Fireblocks Secures $133 Million in Series C Funding

Fireblocks has successfully completed a $133 million Series C funding round. This investment was spearheaded by Coatue, Ribbit, and Stripes, demonstrating strong confidence in the company’s trajectory.

The company specializes in providing a suite of products designed for the secure storage, transfer, and issuance of digital assets.

Institutional Custody and Investment

Fireblocks currently holds $400 billion in cryptocurrencies in custody, primarily serving institutional investors. This substantial figure highlights its position as a key player in the digital asset space.

BNY and SVB Capital also participated in this latest funding round, further validating Fireblocks’ market standing.

Total Funding and Valuation

To date, Fireblocks has raised a total of $179 million in funding since its inception. While the company hasn’t yet achieved a $1 billion valuation – unicorn status – it is rapidly approaching that milestone.

Focus on Financial Institutions

Fireblocks strategically targets banks, fintech startups, and other financial institutions, rather than individual consumers. These institutions are actively seeking solutions for cryptocurrency storage and portfolio diversification.

With interest rates remaining low, the need for alternative asset classes like cryptocurrencies has become increasingly apparent.

Secure Key Management with MPC

The platform utilizes multi-party computation (MPC) to safeguard private keys. Cryptographic secrets are generated both locally on user devices and on company servers.

This distributed approach ensures that no single point of failure exists when initiating transactions, enhancing overall security.

Extensive Liquidity Network

Fireblocks has established a network of over 30 direct connections to various exchanges. This allows for seamless transfers and facilitates trading operations.

Consequently, over-the-counter trading desks and market makers leverage Fireblocks to efficiently settle trades across multiple exchanges.

Token Issuance and Management

The platform also supports the issuance and management of tokens, proving particularly valuable for creating stablecoins. These tokens are designed to maintain a consistent value relative to fiat currencies.

Fireblocks’ functionality extends across numerous blockchains, offering broad compatibility.

Staking and DeFi Integrations

Users can participate in staking and earn rewards on Ethereum 2.0, Polkadot, and Tezos through integrations with Staked and Blockdaemon.

A dedicated DeFi API provides access to a wide range of decentralized finance protocols.

Compliance and Anti-Money Laundering

Fireblocks integrates with compliance providers like Elliptic and Chainalysis to ensure adherence to anti-money laundering (AML) regulations.

The system can identify and reject transactions based on pre-defined rules, bolstering security and regulatory compliance.

A Comprehensive Crypto Ecosystem

Fireblocks offers a wealth of integrations within the broader crypto ecosystem. Developing these integrations independently would demand significant resources, especially for businesses where crypto isn’t a primary focus.

Banking-as-a-Service for Crypto

Fireblocks operates similarly to banking-as-a-service companies, but with a specific focus on crypto assets. The recent funding round underscores the substantial investment currently flowing into the crypto industry.

The acquisition of Curv by PayPal a few weeks prior further validates the value of crypto infrastructure companies like Fireblocks.