CeFi Drives $860 Million in Crypto Fundraising in April as Predictions and AI Investments Gain Momentum

Data from RootData reveals that CeFi has secured around $606 million through 8 deals, infrastructure has raised $105 million via 14 deals, and DeFi has gathered $90 million.

CeFi Concentration and Sector Breakdown

Data from April, provided by Web3 analytics platform RootData, indicates that the disclosed raised amount in the crypto primary market reached around $860 million, distributed across 55 financing events and 5 M&A deals, showing a slight decline from March’s 62 events while maintaining activity levels.

Capital showed a strong inclination towards centralized platforms, with CeFi leading at around $606 million across 8 deals. Infrastructure followed at $105 million over 14 deals, and DeFi raised $90 million through 19 deals, making infrastructure the most active segment by deal count as institutional focus remains on foundational tools and infrastructure.

The month’s leading rounds were centered on trading and Layer-1 (L1) projects. The Vietnamese exchange CAEX raised $380 million from investors such as OKX Ventures and HashKey Capital, while global exchange Kraken secured a $200 million strategic investment from Deutsche Bank. Additionally, Layer-1 project Pharos Network completed a $44 million Series A funding round. CAEX and Kraken alone represented about $580 million, or roughly 67% of the total disclosed capital in April, underscoring the ongoing monetary concentration among a limited number of CeFi leaders.

Funding in Prediction Markets and AI Expands

RootData’s comprehensive sector analysis highlights an emerging narrative in prediction markets, shifting from last month’s dominance by a “single giant” to a more diversified ecosystem. Eight prediction-focused projects secured seed or angel funding, including decentralized prediction venue XO Market at $6 million, meme-based PUMPCADE with various rounds totaling $6 million, and Atlasx Protocol at $2 million.

This evolution follows a capital influx in March that reignited interest in prediction markets, now nurturing a cluster of smaller, specialized platforms rather than a few dominant entities. This trend mirrors insights from a recent crypto.news article, which noted that on-chain betting is shifting from a niche endeavor to mainstream relevance in the context of elections and macroeconomic issues.

A similar pattern is evident in artificial intelligence funding. RootData tracked eight AI-related crypto projects securing funding in April, including AI agents like Nava ($8.3 million seed) and AIW3.ai ($2 million), AI infrastructure such as Cluster Protocol ($5 million for decentralized model verification), and AI content creation firm Oh ($7.5 million Series A). This data supports recent analysis from crypto.news illustrating how “AI x crypto is entering a multifaceted experimentation phase.”

Kraken also made news with one of April’s most significant initiatives combining “on-chain and off-chain” strategies. The same month it raised $200 million from Deutsche Bank, the exchange acquired the CFTC-regulated derivatives venue Bitnomial for $550 million, reinforcing its dual strategy of leveraging external capital while enhancing its regulated market framework—an approach previously covered in a crypto.news feature.

On the investment side, GSR, Coinbase Ventures, L1D, Tether, Kosmos Ventures, and Animoca Brands were among the most active backers, each participating in three disclosed deals according to RootData. Their involvement aligns with broader trends identified in Q2 by crypto.news, showcasing a consistent return of capital to infrastructure, trading platforms, and AI-related projects, even as overall deal sizes continue to concentrate at the top.