Hybrid DEX GRVT based on ZKsync completes $19 million Series A financing

Jinse Finance reported that hybrid decentralized exchange (DEX) GRVT has successfully completed a $19 million Series A funding round, further advancing its development in the compliant, high-performance crypto trading sector. This round was co-led by GRVT’s technology partner ZKsync and Further Ventures. Further Ventures is an investment firm backed by the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund. Other major supporters include EigenCloud (formerly EigenLayer) and 500 Global. The GRVT team stated that the majority of the funds raised will be used for product development and engineering to expand its product range, including cross-chain interoperability, options markets, and tokenized real-world assets (RWAs). GRVT is described as a “hybrid” DeFi platform aiming to combine the user experience and regulatory compliance of centralized exchanges (CEXs) with the self-custody, privacy, and decentralization features of traditional DEXs. It positions itself as the world’s first licensed and regulated on-chain exchange. The platform launched its mainnet Alpha version on Ethereum Layer 2 network ZKsync at the end of 2024, initially focusing on perpetual contract trading and has now expanded to spot and options trading. GRVT is actively seeking multi-jurisdictional licenses, including the EU MiCA license, Dubai VARA license, and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) capital market license.