Financing Weekly | 15 Public Financing Events, Paxos Labs Completes $12 Million Financing Led by Blockchain Capital

marsbitPublished on 2026-04-20Last updated on 2026-04-20

Abstract

Last week (April 13-19) saw 15 blockchain funding rounds totaling over $165 million. Key deals include Paxos Labs raising $12 million led by Blockchain Capital to build DeFi infrastructure for stablecoin issuance and lending. In AI+Web3, OpenGradient secured $9.5 million for its verifiable AI compute network. DeFi highlights include Brix's $5.5 million raise for emerging market asset tokenization and Votre's $3.75 million seed round for its on-chain crypto lending platform. In centralized finance, digital banking platform Slash closed a $100 million Series C. Prediction market platform Pumpcade raised $5 million, backed by Jump Crypto. Additionally, DePIN project SHARE completed a seed round led by Greenfield Capital.

Highlights of This Issue

According to incomplete statistics from PANews, there were 15 investment and financing events in the global blockchain sector last week (4.13-4.19), with a total funding scale exceeding $165 million. The overview is as follows:

The DeFi track announced 4 investment and financing events, among which Brix completed a $5.5 million financing, with investors including FRWRD, a subsidiary of Turkish bank Yapı Kredi, etc.;
The AI+Web3 sector announced 4 investment and financing events, among which OpenGradient announced it has raised a total of $9.5 million, with investors including a16z crypto;
The Infrastructure & Tools track announced 2 investment and financing events, among which Paxos Labs completed a $12 million financing led by Blockchain Capital;
The Centralized Finance field announced 2 investment and financing events, among which the digital banking platform Slash completed a $100 million Series C financing led by Ribbit Capital;
The Prediction Market track announced 2 investment and financing events, among which Pumpcade, a live-streaming prediction market supported by Pump.fun, completed a $5 million seed round with participation from Jump Crypto;
The Other Web3 Applications field announced 1 investment and financing event, the DePIN project SHARE completed a seed round led by Greenfield Capital.

DeFi

Brix Completes $5.5 Million Financing, to Launch Turkish Lira Yield Token iTRY on MegaETH

Brix, focused on tokenizing assets in emerging markets, completed a $5.5 million financing. Investors include FRWRD, a subsidiary of Turkish bank Yapı Kredi, İş Asset Management, as well as Circle Ventures, Consensys, Borderless Capital, etc. Brix plans to launch its first product, iTRY, on the "World Markets" platform of the Ethereum scaling network MegaETH on April 20th. This asset is backed by a Turkish Lira money market fund and can be used for trading, collateral, and accessing DeFi. Brix will subsequently launch tokenized products related to stocks, funds, and bonds in markets such as the UAE, Egypt, Mexico, Brazil, and South Korea.

Crypto Lending Platform Votre Completes $3.75 Million Seed Round Led by a16z CSX

New York-based fully on-chain investment bank Votre completed a $3.75 million seed round led by a16z Crypto Startup Accelerator (CSX), with participation from MaC Venture Capital, Druid Ventures, and angel investors from Goldman Sachs, Harvard University, and OrangeDAO. Votre stated that the funds will be used to expand technical infrastructure, increase platform capacity, optimize liquidity management tools, and strengthen risk and compliance systems. Votre was founded in 2025 and operates a non-custodial crypto lending platform on Coinbase's Base Layer 2 network. Its core product allows borrowers to obtain same-day USD loans collateralized by Bitcoin while maintaining on-chain transparency and asset ownership. Platform loans range from approximately $25,000 to $5 million, with automated margin control and real-time monitoring through smart contracts.

Crypto Futures Exchange KieDex Completes $3.5 Million Seed Round

Crypto futures exchange KieDex announced the completion of a $3.5 million seed round led by Marqel Capital, with participation from Hidden Street Capital, Caviar, Kinetic Kollective (formerly CSP DAO), Solulu Club, Rocket, TPC, Devmons, TATATU, etc. It is reported that KieDex is a crypto futures trading platform focused on the leveraged perpetual contracts market, where users can earn KDX rewards through trading activities.

Fintech Company Superstate Completes Series B Follow-on Financing, Invesco Private Capital Joins as New Investor

Fintech company Superstate announced the completion of a Series B follow-on financing, with asset management giant Invesco's Invesco Private Capital joining as a new investor. The amount was not disclosed. Meanwhile, Invesco will serve as the investment manager for Superstate's flagship tokenized fund USTB (Short-Term U.S. Treasury Fund) starting Q2 2026. The fund size is approximately $900 million, making it one of the largest tokenized treasury products globally. After the transition, the fund will be renamed, with Superstate retaining the digital transfer agent function. This move marks Invesco's full entry into the blockchain fund sector.

AI

OpenGradient Raises $9.5 Million to Advance Verifiable AI Network

Decentralized AI infrastructure company OpenGradient announced it has raised a total of $9.5 million. Investors include a16z crypto, Coinbase Ventures, SV Angel, Foresight Ventures, etc. OpenGradient positions itself as the compute layer for "verifiable AI," serving as a network of dedicated AI coprocessors that provide model inference based on GPU and TEE nodes for applications, blockchains, and agents. Each inference is accompanied by a cryptographically verifiable proof, supporting external independent verification of the model, input, and output. Its network currently serves over 2 million users, has handled more than 2 million verifiable inferences, generated over 500,000 cryptographic proofs, integrated 2000+ models from 100+ developers on its Model Hub, and has formed 6 revenue streams.

AI Financial Agent Risk Control Company Nava Completes $8.3 Million Financing Led by Polychain and Archetype

Startup Nava, focused on AI financial agent risk control, completed an $8.3 million seed round led by Polychain and Archetype, with participation from EigenLayer founder Sreeram Kannan, among others. Nava uses custodied accounts for funds and a verification framework to compare user intent with transaction results before an AI agent initiates a transaction, releasing funds only upon verification success, otherwise continuing to hold them. Its reasons for rejecting or approving transactions will be publicly recorded on-chain for other AIs to reference. Nava currently operates as a Layer 3 chain deployed on Arbitrum and plans a parallel deployment on Tempo. It will also issue a stablecoin later to provide insurance and risk underwriting for agent actions.

Web3 Intelligence Layer Project Claw Intelligence Completes $3 Million Seed Round

Web3 intelligence layer project Claw Intelligence announced the completion of a $3 million seed round with participation from Castrum Istanbul, Titans Ventures, Super Labs, and Genesis Capital. It is reported that Claw Intelligence is building a unified intelligence layer to lower the barrier for users to interact with the Web3 ecosystem and computational resources through crypto-native MCP services and by transforming fragmented data endpoints into conversational workflows. The platform's main features include: a secure isolated LLM code execution sandbox, supporting large language models to execute code without endangering the host system security; and LLM-based cross-device multi-computer control, allowing users to centrally manage multiple computers, servers, and devices using natural language through a single web interface.

Decentralized AI Economy Protocol Mindra AI Announces Completion of Strategic Financing with Participation from LandScape Capital, etc.

Decentralized AI economy protocol Mindra AI announced the completion of a new round of strategic financing with participation from LandScape Capital, Harbor Digital Ventures, and Candaq Fintech Group. It is reported that Mindra AI is a full-stack decentralized AI economy protocol that aims to break intelligent hegemony and reshape AI production relations through dynamic inference routing, Agent cross-chain collaboration, and compute power financialization (AI-Fi).

Mindra AI stated that this round of funding will mainly be used to accelerate the development of its full-stack four-layer protocol, advance the construction of the dynamic inference routing layer, Agent collaboration ecosystem, compute power financialization (AI-Fi), and economic value flywheel, aiming to build a decentralized "Intelligence Grid" to fundamentally solve issues like centralized monopoly in AI inference, algorithmic black boxes, and ecosystem fragility.

Infrastructure & Tools

Paxos Labs Completes $12 Million Financing Led by Blockchain Capital

Paxos Labs, a startup spun off from stablecoin and blockchain infrastructure company Paxos, completed a $12 million financing led by Blockchain Capital, with participation from Robot Ventures, Maelstrom, and Uniswap Labs. Paxos has long-term partnerships with institutions like PayPal and Nubank. Paxos Labs is responsible for DeFi-focused infrastructure, helping enterprises provide retail users with access to stablecoins and crypto lending. Paxos Labs provides a suite of software tools supporting institutions to issue branded stablecoins and allowing users to use stablecoins for on-chain lending and collateral. Co-founder Bhaumik Kotecha said the company expects to achieve breakeven by the end of this year and currently serves neobank Hyperbeat and the privacy blockchain Aleo team.

Bond Tokenization Platform BlockInvest Completes €4 Million Strategic Round with Participation from UniCredit

Bond tokenization platform BlockInvest announced the completion of a €4 million strategic round with participation from Italian bank UniCredit, which acquired a 16% stake in the company. It is reported that BlockInvest will assist UniCredit in issuing Italy's first native digital mini-bond, the first public chain-based tokenized structured note for wealth management clients, and build a technical infrastructure that combines the programmability of digital ledgers with financial regulatory requirements.

Centralized Finance

Digital Banking Platform Slash Completes $100 Million Series C Financing Led by Ribbit Capital

Digital banking platform for businesses, Slash, announced the completion of a $100 million Series C financing, with a post-money valuation of approximately $1.4 billion and total funding raised reaching $160 million. The new round was led by Ribbit Capital, with co-leadership from Goodwater Capital and Khosla Ventures, and continued follow-on investment from NEA and YC. Slash claims to serve over 5,000 enterprise customers, providing business accounts, virtual accounts, stablecoin payments, expense management, bookkeeping automation, real-time payments, and other functions. The company stated that it will use the new funds to accelerate product iteration and advance its strategy of "bank account as the command center for corporate finance."

AI Quant Platform AlphaNet Completes $10 Million Seed Round Led by Joffre Capital

Institutional-grade quantitative AI trading platform AlphaNet announced the completion of a $10 million seed round led by private equity firm Joffre Capital, with participation from Huashan Capital and an Asian quantitative trading consortium. This round of funding will support its transition from an invite-only whitelist model to a public platform launch. It is reported that AlphaNet was incubated by Asian proprietary trading firm Tensor Investment and is positioned as an institutional-grade "systematic alpha" trading platform, aiming to provide retail users with trading capabilities previously only available to institutions.

Prediction Markets

Pumpcade, a Live Prediction Market Supported by Pump.fun, Completes $5 Million Seed Round with Participation from Jump Crypto

Live prediction market and Meme coin issuance platform Pumpcade announced the completion of a $5 million seed round with investors including Jump Crypto and Foundation Capital. Pumpcade is a platform for instant creation and trading of Meme coins based on Solana. Integrated into Pump.fun's chat system, Pumpcade supports one-click creation of prediction markets in live streams. Previously, on April 2nd, it was reported that Pump.fun led a $1 million pre-seed round for Pumpcade.

Totalis Completes $500,000 Seed Round, Becomes First Company to Receive YC Investment Entirely in USDC

Prediction market derivatives layer Totalis announced that its $500,000 seed round financing from Y Combinator was completed in USDC, making it the first company in Y Combinator's history to receive the full investment amount in stablecoin form. The funds were transferred via the Solana network in three on-chain transactions: a $1 test transfer, followed by $124,999 and $375,000; all funds went directly into the company's treasury.

Totalis stated that current prediction markets suffer from issues like single-position exposure, fragmented liquidity, and low capital efficiency. The company is building a prediction market derivatives layer that can be composable across categories, markets, and venues, enabling users to construct composite bets across assets such as geopolitics, crypto, and sports.

Others

DePIN Project SHARE Completes Seed Round Led by Greenfield Capital

Decentralized physical infrastructure network SHARE completed a seed round led by Greenfield Capital, with participation from Kosmos Ventures, Generative Ventures, Zee Prime Capital, and other strategic funds and angel investors. The specific financing amount was not disclosed.

The $290 Million Deficit: A Three-Way Game Between Aave, L0, and Kelp—Who Should Foot the Bill?

An incident involving the theft of 116,500 rsETH (worth approximately $290 million) from Kelp DAO’s cross-chain bridge contract has triggered a complex dispute over responsibility and compensation among Kelp DAO, LayerZero, and Aave. The attack occurred due to a compromised RPC provider used by LayerZero’s Decentralized Verifier Network (DVN). Since Kelp DAO’s bridge used a 1/1 DVN configuration—a single point of failure—the attacker successfully forged a cross-chain message, leading to the unauthorized release of rsETH tokens from the mainnet. These genuine tokens were then deposited into Aave and other lending platforms to borrow WETH, enabling the attacker to exit with the funds. Responsibility is attributed primarily to Kelp DAO for its risky 1/1 DVN setup. LayerZero bears secondary responsibility for permitting such a vulnerable configuration in its protocol layer. Aave also shares indirect blame for over-collateralizing rsETH and other Liquid Restaking Token (LRT) assets without adequate ongoing risk oversight. Kelp DAO lacks sufficient funds to cover the loss, shifting focus to the deeper-pocketed players: LayerZero, whose cross-chain ecosystem and reputation are at risk, and Aave, which faces massive bad loans and declining Total Value Locked (TVL). Aave has asserted that mainnet rsETH remains fully backed, implying it expects Kelp DAO to allow redemption of underlying ETH. This approach would preserve Aave’s mainnet positions but invalidate Layer2 rsETH, damaging LayerZero’s cross-chain credibility. Potential solutions include: - A universal 18.5% haircut on all rsETH holders, causing significant Aave bad debt. - Writing off Layer2 rsETH entirely, protecting Aave mainnet but harming LayerZero and Kelp DAO. - Negotiating a bounty with the hacker for partial fund return. - A joint bailout, possibly led by LayerZero’s ecosystem fund, given its long-term stake in the cross-chain ecosystem. The situation remains unresolved as the parties negotiate, but prolonged delay risks broader DeFi instability, including potential liquidity crises and loss of confidence in LRT and cross-chain infrastructures.

Odaily星球日报14m ago

The $290 Million Deficit: A Three-Way Game Between Aave, L0, and Kelp—Who Should Foot the Bill?

Odaily星球日报14m ago

Bitcoin's Bull-Bear Range Battle Continues, HYPE Faces Critical Test of Wave V Support | Exclusive Analysis

This market analysis covers Bitcoin (BTC) and HYPE, highlighting key levels and trading strategies for the week. HYPE is currently testing a critical support level at $40.17. A hold above this level could lead to consolidation between $40.17–$45.76, while a break below it may signal the end of its current V-wave uptrend from the April 2 low. The short-term strategy is to look for long entries near $40.17 if support holds, using 30% leverage and strict stop-loss discipline. Bitcoin is interpreted to be in a larger D-wave rebound from the February 6 low of $60,000, currently trading within a $73,500–$79,000 range. Key resistance lies at $79,000–$80,600 and $83,500–$84,500, with supports at $73,500, $69,500, and $65,000–$66,000. The medium-term strategy maintains a 60% short position from $89,000. Short-term tactics include selling into rallies near $76,500–$79,000 (Scenario A) or breaking below $73,500 (Scenario B), using 30% leverage. Last week, a 1x leveraged long trade in HYPE yielded a 6.80% gain, and the BTC short from $89,000 is currently up approximately 17.08%. Risk management is emphasized: set stop-losses at entry, move to breakeven at +1% profit, and trail stops to lock in gains thereafter. All views are based on technical analysis and are not investment advice. Traders are urged to exercise caution and adapt to market changes.

marsbit44m ago

Bitcoin's Bull-Bear Range Battle Continues, HYPE Faces Critical Test of Wave V Support | Exclusive Analysis

marsbit44m ago

Bitcoin's Bull-Bear Range Battle Continues, HYPE Faces Critical Test of Wave V Support | Invited Analysis

The market is experiencing directional uncertainty with both opportunities and risks. HYPE's daily V-wave structure is at a critical juncture, with the $40.17 support level being pivotal for its future trajectory. A break below this level, followed by an inability to surpass the recent high of $45.76, could signal the end of the current upward structure. The short-term strategy for HYPE is to "follow the trend and buy on dips," using a 30% position size and a 30/60-minute trading cycle, entering long upon confirmed support holds with model signals. Bitcoin's market structure is reinterpreted, with the rally from the $60,000 low now considered a larger D-wave rebound within a medium-term correction, facing a key test between $73,500 and $79,000. A break above the upper bound may lead to limited upside, while a drop below could see a decline toward $69,500. Core resistance lies at $79,000–$80,600 and $83,500–$84,500, with support at $73,500, $69,500, and $65,000–$66,000. The medium-term strategy maintains a 60% short position from $89,000, to be exited if price stabilizes above the multi-empty band. Short-term tactics involve 30% positions for "spread" opportunities, with two scenarios: selling on rallies near $76,500–$79,000 (Scheme A) or shorting on a breakdown below $73,500 (Scheme B), both with strict stop-losses. A复盘 of HYPE's recent short trade showed a 6.80% gain from a long entry at $41.59 (based on model buy signals) and exit at $44.42 (triggered by top signals). Key reminders include setting initial stops at entry, moving to breakeven at +1% profit, and trailing stops thereafter. All views are for reference only; market conditions change rapidly, and caution is advised.

Odaily星球日报51m ago

Bitcoin's Bull-Bear Range Battle Continues, HYPE Faces Critical Test of Wave V Support | Invited Analysis

Odaily星球日报51m ago

On the Same Day Aave Introduced rsETH, Why Did Spark Choose to Exit?

On April 18, Kelp DAO's cross-chain bridge was exploited, resulting in the malicious minting of 116,500 unbacked rsETH. The attacker deposited these into Aave and borrowed WETH, creating a potential bad debt of approximately $195 million. Aave’s Guardian quickly froze the market, but the protocol’s insurance could only cover about 25% of the loss. In contrast, SparkLend, a lending protocol in the MakerDAO ecosystem, suffered no direct losses. This was not due to superior foresight but rather a preemptive governance decision. On January 29, Spark executed a governance action to discontinue new rsETH supply, citing low usage and high concentration from a single wallet. The same day, Aave expanded its rsETH market by enabling E-Mode with a 93% LTV to attract more deposits. Spark’s risk management framework is designed to remove assets with low usage or poor risk-adjusted returns, regardless of external security concerns. Aave’s decision was growth-oriented, aiming to boost WETH utilization and attract capital. Spark also employs additional safeguards: rate-limited supply and borrow caps that would have limited the scale of such an attack, and a robust oracle system using the median of three price feeds. These mechanisms systemically contain the maximum exposure to any single risk event, demonstrating a fundamentally different approach to risk than Aave’s growth-first model.

marsbit52m ago

On the Same Day Aave Introduced rsETH, Why Did Spark Choose to Exit?

marsbit52m ago

Strategy's 'Money Printer': Is STRC Bitcoin's Savior or Destroyer?

Bitcoin's recent price movement is being heavily influenced by Michael Saylor and his company, MicroStrategy, through a new financial instrument: STRC (Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Stretch Preferred Stock). This Nasdaq-listed perpetual preferred stock offers an 11.5% annual dividend, attracting significant capital. Crucially, funds raised from STRC are used to purchase Bitcoin, with a 3x leverage effect—for every $1 from STRC, MicroStrategy adds $2 from MSTR equity to buy $3 worth of BTC. This creates a powerful "flywheel": more STRC sales fuel massive BTC buying, supporting its price and improving MicroStrategy's credit, which in turn makes STRC more attractive to investors. However, this mechanism introduces risks. A significant "ex-dividend arbitrage" pattern has emerged, where traders buy STRC before its monthly dividend, collect the payout, and quickly sell, causing price volatility and potentially driving up Bitcoin's cost basis for MicroStrategy. In response, Saylor has proposed shifting STRC to a semi-monthly dividend to smooth out these effects. Furthermore, STRC's high yield is being integrated into DeFi protocols like Apyx Protocol and Saturn Credit, offering new on-chain yield opportunities. The central concern remains: as MicroStrategy aggressively accumulates over 3.5% of all BTC, it challenges Bitcoin's foundational principle of decentralization, creating a system where a single public company significantly influences the market.

marsbit59m ago

Strategy's 'Money Printer': Is STRC Bitcoin's Savior or Destroyer?

marsbit59m ago

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