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Funding

SoftBank, Ark seek to join Tether’s $20b funding round: Bloomberg

by admin September 27, 2025

SoftBank Group and Ark Investment Management are looking to join Tether Holdings’ latest major funding round, a deal that could catapult the stablecoin giant to the top of the list of cryptocurrency companies.

Summary

SoftBank, Ark Investment are among top firms looking to join Tether’s upcoming major funding round, according to Bloomberg.
Tether is eyeing a funding round of up to $20 billion at a $500 billion valuation.
The USDT issuer seeks to bolster its expansion via initiatives including artificial intelligence and energy

SoftBank and Ark, according to Bloomberg, have initiated talks over the funding round and are keen on backing Tether Holdings SA.

The round, sources say, is significant and could value the USDT issuer as high as $500 billion. In this case, the investment could elevate Tether into the bracket of the world’s most valuable private companies.

According to the report, Tether is eyeing a private placement for $15–$20 billion in exchange for about 3% of the company. Funds would go toward bolstering the stablecoin giant’s expansion efforts, including initiatives in artificial intelligence and energy.

Tether is the “Stable Company”

Plans for a mega funding round comes on the back of Tether appointing Benjamin Habbel as its new chief business officer. Habbel, the co-founder and CEO of private equity firm Limestone Capital, will lead Tether’s organizational growth, as well as the company’s finance, investments, and portfolio expansion efforts.

Tether also recently announced its plans for USAT, a U.S.-regulated stablecoin earmarked for U.S. customers and expected to launch by year-end. Former White House crypto official Bo Hines is Tether USAT’s chief executive officer.

Meanwhile, Tether (USDT), the company’s flagship project, continues to see significant expansion.

In a recent post on X, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said his stablecoin “is building the largest peer-to-peer network of money movement.” He noted that daily wallet-to-wallet USDT transfers stand at over $17.4 billion, accounting for 130x growth since 2020.

“Tether isn’t just a stablecoin company – it’s The Stable Company. We’re building resilient infrastructure, advancing financial sovereignty, and pioneering a future that’s decentralised, resilient, stable, and powered by AI,’ Ardoino added in a statement.

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September 27, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Kraken Secures $500 Million In Latest Funding Round, Boosting Valuation To $15B

by admin September 27, 2025

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

US-based cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, has successfully closed a $500 million funding round, achieving a valuation of $15 billion, as reported by Fortune. This significant milestone comes as the company gears up for its anticipated initial public offering (IPO), which is expected to take place next year.

Kraken’s Valuation Rises To $15 Billion

In July, The Information reported on Kraken’s intentions to raise this substantial amount, and recent updates confirm that the funding round was finalized this month without a primary investor.

Instead, Kraken set the terms of the deal, including the valuation figure. Among the contributors to this funding round were various investment managers and venture capitalists, notably including the exchange co-CEO Arjun Sethi’s Tribe Capital, as well as Sethi himself in a personal capacity.

This latest valuation marks a notable increase from the $11 billion the exchange reached in 2022, when it raised an undisclosed sum. Kraken has demonstrated strong financial performance in recent years, reporting $1.5 billion in revenue for 2024, with an additional $472 million generated in the first quarter of 2025.

Currently, the exchange handles an impressive daily trading volume of $1.37 billion, making it the second largest in the United States after Coinbase (COIN), which already went public back in April, 2021.

Crypto IPO Boom

The crypto landscape has experienced a notable shift this year, as investor sentiment has evolved from a period of exuberance in 2021 to a more cautious approach.

However, the appetite for public offerings among crypto firms has resurged, driven by favorable regulatory developments. This shift has sparked a wave of IPO activity in the cryptocurrency sector with Circle (CRLC), and Bullish (BLSH), capitalizing on the rising interest toward crypto stocks.

In addition to its funding success, Kraken is aggressively expanding its services beyond traditional cryptocurrencies. The company has ventured into tokenized stocks, positioning itself at the forefront of this emerging market.

Furthermore, it recently acquired the US-regulated retail futures trading platform NinjaTrader for $1.5 billion, with plans to extend its reach into the UK, Europe, and Australia.

Earlier in the year, Kraken also acquired a Cyprus-based company to secure a Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) license, enabling it to offer derivatives across the European Economic Area (EEA).

On the political front, Kraken has committed to donating $2 million to two pro-crypto political action committees (PACs), reinforcing its dedication to advocating for privacy and innovation rights in the United States.

Co-CEO Arjun Sethi emphasized the ongoing battle for the future of cryptocurrency in the US, noting a significant shift in the political climate from “fear to understanding” throughout 2025.

The daily chart shows the total crypto market capitalization currently at $3.7 trillion. Source: TOTAL on TradingView.com

Featured image from Bloomberg, chart from TradingView.com

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September 27, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

SoftBank, Ark May Back Stablecoin Giant Tether in Massive Funding Round: Report

by admin September 27, 2025

In brief

Tether is reportedly seeking up to $15-20 billion for a 3% stake in its firm.
Ark Invest and Softbank are reportedly in discussions to participate in the raise.
The raise would value the firm at around $500 billion, making it one of the largest private companies in the world.

Tech investors SoftBank Group and Ark Investment are among the firms discussing participation in a major Tether fundraise that could value the stablecoin issuer at $500 billion, according to a Friday Bloomberg report.

The two groups’ interest follows three days after news that El Salvador-based Tether was looking to raise $15-20 billion for a 3% equity stake. Bloomberg first reported this story, citing two unnamed sources, although another source said the amount could be less.

The initiative could help push Tether deeper into mainstream finance, the report said.

At $500 billion, Tether would rank among the world’s largest private companies, putting it in the same conversation as artificial intelligence firm OpenAI and Elon Musk’s space exploration and transportation firm, SpaceX, which received similar valuations.

Tether, which issues the world’s largest stablecoin—USDT—plan’s to further expand its footprint, anticipating the debut of a new U.S. regulated stablecoin—USAT—by the end of the year.

Softbank is a Japan-based multinational investment company. Ark is a U.S.-based asset manager. Both have been active in the crypto space.

The firm has been creating more of a presence in the United States since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump last year, recently adding former White House crypto advisor Bo Hines as a strategic advisor. It also maintains a close relationship with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, whose previous firm Cantor Fitzgerald is advising Tether in its fundraising talks and also custodies all its assets, according to the Bloomberg report.

Tether and stablecoins have been at the forefront of crypto conversation for the bulk of this year, highlighted by the U.S.’s passage of the GENIUS Act, a regulatory framework for the trading and issuance of the fiat-backed tokens.

Its USDT stablecoin sits at a $173 billion market cap, making it the third largest crypto asset by market cap at the time of writing and more than double the market cap of Circle’s USDC stablecoin.

Stablecoins as a whole have added more than $122 billion in market cap since this time last year to reach a total of nearly $300 billion, according to data from DeFi Llama. Earlier this year, U.K. bank Standard Chartered predicted that the market could reach $750 billion by the end of 2026.

Decrypt reached out to Tether for comment.

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September 27, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

SoftBank and Ark to Join in Tether’s $20B Funding Round

by admin September 26, 2025

Tether, the company behind the world’s largest stablecoin, is preparing for a fund raising round and SoftBank Group and Ark Investment Management are looking to join, but final commitments have not yet been made.

According to Bloomberg’s report on Friday, the investment firms are among high-profile backers holding early discussions as Tether seeks new capital to boost its global presence.

Tether Targets Record-Breaking Valuation

Tether is looking to raise between $15 billion and $20 billion by selling about a 3% stake through a private deal. If this deal goes through, the company could be valued at close to $500 billion. That would make Tether one of the most valuable private companies in the world, in the same league as OpenAI, and other tech giants

The company is being advised by New York-based investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald, which has long been run by Howard Lutnick, now serving as U.S. Commerce Secretary.

Bloomberg reported earlier in the week that Tether’s plan could become one of the largest crypto funding deals ever attempted.

Stablecoin Giant Expands Its Reach

Tether is the biggest player in the stablecoin market. Its main token, USDT, is tied to the value of the U.S. dollar and is widely used for trading and moving money quickly the crypto world without relying on banks

According to CoinGecko, USDT has a market value of about $173 billion, making it the largest stablecoin in circulation.

USDT Price Chart | Source: CoinGecko

The El Salvador-based company has also invested in other sectors including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, telecommunications, and even real estate.

SoftBank, led by Masayoshi Son, has a long history of investing in new technology, including chips, AI, and self-driving cars. The firm started increasing its exposure to the crypto space recently. Ark Invest, run by Cathie Wood, has also expanded its digital asset portfolio, previously investing in Circle, a direct rival to Tether.

Also Read: Theta Capital is Seeking $200M for its Blockchain Fund-of-Funds

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September 26, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Japanese Giant Softbank to Potentially Participate in Tether’s Funding Round

by admin September 26, 2025

According to a recent report by Bloomberg, Japanese financial giant Softbank Group is on track to participate in the massive funding round of stablecoin behemoth Tether.

Recently, it was reported that Tether was preparing to rake in roughly $500 billion worth of crypto, which would make it one of the biggest private companies with a valuation of up to $20 billion.

Cathie Wood’s Ark Investment is also among the participants in the funding round.

Softbank and crypto

Softbank Group’s Masayoshi Son, who is currently the third-richest person in Japan with a net worth of $21.3 billion, has had a rather complicated relationship with crypto.

Kraken Raises $500M in Funding Round Valuing Crypto Exchange at $15B: Fortune

by admin September 26, 2025

Popular cryptocurrency exchange Kraken closed a $500 million funding round, setting the stage for a long-awaited IPO now expected in 2026, Fortune reported.

The round did not feature a lead investor and was closed on Kraken’s terms valuing the firm at $15 billion, Fortune said, citing a person who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Backers included investment managers, venture capitalists and Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi, who also participated via his Tribe Capital investment firm.

Founded in 2011, Kraken had reportedly raised only $27 million in venture capital funding until this year. It generated $411 million in revenue and nearly $80 million in post-Ebitda earnings in the second quarter, according to the report.

Much of Kraken’s transformation over the last year has been steered by Sethi, who, despite sharing the CEO title with Dave Ripley, is widely seen as the company’s strategic leader.

Under him, Kraken acquired U.S. futures platform NinjaTrader for $1.5 billion, expanding its customer base by 2 million and bolstering its presence in traditional finance.

Behind the scenes, Kraken has seen a wave of executive turnover, with four senior executives recently leaving the company as it trims jobs ahead of the planned initial public offering.

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September 26, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Kraken secures $500M funding at $15B valuation ahead of IPO

by admin September 26, 2025

Kraken has secured fresh funding at a $15 billion valuation, boosting its war chest as it eyes a 2026 initial public offering.

Summary

Kraken raised $500M at a $15B valuation with Tribe Capital backing.
The exchange reported strong revenue growth in H1 2025, nearly double 2024.
IPO plans have been pushed to 2026 as Kraken expands into tokenized assets.

According to a Sept. 25 Fortune report, the round closed this month without a single lead investor, with Kraken itself setting the terms. Participants included investment managers, venture capitalists, and CEO Arjun Sethi’s Tribe Capital, as well as Sethi in a personal capacity.

The exchange, founded in 2011, has now raised over $527 million in total funding, following its initial $27 million investment.

Kraken’s strong financials amid IPO delay

The funding round comes as Kraken prepares for a public listing, now expected in 2026. Investors were drawn to the company’s steady profitability. It reported $411 million in revenue and nearly $80 million in post-EBITDA earnings in the second quarter.

Kraken’s valuation places it among the industry’s most valuable private exchanges, second only to Coinbase. The firm has been expanding through acquisitions, including the $1.5 billion purchase of NinjaTrader earlier this year, which added two million customers. It has also rolled out new products such as tokenized stocks, or “xStocks,” aimed at bridging crypto with traditional markets.

Leadership and strategy

Since cofounder Jesse Powell left his position as CEO of Kraken in 2022, Sethi has played a key role in leading the company. The co-founder of Tribe Capital and venture capitalist has stressed the importance of establishing Kraken as a center for tokenized assets and institutional trading.

Under his direction, Kraken has entered the retail market and increased the scope of its institutional offerings, such as advanced APIs and derivatives. But the shift has also been accompanied by executive turnover and internal restructuring, which have sparked worries about morale and management style.

Market backdrop

Kraken’s funding comes amid a resurgence of cryptocurrency IPOs, with Circle, Gemini, and Bullish having already listed this year. The company’s choice to hold off until 2026, however, raises questions because a change in the market cycle could reduce investor interest in cryptocurrency stocks.

Analysts note that Kraken’s established reputation and diversified revenue sources put it in a stronger position than many of its rivals to weather volatility. The $500 million round shows that investors remain confident as the exchange prepares for its next phase of growth.

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September 26, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

Crypto Exchange Giant Kraken Wraps Up $500 Million Funding Round

by admin September 25, 2025

IPO plans
Unconventional CEO

According to a recent report by Fortune, cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has closed a massive $500 million funding round at a staggering $15 billion valuation.

To put this massive raise into perspective, it is worth noting that the exchange raised only $27 million in venture capital funding during its first decade.

IPO plans

Kraken has been considering going public for roughly five years. Then-CEO Jesse Powell first divulged the company’s IPO plans in 2021 during a major bull run.

However, Kraken’s plans to go public were likely postponed due to the cryptocurrency winter that came in 2022.

In March, Bloomberg reported that Kraken was planning to go public in 2026. This was followed by the company’s acquisition of futures trading platform NinjaTrader.

Unconventional CEO

Co-CEO Arjun Sethi is currently spearheading the exchange in a rather unorthodox way.

Sethi operates one of the world’s largest exchanges out of his home in Menlo Park, combining business with his personal life.

He is primarily focused on merging crypto with traditional finance, with Kraken’s recent tokenization efforts being part of this push.

With xStocks, which are tokenized versions of US equities, Kraken aims to increase its appeal for retail traders.

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September 25, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

MYX Finance price surges again as funding rate points to a crash

by admin September 18, 2025

MYX Finance price went parabolic again as the recent short-squeeze resumed. However, the formation of a double-top pattern and the funding rate point to an eventual crash in the coming days.

Summary

MYX Finance price surged again on Wednesday.
The funding rate plummeted, pointing to more downside in the near term.
It has formed a double-top pattern on the daily chart.

MYX Finance (MYX) came in the spotlight earlier this month as it jumped from $1 to nearly $20 within a days. This surge pushed the token’s fully diluted valuation to over $20 billion.

Some cryptocurrency analysts noted that the surge was likely part of a market manipulation, potentially by insiders. In a post, Bubblemaps said that over 100 active addresses that received 1% of the supply during the airdrop were owned by the same entities, an allegation that its developers denied.

> be MYX Finance
> launch your token
> run an airdrop campaign
> 100 sybil addresses receive 1% of the supply
> go from 0 to $20B FDV overnight
> that 1% is now worth $200M
> people start asking questions
> drop a long, vague GPT-reply
> somehow make things even more suspicious
>… https://t.co/YHlo0Sl8xZ pic.twitter.com/5wujlNHXnm

— Bubblemaps (@bubblemaps) September 9, 2025

Another possible reason for the rally is that the MYX Finance platform is doing relatively well. Data compiled by DeFi Llama shows that the network has handled perpetual futures worth $5 billion this month so far. It handled volume worth $10.3 billion in July, making it one of the biggest players in the perpetual futures industry.

Still, whether the short squeeze is genuine or part of market manipulation, there are reasons why the token will crash soon.

One of them is that the funding rate in the futures market has plummeted to the lowest level since August. A falling funding rate is a sign that investors expect the future price to be lower than where it is today.

Also, the ongoing surge is happening in a low-volume environment, which is risky. CoinGlass data shows that the 24-hour volume was $626 million, much lower than $11 billion on Sep. 9. It was the lowest volume since the initial surge earlier this month.

The ongoing MYX surge also resembles that of OnyxCoin (XCN), which surged by over 2,300% within a few days in January. Since then, the token has plunged by over 76% to the current $0.011.

MYX Finance technical analysis

MYX price chart | Source: crypto.news

The other reason why the MYX price may crash soon is that it has slowly formed the highly bearish double-top chart pattern at $19.13. Its neckline is at $9.92, its lowest level this week. This pattern often leads to more downside over time.

Additionally, the token has become highly overbought, with the Relative Strength Index soaring to 75. In most cases, a highly overbought asset tends to retreat as investors book profits.

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September 18, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Polymarket, Kalshi seek funding; Gemini IPO

by admin September 14, 2025

Crypto markets grabbed headlines last week, from billion-dollar fundraising pushes at Polymarket and Kalshi to Gemini going public.

Tether also staked its claim in the U.S. with a new regulated stablecoin, Coinbase turned up the heat on regulators, and Binance deepened Wall Street ties with Franklin Templeton.

Meanwhile, Avalanche and HashKey unveiled ambitious treasury plans, OpenSea edged closer to its long-awaited token, and Michael Saylor’s firm continued to pile into Bitcoin as German authorities faced scrutiny over a missed multibillion-dollar BTC haul.

Prediction platforms target billion-dollar valuations

Polymarket received offers valuing the company at up to $9 billion.
Kalshi is simultaneously exploring capital raising opportunities at a $5 billion valuation.

Gemini’s public debut exceeds market expectations

The cryptocurrency exchange raised $425 million through its initial public offering, with shares opening at $37.01 on Nasdaq, which is 32% above the $28 pricing level.
Trading reached intraday highs of $45.89 before closing at $32 and valuing Gemini at around $3.3 billion.
The IPO pricing surpassed both the week’s expected range of $24-26 and the initial range of $17-19.

Tether introduces US-regulated stablecoin infrastructure

The world’s largest stablecoin issuer unveiled USAT, a dollar-backed token compliant with US regulations.
The company also appointed former White House crypto advisor Bo Hines to lead American operations.
Anchorage Digital will serve as the federally regulated issuer while Cantor Fitzgerald manages reserve assets
Hines, previously director of President Trump’s Crypto Council, will oversee Tether’s new US entity as the company expands into regulated American markets.

Coinbase still hung up on Gensler

On Sept. 11, the exchange requested federal court intervention for an “expedited, proper search” of former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler’s erased text messages spanning one year.
Coinbase chief legal officer Paul Grewal addressed the matter on X: “The Gensler SEC destroyed documents they were required to preserve and produce. We now have proof from the SEC’s own Inspector General.”
Gensler stepped down as SEC Chair on Jan. 20. On Feb. 27, the SEC dismissed all civil enforcement action against Coinbase.

Avalanche Foundation plans billion-dollar treasury

The blockchain foundation aims to raise $1 billion for two cryptocurrency treasury companies holding substantial AVAX (AVAX) token positions purchased at discounted rates.
The structure would allow the foundation to monetize its token holdings and also create institutional investment vehicles for AVAX exposure.

Binance partners with Franklin Templeton

The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange announced a collaboration with the $1.6 trillion asset manager to develop tokenized asset products
The partnership combines Franklin Templeton’s securities tokenization experience with Binance’s global trading infrastructure and distribution networks.

Defunct Movie2K still has 47k Bitcoin

Arkham Intelligence revealed that piracy website Movie2K retains 45,000 Bitcoin (BTC) that German authorities “failed to seize” during early 2024 confiscation operations involving nearly 50,000 Bitcoin.
The blockchain analytics firm identified additional wallets likely connected to Movie2K, which operated between 2008 and 2013 before shutting down.

OpenSea advances token generation preparations

The NFT platform entered the “final phase” of pre-token generation event rewards, with additional details scheduled for release in early October.
The announcement coincides with OpenSea’s mobile app release, integrating on-chain trading capabilities with traditional NFT marketplace functions.

Strategy maintains Bitcoin accumulation pace

Michael Saylor’s company purchased 1,955 BTC for $217.4 million at an average price of $111,196 per Bitcoin during the latest acquisition period.
Total holdings reached 638,460 Bitcoin, maintaining Strategy’s position as the largest publicly traded corporate Bitcoin holder.

HashKey launches digital asset treasury fund

The Hong Kong-regulated exchange announced plans for a $500 million investment fund targeting digital asset treasury companies holding mainstream cryptocurrencies.
Initial focus will concentrate on Bitcoin and Ethereum (ETH) treasury operations, building a diversified portfolio of corporate cryptocurrency holders.

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September 14, 2025 0 comments