Bakkt Announces $182.5 Million Funding Round, Launch Set for Early 2019

In a blog post yesterday, institutional grade digital asset platform Bakkt announced the successful first seed funding round of USD 182 million.

According to the blog post, fourteen investors and partners were listed to have participated in this round, out of which 12 of them had raised the sum. Big players in the traditional finance and fintech industry were mentioned, to include Intercontinental Exchange, Goldfinch Partners, Boston Consulting Group, Microsoft’s Venture Capital arm and Pantera Capital.

The Bakkt project has for the latter part of 2018 been touted as the platform to finally make way for mainstream institutional investors to get into the cryptocurrency game. The blog reads: “Our work today is centered on driving institutional access for digital assets, along with merchant and consumer uses.” The project also revealed that they have expanded the vision to drive mainstream cryptocurrency adoption for the everyday user by extending their partnership to companies like Starbucks.

The announcement also included a current status of the project such as “working closely with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for the better part of 2018” in order to obtain “regulatory approval for physically delivered and warehoused bitcoin.” They have also “filed applications and the timing for approval is now based on the regulatory review process.”

Another relevant angle the project will tackle while working through the 2019 objectives will also include a focus on “opportunities to provide new infrastructure, including the industry’s first institutional grade regulated exchange, clearing and warehousing services for physical delivery and storage,” reads the blog post.

The project has delayed its launch twice in a row as another official publication reveals that the updated launch timeline which was set for 24 January 2019 will be amended and set for early 2019, in line with CFTC’s process and timeline.

The blog post also revealed as many would agree, that 2018 was indeed an active year for cryptocurrency with Bitcoin at the center stage as volatility index peaked, as well as a notable increase in investment from venture capitals in distributed ledger technology and digital assets.

Many analysts and cryptocurrency enthusiasts have opined that the coming of the Bakkt will play a crucial role in restoring the market from the year-long bearish trend.

 

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