The Crypto Investment Weekly Recap for Feb 19 - Feb 25

Overview

According to statistics, there were 34 funding rounds executed in the global blockchain market from February 19 to February 25, totaling 240.81 million dollars. The number of funding rounds increased by 13 and the amount of funds increased by 75.7%, compared with the previous week.

The number of funding rounds in sectors of Infrastructure and DeFi is the highest, 11 of which are in the infrastructure and 7 in the DeFi area.

The funds raised in the infrastructure sector are the highest, which is 170 million dollars.

Funding in different sectors

Infrastructure

EigenLayer

Round	Series B
Amount	$100M
Investors	a16z, Polychain…

Project Intro: EigenLayer is a protocol built on Ethereum that introduces restaking, a new primitive in cryptoeconomic security. This primitive enables the rehypothecation of ETH on the consensus layer. Users who stake ETH can opt-in to EigenLayer smart contracts to restake their ETH and extend cryptoeconomic security to additional applications on the network. Part of EigenLayer's potential lies in its ability to aggregate and extend cryptoeconomic security through restaking, and to validate new applications being built on top of Ethereum.

AltLayer

Round	Strategic
Amount	$14.4M
Investors	Polychain, Hack VC…

Project Intro: AltLayer is a system of highly scalable, application-dedicated execution layers that derive security from an underlying L1/L2. It is designed as a modular and pluggable framework for a multi-chain and multi-VM world. At its core, AltLayer consists of several optimistic rollup-like execution layers called flash layers, featuring a novel innovation that makes them disposable and thus highly resource-optimized.

Flare Network

Round	/
Amount	$35M
Investors	DWF Labs

Project Intro: Flare is a Layer-1 blockchain that enables secure, universal interoperability between chains, scaling blockchain use by allowing all digital assets and on-chain information to flow freely. Its consensus protocol for external data allows decentralized applications on Flare to safely and trustlessly acquire and use information from other blockchains and real-world data sources, solving the oracle problem and ushering in a new era of utility.

Clave

Round	Pre-Seed
Amount	$1.6M
Investors	zkSync Labs

Clave is an easy-to-use non-custodial smart wallet powered by Account Abstraction and the Hardware Elements (e.g Secure Enclave, Android Trustzone etc.), offering a unique onboarding process.

Helius

Round	Series A
Amount	$9.5M
Investors	Foundation Capital, Reciprocal Ventures

Helius aims to help creators overcome these obstacles by providing APIs (or application programming interfaces) to understand on-chain data and query transactions, as well as webhooks that enable automations and bots, plus RPC nodes that allow Solana apps to interact with the blockchain. All in all, they are designed to simplify complexity and facilitate application development.

NodeShift

Round	Seed
Amount	$3.2M
Investors	Inovo VC

NodeShift is a decentralized cloud service provider that provides a single API for accessing independent data center operators' redundant compute, storage and graphics accelerators and connecting to low-cost decentralized web services such as Akash and Filecoin.

BEVM

Round	/
Amount	/
Investors	ViaBTC Capital

BEVM is a decentralized EVM-compatible Bitcoin L2 that uses BTC as Gas. It allows all DApps which can run in the Ethereum ecosystem to operate on Bitcoin L2.

Citrea

Round	Seed
Amount	$2.7M
Investors	Galaxy

Citrea is a Bitcoin’s ZK rollup and an execution layer that settles on Bitcoin. Every transaction occurring on Citrea is fully secured by zero-knowledge proofs and verified by Bitcoin through BitVM.

Inco Network

Round	Seed
Amount	$4.5M
Investors	1kx, Circle Ventures

Inco Network is an EVM Layer-1, utilizing fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) to enable composable and operable confidential states. Its fhEVM (FHE + EVM) makes it possible to write private smart contracts and perform computations on top of encrypted data without requiring its decryption. This innovation unlocks a wide range use cases with confidentiality components, such as card games, DID, private voting, dark pools, etc. - paving the way for a new era of possibilities.

Nest Wallet

Round	Seed
Amount	$3.6M
Investors	Inception Capital, Orange DAO

Nest Wallet is a multi-chain wallet built for traders. Powered by Safe, Nest Wallet adds a more friendly UI/UX for team to easily manage multiple Safe wallets and streamline the transaction signing process.

DeFi

ZeroLend

Round	Seed
Amount	$3M
Investors	Momentum 6

ZeroLend is a decentralized lending protocol on zkSync. Designed to provide individuals and businesses with a secure and transparent platform for borrowing and lending digital assets. The protocol operates in a peer-to-peer manner, eliminating the need for intermediaries such as banks or traditional financial institutions.

After announcing the launch of their platform token $ZERO, ZeroLend has introduced a series of activities to encourage users to complete tasks and accumulate points. Recently, they have collaborated with the growth platform TaskOn to release a new set of activities.

Shutter

Round	IDO
Amount	$8.31M
Investors	OKX Ventures

Shutter Network is an open-source project that aims to prevent front running on Ethereum by using a threshold cryptography-based distributed key generation (DKG) protocol.Shutter allows users to send encrypted transactions in a way that protects them from front runners on their path through the dark forest (the metaphorical hunting ground of front runners that each transaction must cross).

OX.FUN

Round	/
Amount	$4M
Investors	Gen Block Capital

OX.FUN is a crypto derivatives trading platform. The core element of the gamified experience on OX.FUN revolves around the OX Farm. User can also expect to see leaderboards, competitions and copy trading vaults to help maximize the trading adventure.

Renzo

Round	/
Amount	/
Investors	OKX Ventures, Binance Labs

Renzo is a restaking protocol based on EigenLayer. Renzo abstracts the complex process of re-staking for end users, and stakers do not have to worry about the active selection and management of operators and reward strategies. ezETH is Renzo’s liquid, heavily-collateralized token that automatically captures rewards and ensures liquidity. ezETH allows users to participate in DeFi while retaining re-collateralization rewards.

Singularity

Round	/
Amount	$2.2M
Investors	OKX Ventures, Binance Labs

Singularity is a compliant institutional DeFi access layer that provides access to popular protocols for institutional on-chain participants with commercial confidentiality. Users will have their wallet addresses obfuscated whilst leveraging existing DeFi liquidity. Singularity uses the state-of-the-art UltraPLONK proof system with zero-knowledge circuits based on Noir.

Honeypot Finance

Round	Pre-seed
Amount	/
Investors	AC Capital

Honeypot Finance is whipping up a community-run DeFi Hub that have a honey-flavored flywheel model that churns out dual incentives.

INIT Capital

Round	Seed
Amount	$3.1M
Investors	Robot Ventures, Mirana Ventures…

INIT Capital is a Liquidity Hook Money Market: Lend, Borrow, and Access Yield Strategies with Liquidity Hook. Serving as the DeFi liquidity infrastructure for dApps to build on top, INIT facilitates diverse activities, including lending, borrowing, and yield strategies. INIT is where dApps and users meet, offering both permissionless access to a unified liquidity pool and efficient yield strategy management.

GameFi

Shuffle

Round	Seed
Amount	$2.5M
Investors	Karatage, Cypher Capital

Shuffle is an all-new crypto casino that support numerous games and jackpots available for players.

Matr1x

Round	Strategic
Amount	/
Investors	Animoca Brands, SevenX Ventures…

Matr1x is the brand of Metaverse, planning to build the brand through high-quality games developed by themselves or in collaboration with third parties, game IP development and cooperation, and global Esports tournaments. Matr1x will express its game trilogy (Cyber Earth - Mars Immigration - Interstellar Exploration) through three large-scale games with a unified worldview: Matr1x FIRE (First-person shooter), Matr1x WAR (Shooting+MMORPG), and Matr1x EVOLUTION (SOC).

Monkey Tilt

Round	Private
Amount	$21M
Investors	Polychain, Hack VC…

Monkey Tilt is an online gambling platform focused on the convergence of cryptocurrencies and online gambling. Players can win real money by correctly predicting whether the player they choose will exceed or fall short of their statistical prediction.

Crystal Fun

Round	Seed
Amount	$5M
Investors	Waterdrip Capital, Kucoin Ventures…

Crystal Fun is a decentralized gaming mega-ecosystem and studio. It aims to seamlessly integrate high-quality games within sustainable economic systems, ushering in a groundbreaking gaming experience into Web3.

Loong City

Round	/
Amount	$2M
Investors	MAZARINE SEA

Loong City is the first original IP PFP metaverse project based on an improved ERC404 protocol. Autopunk and traditional China constitute the core elements of Dragon City. Each PFP is an entry ticket to this fictional world.

NFT

Prom

Round	/
Amount	/
Investors	DWF Labs

Prom is the primary access point to the Web3 gaming ecosystem. With a robust marketplace at its core for trading and exchanging NFT assets, Prom offers an array of services including rental and mortgage solutions, comprehensive asset management tools, and an educational section with in-depth guides.

Tools

FortyTwo

Round	Strategic
Amount	/
Investors	LBankLong, Hash Ventures

FortyTwo is a Cosmos Portfolio View Platform that allows users to clearly see the breakdown of their Cosmos holdings. Users can can connect one or a bundle of wallets.

Tornado Blast

Round	Strategic
Amount	/
Investors	Atka Capital

Tornado Blast is a Blast L2-native bot to trade and snipe tokens. User can earn $BLAST, $TRNDO & revenue share reward

SocialFi

Beoble

Round	Seed
Amount	$5M
Investors	Hashkey Capital, DWF Labs…

Beoble is a communication infrastructure and ecosystem that allows users to chat between wallets. Its product includes a web-based chat app, as well as a toolkit that allows Dapps to integrate.

Others

HackQuest

Round	Pre-Seed
Amount	$1.1M
Investors	HashKey Capital

HackQuest is the gateway to the Web3 development world, providing a comprehensive, one-stop educational infrastructure that minimizes friction and helps onboard developers and nondevelopers to the world of Web3.

TruePNL

Round	M&A
Amount	/
Investors	Gate.io Labs, Magic Square..

TruePNL is a multi-chain launchpad that connects blockchain projects and crypto investors, providing a convenient, transparent, and secure mechanism for raising capital, investing, and distributing tokens. The platform enables cryptocurrency projects to raise funds by creating token exchange pools and launching public or private sale rounds using smart contracts on the Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain networks.

Superfluid

Round	Strategic
Amount	$5.1M
Investors	Fabric Ventures, Multicoin Capital…

Superfluid is a Web3 streaming payments protocol for handling subscriptions, salaries, rewards, or any other composable stream of value on a per-second basis. Its core feature is "streaming" payments, where money flows from one address to another in real-time, based on programmable logic and a single on-chain transaction.

Silencio

Round	Pre-seed
Amount	$1M
Investors	Borderless Capital, Moonrock Capital

Silencio is a global network that measure noise pollution. User will get rewarded for measuring noise pollution with phone.

CeFi

Januar

Round	Seed Plus
Amount	$12M
Investors	CMT Digital

Januar is a European payment gate for crypto companies. Innovative EU crypto companies use Januar's payment account solutions to accept payments and send payouts while maintaining full compliance and stable business operations.