Share this article

UK Asset Manager Baillie Gifford Invests $100M in Blockchain.com

The Edinburgh, Scotland-based company was also an early investor in tech giants Tesla and Google.

Updated Sep 14, 2021, 12:44 p.m. Published Apr 21, 2021, 11:01 a.m.
jwp-player-placeholder

Baillie Gifford, one of the U.K.’s most prominent asset managers, has invested $100 million in crypto exchange and wallet provider Blockchain.com.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

  • A blog by Blockchain.com CEO and co-founder Peter Smith on Tuesday said this is the largest single investment in the startup to date.
  • Baillie Gifford is a 110-year old asset management firm headquartered in Edinburgh with $445.3 billion in assets under management (AUM). It was an early investor in such tech giants as Tesla, Google and Amazon.
  • This is one of Baillie Gifford’s first such investments in a company in the crypto space, according to Smith.
  • It also follows less than a month after Blockchain.com raised $300 million in a Series C funding round led by DST Global, Lightspeed Venture Partners and VY Capital, which valued the company at $5.2 billion.

See also: Blockchain.com Crypto Wallet Outage Affects ‘Large Number’ of Users

More For You

KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market

16:9 Image

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:

  • 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.

More For You

Gold tops $5,000 as bitcoin stalls near $87,000 in widening macro-crypto split: Asia Morning Briefing

Stacked gold bars (Scottsdale Mint/Unsplash/Modified by CoinDesk)

Bitcoin’s onchain data points to supply overhang and weak participation, while gold’s breakout is priced by markets as a durable macro regime shift.

What to know:

  • Gold’s surge above $5,000 an ounce is increasingly seen as a durable regime shift, with investors treating the metal as a persistent hedge against geopolitical risk, central bank demand and a weaker dollar.
  • Bitcoin is stuck near $87,000 in a low-conviction market, as on-chain data show older holders selling into rallies, newer buyers absorbing losses and a heavy supply overhang capping moves toward $100,000.
  • Derivatives and prediction markets point to continued consolidation in bitcoin and sustained strength in gold, with thin futures volumes, subdued leverage and weak demand for higher-beta crypto assets like ether reinforcing the cautious tone.