In January, VC invested $1.4 billion in the crypto market, and institutional infrastructure became a hot sector

According to DLNews, VCs invested $1.4 billion in crypto companies in January 2026, a 14% increase from January 2025. Although the number of financing events dropped from 85 to 60, the amount per deal was larger, indicating a more concentrated bet from investors.

This month's top investors include Wall Street firms such as Bank of New York Mellon, Fidelity, Citadel Securities, and Bain Capital, as well as crypto-native VCs like Arthur Hayes's Maelstrom Fund, Lightspeed, and Paradigm. With the clarity of U.S. regulations, funds are primarily flowing to U.S. startups focused on stablecoins, payment cards, and infrastructure.

The largest financing deals in January include: crypto payment platform Rain completing a $250 million Series B round led by Iconiq Capital; institutional custody firm BitGo raising $213 million through an IPO; and trading platform LMAX Group receiving a $150 million strategic investment led by Ripple, aimed at connecting traditional markets with the blockchain settlement layer.