that it has signed a share exchange agreement on September 10, 2025, to acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Pallas Capital. Upon completion of the transaction, the company will issue 39,189,344 shares of common stock and acquire all of the assets of Pallas Capital, including 7,500 bitcoins, free of all encumbrances.
Caliber (NASDAQ: CWD) announced that it has entered into a securities purchase agreement with institutional investors to issue 15,868 shares of Series B convertible preferred stock at $1,000 per share, raising approximately $15.9 million in total financing. The preferred stock, convertible into common stock at $250 per share, has no voting rights or dividends and ranks higher than Class A and B common stock but lower than Series A and AA preferred stock. The company has also filed a supplemental offering with the SEC, launching an ATM offering program with an initial available quota of approximately $10.3 million. The funds will be used to support its digital asset strategy, including the continued accumulation of Chainlink (LINK) tokens.
Centralized Finance
IG Group acquires 70% stake in Australian crypto exchange Independent Reserve for $72.4 million
Online trading platform IG Group has acquired a majority stake in Australian cryptocurrency exchange Independent Reserve for US$72.4 million. The move aims to strengthen its position in the rapidly growing crypto market in the Asia-Pacific region and complement its recent crypto operations in the UK and the US. IG Group will initially acquire a 70% stake in Independent Reserve, with an option to acquire the remaining 30% in the future based on performance. The transaction is expected to close in early 2026 for a total of US$117.6 million. Independent Reserve is one of Australia's first regulated crypto trading platforms, supporting 34 cryptocurrencies across the Australian and Singaporean markets. The platform generated US$23.3 million in revenue for the fiscal year ending June 2025, an 88% year-on-year increase, with monthly active users increasing by 60% and total assets under custody reaching US$1.12 billion. IG Group expects the acquisition to be accretive to its earnings starting in fiscal 2027.
Keyrock acquires Turing Capital for $27.8 million, expanding its digital asset management business
Keyrock, a provider of digital asset trading infrastructure, announced the acquisition of Luxembourg-based alternative investment fund manager Turing Capital for $27.8 million, establishing an asset and wealth management division. Turing Capital CEO Jorge Schnura will lead the new division and join Keyrock's leadership team. The acquisition aims to strengthen Keyrock's investment services for institutional and high-net-worth clients, encompassing liquidity provision, long-term investing, and on-chain asset management. Keyrock has also recently expanded its operations in the United States and plans to apply for an investment advisory license under the EU's MiCA regulation.
Finary Completes €25 Million Series B Funding, Led by PayPal Ventures
Finary, a wealth management platform, announced the completion of a €25 million Series B funding round led by PayPal Ventures, with participation from LocalGlobe, Hedosophia, Shapers, and existing investors Y Combinator and Speedinvest. Finary plans to leverage AI technology to create an automated and personalized wealth management platform. It will also launch new products such as brokerage accounts, investment accounts (PEAs), and retirement accounts (PERs), and expand into more European markets. Finary currently has over 600,000 users and aims to achieve profitability in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Kredete Completes $22 Million Series A Funding, Led by AfricInvest
Kredete, an African fintech company, announced the completion of a $22 million Series A funding round led by AfricInvest through its Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund (CAIF) and Financial Inclusion Vehicles (FIVE), with participation from Partech and Polymorphic Capital. This round brings Kredete's total funding to $24.75 million. Kredete is dedicated to helping African immigrants improve their credit histories through stablecoin payments and credit-building services, with plans to expand to Canada, the UK, and Europe. The company will launch new features such as Africa's first stablecoin credit card, rental credit reports, and credit savings programs. It will also build a bank and wallet aggregation API covering 41 countries to facilitate secure and low-cost cross-border payments for businesses. Kredete currently has over 700,000 monthly active users, has remitted $500 million, and has seen its users' US credit scores increase by an average of 58 points.
Stablecore announced the completion of a $20 million funding round from investors including Norwest, Coinbase Ventures, Curql, and BankTech Ventures. Stablecore provides stablecoin, tokenized deposit, and digital asset solutions to community and regional banks and credit unions in the United States, with a platform that seamlessly integrates with existing banking systems. The company stated that the funds will be used to expand its client base and team size, and to help traditional financial institutions develop digital asset-related businesses.
MoonPay acquires crypto payments startup Meso Network, adding former PayPal and Venmo executives
MoonPay Inc. has acquired cryptocurrency payments startup Meso Network, moving toward building a global payments network supporting both crypto and fiat currencies, placing it in direct competition with Circle Internet Group Inc. and Visa Inc. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. CEO Ivan Soto-Wright stated that the acquisition will improve support for the U.S. banking system and optimize the developer platform to facilitate product integration. Meso co-founders Ali Aghareza and Ben Mills, who previously worked at PayPal's Braintree division and Venmo, will serve as MoonPay's chief technology officer and senior vice president of product, respectively. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that MoonPay is in talks with investors for a new round of funding, with its valuation expected to increase from $3.4 billion in 2021. A spokesperson declined to comment. The acquisition of Meso Network is reportedly MoonPay's fourth acquisition this year, following its acquisitions of Iron, Helio, and the unannounced Decent.xyz.
