Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Japan’s SBI Group have emerged as probably the most lively gamers in conventional finance backing blockchain startups, based on a brand new report by Ripple in partnership with CB Insights and the UK Centre for Blockchain Technologies.
Between 2020 and 2024, international banks participated in 345 investments in blockchain firms, most of them in early-stage funding rounds, per the report. Citigroup and Goldman Sachs led the pack with 18 offers every, whereas JP Morgan and Mitsubishi UFJ adopted intently with 15 investments.
Mega-rounds, offers price $100 million or extra, had been a key focus. Banks contributed to 33 such rounds through the four-year window, pouring capital into companies centered on buying and selling infrastructure, tokenization, custody, and fee options.
Notable examples embrace CloudWalk in Brazil, which raised over $750 million throughout two rounds backed by Banco Itaú and others. Likewise, Solaris in Germany secured over $100 million from SBI Group and later grew to become a majority acquisition goal.
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G-SIBs again blockchain with 100+ offers
Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBs), a bunch of economic establishments with such important financial weight that their failure might set off international monetary instability, accounted for 106 offers, together with 14 mega-rounds valued at over $100 million every.
US and Japanese establishments led in deal quantity, however Singapore, France, and the UK had been additionally lively. In whole, over $100 billion was poured into blockchain startups between 2020 and 2024 throughout greater than 10,000 offers globally.
Ripple’s survey of over 1,800 international finance leaders additionally discovered that 90% consider blockchain and digital property may have a “important or huge” affect on the trade inside three years.
The momentum can be supported by regulatory developments, together with the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins, or GENIUS Act, within the US and Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) within the EU, each of which offer a clearer framework for digital asset operations.
Related: Crypto adoption can be pushed by high-growth markets, with or with out the US
Banks again stablecoins, tokenization subsequent
Backing the funding pattern is hovering demand for real-world blockchain purposes. According to a Citi report, stablecoin volumes hit $650–$700 billion per thirty days in Q1 2025, and extra banks are launching their very own stablecoins to supply programmable cash with out publicity to volatility.
Looking forward, tokenization is predicted to be a defining pattern. Boston Consulting Group and Ripple estimate that tokenized real-world property might exceed $18 trillion by 2033, with a compound annual progress price of 53%.
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