ChainCatcher report: According to a study by Tiger Research and RootData based on 9,416 investment transactions from 2018 to the first half of 2026, capital inflow into the crypto market in the first half of 2026 reached $13.3 billion, nearly matching the full-year total of $13.2 billion in 2024. However, the number of funding rounds dropped to 435, a 78% decline from the peak of 1,978 rounds in 2022, indicating that capital is rapidly consolidating into fewer, larger transactions. The report notes that the current crypto investment landscape is now dominated by a small number of specialized, crypto-native venture capital firms leading major rounds, along with exchange-backed venture arms offering liquidity and marketing support, while mid-sized institutions are being rapidly squeezed out. In terms of funding structure, seed-stage deals have fallen 88% since 2022 to just 81 rounds, while Series A and later-stage financings account for 75.2% of total investment. Series A funding alone reached $745.8 million, surpassing the combined total of all seed-stage funding in the same period, which amounted to $423.3 million. In terms of sectors, payments and stablecoins, centralized exchanges (CEXs), and prediction markets have become the most capital-intensive areas. The payments and stablecoins sector attracted $2.85 billion in the first half of 2026, with approximately 84% driven by acquisitions such as Mastercard’s purchase of BVNK and Payward’s acquisition of Reap. Investment in CEXs rose to 18.2%, while prediction markets increased to 17.5%. In contrast, the gaming sector saw funding rounds plummet from 141 in 2024 to just 5, a 96% decline. Additionally, traditional financial institutions participated in 54.5% of all investment transactions in the first half of 2026. Tiger Research is an independent research firm founded in 2022, focused on Asia’s digital asset markets, with operations spanning South Korea, Japan, China, and Indonesia. It publishes institutional-grade research in five languages, reaching over 100,000 monthly readers and serving more than 200 institutional clients.
Tiger Research: Crypto funding in H1 2026 reached $13.3B, a 78% decline in deal count from the 2022 peak.
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Summary
Project funding news reveals the crypto market update for H1 2026, with $13.3 billion in inflows, nearly matching the total for 2024. Funding rounds declined 78% to 435 from the 2022 peak of 1,978, with seed rounds down 88% to 81. A-round and later-stage deals accounted for 75.2% of all investment. Payments and stablecoins attracted $2.85 billion, while CEXs and prediction markets each surpassed 17%. Traditional finance backed 54.5% of all deals.
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