Top 5 Crypto and Blockchain Startups to Watch in 2024: A Comprehensive Overview

Blockchain and cryptocurrency firms draw significant attention from venture capitalists, private equity firms, and alternative investment funds due to their innovative approach to finance and commerce. Over the past three years, these companies have collectively raised approximately $73 billion.

In this piece, we highlight the leading crypto and blockchain startups to monitor in 2024. Our selection includes prominent players in the NFT industry, emerging blockchain development firms in the Layer 2 sector, and several crypto brokerages.

Leveraging Crunchbase data, we've curated a list of the top 5 blockchain startups globally for 2024.

5 best crypto and blockchain startups globally

1. OpenSea

OpenSea stands as the foremost NFT marketplace globally, boasting the highest all-time sales volume in the industry. Established in 2017 and headquartered in New York, the company has leveraged its early market entry to become synonymous with the NFT space. OpenSea's platform accommodates various blockchain networks, including Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Optimism, and Base, facilitating the listing of a diverse range of digital artworks. Notably, its user-friendly interface has played a pivotal role in accumulating an all-time sales volume exceeding $36 billion, surpassing the combined total of its top ten competitors.

2. Dunamu

Dunamu is a cryptocurrency and blockchain conglomerate that possesses and manages South Korea's largest crypto exchange, Upbit. Upbit's popularity in South Korea is so significant that it accounted for 80% of trading volumes in July 2023. Additionally, Upbit has extended its offerings to Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand. In addition to Upbit, Dunamu also owns and operates South Korea's inaugural unlisted securities trading platform, Stockplus Unlimited, a cryptocurrency index service called UBCI, an all-in-one investment platform named Stockplus, and a metaverse platform known as 2ndblock.

3. Alchemy

Alchemy is a blockchain development platform offering the necessary infrastructure and tools for effortless DApp creation. Serving individuals, small businesses, and large corporations alike, the company has established partnerships with leading blockchain networks such as Polygon, Optimism, and 0x. Through its platform, Alchemy aids in the scalability of these blockchains by providing resources to address network challenges, enhance capacity, and ensure uptime during periods of expansion.

4. KuCoin

KuCoin, a global cryptocurrency exchange accessible in over 200 countries worldwide, had nearly 31 million users by the end of 2023. CoinMarketCap ranks KuCoin as the fourth most popular centralized exchange globally based on daily trading volume.

What sets KuCoin apart from competitors like Binance, Coinbase, and Kraken is its swift listing of new, exotic, and small-cap crypto tokens. As of February 2024, KuCoin boasted nearly 800 different token listings, surpassing Binance's 400, Coinbase's 239, and Kraken's 249.

5. Ripple

Ripple is a blockchain technology firm offering solutions for central bank digital currency (CBDC), tokenization, cross-border payments, and treasury management. Collaborating with nations such as Bhutan, Colombia, Montenegro, and Palau, Ripple is piloting CBDCs.

Additionally, Ripple manages a public blockchain network known as XRP Ledger (XRPL), featuring a native token called XRP. XRP is utilized to streamline cross-border payments and develop cryptocurrency-driven applications.