Venture Capital

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and others led to predictions of big shifts away from centralized finance. James Wo examines why that hasn’t happened yet.

For every PayPal or Google, countless other startups from the bubble days of yore took investor money down the toilet, writes Naveen Agnihotri. What makes this AI boom any different?

India-focused accelerator Graviton has announced an initiative to help Indian Web 3.0 start-ups get up to US$50,000 in funding

Patrick Lee, who cofounded Rotten Tomatoes and PKO Investments, says the US$35 million investment company has slowed Web 3.0 investments significantly.

Several venture funds tell Forkast they have become conservative and are only investing in ‘true believers’ of Web 3.0

Asia’s cryptocurrency community is “on the path of moving on” from the FTX fiasco, following the arrest of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, said Yat Siu, cofounder and chairman of Hong Kong-based blockchain gaming studio and venture capital firm Animoca Brands.

Panelists at Forkast’s livestreamed event ‘Crypto Rising: How Top VCs Are Investing Out of Crypto Winter’ shared their thoughts on the future of the industry following FTX.

Binance Labs, the incubator and investment arm of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, said it invested an undisclosed amount in Salus Security, which provides blockchain smart contract audits and automated smart contract vulnerability detection. See related article: Binance’s US$7.5 billion woman sees plenty of promise in bear markets Fast facts Binance Labs said in a […]

Venture capital for two new investment funds from CoinFund and Shima Capital were announced, with amounts reaching US$300 million and US$200 million, respectively. See related article: New Investors and Investments Fast facts The Ventures I fund, announced Thursday by CoinFund, will focus on backing blockchain startups, including both existing portfolios and new startup teams. The […]

Pantera Capital-backed Injective Labs has raised US$40 million to be used to create blockchain optimized for financial applications, it said in a statement.  See related article: Singapore DeFi derivatives exchange SynFutures closes US$14M fund raise Fast facts The funding round was led by Jump Crypto and BH Digital, the crypto arm of hedge fund manager […]

Kim Seo-joon, head of South Korean blockchain venture capital (VC) fund Hashed, said in an interview with Bloomberg he lost most of his LUNA investments during the crash in May but is planning a third VC fund in the first half of 2023. See related article: Scarred by Terra-LUNA, South Korea moves ahead with digital […]

Binance has named cofounder Yi He as the new head of its incubator and venture capital (VC) arm Binance Labs, as the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume works to invest in “projects with the tenacity to thrive in tough market conditions.” See related article: Calling a spade a spade holds Binance’s lesser known […]

The crypto market shrugs off IMF’s predicted recession risk. Also, U.S lawmakers racing to introduce the stablecoin bill.

Venture capitalists (VCs) poured at least US$17.5 billion into the crypto and blockchain industry in the first half of this year, Reuters reported, citing PitchBook data.  See related article: Blockchain, crypto investment soars in H1 2021 Fast facts VC investments in blockchain and crypto startups topped US$26.9 billion in 2021. North American startups were at […]

KuCoin raised US$10 million from quantitative trading firm Susquehanna International Group (SIG), the crypto exchange said on Friday. See related article: How the crypto winter is laying groundwork for Web3 to reach its potential Fast facts KuCoin plans to use the funds to upgrade the platform’s infrastructure and improve product line-up, the company said.  KuCoin […]

Crypto trading volumes plummet as the crypto winter continues. Meanwhile, India calls on G20 to share information on crypto.

Following a record first half last year, investments in startups focusing on the cryptocurrency industry are down amid the so-called crypto winter, data showed.  See related article: Polkadot is top crypto held by VCs and hedge funds in Q4 2021 Fast facts Venture capital funding in crypto startups fell nearly 26% to US$9.3 billion across […]

A US Judge gave liquidators authority to lay claim to 3AC’s US-based assets. Meanwhile, Buterin defends Ethereum ahead of merge.

Lightspeed India Partners (LSIP) announced on Tuesday the closing of a US$500 million early stage fund (LSIP Fund IV) for India and Southeast Asia, as part of venture capital firm Lightspeed Venture Partners’ (LSVP) US$7.1 billion commitment. See related article: Huobi Ventures bets on DeFi and gaming in $10M GameFi fund Fast facts In addition […]

Some of Animoca Brands’ most successful investments were made during the previous crypto winter, Gen Kanai, director of strategic partnerships at the Hong Kong-based blockchain gaming studio, told Forkast. See related article: Animoca Brands investments have crossed US$1.5B Fast facts In a sit-down interview with Forkast at the IVS Crypto 2022 event held in downtown […]

Singapore investment behemoth Temasek has been in the digital asset space for several years, and it’s doubling down on its commitment, says its blockchain chief.

Binance Labs’ fundraise comes as venture capital investments face headwinds from expectations of interest rate increases. See related article: Binance’s investment in Forbes is a wake-up call for the crypto industry Fast facts See related article: Binance, a16z among investors backing Musk’s Twitter bid with US$7B

Around 42% of venture capital and hedge funds investing in crypto are betting on the success of Polkadot’s smart contracts platform, according to Messari’s fund analysis. See related article: What is Polkadot and why is it one of the hottest blockchains right now?  Fast facts Polkadot was the most commonly held altcoin in Q4 last […]

Web 3.0 blockchain developer Alchemy announced on Tuesday that it has raised an additional US$200 million, bringing its valuation to US$10.2 billion. Fast facts Led by venture capital firms Lightspeed and Silver Lake, the funding is a continuation of its Series C round launched in October where it raised US$250 million at a US$3.5 billion […]

Games like Axie Infinity are now the darlings of big investors. Does it matter that revenue is falling and many players earn less than the minimum wage?

Brinc, a Hong Kong-headquartered venture capital focused on Web 3.0, today announced that it has secured US$30 million in a Series B round and an additional US$100 million for startup investments. The funding was led by Animoca Brands — a Hong Kong-based blockchain gaming, metaverse and non-fungible token (NFT) company — to further fuel Brinc’s investment in […]

Hong Kong-based venture capital (VC) firm Chiron Partners announced Wednesday the launch of a US$50 million fund to support the Terra blockchain ecosystem. Fast facts Chiron Partners will use the fund, namely the Chiron Terra Fund I (CTI), to invest in innovative projects built on the Terra ecosystem, such as decentralized finance (DeFi) applications and […]

South Korea’s National Tax Service (NTS) recently launched an intensive tax investigation into blockchain and crypto venture capital firm Hashed, while its CEO denies any involvement in slush fund raising or tax evasion, according to local media reports. Fast facts Hashed confirmed that it had cooperated with the 4th Bureau of Investigation from the Seoul […]

Distinguished names in South Korean industry have invested in Hashed Venture Fund II to promote the Web3 ecosystem.

As interest in the metaverse continues to gain pace, big names in entertainment including Snoop Dogg, deadmau5 and Shaun Neff have joined leading crypto VC firm Outlier Ventures to invest and advise start-ups to accelerate the Open Metaverse. Fast facts Since launching its Base Camp Accelerator in 2019, Outlier Ventures has helped raise over US$250 […]

Marquee investors like Softbank and Andreessen Horowitz are heaping love on Sorare and Dapper Labs. What does this mean for the future of the non-fungible tokens sector?

VC names jump in on NFTs meanwhile crypto investors brush off Evergrande

While Delhi goes back and forth over a crypto ban, crypto’s huge growth potential in the world’s second most populous country is captivating American venture capital.

Taiwanese VC firm attracts big investors as it bets on future of region and staying-power of NFTs.

Global investment in blockchain and cryptocurrencies leapt in the first half of 2021, with US$8.7 billion raised and 548 deals sealed, according to consulting firm KMPG’s latest Pulse of Fintech H1’21 report. Fast facts Global fintech investment in H1 2021 reached US$98 billion in 2,456 deals, compared to US$121.5 billion for the whole of 2020, […]

Matrixport, a Singapore-based digital asset financial services platform, today announced the completion of a series-C funding round, bringing the company’s valuation to more than US$1 billion. Fast facts The funding round was led by partners of DST Global, C Ventures and K3 Ventures, with other investors including Qiming Venture Partners, CE Innovation Capital and Tiger […]

Chainalysis, the blockchain and cryptocurrency data analytics firm, announced today that it has raised US$100 million in a Series E funding round with a US$4.2 billion valuation. Fast facts: Headquartered in New York, Chainalysis provides blockchain-based software that enables governments and businesses to detect and prevent cryptocurrency crime and money laundering. Chainalysis’ series E round […]

Forkast.News speaks with Michael Wu, Amber Group’s co-founder and CEO, on how the crypto firm is going from $100 million to $1 billion in valuation.

Paris-based crypto hardware wallet provider Ledger announced today the completion of a US$380 million series-C fundraise.

Why do some blockchain startups prosper and others fail? A industry expert shares insights and advice for blockchain business success in 2021 and beyond.

Bank Indonesia now sees the value of stablecoins and digital currency. Here’s how a central bank-backed digital rupiah could lift the nation of 18,000 islands.

Blockchain technology is spurring more carbon credit trading while lowering costs for young investors to get involved, says Stefan Rust of Sonic Capital, in a special Forkast.News interview.

Other top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Bitcoin paper’s 12th anniversary. New Huawei phone has DCEP wallet. FDA on blockchain and food safety.

Other top crypto and blockchain news: USDC stablecoin coming to Solana blockchain. Investing in KYC/AML in India.

Other top news: OKEx cryptocurrency exchange freezes services amid police investigation. Investors bet $100 million on ‘neobank’ Razorpay in India

PwC and Crunchbase data show cryptocurrency industry M&A deals and venture capital funding already surpassing last year’s volumes, with investments shifting to Asia

Other top news: Filecoin’s mainnet set to launch. Chinese banks help DCEP digital currency get market-ready. NetEase to preserve email forevermore.

Other top news: Ant Group launches blockchain platform for cross-border trade. China makes Beijing, Hunan and Anhui into special free trade zones.

More top news: Wounded Unikr settles with SEC for $6.1 million. China’s nationwide blockchain service network launches ‘public permissioned’ chain.

Deals in mid-size firms that make up the engine of the economy were down as exits were put on pause — but fintech and broader tech sector still shine bright

More top news: OKLink offers free cryptocurrency tracker. Trade fair in China introduces blockchain ideas to 20,000 companies.

In other news: Public gets sneak peek at China’s digital currency DCEP in flash testing. US-China trade war threatens SMIC and bitcoin mining.

Also: Japan’s deputy PM Taro Aso urges greater blockchain cooperation. Inner Mongolia raises bitcoin mining costs. Fintech investments in S. Korea.

Other top news: $50 billion in cryptocurrency leaves China. Severe flooding in Sichuan destroys bitcoin mining farms. DeFi in India.

Other top news: USPS explores blockchain for voting. Coinbase offers crypto loans. Huobi launches Global DeFi Alliance.

Other top news: Teen accused of masterminding Twitter VIP hack heads to court. Huobi launches DeFi lab. Fintech VC in Singapore and Indonesia.

Other top news: China imposes standards for blockchain companies. Huobi launches digital asset custody business. Blockchain VC in the Middle East.

Other top news: China’s BSN blockchain network expands global reach. US lets major banks act as crypto custodians. VC in India and Singapore.

Other top news: InterContinental uses blockchain to prove hotel cleanliness. Beijing plans for blockchain in city services. VC in India and Israel.

Other top news: Alibaba to help Cosco deploy blockchain technology for Chinese shipping industry. Fintech investment in Saudi Arabia.

Other top news: US still dominates blockchain patents globally. First court case in China litigated with blockchain. VC in Indonesia and Singapore.

SCMP’s China Internet Report 2020 shows healthy fundraising and investment activity in tech sector despite ravages of Covid and US-China trade war.

Other top news: Chainlink embraced by China’s blockchain network. Could Justin Sun’s infamy outshine TRON 4.0? Fintech in Thailand and Singapore.

Other top news: China’s new blockchain cross-border payment platform for Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong. 5G for all in Shenzhen. Fintech VC in India.

Other top news: Chinese high schoolers cram-studying bitcoin mining. Blockchain-powered lotteries in Cambodia. Startups in India, Singapore and UAE.

Other top blockchain news: China sounds new warning against crypto. Brave browser brouhaha. Startups in Japan and Malaysia.

More top news: China exploring blockchain to cure gaming addiction. LG joins Hedera Hashgraph. Startups in Japan, Singapore and the Philippines.

More top news: China pours billions into blockchain and other infrastructure. Ant Financial’s new smart contracts. VC in Singapore and India.

Other top news: Fintech-friendly policies for Hong Kong-Shenzhen bay area. China makes blockchain jobs more respectable. VC in Singapore and S. Korea.

Other top news: TRON snags Covid aid. Free Telegram Open Network. China builds tech talent database. Bitmain’s civil war. Another win for Ripple.

In an interview with Forkast.News, the billionaire venture capitalist also discusses globalism, regulatory arbitrage, the future of healthcare and why he thinks bitcoin is king.

Other top news: IBM’s Covid medical supply network. China now has over 1,000 blockchain firms. Startups in Japan, India and Singapore.