Core Ventures Drops $1M Bomb on Bitcoin DeFi—Wall Street Still Doesn’t Get It

Bitcoin’s DeFi ecosystem just got a seven-figure adrenaline shot. Core Ventures deployed $1 million to fuel development on the original blockchain—because apparently Ethereum’s 90% market dominance wasn’t boring enough.

The move signals growing institutional FOMO as Bitcoin shrugs off its ’digital gold’ shackles. Liquidity pools, wrapped BTC, and decentralized lending protocols are now fair game—though good luck explaining that to your traditional finance broker still waiting for the ’right entry point.’

While VC money floods in, the real test comes next: Can Bitcoin’s clunky scripting language actually compete with Ethereum’s DeFi machine? Early builders claim their solutions ’cut through the bullshit’—but then again, so did every ICO in 2017.

‘Fund the people actually shipping’

Sats Terminala Bitcoin-native DeFi aggregator offering simplified access to DEXs and yield tools, and BIMA Labs, the developer of USBD, a Bitcoin-backed universal stablecoin designed for cross-chain DeFi use, also feature prominently in the fund’s growing portfolio. Several projects are co-backed by major firms like Coinbase Ventures, OKX Ventures, and Draper Associates.

“Core Ventures is here to back the innovative apps, tools, and protocols that make the system truly useful,” said Brendon Sedo, Initial Contributor at Core DAO and Head of Core Ventures. “We’re not here to debate opcodes. We’re here to fund the people actually shipping

Core itself serves as the technical foundation for this ecosystem: a Proof-of-Work-backed, EVM-compatible blockchain that enables non-custodial Bitcoin staking. With over 6,000 BTC staked, more than 50,000 daily users, and more than $500 million in TVL, it anchors what is now the largest Bitcoin DeFi environment.

Looking ahead, Core Ventures plans to continue deploying capital into projects that advance Bitcoin’s utility across lending, collateralization, decentralized identity, and real-world asset tokenization. The team emphasizes that its investment strategy favors builders already shipping, rather than those still drafting whitepapers.