Funding surges to $49 billion, dramatically changing the structure of Web3 investment

👋 Businesses and investors, Web3 funding will dramatically recover in 2025, ushering in an era of mature investment opportunities!

In 2025, cryptocurrency venture capital (VC) funding will surge from the previous year, reaching a total of$ 49.75 millionThis is not just a resurgence of the bubble, but rather a strategic shift towards capital moving towards later stage projects and core infrastructure.

According to a recent report from Gate Ventures, this recovery represents a maturation of the Web3 ecosystem, providing investors with an opportunity to explore sustainable business models. If you're a businessperson looking to diversify your portfolio, this trend is not to be ignored.

But behind the excitement lies risk. In this article, we analyze fundraising trends and delve deeper into tokenomics and practicality. Let's take a logical, numbers-driven look at the future of Web3 investing.

Background and Issues (Web2 vs. Web3)

The rise of Web3 is being touted as a solution to a fundamental problem with the legacy Web2 system, where data was centralized in the hands of big tech companies, diluting user ownership.

For example, on social media, monetization of posted content is platform dependent, and users lack true ownership, resulting in inefficient intermediary fees and serious privacy violations.

Meanwhile, Web3 is based on blockchain and achieves decentralization. As Gate Ventures' report shows, the recovery of VC funding in 2025 is evidence that investors have reaffirmed the significance of this decentralization. By directing capital toward core infrastructure, Web3 aims to build a scalable and sustainable ecosystem.

But there are challenges: while the centralization of Web2 was efficient, the decentralized approach of Web3 can cause transaction delays and high gas fees, which is why funding is concentrated in later-stage projects to overcome this.

From an investor perspective, this shift offers an opportunity for risk diversification. From the downturn in 2023 to the recovery in 2025, the market is looking for more mature valuation criteria. According to Gate Ventures, total funding is up 1.5% from the previous year.$ 9.33 millionから$ 49.75 millionWhile the number of transactions increased by 433%, this means that there is a selection of high-quality projects.

With this background in mind, let's take a closer look at how Web3 addresses the inefficiencies of Web2.

Explanation of the technology and mechanisms (The Core)

The Gate Ventures report highlights a shift in crypto VC funding to later stage and core infrastructure in 2025, representing a shift from early speculation to a focus on utility.

Core infrastructure refers to the underlying Layer 1 and Layer 2 solutions and bridging technologies that power blockchain, improving the scalability of Web3 and strengthening business models.

From a tokenomics perspective, these infrastructure projects promise long-term value creation: for example, token supply models are typically designed to combat inflation and ensure sustainability through staking rewards.

In terms of practicality, DeFi and NFT platforms benefit from infrastructure, enabling efficient transactions. According to data from Gate Ventures, the majority of funds are flowing to exchanges and custody services, prioritizing exchange infrastructure over builders.

Click to enlarge the image.

The diagram above shows how the infrastructure of Web3 is interconnected, allowing investors to assess the technical foundations of a project.

As this comparison chart shows, Web3 is solving the challenges of Web2 while also creating new investment opportunities. Gate Ventures reports that capital reallocation is accelerating infrastructure improvements and increasing the stability of tokenomics.

For example, investing in Layer 2 solutions reduces transaction costs and improves the ROI of business models, which allows investors to expect long-term capital gains.

Impact and use cases

The impact of this capital shift is significant for businesses and investors. First, from a tokenomics perspective, later-stage investments ensure the maturity of projects, reducing the risk of early speculation and building sustainable revenue models.

In terms of practicality, strengthening core infrastructure will promote the spread of DeFi and NFTs. For example, the concentration of funds on exchanges will increase liquidity and provide an environment where business people can efficiently manage their portfolios.

As a use case, consider custody services, which, based on data from Gate Ventures, saw a surge in funding in 2025. This will allow institutional investors to safely store crypto assets, furthering their integration with traditional finance.

Another example is the tokenization of infrastructure projects, which offers investors passive income through staking, making it an attractive business model, although ROI is subject to market fluctuations.

Overall, this trend has the power to move Web3 from speculation to real business, and investors can take advantage of this and consider building a diversified portfolio.

Additionally, reallocating capital will help diversify risk in the ecosystem, directing capital toward proven infrastructure rather than early-stage startups, which is expected to stabilize the overall market.

Action Guide

To understand this trend, let's first look directly at the Gate Ventures report, download the data on their official website, and analyze the details of the funding allocation.

In the spirit of DYOR (Do Your Own Research), use data platforms like RootData and Crunchbase to independently examine VC trends for 2025.

Next, read the white papers of relevant projects, evaluate their tokenomics, and check their on-chain data on Etherscan to determine their viability.

Join the community. Join investor discussions on Reddit and Discord to get a variety of perspectives. Regularly check market reports to keep yourself updated.

Finally, use our simulation tools to build a virtual portfolio. Please simulate the risks before investing. Please proceed at your own risk.

Future prospects and risks

From 2026 onwards, Web3 VC funding will become more mature, with AI integration and RWA (Real World Assets) tokenization progressing. Gate Ventures predicts that regulatory clarity will accelerate institutional investment.

As technological advances continue, zero-knowledge proofs and cross-chain bridges will strengthen infrastructure, and innovations in tokenomics will likely lead to more sustainable models.

However, risks cannot be ignored: volatility can cause market fluctuations, regulatory changes can lead to capital outflows, and security is always subject to the threat of hacking.

Additionally, there has been a decline in developer activity, and it remains to be seen whether increased funding will lead to real innovation. Investors should take these factors into consideration and strive to diversify their investments.

Overall, the outlook is positive, but a cautious approach is warranted. Regulatory showdowns in 2026 will be key and will drive steady growth.

My Feelings, Then and Now

According to a report from Gate Ventures, the recovery of crypto VC funding in 2025 represents a shift towards later stage and core infrastructure, marking the transition of Web3 from a speculative era to a utility-focused one.

From the perspective of tokenomics and business model, this is an attractive opportunity for investors, but please carefully evaluate the risks. Be DYOR and take a sustainable perspective.

This trend will accelerate the maturation of Web3 and encourage its integration with traditional industries. Approach it with excitement and logic.

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments about how this shift in capital will impact your Web3 investments! Let's discuss and learn more.

👨‍💻 Author: SnowJon (Web3/AI Practitioner)

Based on the knowledge gained in the University of Tokyo's Blockchain Innovation course, he analyzes and explains Web3 and AI technologies from a practical perspective.
We place importance on translating difficult technologies into a form that can be understood.
*AI was used to compose and draft this article, but the author is responsible for final confirmation and responsibility of the content.

Reference links and sources

• Gate Ventures Shows Crypto Venture Funding Rebounds Through 2025, With Capital Shifting Toward Late-Stage And Core Infra
• Top crypto VCs share 2026 funding and token sales outlook | The Block
• Crypto venture capital funding surges by 433.2% to $49.75 billion in 2025 – Cryptopolitan
• Why Crypto's $49B Funding Surge Went To Exchanges, Not Builders In 2025 | Yellow.com
• Crunchbase Predicts: Why Top VCs Expect More Venture Dollars, Bigger Rounds And Fewer Winners In 2026