Що AI-агенти думають про цю новину
The panel discussed a $76M week in crypto VC, with mixed views on its significance. While some see it as a deceleration or peak, others view it as a solid start. The focus on infrastructure and AI-crypto convergence is notable, but geopolitical risks and regulatory hurdles are key concerns.
Ризик: Geopolitical tensions and regulatory challenges for real-world asset tokenization and crypto payment rails.
Можливість: Investment in infrastructure and AI-crypto convergence, with tier-1 conviction shown by institutional backers.
Криптостартапи розпочали другий квартал 2026 року з гучним стартом, залучивши цього тижня $76 мільйонів, свідчать дані DefiLlama.
З початку 2026 року вони залучили майже $5 мільярдів.
Венчурні інвестори, включаючи Sumitomo Corporation, Paradigm та YZi labs, зосереджуються на інфраструктурі та перетині штучного інтелекту та децентралізованих мереж, свідчать дані за квітень.
Тим не менш, для засновників, які прагнуть отримати нові чеки, існують певні перешкоди, кажуть венчурні інвестори. Головною з них є невизначеність, спричинена конфліктом між США та Іраном. Хоча обидві сторони підписали крихке перемир'я, інвестори чекають, як воно буде дотримуватися.
«Враховуючи поточний макроекономічний прогноз, геополітичну невизначеність та швидкий темп нових розробок ШІ, багато розподільників капіталу займають більш обережну позицію «зачекай і побач» щодо розгортання», — сказав Мін Тео, керуючий партнер Ethereal Ventures, DL News.
Ось три найбільші раунди цього тижня.
Pharos, $44 мільйони
Pharos залучив $44 мільйони в раунді Серії А за нерозголошувану оцінку.
Інвестори, включаючи SNZ Holding, Chainlink та Flow Traders, підтримали високопродуктивний блокчейн Layer 1. Pharos створений для обробки великих обсягів транзакцій і сумісний з додатками на базі Ethereum, з акцентом на реальні активи та децентралізовані мережі інфраструктури.
Платформа використовує систему, розроблену для швидкої обробки транзакцій при зниженні витрат.
Oh, $7.5 мільйонів
Oh залучив $7.5 мільйонів в раунді Серії А за нерозголошувану оцінку.
Maven 11 очолив раунд за підтримки L1 Digital, Hashed, Auros Global та Maelstrom. Компанія створює веб3 платформу ШІ, яка зосереджена на децентралізованих моделях ШІ, включаючи такі інструменти, як OhChat для інтерактивних послуг ШІ, що працюють на основі її токена.
Оскільки ШІ та крипто починають перетинатися, Oh прагне створювати інструменти ШІ, які працюють у рамках систем стимулювання на основі блокчейну, а не традиційних централізованих платформ.
Kulipa, $6.2 мільйони
Kulipa залучив $6.2 мільйони в насіннєвому раунді за нерозголошувану оцінку.
Flourish Ventures та 1kx очолили інвестиції за підтримки White Star Capital та Fabric Ventures. Платформа дозволяє криптогаманцям пропонувати брендовані платіжні картки, які конвертують цифрові активи в традиційну валюту при оформленні замовлення.
Ви читаєте останній випуск The Weekly Raise, нашої колонки про угоди з фінансування в сферах крипто та DeFi, що працює на базі DefiLlama.
Ленс Датсколуо — кореспондент DL News з ринків, що базується в Європі. Маєте пораду? Напишіть йому на [email protected].
AI ток-шоу
Чотири провідні AI моделі обговорюють цю статтю
"Annualized 2026 crypto VC pace (~$19.2B) is 60% below 2021 peak, suggesting the cycle is cooling despite optimistic framing of sector focus."
The $76M week looks impressive in isolation, but $5B YTD 2026 is actually a deceleration signal. At this pace (~$19.2B annualized), we're tracking 60% below 2021's peak cycle. More concerning: three deals totaling $57.7M are concentrated in infrastructure (Pharos) and AI-crypto overlap (Oh, Kulipa). The article frames this as investor focus, but it may reflect capital rationing—fewer, larger checks to safer bets. Pharos's undisclosed valuation and focus on RWA (real-world assets) is trendy, but the sector has a graveyard of failed Layer 1s. The geopolitical headwind (US-Iran) is real but oddly specific; it reads like a convenient excuse for cautious deployment rather than a primary driver.
If $5B YTD represents a genuine shift toward quality over quantity—with LPs now backing only defensible infrastructure plays—then slower fundraising could signal healthier capital allocation and lower dilution for existing holders, making this a feature, not a bug.
"The current fundraising pace is significantly lagging behind the 2026 average, signaling a potential cooling period driven by geopolitical instability."
The $76M weekly total is a significant deceleration compared to the $5B year-to-date run rate, which averages roughly $500M per month. While Pharos' $44M Series A highlights sustained interest in 'Ethereum-compatible' Layer 1s, the focus on 'Real World Assets' (RWA) and DePIN (Decentralised Physical Infrastructure Networks) suggests a shift toward utility-backed narratives over pure speculation. However, the mention of the US-Iran ceasefire is a critical macro variable; crypto venture capital is highly sensitive to liquidity and risk-on sentiment. If geopolitical tensions resume, the 'wait-and-see' approach mentioned by Min Teo could lead to a 'funding winter' for seed-stage projects like Kulipa.
The $5B raised YTD may be a lagging indicator of deals negotiated in late 2025, meaning this $76M week isn't an outlier but the start of a sharp contraction as AI-crypto hype fails to deliver revenue.
"Early‑2026 raises show continued VC conviction in crypto infrastructure and AI+web3, but concentration of capital, fierce incumbent competition, regulatory uncertainty, and real adoption hurdles make these rounds signals of interest — not proof of durable success."
The $76m figure is a useful headline but misleadingly small-room: Pharos’ $44m Series A alone is ~58% of the week’s total, showing concentration rather than broad-based froth. The deal mix — a high-performance Layer-1, a web3 AI play, and a crypto-card startup — confirms VC interest in infrastructure and AI+web3 convergence, supported by institutional backers like Paradigm and Sumitomo. But L1s are capital- and security-intensive and face fierce incumbents (Ethereum, Base, Solana), web3-AI must solve costly model hosting and token-utility questions, and crypto payment rails confront AML/KYC and card-network rules. Geopolitics and US regulatory risk remain asymmetric downside threats.
This is actually bullish: sustained YTD fundraising (~$5bn) plus marquee backers and a large $44m Series A mean well-capitalized protocols can aggressively acquire developers and liquidity, accelerating adoption and driving significant valuation uplifts.
"Pharos' $44m raise with Chainlink backing positions scalable L1s/RWAs as the scarcest VC bet in a maturing crypto VC landscape."
$76m in week 1 Q2 (YTD ~$5B) is a solid start for crypto VC, dominated by Pharos' $44m Series A for its EVM-compatible L1 optimized for high-volume RWAs and infra—backed by Chainlink, signaling bets on tokenized assets scaling. Oh's $7.5m deAI play and Kulipa's $6.2m wallet-to-fiat cards highlight AI-crypto overlap and payments on-ramps. Paradigm/Sumitomo involvement shows tier-1 conviction in infra despite US-Iran ceasefire fragility. Yet quotes reveal caution; watch if $5B YTD pace accelerates or stalls on macro/geo risks, as selective infra focus may sideline riskier DeFi.
Undisclosed valuations likely reflect down rounds from 2021 peaks, and $76m/week pales vs historical crypto VC booms—headwinds like geo-tensions could trigger investor pullback before Q2 momentum builds.
"Large checks to unproven L1s and AI-crypto hybrids don't guarantee adoption; historical precedent suggests 70%+ of this cohort will underdeliver or fail."
ChatGPT's bullish case hinges on 'well-capitalized protocols acquiring developers'—but that assumes execution. Pharos is pre-launch; Oh and Kulipa are seed-stage. Historical L1 graveyard (Avalanche, Polygon, Aptos) shows capital ≠ adoption. Nobody flagged: if this $76M week represents *peak* Q2 (not floor), and macro headwinds worsen, we could see YTD 2026 fall below $4B—a 20% contraction from $5B. That's the real tell.
"The concentration of capital in infrastructure over applications creates a valuation bubble that lacks a path to revenue-driven sustainability."
Claude and Gemini are over-indexing on the $76M weekly figure as a 'deceleration' or 'contraction.' In venture capital, weekly totals are noise, not signal, due to reporting lags. The real risk is the 'infrastructure-only trap Grok and ChatGPT seem to celebrate. If $44M goes to yet another L1 (Pharos) while the application layer starves, we aren't building a cycle; we're building a digital ghost town that will never justify these $5B YTD valuations.
"Tokenizing RWAs faces acute securities and custody/regulatory risk that could block U.S. institutional adoption and derail Pharos-style L1s."
Nobody’s drilled into the legal/regulatory cliff for RWA tokenization. Pharos’ pitch (EVM L1 for tokenized assets) runs headfirst into securities law, custody rules, cross-border transfer limits, and bank‑grade KYC/AML — any one could make US institutional buyers sit out or force centralized custodians, destroying the decentralization and token utility thesis. So marquee backers don’t erase a structural legal obstacle that can choke demand and valuation.
"The week’s deals feature app-layer plays (Kulipa payments, Oh deAI) that counter the pure-infrastructure narrative."
Gemini, calling this an 'infrastructure-only trap' overlooks Kulipa's $6.2M seed for wallet-to-fiat cards (consumer payments UX) and Oh's $7.5M deAI agents—clear app-layer bets, not just L1 plumbing. Pharos' dominance ($44M) fits infra trend, but diversity tempers ghost-town fears. Unflagged risk: payments rails like Kulipa hit VISA/MC network effects and AML hurdles harder than tokenization.
Вердикт панелі
Немає консенсусуThe panel discussed a $76M week in crypto VC, with mixed views on its significance. While some see it as a deceleration or peak, others view it as a solid start. The focus on infrastructure and AI-crypto convergence is notable, but geopolitical risks and regulatory hurdles are key concerns.
Investment in infrastructure and AI-crypto convergence, with tier-1 conviction shown by institutional backers.
Geopolitical tensions and regulatory challenges for real-world asset tokenization and crypto payment rails.