After a cycle marked by regulatory uncertainty and falling prices of digital assets, the crypto ecosystem returned to the radar of large investors in 2025. Startups in the sector are raising billions of dollars again — this time, with a renewed focus on infrastructure, security, artificial intelligence, and decentralized finance (DeFi).
This movement indicates a clear signal of market maturity. If before, venture capital was directed toward speculative tokens with promises of quick gains, today funds are targeting solid technological solutions, with real potential for scalability and integration with the global financial system.
In this article, we tell you how crypto startups are evolving in 2025 and what opportunities may arise in this environment for attentive investors.
The new profile of crypto startups
The startups that are attracting the most capital in 2025 are not the ones launching new coins or trading platforms. Money is going toward projects with clear value propositions, focused on building the infrastructure of the new digital financial system.
Today, the four major capital attraction axes are:
Blockchain infrastructure: scalable networks, interoperability between blockchains, and layer 2 and 3 solutions;
Digital security: tools for protection against fraud, hacks, and vulnerabilities in smart contracts;
AI applied to the crypto ecosystem: from trading bots to predictive analysis of on-chain data;
Institutional DeFi: platforms connecting large financial players with the universe of decentralized finance.
This reflects a structural change: as the demand for more sophisticated solutions grows, startups must offer products capable of solving complex and global-scale challenges. In countries like Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia, where digital payment and open banking solutions are advancing, these innovations find fertile ground.
Million-dollar rounds that set the pace
The last few months have been particularly dynamic in terms of funding for crypto startups. According to market data, total investment in these companies exceeded $2.7 billion, marking a significant rebound for the sector.
This value represents a growth of 2% compared to the first quarter of the year, although it is still 9% below the same period of the previous year.
Some highlighted cases:
Colb, a Swiss startup founded by Brazilian Yulgan Lira, raised $7.3 million in an extension of its seed round. Its focus is on the tokenization of shares of pre-IPO companies.
Farcaster, a decentralized social network, raised $150 million in a Series A round, making it one of the largest of the quarter.
MegaETH, co-founded by Shuyao Kong, raised $20 million in an initial round, focusing on developing high-performance blockchains.
Tokenization is also gaining prominence
Another interesting movement is the use of tokenized assets (RWAs) as an alternative financing tool. Instead of relying solely on traditional venture capital, some startups are opting for public or private sales of tokens backed by revenue streams, real estate, or financial instruments.
This model, although still legally sensitive in various Latin American jurisdictions, is being primarily adopted by financial infrastructure projects seeking liquidity and global access without intermediaries.
Why are investors returning?
The return of capital to the crypto sector in 2025 is explained by several factors:
Greater technological maturity: current projects are more robust, emphasizing usability, scalability, and integration with the traditional financial system.
Growing institutional demand: banks, funds, and even governments are interested in blockchain solutions, driven by advances such as central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and the tokenization of real assets.
Recovery of global liquidity: markets are starting to take on more risk again, although with a much more technical and selective outlook.
Solid narratives for the new cycle: themes such as AI + DeFi, blockchain infrastructure, and RWAs are generating concrete expectations.
In countries like Argentina, which have recently begun to dismantle currency and regulatory restrictions, these solutions can further accelerate the transformation of market access, facilitating new ways to finance projects and access previously restricted asset classes.
Risks that still persist
Despite the optimism, investors maintain a cautious stance toward the sector. Some of the most relevant challenges are:
Real adoption: many projects have yet to demonstrate their ability to attract active and sustainable users;
Uncertain regulatory environment: the lack of clear rules in several Latin American countries creates legal insecurity;
Speculative cycles: media hype around emerging technologies like AI + crypto can unrealistically inflate expectations.
Furthermore, a critical point is the macroeconomic context: despite the rebound in investments, the cost of money remains high in developed economies like the U.S. and the European Union. This forces startups to present more robust and profitable proposals than those seen in the post-2020 'cheap money' cycle.
Where are the opportunities?
The 2025 landscape shows that capital is returning to the crypto universe — but with a different focus. The easy money from ICOs is over, and strategic capital focused on building the foundation of the new decentralized financial system is coming in.
The greatest opportunities are in:
Next-generation blockchain infrastructure;
Smart security and auditing;
DeFi platforms aimed at institutional investors;
Integration with real-world tokenized assets.
For those analyzing this ecosystem with a long-term vision, this may be the best time to detect the next unicorns of Web3.
In a market where technology is advancing at a rapid pace and cycles are intense, following the direction of capital is one of the best ways to anticipate what is coming. And in 2025, the signs are clear: investors are back — and they are more demanding than ever.
#startup #Inversiones #defi #RWA #AI
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