The crypto market is entering a new phase of strategic, long-term growth, with startups raising over $145.6 billion across 469 funding rounds to date, according to new data from AI-powered market intelligence platform FounderNest.
While funding has tapered from the 2021–2022 peak of $33 billion, the sector is proving resilient, attracting $13.7 billion in 2024 alone and projected to reach $18 billion in 2025. Early-stage investment continues to dominate, with global momentum quietly accelerating in regions beyond the U.S.
“Crypto has moved past the hype cycle. What we’re seeing now is a smarter, more disciplined wave of innovation,” says Felix Gonzalez, CEO and co-founder of FounderNest. “Founders are building real infrastructure, investors are backing utility-first projects, and while the US, Canada and the UK still dominate, regions like the UAE, Singapore, and LATAM are starting to position themselves as the next crypto powerhouses.”
FounderNest analyzed more than 1,400 funding rounds, covering startups across infrastructure, DeFi, identity, tokenization, and AI-powered protocols. The data also revealed:
- An 85.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in funding over the last five years
- A median round size of $20 million, with most companies raising an average of two rounds
- Seed and Series Unknown stages dominate activity, reflecting confidence in early-stage innovation
- A median company age of 7 years, highlighting market maturation
- Andreessen Horowitz leads with investments in 11 companies across 26 rounds. Other dominant players include Digital Currency Group, Paradigm, and Coinbase Ventures.
Emerging focus areas for investors include:
- Modular blockchains (customizable infrastructure)
- Tokenized real-world assets (RWAs)
- Decentralized infrastructure (DePIN)
- ZK stacks for privacy
- AI-native automation protocols
FounderNest’s AI platform tracks startup formation, funding, IP, talent movement, patents and partnership activity across emerging technologies, enabling investors and corporate innovation teams to identify breakout trends and companies before they go mainstream.
“The trends we’re seeing – geographically, technologically, and behaviorally – all point toward a more resilient, globally distributed crypto economy” concludes Gonzalez. “If the past was about hype, the future looks more like infrastructure, interoperability, and increasingly, intelligence. The next wave may not be the loudest, but it’s shaping up to be the most meaningful in the life of crypto to date.”