CeFi drives $860 million in April crypto fundraising as prediction and AI bets spread

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CeFi drives $860 million in April crypto fundraising as prediction and AI bets spread

According to RootData, CeFi companies raised approximately $606 million through 8 funding rounds. Infrastructure projects received $105 million across 14 deals, and DeFi projects secured $90 million in funding.

Summary

  • The crypto primary market saw approximately $860 million in disclosed fundraising in April 2026 across 55 deals, with centralized finance (CeFi) dominating capital flows.
  • CeFi, infrastructure, and DeFi led sector allocations with roughly $606 million, $105 million, and $90 million raised, respectively, while prediction markets and AI projects drew a growing number of early‑stage checks.
  • Two exchanges, Vietnamese CEX CAEX and global giant Kraken, accounted for about $580 million, or 67% of the month’s total, underscoring extreme capital concentration at the top.

CeFi concentration and sector breakdown

Data from RootData, a Web3 analytics platform, shows that crypto startups raised about $860 million in April. This funding came from 55 investment rounds and 5 mergers or acquisitions. While slightly lower than the 62 funding events in March, the numbers still indicate consistent activity in the crypto market.

Looking at where the investment money is flowing, we’re seeing a clear preference for centralized platforms – CeFi led the way with over $600 million in funding from just 8 deals. Infrastructure projects came in second at $105 million across 14 deals, and DeFi lagged behind at $90 million across 19. Interestingly, while CeFi attracted the biggest checks, infrastructure saw the most activity overall, suggesting institutional investors are currently prioritizing the building blocks and foundational technologies of the crypto space.

As a researcher tracking investment in the crypto space, I’ve noticed a clear trend in April’s funding rounds. The top three were all focused on centralized exchanges and Layer-1 technologies. Specifically, CAEX, a Vietnamese exchange, secured a significant $380 million from investors like OKX Ventures and HashKey Capital. Globally, Kraken also received a $200 million strategic investment from Deutsche Bank, and the Layer-1 project Pharos Network closed a $44 million Series A round. Combined, CAEX and Kraken represented about $580 million, or roughly 67% of all publicly reported funding for the month. This really demonstrates how capital continues to flow towards a few established centralized finance (CeFi) leaders.

Prediction markets and AI funding broaden out

Recent data from RootData indicates a shift in investment within the prediction market. Last month, the focus was on a potential large single investment, but now we’re seeing funding spread across a wider range of projects. This month, eight prediction-focused startups received seed or angel funding, including XO Market ($6 million), PUMPCADE ($6 million across multiple rounds), and Atlasx Protocol ($2 million).

Following a surge of investment in March that revitalized prediction markets, we’re now seeing a rise in smaller, focused platforms rather than just a couple of major players. This trend echoes recent observations that on-chain betting – particularly around elections and major economic events – is becoming increasingly popular.

Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming more widespread in the crypto world. In April, RootData identified eight crypto projects focused on AI, attracting significant funding. These included projects building AI assistants (like Nava and AIW3.ai), AI infrastructure (such as Cluster Protocol), and platforms for creating AI-generated content (like Oh). This activity confirms a recent report from crypto.news, which noted that the combination of AI and crypto is now in a phase of diverse experimentation and growth.

Kraken made a significant move in April by combining fundraising with a strategic acquisition. They secured $200 million in funding from Deutsche Bank and simultaneously purchased Bitnomial, a regulated derivatives platform, for $550 million. This demonstrates Kraken’s plan to both attract outside investment and build its own regulated trading infrastructure – a strategy we previously explored.

According to RootData, GSR, Coinbase Ventures, L1D, Tether, Kosmos Ventures, and Animoca Brands were the most active investors, each participating in three deals. This trend continues a pattern crypto.news has observed in recent reports: investment is consistently flowing back into infrastructure, trading platforms, and projects related to artificial intelligence, though most of the funding still goes to a small number of larger deals.

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2026-05-06 20:05