The crypto venture capital scene remained strong this week, with funding activity from May 18 to May 24 surpassing $307.5 million. A significant portion of the capital flowed into financial services, banking solutions, and DeFi innovations. Leading the pack was Worldcoin’s parent, World Foundation, which raised a staggering $135 million to continue its push toward decentralized identity verification.
Here’s a breakdown of the week’s most notable fundraising events.
1. World Foundation – $135 Million
Lead Investors: a16z crypto, Bain Capital Crypto, Selini
Total Raised to Date: $375 million
On May 21, World Foundation announced its $135 million funding round aimed at scaling World ID, its iris-based digital identity system. The funds will help strengthen Worldcoin’s decentralized identity infrastructure as it works to onboard millions of users worldwide. The investment comes as privacy and biometric ID solutions become increasingly central to Web3’s long-term vision.
2. Slash – $41 Million
Funding Type: Series B
Valuation: $370 million (fully diluted)
Total Raised to Date: $60 million
Lead Investor: Goodwater Capital
Slash, a platform simplifying crypto payments, raised $41 million in a Series B round to boost adoption of its finance and payment tools. The funds will support product development and international expansion as Slash positions itself as a bridge between crypto and real-world transactions.
3. Catena Labs – $18 Million
Funding Type: Seed
Backers: a16z crypto, Breyer Capital, Z Ventures
Catena Labs secured $18 million in seed funding, signaling strong confidence in its early-stage DeFi research and development platform. The round also included a new undisclosed investor, adding depth to its backing. The capital will go toward product development and scaling core infrastructure.
4. Roxom – $17.9 Million
Funding Type: Unknown
Investors: Draper Associates, Borderless Capital, Kingsway Capital
Total Raised to Date: $22.2 million
Roxom, a stealth-mode project believed to be working in the blockchain infrastructure and analytics space, raised $17.9 million. While details remain limited, the quality of the investor lineup signals high expectations for future deliverables.
5. TrueX – $11 Million
Product: True Markets on Solana
Lead Investors: Accomplice, Framework Ventures, Reciprocal Ventures
Total Raised to Date: $20 million
Formed by ex-Coinbase developers, TrueX raised $11 million to launch True Markets, a stablecoin-native DeFi platform that enables real-time execution and self-custody trading. Built on Solana, the platform aims to address key inefficiencies in current DeFi markets with a focus on compliance and speed.
Smaller Yet Noteworthy Rounds (<$6 Million)
- Hyperdrive: $6 million in Series A
- Acurast: $5.4 million via Public Sale, $90M FDV
- VOYA Games (Craft World): $5 million in an unknown round
- Rover: $4.1 million in Seed round
- Stablecorp (QCAD): $1.8 million in an unknown round
- Fermi Labs: $1.2 million in pre-seed funding
Sector Insights
The week’s funding emphasized growing investor interest in identity solutions, payment infrastructure, and DeFi apps built for stability and regulation. Worldcoin’s biometrics-based system and TrueX’s stablecoin-native platform suggest a move toward scalable, compliance-friendly crypto ecosystems.
With over $300 million raised in just seven days, the momentum remains strong, signaling continued faith in Web3’s long-term roadmap—even amid broader market uncertainty.
For more weekly updates on crypto fundraising, blockchain innovation, and venture capital trends, stay connected with CryptoNewsDesk.
