- Crypto fundraising hits a record $3.5 billion across 28 deals, led by blockchain services.
- Bitcoin peaks at $126K before a sharp crash wipes out $20 billion in crypto liquidations.
- Pantera and Coinbase Ventures lead as investor confidence in crypto rises.
Crypto fundraising surged last week to an all-time high, with startups in the digital asset space raising a record $3.5 billion across 28 financing rounds, according to data released Monday by Cryptorank.
The milestone marked the strongest week ever for crypto venture activity, surpassing the prior peak of nearly $3 billion between July 28 and August 3.
The increase followed seven consecutive weeks in which fundraising remained below $1 billion, indicating a sharp rebound in investor confidence despite ongoing market volatility.
Over the past six months, weekly fundraising has swung widely—from as little as $150 million to almost $3 billion—underscoring the unpredictable nature of capital flows in the sector.
Blockchain services lead as sector activity expands
Cryptorank’s data showed that blockchain services dominated last week’s fundraising landscape.
Of the 28 rounds recorded between October 6 and 12, twelve were for blockchain service providers, making it the most active category for the week.
Centralized finance (CeFi) projects followed with six rounds, while the remaining deals were distributed across blockchain infrastructure, decentralized finance (DeFi), gaming, and social ventures.
The distribution suggests that investors are increasingly favoring service-oriented projects that support the broader crypto ecosystem rather than narrowly focused token plays or highly speculative ventures.
Among the most active investors, Pantera Capital participated in four separate rounds last week: two in blockchain services and one each in CeFi and social ventures.
Over the past year, Coinbase Ventures has remained the most prolific investor in the sector, completing 73 investments across multiple categories.
Animoca Brands followed with 63 deals, while YZi Labs, a Binance-linked fund, closed 38. Amber Group and Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto accelerator (a16z CSX) each recorded 37 investments, rounding out the top five.
Record fundraising coincides with a new Bitcoin peak
The record-breaking fundraising week coincided with Bitcoin’s (BTC) new peak of $126,000, reached on October 6, according to CoinGecko.
The rally was largely attributed to a migration of assets away from centralized exchanges and into self-custody, institutional funds, and digital-asset treasuries—signals of growing long-term confidence in the world’s largest cryptocurrency.
That optimism proved short-lived. On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 100% tariff on China, triggering a sudden sell-off across global markets, including digital assets.
Bitcoin’s price fell below $110,000 shortly after the announcement and ultimately dropped by $16,700, a 13.7% correction in less than eight hours.
The crash also erased nearly 13% of open interest in Bitcoin futures and generated roughly $20 billion in liquidations across crypto markets.
The decentralized perpetuals exchange Hyperliquid was reported to have led the liquidation wave.
Investor confidence endures despite market shock
Despite the steep price decline, analysts view the record fundraising week as evidence of resilient investor interest in blockchain and digital-asset businesses.
The timing—situated between Bitcoin’s all-time high and one of the largest single-day crashes in market history—highlights both the sector’s volatility and its ability to attract substantial capital inflows.
The mix of renewed venture activity, sector diversification, and institutional participation suggests investors remain focused on the structural, long-term growth of the crypto economy, even as short-term market dynamics continue to fluctuate.