Crypto startups secured $11.2 billion across 377 publicly disclosed fundraising deals in the first half of 2026, with funding concentrated in regulated businesses. Payments and stablecoins led with $3.7 billion, followed by prediction markets at $2 billion and digital-asset exchanges and trading platforms at $1.7 billion, three segments that require regulatory approval to operate. Institutional investors including BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, BNP Paribas, Citadel, Nasdaq and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority backed companies that meet regulatory requirements, reinforcing the view that compliance and licensing have become competitive advantages and valuation drivers in digital assets.