$8M Series A Fuel: NEXBRIDGE and NEXPLACE Turbocharge Bitcoin-Based Capital Markets
Wall Street's sleeping on Bitcoin? Not these two.
NEXBRIDGE and NEXPLACE just locked in $8 million in Series A funding to rebuild capital markets infrastructure—with Bitcoin as the backbone. Because nothing says 'disruption' like cutting out legacy middlemen.
The play: Leverage Bitcoin's rails for faster settlements, transparent auditing, and (let's be real) a middle finger to the 3-day wait club. TradFi's spaghetti code of custodians and clearinghouses? They're betting it'll look as outdated as a fax machine.
The kicker: This isn't just 'crypto for crypto's sake.' The pitch targets institutional players tired of paying the 'slow tax'—those 72-hour settlement windows that somehow still exist in an AI-driven world. (Thanks, DTCC.)
One investor whispered about 'atomic settlement or bust.' Another joked about shorting bank stocks over lunch. The real winner? Bitcoin's narrative—proving it's more than just 'digital gold' while Wall Street still debates ETFs.
Bottom line: $8 million buys a lot of rocket fuel. Whether it launches a new era—or just another 'blockchain solution' PowerPoint—depends on who blinks first: regulators or the banks clinging to their 1970s mainframes.
NEXBRIDGE, a regulated issuer of asset-backed digital securities, and NEXPLACE, an upcoming digital asset trading platform, have announced the successful close of an $8 million Series A funding round.
Notably, the funding round was led by Fulgur Ventures, a leading player in Bitcoin-native infrastructure. According to the team behind the companies, the funds will facilitate the creation and integration of a two-platform system that connects regulated capital markets with Bitcoin-based infrastructure. The two companies, currently operating as separate entities within a unified shareholder group, plan to consolidate into a single holding structure following receipt of corporate and jurisdictional approvals.
Delivering Regulated Digital Assets with Global Access
The funding will allow NEXBRIDGE to broaden its portfolio of asset-backed digital products, including USTBL—the first regulated digital asset backed by U.S. Treasury Bills and released through the Bitcoin-powered Liquid Network infrastructure. At the same time, NEXPLACE will accelerate its platform development and regulatory approvals in preparation for its planned public debut in the second half of 2025.
Sharing his thoughts on the initiatives, Michele Crivelli, who serves as Founder and CEO of both firms, remarked:
“Our vision for BitcoinFi is simple: bring the safeguards of traditional capital markets onto Bitcoin rails and make digital assets accessible with 24/7 efficiency through compliant, global infrastructure. Today, we focus on secure access to familiar exposures like bonds or equities, made available through NEXPLACE and other licensed venues, with our platform built to evolve and unlock advanced features over time. Tomorrow, we’ll enable businesses to raise capital on-chain through native, regulated digital instruments designed to move funds directly to the issuer, without traditional intermediaries.”
Transforming Market Structure Through Blockchain
NEXBRIDGE’s digital assets are distinct in that they are regulated individually at the token level. Each issuance is individually approved by El Salvador’s digital asset authority (CNAD), complete with a unique instrument ID, proof-of-reserve documentation, and public termsheets—bringing full transparency and oversight to each tokenized product.
NEXPLACE, authorized as a Digital Asset Service Provider, will serve as a centralized platform for trading a variety of digital assets, including cryptocurrencies, utility tokens, and tokenized financial instruments. Future features will include collateralized trading and cross-asset settlement options, designed to meet the needs of both retail and institutional participants.
This integrated approach enables users—especially in emerging markets—to access previously unavailable exposures, including U.S. dollar-linked assets, within a regulated, blockchain-based framework.
Ecosystem Support
Fulgur Ventures spearheaded the Series A funding round. Partner Oleg Mikhalsky emphasized Bitcoin’s growing importance in institutional finance, stating that it is shifting from being just a store of value to a fundamental infrastructure layer for capital markets. He pointed out that NEXBRIDGE and NEXPLACE are excellent examples of how bitcoin can support regulated, real-world financial applications—something the firm is proud to support.
Blockstream, the company behind the Liquid Network that powers NEXBRIDGE’s issuance and settlement processes, also emphasized the importance of the project. CEO Adam Back stated that the Liquid Network is enabling the next stage of capital market development, providing a secure and scalable infrastructure built on Bitcoin’s trusted foundation.
NEXBRIDGE, headquartered in El Salvador, is a licensed provider specializing in the issuance of regulated digital assets. It structures and distributes asset-backed tokens under the country’s Digital Asset Issuance Law, with issuance and settlement conducted via the Bitcoin-based Liquid Network.
NEXPLACE is an advanced digital asset exchange scheduled to go live in the second half of 2025. It is designed to facilitate seamless trading of cryptocurrencies and regulated digital securities on a single, scalable interface.
Fulgur Ventures is a Bitcoin-native firm focused on advancing the infrastructure, tools, and applications that drive real-world adoption of Bitcoin-based financial systems.
