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Router Protocol Raises $4.1M to Bridge EVM and Non-EVM Chains

“The need of the hour is the ability for these to talk to each other,” said CEO Ramani Ramachandran.

Updated May 11, 2023, 5:52 p.m. Published Dec 10, 2021, 10:00 a.m.
(Tien Vu Ngoc/Unsplash)
(Tien Vu Ngoc/Unsplash)

Router Protocol, a project aimed at connecting multiple blockchains, has raised $4.1 million in a funding round that was backed by Coinbase Ventures.

The funding round was also supported by Bison Ventures, DeFi Capital, Polygon, QCP Capital, Shima Capital, Wintermute and the Woodstock Fund. Router Protocol raised $485,000 in a seed funding round last year.

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As the blockchain universe matures, liquidity is at risk of being fragmented across a raft of chains such as Algorand, Avalanche, Polygon, Solana and Terra.

“Rapid growth of various blockchains means the need of the hour is the ability for these to talk to each other through bridges and other forms of connectivity,” said Router Protocol CEO Ramani Ramachandran. “Our unique selling point is that we can do EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) and non-EVM chains, as well as layer 1 and layer 2 networks.”

Read more: ‘Bridge Szn’ Continues With $2M Raise for Stablecoin Connector Symbiosis

When it comes to liquidity bridges, the “big elephant in the room” is security, Ramachandran said. Hacks are almost a rite of passage in the sector, and any system that sets out to connect networks is only as secure as the weakest link in the protocols on either side.

Router Protocol’s precaution is to connect only major, well-established blockchains. It has also completed “five or six audits” on its code.

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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.

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  • KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
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How the ultra-wealthy are using bitcoin to fund their yacht upgrades and Cannes trips

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Cometh founder Jerome de Tychey is applying DeFi lending and borrowing on platforms like Aave, Morpho, and Uniswap to structures that help the ultra-wealthy secure loans against their massive crypto fortunes.

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  • Wealthy investors who hold much of their fortune in crypto are increasingly turning to decentralized finance platforms to secure flexible credit lines without selling their digital assets.
  • Firms like Cometh help family offices and other rich clients navigate complex DeFi tools, using assets such as bitcoin, ether and stablecoins to replicate traditional Lombard-style collateralized loans.
  • DeFi loans can be faster and more anonymous than traditional bank credit but carry volatility and liquidation risks, and Cometh is also experimenting with applying DeFi strategies to traditional securities via ISIN-based tokenization.