By Shikha Singh
MoonPay Buys Crypto Payment Processor Helio for $175 mn.
MoonPay, a crypto infrastructure provider, has acquired Helio, a Solana-powered crypto payment processor, for $175 million.
The acquisition aims to enhance MoonPay’s trading and marketplace capabilities. Founded in 2022, Helio enables businesses to process payments in various cryptocurrencies and has already handled over $1.5 billion in transactions.
With over 6,000 merchants and 1 million users, Helio integrates with platforms like Discord, WooCommerce, and Shopify. MoonPay, which has over 20 million users, has also formed strategic partnerships with PayPal, allowing users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies using PayPal and Venmo.
Phantom Wallet Secures $150 mn in Funding, Hits $3 bn Valuation
Phantom, a leading crypto wallet provider, has secured $150 million in Series C funding, bringing its valuation to $3 billion.
Sequoia Capital and Paradigm led the round, with additional support from Andreessen Horowitz and Variant.
The company’s CEO, Brandon Millman, emphasized the company’s goal to make crypto more accessible and secure, using the funds to introduce new features like social discovery and easier peer-to-peer payments.
With 15 million active users and over $20 billion in annual swaps, Phantom has seen impressive growth, surpassing competitors like Coinbase Wallet and MetaMask in late 2024. The company aims to revolutionize consumer finance with this latest funding.
Chainalysis Acquires AI Fraud Detection Startup For $150 mn
Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis has acquired AI-based fraud detection startup Alterya for $150 million.
The acquisition, confirmed by Chainalysis, aims to enhance real-time fraud protection for payments and improve fraud detection during the Know Your Customer (KYC) process for exchanges, blockchains, and wallet providers.
Alterya, though not widely known in crypto, works with major players like Coinbase and Binance, monitoring over $8 billion in monthly transactions. This acquisition follows Chainalysis’ purchase of Web3 security platform Hexagate in December 2024.
Komainu Secures $75 mn Investment from Blockstream
Komainu has raised $75 million in Series B funding from Blockstream to expand its institutional digital asset services, particularly focusing on Bitcoin and advanced technologies.
The partnership with Blockstream introduces key technologies, such as the Liquid Network and Blockstream’s AMP API, to enhance Komainu’s infrastructure, improving asset tokenization and trading efficiency.
Komainu also acquired the crypto custodian Propine, strengthening its presence in Singapore and catering to the growing demand for digital asset services in Asia.
Crypto Bank Sygnum Hits Unicorn Status With New $58 mn Raise
Cryptocurrency banking group Sygnum has raised $58 million in an oversubscribed strategic growth round, achieving unicorn status with a post-money valuation of over $1 billion.
The company plans to use the funds to expand into multiple markets, develop Bitcoin-focused products, and pursue strategic acquisitions.
Fulgur Ventures, a key investor, is known for backing major platforms like Blockstream. Sygnum’s co-founders and team members maintain majority ownership.
The funds will support Sygnum’s expansion into the EU and the European Economic Area and the establishment of a regulated presence in Hong Kong.
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