Financial
Web3 Investors from 16 nations converged to witness these 6 Graviton-backed Indian startups make their pitch.
Graviton Web3 Accelerator’s digitally simulcast Demo Day event saw participation from VCs and angels around the world, focused on a cumulative raise of $10Mn for their first cohort.
Graviton, a web3-focused accelerator for emerging markets backed by global VCs such as Hashkey Capital, Moonrock Capital, NGC Ventures, 369 Capital, Ascensive Assets, Stacker Ventures, MH Ventures, G1 Ventures, Infinity Ventures Crypto (IVC), and GravityX Capital, recently organized its first-ever digitally simulcast Demo Day.
The event saw participation from over 70 global investors from 16 countries, with all eyes converging on what the six teams at Graviton are busy building and scaling. These teams have emerged as outliers from a pool of 300+ startups that had applied to get accelerated through the Graviton ecosystem.
Graviton’s uniquely designed accelerator program arms a limited cohort of promising early-stage web3 founders with a healthy infusion of institutional capital (marked by a seed investment into each team), technical grants and integrations from a vast partner ecosystem, mentorship from proven industry experts to help the teams with business strategy, tech fundamentals, growth marketing, and fundraising, as well as expanded networking opportunities to help them raise serious capital in the long run.
“While the ongoing ‘bear market’ sentiment fosters a conservative investment mindset around the world for crypto platforms, we at Graviton believe that world-class technology products led by visionary founders are always ahead of the curve, and always lucrative to serious investors”, remarked Arpit Nik (Founder & CEO at Graviton and a General Partner at GravityX Capital). Arpit and team have been hard at work since December last year, to identify India’s strongest founders with a penchant to build for the decentralized web.

The six teams that emerged frontrunners amidst a plethora of applicants, include:
Spydra – An enterprise grade blockchain solution that is helping large organizations migrate their existing tech stack from web2 to web3, making the transition as frictionless as possible. Led by the seasoned and suave Manish Tewari (with massive previous exits at Koovs.com and Pokkt), Spydra is powering the largest status-quo migration in enterprise tech, since the advent of AWS and cloud-computing. They’re already clocking an annual run rate of $100K in revenue, servicing clients such as Raymond, Myntra, and the National Payments Corporation of India.
Wall – This team is solving one of the most significant challenges of web3, i.e. community building. Wall helps businesses acquire and take community members through beautifully mapped custom user journeys, helping them claim rewards (such as Airdrop tokens), while completing platform-mandated tasks across multiple touch points (such as Twitter, Telegram, Discord, etc). It offsets the community moderation costs for emerging web3 platforms, and after helping 40+ projects design custom reward pathways, Wall is fast emerging as the go-to community building solution for L1 and L2 ecosystems. Wall is helmed by Anuj Kumar Kodam (ex IIT Kharagpur, IIM Calcutta, and formerly part of the founder’s office at Ola Cabs).
Strive – Global opinion on the utility of NFTs is divided, and Strive is here to change that. With a proprietary layer that facilitates the sharing and trading of NFT utilities, the team is expanding the possibilities of what one can do with NFTs today. Using Strive, any business, brand, or artist-led community can monetize their audience and influence with ease. Kartik Mehrotra (ex UC Berkeley) leads the show at Strive Network.
Zoth – Crypto users of today are struggling to find secure and passive income generating opportunities, despite the total value of crypto finance having breached $1Trillion as of 2022. Pritam Dutta (ex Ab-InBev, Mahindra & Mahindra) and team Zoth are on a mission to democratize global access to affordable capital, through the tokenization of real world assets. They’ve already deployed $500K in capital, and have a little under $10M in their managed assets pipeline.
Fetcch – The motto and creed at Fetcch is to make web3 payments as simple as Venmo or Paypal. Mandar Ray, CEO at Fetcch, explains that they’re building an abstracted middleware layer that removes the complexities associated with wallet addresses, which in turn is a giant leap towards the mainstream adoption of web3. Recently, the team has opened up beta access to Fetcch Pay, their flagship payments product.
GG Nation – eSports is booming, and team GG Nation has done a stellar job of capturing the mindshare of student gamers across 250+ Indian colleges in 18 cities. Today, GGNation has more than 200,000 gamers on its roster, with an aim to onboard India’s first million gamers. Abhinandan, the founder and CEO, has a remarkable track record with two of India’s biggest sports IPs, Indian Racing League and Premier Futsal, achieving impressive media value, viewership, and live attendance.
Over the last 16 weeks, these teams have been immersed in interactive workshops with a team of 50+ remarkable mentors – all of whom are established thought leaders in their respective domains. And in exchange for their time and imparted wisdom, Graviton has created a circular rewards model, with each mentor acquiring nominal equity in these teams, proportionate to the time they spend nurturing each product. Arjun Kalsy (ex-Growth lead at Polygon), for instance, has a vested interest in the success of each of these six teams, as one of their growth mentors. The same is true for Parth Chaturvedi of Coinswitch Ventures, Vijay Pravin of bitsCrunch, and many others who have become an integral part of the growth journeys of all 6 teams.
The success of Graviton’s Demo Day is owed largely to the efforts of Program Director Jeffrey Broer, who is a seasoned web3 investor at Mulana Capital, and a highly sought-after blockchain mentor and speaker.
“Supporting visionary entrepreneurs on their transformative journeys in the web3 realm brings me immense joy. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the nurturing Graviton ecosystem for promoting an inclusive culture of progress. May the six teams embark on a remarkable path of growth and achievement!”
– Vijay Pravin (CEO, bitsCrunch & Growth Mentor at Graviton)
“All hands aboard is the philosophy that drives us to help startups and founders. We’re glad that this team of web3 disruptors came together at Graviton, and forever indebted to our invaluable mentors, who have helped craft this journey together. With everyone’s hearts set on building sustainably for the decentralized internet, we’re just really excited about what the future holds for the Indian web3 space”
– Vishal Sanap (Head of Portfolio Growth & Development at Graviton)
Crypto
Strategy Buys $2.5B in Bitcoin, Holdings Surpass 800,000 BTC
Michael Saylor’s company Strategy has made another massive Bitcoin purchase, pushing its total holdings past 800,000 BTC and reinforcing its position as the largest public holder of the asset.
Massive $2.5 Billion Bitcoin Purchase
Strategy acquired 34,164 Bitcoin for approximately $2.54 billion between April 13 and April 19, according to a recent SEC filing.
The purchase ranks as the company’s third-largest Bitcoin buy ever, highlighting its continued aggressive accumulation strategy.
The coins were bought at an average price of $74,395 per BTC, slightly below Strategy’s overall average purchase price.
Total Holdings Now Above 800K BTC
Following the latest acquisition, Strategy now holds:
- 815,061 BTC total
- Purchased for roughly $61.56 billion
This milestone comes just one week after the company revealed a separate $1 billion Bitcoin purchase, showing how rapidly it continues to scale its position.
Funded Largely Through STRC Offering
A significant portion of the latest purchase was funded through Strategy’s preferred stock offering:
- $2.18 billion (85.7%) came from STRC issuance
- $366 million came from selling Class A shares (MSTR)
The STRC program has become a core funding mechanism for Strategy’s Bitcoin accumulation strategy.
Record-Breaking Buying Activity
The company also set new internal records during the buying period.
On April 13 and 14 alone, Strategy executed massive purchases tied to its at-the-market (ATM) program:
- ~7,741 BTC in one day
- ~9,364 BTC the next day
Combined, these two days accounted for over 17,000 BTC, marking a sharp increase compared to previous weekly averages.
Saylor Teased the Move
Michael Saylor hinted at the purchase ahead of time with a cryptic “Think Even Bigger” post, a pattern he has used before major acquisition announcements.
Dividend Strategy to Boost Demand
Alongside its Bitcoin buying spree, Strategy is also exploring changes to its investor offering.
The company recently proposed semi-monthly dividend payments for its STRC preferred shares, aiming to:
- Stabilize share price
- Increase liquidity
- Attract more investor demand
If approved, Strategy would become one of the few companies globally to offer such frequent dividend payouts.
Strategy Doubles Down on Bitcoin Conviction
This latest purchase reinforces Strategy’s long-term bet on Bitcoin as a primary treasury asset.
Despite market volatility and unrealized losses in prior quarters, the company continues to accumulate aggressively, signaling strong confidence in Bitcoin’s future value.
Crypto
Bitnomial Launches Injective Futures in US, Eyes Potential ETF Path
Chicago-based crypto exchange Bitnomial has introduced monthly futures contracts tied to Injective, marking the first US-regulated derivatives product for the token and a potential step toward future ETF approval.
The launch gives traders regulated exposure to Injective’s native token without needing to directly hold the asset.
First US-Regulated Futures for Injective
According to the announcement, the new contracts settle in INJ and come with monthly expiries. Traders can gain price exposure while using either crypto or US dollars as margin through Bitnomial’s clearinghouse.
The move establishes a formal trading history for Injective in regulated markets, which could be significant for future financial products.
ETF Eligibility Could Follow
The listing also initiates a six-month track record, a key requirement that could support the approval of a spot exchange-traded fund under US Securities and Exchange Commission rules.
Earlier, Canary Capital filed for a staked INJ ETF, with Cboe BZX Exchange submitting a related rule change proposal to the SEC.
Institutional traders can access the futures immediately, while retail users are expected to gain access soon through Bitnomial’s Botanical platform. The exchange also plans to expand its offerings with perpetual futures and options tied to INJ.
Injective’s Role in DeFi Infrastructure
Injective operates on a Layer 1 blockchain designed for financial applications. It features an onchain order book and supports cross-chain functionality with networks such as Ethereum and Solana.
This infrastructure positions Injective as a key player in decentralized finance, particularly for trading and derivatives use cases.
Bitnomial Expands Altcoin Derivatives
Bitnomial, which operates under Commodity Futures Trading Commission oversight, continues to expand its range of crypto derivatives products.
In January, the exchange launched futures tied to Aptos, marking another step toward bringing altcoins into regulated US derivatives markets.
However, expanding beyond major cryptocurrencies has not been without challenges.
Regulatory Hurdles Persist
US-regulated crypto futures are still largely concentrated around Bitcoin and Ether, with altcoin-based products facing greater scrutiny.
Bitnomial previously attempted to list XRP futures in 2024, but the effort was challenged by the SEC. After legal proceedings, the exchange ultimately launched regulated XRP futures in March 2026, citing a shift in the regulatory landscape.
Other platforms have taken a more gradual approach. Coinbase introduced regulated Bitcoin and Ether futures for institutional clients in 2023 and later expanded access to retail traders. Meanwhile, Kraken strengthened its position in derivatives by acquiring NinjaTrader in a $1.5 billion deal.
Growing Momentum in US Crypto Derivatives
The launch of Injective futures reflects a broader push to expand regulated crypto derivatives offerings in the United States.
As regulatory clarity improves, more exchanges are exploring ways to introduce new products tied to altcoins, potentially paving the way for a wider range of ETFs and institutional investment opportunities.
Crypto
CoreWeave Signs $6B Deal With Jane Street to Power AI Trading Operations
CoreWeave has secured a major $6 billion agreement with quantitative trading firm Jane Street, as demand for high-performance AI computing continues to grow across financial markets.
The deal will see Jane Street use CoreWeave’s AI cloud infrastructure to support its trading and research operations, which increasingly rely on advanced data processing and machine learning models.
Jane Street Taps GPU Power for Trading Edge
Under the agreement, CoreWeave will provide computing capacity from multiple data centers, giving Jane Street access to large-scale GPU-powered infrastructure.
The trading firm said it requires this level of computing power to stay competitive as artificial intelligence becomes more deeply integrated into trading strategies and research workflows.
In addition to the infrastructure deal, Jane Street also invested $1 billion in CoreWeave, purchasing Class A common stock at $109 per share.
CoreWeave Stock Sees Modest Uptick
Following the announcement, shares of CoreWeave (CRWV) rose about 1.5%, reaching approximately $119.04 at the time of reporting.
The deal adds to growing investor confidence in the company’s role as a key provider of AI-focused cloud infrastructure.
Expanding AI Partnerships
The Jane Street agreement comes just one week after CoreWeave announced a separate partnership with Anthropic.
Under that deal, Anthropic will use CoreWeave’s infrastructure to run its Claude AI models, further strengthening CoreWeave’s position in the AI ecosystem.
From Crypto Mining to AI Infrastructure
CoreWeave originally launched in 2017 as a crypto mining company under the name Atlantic Crypto before pivoting to AI cloud computing in 2019.
This early transition has given the company a significant advantage as demand for GPU-based computing has surged.
The shift also highlights a broader trend in the industry, where former crypto mining firms are repurposing their infrastructure to support AI workloads as mining revenues become less predictable.
Leading the “Neocloud” Market
CoreWeave is now considered a leader in the so-called “neocloud” sector, which focuses on GPU-driven cloud computing designed specifically for AI applications.
Unlike traditional cloud providers that rely on CPUs for general computing tasks, neocloud platforms are optimized for intensive AI workloads such as model training and large-scale data analysis.
Analysts from Bernstein noted that CoreWeave stands out among its peers, including IREN and Nebius, due to its strong commercial performance, diverse customer base, and mix of long-term contracts and on-demand services.
The company also claims that nine of the top ten AI model providers now use its platform, underscoring its growing influence in the space.
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