ZeroStack and Ripple Prime lead $1.3 billion in crypto funding

Between August 16 and August 22, 2026, crypto and blockchain companies announced approximately $1.298 billion in financing across six disclosed transactions. This total includes debt and noncash token contributions rather than conventional venture capital.

Nasdaq-listed ZeroStack secured $1 billion in MemeCore tokens through a stock-based transaction with Puple AI and Blockcat. The deal involves approximately 925.9 million M tokens in exchange for 3.5 million common shares and pre-funded warrants for up to 36.2 million additional shares. The transaction value per share was $25.19, significantly higher than ZeroStack’s recent trading price.

Other notable transactions include Ripple Prime raising $275 million through senior unsecured notes from institutional investors and NeoSoul securing $11 million to develop AI-powered trading agents and infrastructure. Remaining funding rounds, totaling about $23 million, supported projects in decentralized finance (DeFi) credit delegation, privacy infrastructure, and decentralized AI.