Payments Shine as Funding Cools
May Recap
After April saw a multi-year high in monthly funding, May’s total funding cooled significantly to $553 million, while deal count held relatively steady at 77 deals. Despite lower funding, stablecoin/payments related companies were a bright spot in May, with companies such as Plasma (DotM), Conduit, and Beam all raising capital. Infrastructure accounted for nearly three-quarters of total funding and about half of all deals. DeFi was the second leading category, totaling $88 million across 18 deals. Funding was well dispersed across deal stages, with five stages having over $75 million in funding. Token Sale was the leading stage at $135 million due to Worldcoin’s (WLD) $135 million private sale to a16z and Bain Capital Crypto. The Sam Altman backed digital identity protocol went live in the U.S. this month and allows users to verify their identity via iris scans in return for WLD tokens. News of an Altman and Jony Ive (infamous Apple device designer) partnership has raised speculation about Worldcoin’s integration into an OpenAI-powered consumer device.
Funding by Category
Funding by Stage
Deal of the Month
Plasma, a purpose-built blockchain for stablecoins, raised an undisclosed amount from Peter Thiel...Unlock this article by joining our Community!
An FSI Pro, or FSI Crypto subscription is required in order to access this content.
*Free trial available only on a monthly plan
Already a member?
We accept crypto via BitPay for yearly subscriptions.
Choose one of our yearly plans to save nearly 15%Webinars
We host over 12 LIVE webinars per year with our research team and high-profile special guests. Incredible value and market insights!
WEEKLY
COMING SOON
Fireside Chats
Weekly interviews with our research heads about market opportunities and important updates.
WEEKDAYS
Tom Lee's First Word
The best market research out there -- on a near-daily basis.
ON MARKET EVENTS
Tom Lee's Intraday Word
These are released periodically after crucial market developments.
DAILY
Daily Technical Strategy
Daily commentary on market trends and short term opportunities.
WEEKLY
Wall Street Whispers
Exclusive insights based on discussions with institutional clients.
WEEKLY
Quantitative Strategy
Quantitative market research utilizing industry-leading analytical methods.
WEEKLY
US Policy
Weekly update on developments in Washington DC and how they may impact Wall Street.
WEEKLY
Weekly Roadmap
Weekly summary of market events and updates on our key theses.
EARNINGS SEASON
Earnings Daily
A multi-faceted update of earnings developments.
UPDATED BI-WEEKLY
Signal From Noise
Highlights timely market themes and sectors with corresponding stocks, cutting through the day-to-day market “noise” for a distinct perspective.
UPDATED MONTHLY
FSI Sector Allocation
A sector allocation strategy that is designed to outperform the S&P 500 while taking minimal risk.
UPDATED MONTHLY
Factor Strategy
List of ETFs based on quantitative models that should outperform the S&P 500 on a monthly basis.
UPDATED MONTHLY
Newton's Upticks
Technically derived, intermediate-term picks of attractive risk/reward opportunities from the S&P 500.
FSI Academy
Thematic investment stock picks that aim to outperform the S&P 500.
Community Questions
We gather your inquiries and answer them in the most scalable way. Hear directly from our research principals!
Community Interviews
Get questions answered directly by our research heads and guest speakers.
Get access to all the macro research on FS Insight
First Month Free!
Webinars
Ongoing webinars exploring crypto opportunities, in depth research, and exclusive research offerings from our team of analysts and leading cryptocurrency firms.
WEEKLY
Crypto Comments
Digestible videos expanding on important market events and metrics that are shaping cryptocurrency markets.
DAILY
Crypto Market Update
Stay on top of the crypto markets with macro commentary, technical analysis, and the most relevant news.
INTRA MONTH
Crypto First Word from Tom Lee
Hear directly from Tom Lee about important cryptocurrency developments.
WEEKLY
Crypto Technical Strategy
From Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana to other coins, our Head of Technical Strategy highlights important price movement to help give you an edge.
WEEKLY
Crypto Strategy
A must-read summarizing our key thoughts about the crypto market, price action, and developing trends.
WEEKLY
Funding Fridays
Are you looking for investment opportunities in the crypto space? We explore early-stage crypto opportunities in this note about where the smart money is being invested!
WEEKLY
COMING SOON
Crypto Events
Never miss another conference, a high-impact software update, or an event that could be market-moving!
NTRA-MONTH
Deep Research Reports
Our consulting business delivers incredible deep research reports to highlight the economics and viability of exciting crypto projects.
WEEKLY
Crypto Strategy
Keep track of bitcoin sentiment to plan your digital assets strategy.
FSI Academy
Our main goal is to make you a better investor! This series will guide you through key financial concepts and topics in an understandable way.
Community Questions
We gather your inquiries and answer them in the most scalable way. Hear directly from our research principals!
Community Interviews
Get questions answered directly by our research heads and guest speakers.
Get access to all the Crypto research on FS Insight
First Month Free!
Webinars
We host over 12 LIVE webinars per year with our research team and high-profile special guests. Incredible value and market insights!
WEEKLY
COMING SOON
Fireside Chats
Weekly interviews with our research heads about market opportunities and important updates.
WEEKDAYS
Tom Lee's First Word
The best market research out there -- on a near-daily basis.
ON MARKET EVENTS
Tom Lee's Intraday Word
These are released periodically after crucial market developments.
DAILY
Daily Technical Strategy
Daily commentary on market trends and short term opportunities.
WEEKLY
Wall Street Whispers
Exclusive insights based on discussions with institutional clients.
WEEKLY
Quantitative Strategy
Quantitative market research utilizing industry-leading analytical methods.
WEEKLY
US Policy
Weekly update on developments in Washington DC and how they may impact Wall Street.
WEEKLY
Weekly Roadmap
Weekly summary of market events and updates on our key theses.
EARNINGS SEASON
Earnings Daily
A multi-faceted update of earnings developments.
UPDATED BI-WEEKLY
Signal From Noise
Highlights timely market themes and sectors with corresponding stocks, cutting through the day-to-day market “noise” for a distinct perspective.
UPDATED MONTHLY
FSI Sector Allocation
A sector allocation strategy that is designed to outperform the S&P 500 while taking minimal risk.
UPDATED MONTHLY
Factor Strategy
List of ETFs based on quantitative models that should outperform the S&P 500 on a monthly basis.
UPDATED MONTHLY
Newton's Upticks
Technically derived, intermediate-term picks of attractive risk/reward opportunities from the S&P 500.
FSI Academy
Thematic investment stock picks that aim to outperform the S&P 500.
Community Questions
We gather your inquiries and answer them in the most scalable way. Hear directly from our research principals!
Community Interviews
Get questions answered directly by our research heads and guest speakers.
Get access to all the macro research on FS Insight
First Month Free!
Webinars
Ongoing webinars exploring crypto opportunities, in depth research, and exclusive research offerings from our team of analysts and leading cryptocurrency firms.
WEEKLY
Crypto Comments
Digestible videos expanding on important market events and metrics that are shaping cryptocurrency markets.
DAILY
Crypto Market Update
Stay on top of the crypto markets with macro commentary, technical analysis, and the most relevant news.
INTRA MONTH
Crypto First Word from Tom Lee
Hear directly from Tom Lee about important cryptocurrency developments.
WEEKLY
Crypto Technical Strategy
From Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana to other coins, our Head of Technical Strategy highlights important price movement to help give you an edge.
WEEKLY
Crypto Strategy
A must-read summarizing our key thoughts about the crypto market, price action, and developing trends.
WEEKLY
Funding Fridays
Are you looking for investment opportunities in the crypto space? We explore early-stage crypto opportunities in this note about where the smart money is being invested!
WEEKLY
COMING SOON
Crypto Events
Never miss another conference, a high-impact software update, or an event that could be market-moving!
NTRA-MONTH
Deep Research Reports
Our consulting business delivers incredible deep research reports to highlight the economics and viability of exciting crypto projects.
WEEKLY
Crypto Strategy
Keep track of bitcoin sentiment to plan your digital assets strategy.
FSI Academy
Our main goal is to make you a better investor! This series will guide you through key financial concepts and topics in an understandable way.
Community Questions
We gather your inquiries and answer them in the most scalable way. Hear directly from our research principals!
Community Interviews
Get questions answered directly by our research heads and guest speakers.
Get access to all the Crypto research on FS Insight
First Month Free!