The crypto market just posted one of its most impressive fundraising weeks of the year. Between July 20 and 26, over $1 billion poured into 17 crypto and Web3 projects, signaling a strong return of investor confidence especially in infrastructure and AI-focused startups.
From blockchain data tools to AI-integrated platforms and tokenized collectibles, the latest funding trends suggest that investors are putting serious money behind foundational tools and next-generation blockchain applications.
Top Deals of the Week
Satsuma Tops the Charts with $135M Raise
At the top of the leaderboard is Satsuma, a blockchain indexing platform that pulled in a whopping $135 million in an undisclosed round. This brings its total funding to $140 million. The raise underscores growing demand for tools that make blockchain data more accessible and actionable.
QCEX Acquired for $112M in Major M&A Move
Meanwhile, QCEX, a CFTC-licensed derivatives exchange, secured $112 million through an M&A deal with Polymarket. This marks one of the biggest acquisition moves of the year and signals ongoing consolidation in the crypto derivatives space.
Notable Mid-Tier Raises
- Courtyard – Raised $30 million in a Series A led by Forerunner Ventures, NEA, and Combinator. It’s building a marketplace for tokenized physical collectibles—a growing niche that blends NFTs with real-world value.
- Bitzero – An infrastructure firm that secured $25 million in an undisclosed round.
- Lightyear – A global investment platform enabling access to international stocks, closed a $23 million Series B with backing from NordicNinja, Lightspeed, and Metaplanet.
- xTAO – Raised $22.8 million in an unknown round, supported by Digital Currency Group, Animoca Brands, and Falcon X. The project’s focus on AI and Web3 caught investor attention.
Smaller Rounds Worth Watching
Several early-stage projects also gained traction:
- Soluna – $20M
- Poseidon – $15M (Seed)
- Capital B (formerly The Blockchain Group) – $12.05M
- DSRV – $11.6M (Series B)
- Gaia – $10M (Series A)
- Freename – $6.5M (Series A)
- Questflow – $6.5M (Seed)
- Delabs Games – $5.2M (Series A)
- Quack AI – $3.6M
- Syntetika – $2.5M (Pre-seed)
- Bloom Labs Ltd – $1.6M (Pre-seed)
Key Takeaway: Infrastructure + AI = Investor Magnet
A clear theme has emerged: infrastructure tools and AI integrations are dominating the funding landscape. More than half of this week’s deals involved projects that either build the core plumbing of blockchain networks or are experimenting with AI-powered solutions.
With momentum picking up and capital flowing back into the space, this week’s funding rebound could mark the beginning of a new investment cycle fueled by utility, scalability, and smarter Web3 tools.
