Digital-Asset Funding Reaches $11.2 Billion in First Half, Tilts to Regulated Firms

A total of $11.2 billion flowed into the digital-asset industry in the first half of this year, with investor capital concentrated in regulated businesses.

CoinDesk reported on August 15 that Dubai-based law firm NeosLegal analyzed 377 publicly disclosed fundraising deals in the digital-asset industry between January and June and found that the sector raised $11.2 billion.

By segment, payments and stablecoins — digital assets pegged to fiat currencies — drew the most funding at $3.7 billion. Prediction markets followed with $2 billion, while digital-asset exchanges and trading platforms attracted $1.7 billion. NeosLegal said all three areas require regulatory approval to operate.

Institutional participation was also notable. BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, BNP Paribas, Citadel, Nasdaq and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority invested in digital-asset companies that meet regulatory requirements.

Regulatory licenses themselves are also emerging as a driver of company valuations. Vinit Budki, managing partner at Sigma Capital, said code can be copied over a weekend, but securing a license from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority or approval under the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets framework can take 18 to 24 months and cost several million dollars. Regulation, he added, is the price of admission to the market.

Irina Heaver, founder of NeosLegal, said investment capital is no longer flowing to decentralized projects, but to regulated companies. Compliance is no longer just a cost, she added. It has become a competitive advantage and an asset the market assigns real value to.