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Babel Finance Raises $40M From Zoo Capital, Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global

The investment is the first foray into Asia's crypto finance industry for Zoo, BAI Capital and Tiger Global Management.

Updated May 9, 2023, 3:19 a.m. Published May 10, 2021, 2:10 p.m.
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Crypto-lending startup Babel Finance has raised $40 million in a Series A funding round led by Zoo Capital, Sequoia Capital China, Tiger Global Management and other investors.

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  • The round marks the first steps into Asia’s crypto finance industry for Zoo Capital, BAI Capital and Tiger Global Management, according to an announcement Monday.
  • As of February, the China-based startup had lent $2 billion worth of cryptocurrency to more than 500 institutional clients, up from $380 million in March 2020.
  • Babel’s derivatives business has a monthly trading volume of $8 billion.
  • The investment will be used to acquire relevant licenses in markets worldwide, including North America and Europe, to offer crypto financial products to mainstream investors, the firm said.
  • “Babel Finance aims to become a global powerhouse at scale and bandwidth in the industry matching our counterpart DCG in the U.S.,” Babel Finance co-Founder Del Wang said.
  • Digital Currency Group (DCG) is the parent company of CoinDesk.

See also: Babel Finance Is Letting Crypto Mining Firms Use Machines as Loan Collateral

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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.

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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.
  • 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.
  • Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
  • Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
  • Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.

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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.