Despite ongoing macro uncertainty, crypto venture capital funding showed renewed strength this week, with standout rounds for infrastructure, web3 entertainment, and developer tooling. According to Crypto Fundraising’s roundup for May 5–10, top projects like Sentora, T-Rex, and Sonic Labs collectively secured over $50 million, signaling continued investor confidence in the web3 space.
Sentora Raises $25M to Advance Institutional DeFi Access
Leading this week’s funding activity is Sentora, a newly formed institutional custody and DeFi platform resulting from a merger between IntoTheBlock and Trident Digital. The company raised $25 million in a Series A led by New Form Capital, with participation from Ripple, Tribe Capital, and others.
Sentora aims to offer compliant, scalable DeFi solutions tailored for institutional clients. By combining analytics, yield strategies, and risk management tools, the platform intends to solve key regulatory and operational barriers preventing traditional finance firms from adopting DeFi infrastructure.
T-Rex Secures $17M to Gamify Web3 Engagement
In a move highlighting growing VC interest in crypto consumer platforms, T-Rex closed a $17 million pre-seed round, backed by Portal Ventures, Framework Ventures, and Arbitrum Gaming Ventures. The web3 startup rewards users in crypto for engaging with content across social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter).
Using a browser extension and zkTLS-based tracking, T-Rex enables users to earn points convertible to crypto by interacting with “popcorn” icons that appear during videos. The platform aims to preserve user privacy while personalizing content recommendations. A public launch is expected by late summer.
Sonic Labs Nabs $10M to Build Scalable Web3 Ecosystem
Sonic Labs, a developer-centric platform built on Fantom and EVM-compatible chains, raised $10 million in a strategic round led by Galaxy. The funds will accelerate the rollout of the Sonic Mainnet, development of the $S token, and broader ecosystem expansion across DeFi, gaming, and real-world assets.
The startup is focused on delivering ultra-fast, scalable infrastructure and onboarding developers with intuitive tools for building web3 applications.
Other Notable Raises This Week
- Fleek raised an additional $7 million via a public token sale on CoinList. The project offers AI-powered influencer creation tools under a SaaS model, allowing users to subscribe to roles like “tech reviewer” or “comedian.”
- DogeOS, aiming to build an application layer for the Dogecoin network, secured $6.9 million in a round led by Polychain Capital. The platform plans to focus on X-native apps and expand in gaming, AI, and DeFi.
Projects with Smaller Rounds:
- GoQuant – $4M
- Xweave – $3M
- Alt DRX – $2.7M
- Litheum Strategic – $750K
- Xpfinance (XPF) – $200K
- MYX Finance – $180K
This week’s fundraising activity highlights a diversified appetite among crypto investors. From institutional infrastructure (Sentora) and creator economy plays (T-Rex) to high-speed developer platforms (Sonic Labs), VC attention is shifting toward projects that blend utility, scalability, and real-world use cases. As the market gradually rebounds, these rounds point to renewed optimism and the next wave of blockchain innovation.
