# Top 10 DeFi Startups Founded in 2023 by Funding (2026)

> The 10 best-funded DeFi startups founded in 2023, ranked by total funding raised: $109M combined. With founding year, headquarters and each company's rounds.

Source: https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/defi-startups-founded-2023 (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

- 1 [**n3xt** N3XT is a full-reserve bank based in Cheyenne, Wyoming, specializing in instant, programmable business-to-business (B2B) payments in U.S.](https://millionrounds.com/company/n3xt) N3XT is a full-reserve bank based in Cheyenne, Wyoming, specializing in instant, programmable business-to-business (B2B) payments in U.S. *Founded* 2023 Cheyenne, United States **$72M** last round Oct 2025
- 2 [**Ethos Network** The Ethos Credibility Score is the first dApp created on the Ethos Network.](https://millionrounds.com/company/ethos-network) The Ethos Credibility Score is the first dApp created on the Ethos Network. *Founded* 2023 Austin, United States **$8.4M** last round Sept 2026
- 3 [**Cork Protocol** Cork Protocol is a DeFi risk infrastructure protocol that focuses on tokenizing and managing depeg risks for pegged assets such as stablecoins and liquid staking tokens.](https://millionrounds.com/company/cork-protocol) Cork Protocol is a DeFi risk infrastructure protocol that focuses on tokenizing and managing depeg risks for pegged assets such as stablecoins and liquid staking tokens. *Founded* 2023 New York, United States **$5.5M** last round Jan 2026
- 4 [**TBook** TBook is the first embedded RWA liquidity layer that brings institutional-grade tokenized yield into user-facing apps.](https://millionrounds.com/company/tbook) TBook is the first embedded RWA liquidity layer that brings institutional-grade tokenized yield into user-facing apps. *Founded* 2023 New York, United States **$5.0M** last round Jan 2026
- 5 [**Blackwing** Blackwing is a crypto and DeFi company that focuses on building a modular blockchain and a decentralized exchange (DEX) abstraction layer.](https://millionrounds.com/company/blackwing) Blackwing is a crypto and DeFi company that focuses on building a modular blockchain and a decentralized exchange (DEX) abstraction layer. *Founded* 2023 New York, United States **$4.5M** last round Mar 2024
- 6 [**VELAR** VELAR is a Multi-Feature DeFi App with Bitcoin Finality.](https://millionrounds.com/company/velar) VELAR is a Multi-Feature DeFi App with Bitcoin Finality. *Founded* 2023 - **$3.5M** last round Feb 2024
- 7 [**0xbow** 0xbow is a Nashville-based cryptocurrency infrastructure company founded in 2023.](https://millionrounds.com/company/0xbow) 0xbow is a Nashville-based cryptocurrency infrastructure company founded in 2023. *Founded* 2023 Nashville, United States **$3.5M** last round Nov 2025
- 8 [**Stix.co** Stix is the largest OTC platform for secondary market liquidity for Digital Assets](https://millionrounds.com/company/stix-co) Stix is the largest OTC platform for secondary market liquidity for Digital Assets *Founded* 2023 Poland **$2.7M** last round Oct 2023
- 9 [**Multisynq** Multisynq is a decentralized synchronization layer that lets people, AI agents, and machines create, connect, and coordinate in real time without centralized in](https://millionrounds.com/company/multisynq) Multisynq is a decentralized synchronization layer that lets people, AI agents, and machines create, connect, and coordinate in real time without centralized in *Founded* 2023 Los Angeles, United States **$2.2M** last round Apr 2024
- 10 [**Liquorice** Liquorice is providing off-chain liquidity for solvers and increasing capital efficiency for pro traders, while eliminating impermanent loss for LPs.](https://millionrounds.com/company/liquorice) Liquorice is providing off-chain liquidity for solvers and increasing capital efficiency for pro traders, while eliminating impermanent loss for LPs. *Founded* 2023 Hamburg, Germany **$1.2M** last round Jul 2024

**Total funding** how the list is ranked

**15 November 2026** updated nightly

**Rounds we track** source: Millionrounds

Companies founded in 2023 whose funding rounds we classed in this sector, ranked by the total they have raised in rounds we hold. Nobody pays to be on a list.

## Who backed them?

Open any company for its rounds and investors, or search the investors who back DeFi startups founded in 2023 in the app, with filters, lists and exports.

[Find their investors](https://millionrounds.com/login?join=1&next=/app/investors)[All top lists](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists)

## More defi lists

[See all](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists?t=DeFi)

[*DA* *FT* *M* **DeFi startups worldwide** 78 companies · $2.2B](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/defi-startups)[*DA* *FT* *G* **DeFi startups in the United States** 29 companies · $1.5B](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/defi-startups-united-states)[*M* *E* *D* **DeFi startups in Europe** 19 companies · $383M](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/defi-startups-europe)[*DA* *M* *G* **DeFi startups that raised in 2026** 14 companies · $826M in 2026](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/defi-startups-raised-2026)

## More lists worldwide

[See all](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists?r=Global)

[*GV* *V* *RP* **Health startups worldwide** 12,811 companies · $81B](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/health-startups)[*O* *A* *X* **AI startups worldwide** 10,238 companies · $830B](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/ai-startups)[*GV* *V* *RP* **Biotech startups worldwide** 7,127 companies · $70B](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/biotech-startups)[*D* *B* *FT* **Big data startups worldwide** 3,812 companies · $220B](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/big-data-startups)[*AF* *R* *S* **Fintech startups worldwide** 3,200 companies · $94B](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/fintech-startups)[*O* *A* *B* **AI startups that raised in 2026** 2,922 companies · $540B in 2026](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/ai-startups-raised-2026)[*FT* *CE* *P* **Energy providers startups worldwide** 2,808 companies · $152B](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/energy-providers-startups)[*A* *P* *O* **Marketing tech startups worldwide** 2,728 companies · $28B](https://millionrounds.com/top-lists/marketing-tech-startups)