Etherealize has successfully raised $40 million in a funding round led by prominent investment firms Electric Capital and Paradigm, marking a significant milestone in the company’s mission to bridge traditional financial systems with Ethereum’s decentralized framework. This latest investment builds on earlier support from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and the Ethereum Foundation, who provided a foundational grant in 2024, aiding in the company’s initial operations and outreach within the financial sector.
The company seeks to modernize and integrate the legacy financial system with Ethereum’s programmable infrastructure, positioning itself as a leader in developing institutional-grade tools tailored for tokenized assets and privacy-preserving settlements. Etherealize is creating an array of technologies designed for institutional use, including a zero-knowledge privacy infrastructure for secure trading and settlement processes, alongside a settlement engine designed specifically for tokenized assets. These innovations are set to transform how financial institutions interact with digital assets, positioning Ethereum as a favored base for future financial services.
Founded by a team with extensive expertise in traditional finance and the Ethereum ecosystem, Etherealize features key figures like Vivek Raman, a former Wall Street trader who understands institutional workflows, and Danny Ryan, a former research lead at the Ethereum Foundation, who brings a comprehensive grasp of Ethereum’s technical landscape. The founding team also includes Grant Hummer and Zach Obront, who share decades of experience in the Ethereum sector. The assembled team incorporates industry veterans from major financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan, united by the goal of establishing Ethereum as the backbone of modern institutional finance.
Since its launch in January 2025, Etherealize has rapidly engaged with hundreds of banks, asset managers, and payment networks, focusing on product development and stakeholder education regarding Ethereum’s capabilities. The company has facilitated the on-chain integration of tokenized assets and supported Layer-2 blockchains in scaling their adoption. Its research initiatives have contributed to shifting the narrative regarding Ethereum from a speculative asset to a credible reserve and a viable foundation for institutional treasury strategies. Furthermore, Etherealize has engaged in regulatory discussions and has provided testimony before Congress concerning digital asset legislation.
Ethereum has emerged as a global financial infrastructure layer, currently processing the bulk of stablecoin volumes and tokenized real-world assets. Its appeal is growing among major institutions, including JPMorgan, Apollo, Deutsche Bank, Fidelity, BlackRock, and UBS, who are exploring or implementing Ethereum-based solutions. Etherealize aims to facilitate this transition from experimentation to full-scale adoption by supplying tools that meet the stringent standards of security, compliance, and performance required by these institutions.
The newly acquired funds will be directed towards accelerating development, expanding the team, and enhancing relations with Wall Street and other financial ecosystems. Etherealize’s ambition extends beyond technology; it seeks to create a conduit between the traditional financial realm and the evolving landscape of decentralized finance. By aligning Ethereum’s open infrastructure with the needs of regulated entities, Etherealize is poised to usher in an era characterized by financial innovation, transparency, efficiency, and increased global accessibility.
Danny Ryan, cofounder and President of Etherealize, emphasized the significance of this funding, stating, “Over the past decade, Ethereum has gone from an experiment to the world’s most battle-tested, open financial network. This raise kicks off the ‘Institutional Merge’—upgrading institutional finance to modern, safer, globally accessible rails.” Vivek Raman, the company’s CEO, remarked, “After hundreds of conversations with banks and institutions, one thing is clear: the future of finance will be built on Ethereum. This funding allows us to accelerate the development of institutional-grade infrastructure that rewires Wall Street with Ethereum as its invisible backbone.”
