Messari

Want to make your agent smarter? We’re excited to announce that Messari’s AI Toolkit is now integrated with Coinbase’s AgentKit—unlocking a powerful new data layer for AI agents in crypto. For builders working on the next generation of autonomous agents, this means instant access to: 📚 170TB+ of Messari’s premium crypto data 📈 Fundraising + unlock schedules 📊 Onchain + market metrics 🧠 Deep protocol research and trends Whether you're building the next AI-native protocol or just want a sharper edge—this unlock is for you. Dive in to Messari's AI Toolkit via Coinbase AgentKit https://messari.co/4i4h6Yx

Don't miss Messari CEO Eric Turner, CFA Turner on stage today at 10:40 AM on the Master Stage at #PBW2025! He’s joining an incredible lineup of industry leaders to talk about what’s next for blockchain, Web3, and the future of digital finance. Expect sharp insights on regulation, innovation, and what’s shaping the space in 2025 and beyond. See you there 👇

🇫🇷 Bonjour, Paris Blockchain Week! The Messari team is on the ground at #PBW2025 and ready to connect. Stop by Booth 6 to say hello, chat crypto research, and get a look at what we’re building. Whether you're deep into data, protocol analysis, or just want the latest alpha—we've got you covered. 👋 Come meet the team 📊 Learn about our latest product updates 🍾 Grab some Messari swag while you’re at it We hope to see you here. À bientôt!

Over 30 projects raised ~$120M last week, led by Codex ($15.8M) and Ambient ($7.2M), while Jupiter, Republic, and bitsCrunch announced strategic acquisitions. On the VC front, Felipe Montealegre applied Aggregation Theory and 7 Powers to Uniswap, Nick Tomaino updated his thesis on social scalability, and Sam Lehman explored reinforcement learning’s role in decentralized AI. Here’s your breakdown of the week’s key deals, M&A activity, and investor insights 👇

Over 25 projects raised ~$154M last week, led by Rain ($24.5M) and Coresky ($15M), while Supra, Bonk, and Gunzilla Games made key acquisitions. DWF Labs launched a $250M Liquid Fund, and Maven 11 closed a $107M fund. Hiroki Kotabe explored Bitcoin’s tokenization via Taproot Assets, Bridget Harris examined stablecoins’ impact on U.S. dollar dominance, and Karthik Sentil highlighted crypto’s role in AI network effects. Here’s your breakdown of the week’s top deals and insights 👇

Over 35 projects raised ~$725M last week, led by TON Foundation ($400M) and Walrus ($140M), Kraken acquired NinjaTrader for $1.5B, and Ribbit Capital began raising a new $500M fund. Meltem Demirors urged a return to Bitcoin fundamentals, Louis Thomazeau examined misaligned VC incentives, and Haseeb Qureshi reflected on missing Solana’s 3,250x return. Here's your venture breakdown 👇

Over 35 projects raised ~$2.22B last week, led by Binance and Mesh. MoonPay acquired Iron, and Sol Strategies purchased Laine. Kyle (DeFiance Capital) emphasized crypto’s need for first-principles thinking, Anagram explored stablecoins as programmable money, and Hildebert Moulié analyzed the $5B cost of geoblocking airdrops. Here's your breakdown of key deals and insights 👇

What does Ethereum’s dominance mean for 2025? Q4 2024 highlighted Ethereum’s resilience and continued leadership across DeFi, institutional adoption, and network upgrades. Here’s what stood out: 🔹 Ethereum’s TVL surged 121.6% YoY to $66.3B, outpacing most major Layer-2s and reinforcing its role as the primary settlement layer. 🔹 ETH ETF holdings grew 63.6% QoQ to 3.6M ETH ($11.9B AUM), reflecting increasing institutional exposure and demand. 🔹 Stablecoins on Ethereum hit $110.8B, now accounting for over 50% of the total stablecoin supply, solidifying its role in onchain finance. 🔹 Ethereum staking saw its first-ever quarterly decline, suggesting that staking participation may be stabilizing as rewards decrease. 🔹 The Pectra upgrade (March 2025) is set to introduce improvements in staking efficiency, transaction cost optimization, and Layer-2 scalability. With strong onchain activity, growing institutional engagement, and major upgrades ahead, Ethereum continues to shape the broader crypto ecosystem. 📊 Read the full Ethereum Q4 report: https://messari.co/4bOi7lS

Bitcoin is digital gold. Could it be more than that? Babylon Labs says yes. Babylon offers a security-sharing protocol that leverages Bitcoin's security to secure Bitcoin Secured Networks (BSNs). What are those? Protocols that need economic security to remain secure and operate properly, such as Layer-1 proof-of-stake (PoS) networks or data availability (DA) protocols. This is similar in concept to EigenLayer, which was the first to market with restaking ether for security. With Babylon, bitcoin tokenholders that desire yield can deposit (stake) bitcoins to provide security for BSNs. Staked bitcoins are delegated to Finality Providers (FPs), which serve as the validators that secure BSNs. Babylon’s Phase-1 attracted 57,290 BTC in deposits, or 0.29% of bitcoin's circulating supply. The protocol accumulated the third-highest amount of bitcoin behind just BlackRock and Fidelity Investments! Of that amount, 41,032 had been liquid staked, an increase of 181.7% QoQ. Lombard continued to be Babylon’s leading liquid staking protocol, ending Q4’24 with a TVL of 15,959 BTC, up 157.5% QoQ as LBTC became the 5th largest bitcoin derivative. Looking forward, Babylon's Phase-2 is set to introduce stake slashing with the launch of Babylon Genesis, Babylon's Layer-1 network that will serve as the first Bitcoin Secured Network (BSN). Check out my Messari State of Babylon Q4 2024 report for a deeper dive! https://lnkd.in/dSPCJt8V

Over 25 projects raised ~$200M last week, led by Across and DoubleZero. Mysten Labs acquired Parasol, Polymath merged with AnalytixInsight, and One Click acquired KeyFi. Foundation Capital launched its $600M Fund 11. a16z crypto categorized token types, Shayon Sengupta highlighted JTO on Solana, and Ryan Watkins analyzed Hyperliquid’s opportunity. Here's your breakdown of key deals and insights.