Crypto funding disclosed for the week reached $138 million, and the capital was far from evenly spread. ARQ and Crossover Markets Group alone pulled in $101 million, making payments and financial infrastructure the clearest focus across the latest batch of deals.
ARQ lands the week’s largest round
The biggest raise went to ARQ, the company recently rebranded from DolarApp. It targets markets including Latin America, where access to conventional banking services and US dollars is limited, and it focuses on payment solutions and neobank services. ARQ secured $70 million from ParaFi Capital and Founders Fund, with the new financing pointing to broader market expansion.
Crossover Markets Group adds $31 million in Series B
Crossover Markets Group posted the second-largest deal of the week. The company raised $31 million in a Series B round that included Tradeweb, the global electronic bond trading platform. Its exclusive focus on payment infrastructure drew attention because it reflects continued interest from established fintech and trading firms.
Remaining capital spread across six startups
Out of the total $138 million, the balance after the two largest rounds was distributed among six other startups. QFEX raised $9.5 million in a seed round led by General Catalyst to build infrastructure for crypto derivatives, with a particular emphasis on perpetual futures. Akave secured $6.65 million to expand its cloud services offering, backed by Protocol Labs, which is known for its connection to the Filecoin and IPFS ecosystems.
Utexo and Cyclops were also highlighted for work in payments and privacy-focused products. MarsCat brought in $3 million from strategic investors Animoca Brands and CGV FoF, extending the week’s funding activity into social networking and privacy.
Institutional capital clusters around core market rails
The sector breakdown shows a clear concentration in payments and financial infrastructure. ARQ, Crossover Markets Group, Cyclops, and Utexo together illustrate where institutional money is leaning. According to the report, some analysts see that positioning as an attempt to move early before expected regulatory clarity takes shape.
QFEX’s ability to win backing from General Catalyst despite unresolved derivatives regulation was also presented as a sign of early positioning by traditional venture capital. Instead of broad and speculative deployment, the week’s deals centered on payment systems, financial infrastructure, derivatives infrastructure seen as closer to regulated markets, and privacy-oriented social platforms.