Data: In Q1 2026, cryptocurrency startups raised nearly $5 billion, with the market predicted to be the biggest winner
According to DL News citing DefiLlama data, cryptocurrency startups raised nearly $5 billion in the first quarter of 2026, a year-on-year decrease of 16%. However, the investment ecosystem continues to evolve, with funding shifting significantly from speculative tokens to practical sectors such as payments and trading infrastructure. Among them, the prediction market sector leads with over $1.7 billion, while payments and trading infrastructure attracted $735 million and $423 million, respectively. Top non-crypto institutions such as Sequoia Capital, Founders Fund, Bain Capital, and Alibaba are also accelerating their entry.
The top ten financing projects in Q1 are as follows: • Kalshi: $1 billion, valuation of $22 billion, led by Coatue Management, CFTC-regulated prediction market leader • Polymarket: $600 million, investment from Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), leading decentralized prediction market platform • Rain: $250 million Series C, valuation of nearly $2 billion, led by Iconiq Capital, stablecoin payment infrastructure • BitGo: $213 million, NYSE IPO, valuation of over $2 billion, crypto custody institution • Flying Tulip: $206 million, public token sale, led by DeFi architect Andre Cronje, integrating trading/lending/insurance • Whop: $200 million, Tether.
You may also like

How TradeXYZ, xStocks, and Alpaca break down the SpaceX IPO into three different strategies

Why Is BlackRock Investing $5 Billion in the SpaceX IPO?

Cryptocurrency market makers collectively seek change as it becomes increasingly difficult to make money

a16z Crypto Partner: Cash flow is the moat

Citibank releases "2030 Asset Tokenization Market Outlook": 6 major trends may create a $8.2 trillion market

The trillion-dollar valuation test: Are the three major super IPOs a celebration for tech stocks or a nightmare for the crypto market?

Morning Report | Digital Asset completes $355 million financing led by a16z Crypto; Meta completes operational separation from Manus

Morning News | CME Group launches Nasdaq Cryptocurrency Index futures; Asset management giant Janus Henderson strategically invests in Ethena

Bitcoin Layer 2 Network Botanix: Why Did We Choose to Dissolve?

Why did Oracle deliver the strongest financial report in history, yet its stock price fell?

When the P2P illicit funds from ten years ago turned into 60,000 bitcoins

Dialogue with OmenX Founder: Why does the prediction market need an evolution from "spot" to "derivatives"?

Galaxy in-depth report: Is Solana still worth paying attention to?

Young people in South Korea make a "final effort" in the epic bull market

The pricing controversy of Trade.xyz exposes the fatal weakness of Pre-IPO perpetual contracts

How much longer can Ethereum's last big buyer hold on?

World Cup 2026 Coming – WEEX Celebrates with $1M Prize Pool & Michael Owen Live

