Follow the Money: Investments worth hundreds of millions, a surge in token sales, and a focus on CeFi
Date: 2025-12-15 Author: Gabriel Deangelo Categories: BUSINESS
From December 6 to 13, 2025, the digital asset market saw over 30 investment events, most of which were accompanied by disclosed amounts. The total announced funding volume exceeded $590 million, encompassing classic venture rounds, public token sales, corporate borrowings, mergers and acquisitions, and grant programs.
The venture capital segment traditionally made the largest contribution. Over the past week, 16 projects raised over $190 million. Key deals included investments in Real Finance, which is developing infrastructure for the tokenization of real assets, and LI.FI, which is building solutions for the efficient transfer of liquidity between blockchains. Both projects are focused on creating a foundational layer for institutional and cross-chain finance.
Web3 education, AI, and hybrid financial models also saw significant investor interest. KO Inflation received strategic funding to scale its educational platform, while Surf and TestMachine raised capital to develop AI solutions in the crypto space, from analytics to token security. MetaComp, which is developing a Web2.5 infrastructure for cross-border settlements in stablecoins with the integration of traditional payment channels, deserves special attention.
In the DeFi and liquidity infrastructure segment, activity was divided between the Solana, Sui, and Aptos networks. Pye Finance, Magma Finance, and Goblin Finance received funding to develop new financial primitives, from fixed staking to optimized on-chain yield strategies. Meanwhile, DeFAI projects, such as Pheasant Network, are combining DeFi and artificial intelligence, creating new automated capital management models.
Token sales became the second most significant source of fundraising. The most notable event was the public sale of AZTEC tokens, in which Aztec raised approximately $60 million from tens of thousands of participants, emphasizing community participation and a new distribution mechanism. HumidiFi, Superform, and Space, representing a DEX, cross-chain yield, and prediction markets, respectively, also raised capital through token sales.
The corporate sector continued to use cryptocurrencies for financing and reserve management. The largest deal was a loan agreement between KindlyMD and Kraken, while Apimeds raised funds through a PIPE deal using BTC as part of its financial architecture. TenX Protocols' entry into the public market through a listing on the TSX Venture Exchange is particularly noteworthy.
The M&A market also saw high activity. Key deals included the integration of Rain.fi into the Jupiter ecosystem, the acquisition of Buenbit by Nexo, and the expansion of Stripe's crypto business with the acquisition of Valora. Robinhood, meanwhile, is strengthening its position in Southeast Asia by acquiring local brokers and crypto platforms.
Overall, the week saw a shift in investor interest toward CeFi, infrastructure solutions, and hybrid models that combine traditional finance, blockchain, and artificial intelligence.
