The global blockchain ecosystem witnessed a surge in investment momentum last week (February 10–16), with 21 confirmed financing events and total funding surpassing $139 million—a notable increase from the previous week. The capital inflow spanned multiple high-potential sectors, including DeFi, Web3 gaming, AI+Web3 integration, infrastructure & tools, and select centralized finance ventures. This report breaks down key deals, emerging trends, and strategic moves shaping the next phase of decentralized innovation.
DeFi Sees Strong Momentum with $15M Raised by Legends
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) led the pack with seven financing announcements, underscoring continued investor confidence in next-generation financial protocols.
Legends Secures $15 Million from a16z and Coinbase Ventures
Legends, a new decentralized financial platform founded by Jayson Hobby—former CEO of Compound—and two ex-Compound executives, has raised $15 million in its first funding round. Backed by industry heavyweights Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Coinbase Ventures, Legends aims to simplify crypto finance by offering a unified platform for decentralized lending and borrowing, eliminating the need to navigate multiple apps.
The team is focused on building trust through mainstream accessibility, with plans to launch on the Apple App Store and grow a reliable user base. Future monetization will rely on subscription models, signaling a shift toward sustainable revenue in DeFi.
👉 Discover how DeFi platforms are redefining user experience and financial access.
Blum Raises $5 Million for Unified Trading Experience
Blum, an innovative trading application bridging DEX and CEX environments, secured $5 million in pre-seed and seed funding. Led by gumi Cryptos Capital, the round included support from Spartan, No Limit Holdings, and continued backing from early investors like YZi Labs and Top.co. With additional participation from Bitscale Capital and Wintermute, Blum is positioning itself to serve an estimated 90 million traders seeking seamless cross-platform experiences.
DeFi.app Completes $4M Extension, Reaches $100M Valuation
DeFi trading platform DeFi.app raised an additional $4 million** in a seed extension round, maintaining a token valuation of **$100 million. Investors included Mechanism Capital, DCF Capital Partners, and prominent figures like Balaji Srinivasan and Pentoshi. The platform has now amassed $6 million in total funding.
DeFi.app recently launched its public beta, offering gas-free cross-chain swaps, decentralized asset management, and fiat on-ramps. Upcoming features include perpetual contracts, yield farming, and lending services—expanding its role as a full-suite DeFi hub.
InfiniFi and Cabal Advance Deposit-Driven Models
- InfiniFi raised $3 million in a Pre-Seed round led by Electric Capital, introducing a deposit receipt token (DRT) pegged to the US dollar. It plans integration with major protocols like AAVE, Pendle, and Ethena in Q2 2025.
- Cabal, built on the Initia Layer1 network, secured $3 million from Hack VC and others. It rewards users who deposit INIT tokens or liquidity positions with liquid, yield-generating assets—enhancing ecosystem engagement.
Whetstone and TaoFi Innovate On-Chain Distribution and AI Finance
- Whetstone raised $1.3 million to launch the Doppler Protocol, optimizing on-chain asset issuance and reducing bot-driven manipulation. Deployed on Unichain, it introduces programmable vesting to align long-term incentives.
- TaoFi, backed by DCG and Pantera Capital, will build DeFi infrastructure on Bittensor EVM, including a TAO USD stablecoin, decentralized exchange (TAO Swap), and staking solution (stTAO).
Web3 Gaming Gains Traction with GamerBoom’s $9M Raise
The Web3 gaming sector recorded three major investments, highlighting growing synergy between blockchain, AI, and interactive entertainment.
GamerBoom Raises $9 Million for AI-Powered Game Analytics
Solana-based protocol GamerBoom secured $9 million** in new funding, bringing its total to over **$11 million. Supported by investors like Bing Ventures, SKY Ventures, and strategic partners NVIDIA and Solana, GamerBoom leverages AI to analyze and enhance the value of Web3 game data.
Funds will accelerate development of advanced analytics tools and support community growth via an upcoming NFT sale and points rewards program.
Mirai Labs Builds AI Agents for Consumer Crypto Tasks
Web3 studio Mirai Labs raised $4 million in a seed round led by Mechanism Capital. The team is developing Partnr, an AI agent that manages wallets and learns user preferences over time—bridging the gap between AI automation and personal crypto finance.
Beamable Expands Web3 Game Development with Sui Support
Game development platform Beamable received renewed funding from the Sui Foundation to enhance Web3 capabilities. New features include dynamic NFTs, closed-loop tokens, storage wallets, and seamless Web2 logins via zkLogin (supporting Google and Twitch). Developers using Unity or Unreal Engine can now integrate blockchain more easily, with early applications in titles like Warped Games.
AI + Web3 Convergence Accelerates
Two standout projects highlight the growing fusion of artificial intelligence and decentralized systems.
FrodoBots Launches BitRobot: Crypto-Powered Embodied AI
FrodoBots raised $8 million to launch BitRobot, a network combining cryptographic incentives with robotics. Led by Protocol VC, the round drew support from Solana Ventures and co-founders Anatoly Yakovenko and Raj Gokal. BitRobot will pool computing power, storage, and physical robots to advance Embodied AI research—with plans to open-source findings.
NodeGo Scales Decentralized AI on Solana
NodeGo, a decentralized AI computing provider, also raised $8 million, led by Hash Capital. The funds will expand its network, improve real-time processing, and deepen integration with Solana. With over 1.5 million active users, NodeGo addresses AI’s compute shortage by distributing resources via blockchain—cutting costs and boosting scalability.
Infrastructure & Tools: Foundation for Future Growth
The infrastructure sector saw six deals, reinforcing the backbone of Web3 innovation.
Plasma Raises $24M for Bitcoin-Layered Stablecoin Chain
Stablecoin-focused startup Plasma secured $24 million in a round led by Framework Ventures, with backing from Bitfinex, Peter Thiel, and Tether’s CEO Paolo Ardoino. Plasma is building a dedicated blockchain for stablecoins atop Bitcoin, offering zero-fee USDT transactions. While leveraging Bitcoin’s security, it operates with its own consensus mechanism for scalability.
👉 Explore how next-gen blockchain infrastructures are reshaping stablecoin economies.
Mango Network and Drosera Advance Multi-Chain and Security Solutions
- Mango Network raised $13.5 million for its multi-VM full-chain infrastructure, combining OPStack and Move advantages. Mainnet launch and token generation event (TGE) are upcoming.
- Drosera, an Ethereum security platform, raised **$3.25 million** (total: $4.75M) to deploy its “Traps” smart contract system—detecting threats in real time. Expansion to EVM chains is planned for Q2 2025.
Teneo Protocol and Index Strengthen Data Utility
- Teneo Protocol raised $3M to connect real-world data with Web3 apps, focusing on DePIN and AI use cases.
- B2B platform Index raised AUD 3.5M (~$2.2M) to unify product management tools. Early adopters include Uniswap and Ramp.
Tether also made a strategic move by investing in self-custodial wallet Zengo Wallet, enhancing cross-chain support for USDT and launching Zengo Pro with advanced security features.
Other Notable Mentions
Fireverse Raises $2.5M for AI Music Creation in Web3
AI-driven music platform Fireverse closed a $2.5M Series A round co-led by Nobody and supported by OKX Ventures. The platform enables users to create, promote, and monetize music using one-click AI tools, gamification, events, and blockchain-based copyright protection.
Centralized Finance: HashKey Attracts Major Investment
Despite broader decentralization trends, CeFi remains relevant.
Gaorong Ventures Invests $30M in HashKey Group
Chinese VC giant Gaorong Ventures invested $30M in Hong Kong-based licensed exchange HashKey Group at a post-money valuation near $1.5B. This marks a rare institutional bet on regulated crypto infrastructure in Asia.
KUN Raises Seed Funds for Cross-Border Digital Payments
Payment provider KUN secured a multi-million-dollar seed round led by BAI Capital to build Web2+Web3 solutions for cross-border trade and high-net-worth clients.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Which sector attracted the most funding last week?
A: Infrastructure & Tools led with $24M raised by Plasma alone, followed closely by DeFi with multiple significant rounds.
Q: Who were the top investors active this week?
A: Key players included a16z, Coinbase Ventures, Framework Ventures, Mechanism Capital, Solana Ventures, and OKX Ventures.
Q: What is the significance of Legends’ funding?
A: Backed by top-tier VCs and founded by Compound alumni, Legends represents a push toward user-friendly DeFi apps with mainstream distribution potential.
Q: How is AI being integrated into Web3?
A: Through projects like FrodoBots (robotics + crypto), NodeGo (decentralized AI compute), Mirai Labs (AI agents), and Fireverse (AI music creation).
Q: Are stablecoins still attracting investment?
A: Yes—Plasma’s $24M raise shows strong interest in improving stablecoin transaction efficiency using Bitcoin’s security layer.
Q: What does Gaorong’s investment in HashKey mean for the market?
A: It signals growing institutional confidence in regulated crypto exchanges in Asia, especially those with Hong Kong licenses.
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