- Crypto startups raised $5 billion in the first-quarter of 2026.
- That’s down 16% from the same period last year.
- Prediction markets have emerged as a top sector.
Crypto startups raised nearly $5 billion from venture investors in the first-quarter of 2026, DefiLlama data shows.
That’s a 16% decrease year-on-year when compared to the first three months of 2025 when the market saw closer to $6 billion in funding amid the crypto industry’s euphoria after Donald Trump took office.
Yet investment momentum is not lost — the fundraising data highlights a rapidly evolving startup ecosystem.
The prediction market sector emerged as the dominant force, securing over $1.7 billion in capital. This was followed by payments at $735 million and trading…
