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Kraken Ventures Raises $65M for Early-Stage Crypto Fund

The fund will invest in financial infrastructure, Web 3, DeFi, artificial intelligence and machine learning startups.

Updated May 11, 2023, 5:52 p.m. Published Dec 17, 2021, 1:17 p.m.
Kraken exchange co-founder and CEO Jesse Powell (Kraken)
Kraken exchange co-founder and CEO Jesse Powell (Kraken)

Kraken Ventures raised $65 million for its first fund, which will invest in early-stage cryptocurrency and tech startups.

  • Kraken Ventures (whose largest liquidity provider is Kraken, the fourth-largest crypto exchange by volume) in February launched an independent fund led by its former head of corporate development Brandon Gath.
  • The new fund currently holds positions in the blockchain infrastructure platform Blockdaemon, digital asset platform Anchorage and crypto database provider Messari and more, Kraken said Friday.
  • Kraken Ventures said it will invest in financial infrastructure, Web 3, decentralized finance (DeFi), consumer crypto protocols, artificial intelligenc, and machine learning startups. The fund will target initial investments in the $500,000 to $2 million range.
  • “Our focus now is to put that money to work and help some of the most innovative projects and their exceptionally talented founders accelerate the development of their companies and protocols,” Gath said.
  • The Texas-based fund also expanded its team in Europe with the appointment of Laurens De Poorter as head of European operations. Before joining the fund, De Poorter worked at Dawn Capital overseeing early-stage investments in enterprise software and fintech companies

Read more: New Kraken Venture Fund to Target Early-Stage Crypto, Tech Startups

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KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market

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KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.

What to know:

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  • This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
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Tom Lee urges BitMine shareholders to approve share increase ahead of January 14 vote

Screenshot of Tom Lee on CoinDesk TV (CoinDesk)

The chairman of the former bitcoin miner-turned-ether treasury firm reiterated his view that Ethereum is the future of finance.

What to know:

  • Tom Lee, chairman of Bitmine Immersion (BMNR), urged shareholders to approve an increase in the company's authorized share count from 500 million to 50 billion.
  • Lee assured shareholders that the increase is not intended to dilute shares, but instead to enable capital raising, dealmaking, and future share splits.
  • Shareholders have until January 14 to vote on the proposal, with the annual meeting scheduled for January 15 in Las Vegas.