Crypto VC Funding Spikes to $10.46B as Naver Buys Upbit Operator

Crypto VC Funding Spikes to $10.46B as Naver Buys Upbit Operator

Crypto VC Funding: Crypto venture capital surged during the week of November 23–29, 2025, reaching a massive $10.46 billion across just 10 deals — marking one of the strongest investment weeks of the year. This major jump was fueled largely by high-profile mergers and acquisitions, showing that major players are doubling down on the digital asset industry despite ongoing market uncertainty.

Naver Financial Makes $10.3B Power Move

The standout deal of the week came from Naver Financial, which announced a $10.3 billion acquisition of Dunamu, the South Korean fintech giant behind the popular crypto exchange Upbit.

The transaction is structured as a share-swap agreement, valuing Dunamu at 15.1 trillion won. Each Dunamu share will convert into 2.54 Naver Financial shares, marking one of the largest crypto-related acquisitions ever recorded in Asia.

Dunamu’s deep involvement in blockchain and its dominance in the Korean crypto market made it a prime target for the internet conglomerate, giving Naver a direct entry into digital finance and exchange services.

Paxos Acquires Fordefi for $100M

Meanwhile, stablecoin and blockchain infrastructure provider Paxos continued its expansion by purchasing Fordefi, an institutional MPC wallet and security platform, for $100 million.

Fordefi has already raised $128 million to date and focuses on advanced custody solutions — an increasingly crucial area as institutions prepare for broader crypto adoption.

Fresh Funding for Early-Stage Builders

Beyond the headline-grabbing acquisitions, several startups secured new backing to push forward innovation across DeFi, AI-powered investing, and digital infrastructure:

ProjectFundingRound TypeFocusNotable Investors
Figure$25MUnknownLoan origination & equity management via blockchainOndo
Gonka$12MStrategicAI-based prediction & social tradingBitfury
SpaceComputer$10MSeedDePIN, infrastructure, security, zero-knowledgeMaven11, Lattice, Superscrypt
Nexton$4MStrategic
Pruv Finance$3MSeries A
CreatorFi (Insomnia Labs)$2MUnknown
Abrakadabra Games$0.5MUnknown

M&A Takes Center Stage

While several companies raised new capital, it was clearly an M&A-dominated week, with the Dunamu and Fordefi deals representing the lion’s share of the total investment flow.

Industry analysts note that consolidation like this often emerges during transitional market cycles — and may indicate renewed confidence among institutional players preparing for the next wave of crypto growth.

Also Read: Biometric Security Is Becoming Crypto’s New Defense System