Funding Round and Strategic Vision
In a significant development for the burgeoning Bitcoin finance sector, NEXBRIDGE and NEXPLACE have successfully concluded an $8 million Series A funding round led by Fulgur Ventures. This infusion of capital is aimed at accelerating the growth of a Bitcoin-centric financial ecosystem that promises both regulated asset issuance and the facilitation of trading across a global platform aimed at both retail and institutional investors.
Early Access and Future Plans
Investors eager to explore NEXPLACE can now sign up for early access on the platform’s waitlist. With the raised funds, NEXBRIDGE is poised to introduce new digital assets and expand its listings on various licensed exchanges. Meanwhile, NEXPLACE is enhancing its development efforts to prepare for a public launch in the latter half of 2025 and to facilitate ongoing licensing processes in strategically important regions.
Although NEXBRIDGE and NEXPLACE currently operate independently, they belong to the same group of shareholders and align on a common strategic vision. The intention is to consolidate into a single entity following the proper regulatory and corporate measures.
Mission and Offerings
Michele Crivelli, the CEO and founder of both companies, articulated the mission: “Our focus with BitcoinFi is to integrate the safety mechanisms of conventional capital marketplaces with the efficiency of Bitcoin frameworks—enabling seamless access to digital assets around the clock.”
He highlights the immediate offerings that include access to familiar financial products such as bonds and equities through NEXPLACE and other compliant venues, with a vision for future capabilities to allow businesses to raise capital on-chain via regulated digital assets.
Innovative Digital Assets
NEXBRIDGE is at the forefront of issuing regulated digital assets with intrinsic value, paving the way for traditional and novel approaches to asset ownership. The firm recently launched USTBL, a public digital asset backed by U.S. Treasury Bills and constructed using Bitcoin’s infrastructure through the Liquid Network. After its debut on Bitfinex Securities in November 2024, USTBL is set to broaden its reach to more licensed trading platforms.
The digital asset regulatory authority in El Salvador, known as CNAD, has authorized a diverse array of new financial products, ranging from single-stock assets to multi-asset strategies, which will debut on NEXPLACE and other licensed trading venues, including transactions through NEXBRIDGE’s own over-the-counter desk.
Trading Platform and Regulatory Compliance
As a licensed Digital Asset Service Provider, NEXPLACE aims to provide a robust trading platform for a variety of digital assets, including cryptocurrencies and tokenized instruments. Its forthcoming features promise to enable the utilization of tokenized assets as collateral for derivatives, enhancing the trading capabilities significantly after launch.
NEXBRIDGE distinguishes itself from other token models that merely digitize off-chain assets by issuing digital tokens that are regulated, complete with approvals, unique identifiers, and comprehensive public disclosures such as proof-of-reserve statements. This landscape ensures that users are aware of not only the structure behind the assets but also the regulatory standards governing the tokens they buy and sell.
Future Accessibility and Market Impact
While NEXPLACE will primarily facilitate the initial distribution of these digital tokens, the infrastructure is built with portability in mind, allowing NEXBRIDGE’s assets to be accessible on other licensed trading venues, thereby bridging the gap between regulated access to digital asset markets and the wider global audience, particularly in fast-emerging economies.
Crivelli noted that this funding round equips them to foster a new era of asset-linked digital products, especially targeting markets where access to dollar-pegged assets is typically restricted. Each token issued under their model comes with its own governance standards and oversight, representing a crucial advancement from existing digital asset offerings.
Investor Insights and Strategic Partnerships
Fulgur Ventures, the principal investor, champions initiatives that innovate Bitcoin-based infrastructures with practical financial applications. As articulated by Oleg Mikhalsky, a Partner at Fulgur, Bitcoin is gaining recognition as a valuable asset in institutional finance, serving not only as a secure store of value but also as a framework for conducting monetary transactions and managing tokenized instruments.
Blockstream, the company that developed the Liquid Network, emphasizes the strategic benefits of its association with NEXBRIDGE and NEXPLACE. As Adam Back, its CEO, highlighted, their collaboration is instrumental in establishing a new foundation for capital markets anchored by the reliability and vast potential of the Bitcoin infrastructure.
Users can sign up for early access to NEXPLACE by joining the waitlist.
Conclusion
NEXBRIDGE, established in El Salvador, operates as a regulated issuer crafting asset-linked digital solutions compliant with the country’s Digital Asset Issuance Law, utilizing the security of the Bitcoin-based Liquid Network. Meanwhile, NEXPLACE aims to facilitate an innovative digital asset trading experience set to launch publicly in the latter half of 2025, advancing seamless transactions across the realms of cryptocurrency and regulated digital formats.
