Introduction
In 2025, blockchain startups are rewriting the funding playbook. Early-stage companies that just a few years ago might have raised $5M–$10M are now pulling in $30M–$50M checks.
And unlike the hype cycles of the past, these aren’t scattershot bets. They’re focused plays in infrastructure, AI, and direct to consumer solutions that could redefine how finance and digital assets actually work.
This article spotlights the five blockchain startups pulling in outlier checks, and what that says about where the we’re is headed.
Early-Stage Blockchain Funding in 2025
The median early-stage fintech round in 2025 is $4.5M. Venture overall? Just $3.5M.
Now look at blockchain: the top early-stage rounds aren’t $5M, $10M, or even $20M. They’re $30M–$50M. That’s Series B money going into seed and Series A plays.
Why does this matter? Because when capital skips stages it means investors aren’t just betting, they’re convinced these companies will define the category.
Quick stats on the top five:
.png)
The Leaders
1. Portal to Bitcoin — $50M Series A
Portal is turning Bitcoin from static digital gold into a true settlement layer through BitScaler, a trust-minimized multi-party channel system that enables cross-chain contracts without new op codes, custodians, or bridges — giving developers and institutions scalable Bitcoin-native rails for DeFi and real-world markets.
- HQ: San Francisco, CA
- Stage: Series A
- Latest Round: $50M (Aug 2025)
- Total Funding: $92M
- Website: portaltobitcoin.com
2. Nous Research — $50M Series A
Nous builds human-centric, steerable open AI models like Hermes 4, designed to let teams control reasoning behavior and safety tradeoffs. With open weights, API access, and a hands-on chat interface, Nous positions itself as the infrastructure for developers who want transparency and control over closed-model alternatives.
- HQ: Not specified
- Stage: Series A
- Latest Round: $50M (Apr 2025)
- Valuation: $1B (token reported)
- Website: nousresearch.com
3. StarTower — $50M Seed
StarTower positions itself as a “third-generation blockchain client,” where the wallet becomes an engine for wealth creation. Through its Resource Interaction Proof consensus, it connects users, assets, and dApps across chains, turning everyday interactions into on-chain reputation, earnings, and frictionless access.
- HQ: New York, NY
- Stage: Seed
- Latest Round: $50M (Feb 2025)
- Valuation: $250M
- Website: startower.fr
4. Etherealize — $40M Series A
Etherealize is building institutional Ethereum rails, bringing tokenization, instant settlement, and configurable zk-privacy to capital markets. Its platform gives banks and asset managers a compliance-first way to upgrade legacy infrastructure and operate in a 24/7 on-chain economy.
- HQ: Not specified
- Stage: Series A
- Latest Round: $40M (Sept 2025)
- Website: etherealize.com
5. Courtyard — $30M Series A
Courtyard fuses digital mystery packs with vaulted, graded physical cards, pairing an app-driven “rip” experience with instant buyback and a live marketplace. Collectors can buy, hold, trade, or redeem with one tap, treating Pokémon, sports, and other cards as liquid digital assets.
- HQ: New York, NY
- Stage: Series A
- Latest Round: $30M (Jul 2025)
- Website: courtyard.io
Conclusion
The story of blockchain in 2025 isn’t about hype making a comeback. It’s about conviction. A handful of early-stage startups are raising rounds big early stage rounds, and investors are betting they’ll own the future.
Next: we’ll break down the brand and design trends these leaders are using to stand out.
Stay Connected
