The crypto venture capital landscape has made a decisive pivot back to Bitcoin, driven largely by its growing success as an institutional asset.
As Cointelegraph reported, the emerging Bitcoin (BTC) DeFi sector attracted $175 million across 32 VC deals in the first half of the year. At the same time, Bitcoin treasury companies are injecting billions into the market by acquiring BTC for long-term strategic reserves.
Beyond Bitcoin, several recurring VC themes remained prominent in July. Investors continued to back startups in tokenization, stablecoin infrastructure and settlement technology.
This edition of VC Roundup looks beyond Bitcoin to explore the broader trends shaping crypto venture capital in July.
Inveniam partners with Mantra to drive institutional RWA adoption in the UAE and US
Decentralized data infrastructure provider Inveniam Capital has invested $20 million in layer-1 blockchain Mantra to bring institutional-grade real-world assets (RWAs) to the blockchain, complete with asset reporting and surveillance.
The companies say the partnership could significantly boost total value locked (TVL) on Mantra Chain and promote compliant tokenization at a time when RWA adoption is expanding rapidly.
As part of the deal, Inveniam will integrate data sovereignty and asset surveillance capabilities into the Mantra blockchain, enabling more advanced DeFi applications and regulatory-grade transparency.
The partnership aims to expand institutional access to RWA ecosystems in both the United States and the United Arab Emirates. Inveniam cited industry research projecting the RWA market could reach a $18.9 trillion valuation within a decade, according to Boston Consulting Group. Other estimates suggest the opportunity could be as high as $30 trillion as more traditional financial institutions enter the space.
Related: VC Roundup: DeFi, AI, hybrid exchanges showcase resilient month for crypto
Tether-focused Stable blockchain raises $28 million to drive USDt adoption
Stable, a layer-1 blockchain network built around Tether’s USDt (USDT), has raised $28 million in a seed funding round to expand its infrastructure and accelerate global USDt adoption. The raise comes amid growing regulatory clarity for dollar-backed stablecoins.
The round attracted backing from a range of prominent investors, including Bitfinex, Hack VC, Franklin Templeton, Castle Island Ventures, Susquehanna Crypto, KuCoin Ventures and several angel investors.
Billed as a “stablechain,” Stable is designed to prioritize payment simplicity and instant transactions. The project cited the recent passage of the US GENIUS Act as a key regulatory milestone supporting stablecoin growth, particularly in payments infrastructure.
Related: GENIUS Act scrutinized for stablecoin yield ban as TradFi tokenization gains steam
Spiko raises $22 million to expand access to tokenized assets
French fintech Spiko, known for offering tokenized US and EU T-Bill Money Market Funds to European investors, has raised $22 million in a Series A funding round led by Index Ventures, with participation from White Star Capital, Blockwall and others.
The fresh capital will support Spiko’s mission to broaden access to tokenized money markets and help close the gap between Europe and the US in digital asset adoption. To date, Spiko has processed over $900 million in working capital, with assets under management expected to surpass $1 billion by year-end.
Stablecoin banking startup closes $12.5 million Series A
Dakota, a business banking platform built on stablecoin infrastructure, has raised $12.5 million in a Series A round led by CoinFund, with additional backing from 6th Man Ventures and Triton Ventures.
Founded by former Coinbase Custody CEO Ryan Bozarth, Dakota aims to deliver global banking services powered by digital dollars, promising faster payments and more efficient cross-border transactions. The platform has already onboarded over 500 businesses leveraging stablecoin technology behind the scenes.
The raise comes as global stablecoin market capitalization hits $268 billion, with expectations for accelerated growth driven by the recently passed GENIUS bill.
Breyer Capital leads $5 million Jarsy raise
Digital investment platform Jarsy has raised $5 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Breyer Capital, with participation from Mysten Labs, Eigenlayer, MoonPay, Anchorage Digital and other venture capital backers.
Jarsy offers retail investors access to pre-IPO private equity markets through tokenized shares, with a low minimum investment starting at just $10. These tokenized equity opportunities are fully backed by real shares held in custody. Users can fund their investments using stablecoins such as USDC (USDC).
The funding will be used to scale Jarsy’s product offering, focusing on enhancing global compliance and expanding its curated selection of private equity opportunities.
BridgePort secures $3.2 million in funding to expand settlement network
Off-exchange settlement layer BridgePort has raised $3.2 million in seed funding led by Further Ventures, with participation from Virtu, XBTO, Blockchain Founders, Humla Ventures and Fun Fair Ventures.
BridgePort provides middleware that connects crypto exchanges, trading firms, and custodians to improve capital allocation and settlement efficiency. The platform is now live on Amazon Web Services and is actively onboarding exchanges and custodians to expand its settlement network.
Magazine: How Ethereum treasury companies could spark ‘DeFi Summer 2.0’
