Crypto Startups Raise $588m in First Two Weeks of 2026, Top Investors Include Maelstrom Fund and Citadel Securities.

Venture capitalists invested $588 million in crypto startups in the first two weeks of January, with top investors including Arthur Hayes' Maelstrom Fund, Revolut's Vlad Yatsenko, and Citadel Securities. The investments focused on payments, trading, and centralized exchanges, highlighting the increasing convergence of crypto with traditional finance. Privacy plays a central role in these investments, with key technical areas attracting investor interest including zero-knowledge proofs and fully homomorphic encryption. Top raises include Rain's $250 million Series C round and Alpaca's $150 million Series D round.