AI, DeFi, and Web3 Lead Crypto VC's June Revival

- Crypto VCs directed funds into AI, DeFi, and Web3 projects in June. - Rails, Yupp, and Beam headlined key funding rounds. On July 6, 2025, Cointelegraph reported that the crypto venture capital sector demonstrated resilience in June despite prevailing macroeconomic pressures. Investors funded major projects in decentralized finance (DeFi), artificial intelligence (AI), and Web3 infrastructure, a trend that underscores investor confidence in innovative technologies with concrete applications. Rails, a hybrid trading platform, raised $20 million across two funding rounds. Backed by Kraken and Slow Ventures, the platform aims to integrate the advantages of both centralized and decentralized exchanges to enhance user experience and overall trading efficiency. Meanwhile, a blockchain-based AI platform named Yupp secured $33 million in seed funding, with a16z Crypto, Andreessen Horowitz's crypto division, leading the round. The project allows users to compare outputs from AI models and earn crypto rewards, highlighting the intersection of blockchain technology and artificial intelligence. Other prominent funding rounds also highlighted the convergence of AI and blockchain. A former Chorus One executive launched Frachtis, a pre-seed fund with $20 million to back decentralized AI solutions and infrastructure development, which has already supported eight projects as of June. In addition, Interface Labs secured $6.3 million to build a cryptographic trust layer for AI agents using zero-knowledge proofs, and Gradient Network raised $10 million to develop a decentralized AI runtime system on the Solana blockchain. Beam, a provider of stablecoin payment solutions, raised $7 million in a round led by Castle Ventures. The company has already integrated its technology with payment systems like Visa Direct, Mastercard Send, and the Federal Reserve’s FedNow and plans to expand its services into Latin America, Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, and Europe. Investors also funded innovation in programmable blockchains for intellectual property. Story partnered with crypto exchange OKX to create a $10 million ecosystem fund to support advancements in intellectual property and blockchain-powered AI. Separately, Blueprint Finance received $9.5 million in additional funding from Polychain Capital, bringing its total funding to over $17 million to develop its multichain DeFi infrastructure. Lastly, Units Network secured $10 million from Nimbus Capital. The ecosystem, which leverages the Waves protocol, will use the funds to scale its blockchain infrastructure and AI initiatives. These developments show that venture capitalists continue to invest substantial capital in projects with strong real-world use cases and robust fundamentals. The convergence of AI and blockchain remains a pivotal theme, drawing consistent interest and affirming long-term optimism about the transformative potential of these technologies. According to market data, as of July 6, Solana (SOL) was trading at $152.364 at 18:14 UTC, with a 4.048% increase in 24-hour trading volume. BUILDon (B) was trading at $0.367 at 18:15 UTC, reflecting an 8.387% change in price.