Unlike previous bull cycles, 2025 was not a year of widespread mega-rounds for Africa’s crypto startups. Instead, capital flowed selectively into infrastructure, payments, and ecosystem enablement — with far fewer publicly disclosed raises.
This article reflects only verified, defensible activity, separating:
- Capital raised
- Strategic backing or investment
- Ecosystem relevance without new funding
Verified Crypto & Web3 Funding Activity in 2025
Ezeebit
Origin: South Africa
Funding Type: Seed round
Amount: ~$2.05 million (R35m)
Sector: Crypto & stablecoin payments infrastructure
Ezeebit was one of the few Africa-based crypto startups to publicly disclose a funding round in 2025, raising approximately R35 million (~$2.05M).
The startup focuses on building regulated crypto and stablecoin payment rails for merchants and consumers across Africa, aligning with investor appetite for compliance-first infrastructure.
VTrader
Origin: United States (Africa-focused market)
Funding Type: Seed round
Amount: $1.3 million
Sector: Crypto exchange & trading infrastructure
VTrader announced a $1.3M seed round in 2025 led by Third Earth Capital, a crypto-native firm backed by the founders of Avalanche, with participation from Reforge, FRNT Financial, Astor Management AG, Daybreak Digital, Sypher Capital, and prominent angel investors.
Despite being US-based, VTrader reported:
- 100,000+ verified users
- Over 80% of users are based in Africa
- Nigeria is its largest market
This makes VTrader a diaspora-built platform with Africa as its primary growth engine.
Kotani Pay
Origin: Kenya
Activity in 2025: Strategic investment
Investor: Tether (USDT)
Sector: Blockchain & stablecoin payments
Kotani Pay received strategic investment from Tether, reflecting growing interest by major stablecoin issuers in Africa’s payment infrastructure layer.
Kotani Pay focuses on integrating stablecoins with mobile money systems, a key bridge for mass crypto adoption in Africa.
Strategic Backing & Ecosystem-Level Capital (Not Startup Raises)
CV VC
Activity in 2025: Strategic backing
Partner: Circle
Context: Ecosystem support
In 2025, CV VC received strategic backing from Circle, the issuer of USDC, to support its Africa-focused blockchain investment and ecosystem initiatives.
This backing represents institutional support for the African Web3 pipeline, not a startup funding round or a capital raise by CV VC itself.
Key Takeaways From 2025
The corrected funding picture shows that:
- Very few crypto startups raised disclosed capital in Africa in 2025
- Funding favored payments, stablecoins, and infrastructure
- Strategic partnerships mattered more than large rounds
- Diaspora platforms with Africa-first users played an outsized role
- Speculative Web3 narratives attracted little capital
Editorial Takeaway for CoinAfrica
Africa’s crypto funding story in 2025 was disciplined, infrastructure-focused, and highly selective.
Rather than chasing volume, investors backed:
- Payment rails
- Stablecoin adoption
- Compliance-ready platforms
- Ecosystem enablers
This sets the stage for a potentially stronger, more sustainable funding cycle ahead.
See more related: Top 5 African Blockchain Startups to Watch in 2026
