Across Protocol, Crossmint, Validation Cloud, Abound, Scytale Digital, Chronicle, Halliday, and Level USD all revealed their funding rounds in March.
Venture capital funding surged into the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry in March, defying market skepticism even as Bitcoin experienced a 30% retracement. While some commentators rushed to declare the end of the bull market, investor confidence remained strong.
VC activity serves as a key indicator of the blockchain sector’s health, with higher deal flow signaling robust investor demand and ongoing innovation.
As reported by Cointelegraph, blockchain startups secured an impressive $1.1 billion in funding in February, with decentralized finance, decentralized physical infrastructure networks, and payments leading the charge.
Early data suggests that March was an even stronger month for crypto VC investments, with larger funding rounds and increased investor participation underscoring the sector’s resilience.
This month’s VC Roundup highlights eight major deals—seven of which reached valuations in the eight-figure range—demonstrating that capital is still flowing into the industry at a significant pace.
Across Protocol raises $41 million via token sale
Across Protocol, a leading Ethereum cross-chain interoperability platform, has successfully raised $41 million in a token sale led by San Francisco-based venture firm Paradigm. The round also saw participation from major industry players, including Coinbase Ventures, Bain Capital Crypto, and Multicoin Capital.
With its innovative use of “intents,” Across Protocol is revolutionizing Ethereum layer-2 connectivity by separating asset transfers from message verification. This architecture ensures faster and more efficient transactions.
“The critical tasks—moving assets and fulfilling the intent—are executed immediately by a relayer, while the more time-intensive message verification occurs afterward,” explained Aiden Park, an engineer and technical writer.
“This design allows Across to deliver messages with unparalleled speed, cost efficiency, and security, distinguishing it from other message-passing protocols,” he added.
Ribbit Capital leads $23.6 million Crossmint raise
Enterprise Web3 company Crossmint has secured $23.6 million in funding to expand its cutting-edge onchain onboarding technology, making Web3 adoption seamless for businesses and AI agents—without requiring blockchain expertise. The round was led by San Francisco-based venture firm Ribbit Capital.
Co-founder Rodri Fernandez emphasized that Crossmint offers powerful low-code APIs for essential blockchain functions, including wallets, stablecoins, tokenization, and credentials. The company also announced that its technology is now used by over 40,000 businesses and developers across more than 40 blockchains.
Financial app Abound gets backing from Near Foundation, Circle Ventures
New York-based remittance app Abound has secured a $14 million funding round, led by Near Foundation with participation from Circle Ventures.
Designed to streamline remittances between India and its vast U.S.-based diaspora, Abound has already processed over $150 million in transactions, demonstrating strong demand and rapid adoption.
Developed by the Times of India Group, a leading Mumbai-based media company, Abound is positioned as a key player in the cross-border payments space.
While the extent of blockchain integration in Abound’s services remains unclear, backing from Near and Circle Ventures signals a growing interest from blockchain-focused firms in revolutionizing the remittance and cross-border payments industry.
Chronicle closes seed round
Chronicle, a leading Ethereum Oracle and tokenization infrastructure provider, has secured $12 million in seed funding, with Strobe Ventures—formerly BlockTower Venture Capital—spearheading the round. Notable investors include Galaxy Vision Hill, Brevan Howard Digital, Tioga Capital, Fenbushi Capital, Gnosis Ventures, 6th Man Ventures, and a group of prominent angel investors.
By seamlessly connecting protocol developers to real-time data feeds, Chronicle plays a vital role in powering DeFi and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization ecosystems. The company attributes its strong early-stage funding success to the surging institutional demand for RWA tokenization, reinforcing its position as a key player in the industry’s future.
DeFi-yielding stablecoin Level debuts with $2.6 million in funding
In March, blockchain developer Peregrin Exploration launched Level USD, a yield-bearing stablecoin, backed by $2.6 million from top investors, including Dragonfly Capital, Polychain, and Flowdesk.
Unlike traditional stablecoins, Level USD is collateralized by restaked stablecoins, offering users the potential for yield while maintaining stability. Since its debut, its market capitalization has surged, reaching an impressive $116 million.
Level USD is seamlessly integrated with leading DeFi protocols such as Pendle, LayerZero, and Specta. It also serves as collateral on Morpho, a noncustodial lending platform, further expanding its utility across the decentralized finance ecosystem.
Halliday raises $20 million for Agentic Workflow Protocol
No-code blockchain developer Halliday has secured a $20 million Series A funding round to accelerate the growth of its Agentic Workflow Protocol (AWP)—an advanced AI-driven tool that empowers developers to build DeFi applications without writing smart contracts.
Led by a16z Crypto, the round also saw participation from SV Angel, the Avalanche Blizzard Fund, Credibly Neutral, Alt Layer, and other prominent investors.
With AWP, blockchain companies can develop applications in hours instead of years, Halliday announced. By handling the complexities of blockchain development and execution, its programming model streamlines the process, allowing businesses to scale faster and more efficiently.
AI-driven Validation Cloud closes $15 million Series A
Validation Cloud, a leading innovator in AI and blockchain infrastructure, has secured a $15 million Series A investment led by True Global Ventures. The round also saw participation from Cadenza, Blockchain Founders Fund, Bloccelerate, and other strategic investors.
This funding will accelerate the expansion of Validation Cloud’s Web3 infrastructure solutions, including advanced staking, high-performance node APIs, and enhanced data services.
Trusted by industry leaders like Hedera, Aptos, Stellar, EigenLayer, and Polygon, Validation Cloud delivers seamless access to blockchain data while providing robust node and staking solutions for institutional clients.
Skytale Digital debuts $20 million Polkadot Ecosystem Fund
Skytale Digital, a leading blockchain investment firm, has unveiled the Polkadot Ecosystem Fund, a bold initiative with a $20 million allocation dedicated to advancing the “network of networks.”
This fund is designed to deliver comprehensive support—combining financial backing, technical expertise, and strategic mentorship—to empower Web3 developers. Its focus is squarely on fostering the growth of decentralized applications and key infrastructure projects within the dynamic Polkadot ecosystem.
Polkadot is a leading blockchain network, ranked 20th globally with a market capitalization of approximately $7.3 billion, as reported by CoinMarketCap.