Crypto VC funding hits 2-year low, US firms still favorite: Galaxy Research

Despite macroeconomic headwinds, a Galaxy Research report says activity could rebound in the second quarter of 2023 following recent crypto price increases.

Venture capitalist (VC) investment into crypto firms continued to fall in the first quarter of 2023, yet despite the current regulatory turbulence for crypto in the United States, it is still first for the number of firms raising capital according to a new report.

An April 11 report from Galaxy Research, the research arm of crypto investment firm Galaxy Digital, said the $2.4 billion invested by VCs throughout Q1 2023 was the lowest sum invested since the last quarter of 2020.

VC investments have been falling since peaking at nearly $13 billion in Q1 2022, with the latest quarter’s results representing a decline of over 80% compared to the same ti last year.

The report noted that data on venture deals is often reported at a later time, meaning the $2.4 billion figure quoted may be revised in the future.

While capital investment has fallen since Q4 2022, the report noted the number of deals made had actually increased by nearly 20% and theorized an apparent correlation between crypto prices and capital invested could see VC activity rebound following strong price gains late in the first quarter.

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While various statistics and anecdotal evidence suggest crypto firms are leaving the U.S. to find greener pastures — citing factors such as regulatory clarity and friendlier tax policies — Galaxy found that U.S.-based companies raised 42.8% of the VC money flowing into crypto in Q1 2023 with the next closest being France at 19.4%.

Capital investments for crypto firms throughout the first quarter of 2023 by country. Source: Galaxy Digital

While Galaxy’s report has included the jurisdictions of investments since the third quarter of 2022, the U.S. share of crypto VC investment has fallen by only 2.8 percentage points since then.

France appears to be the biggest winner, with capital investments for France-based crypto firms jumping to 19.4% in the latest quarter from less than 5% in the third quarter of 2022.

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