OpenLedger Commits $25M to Fund AI Blockchain Startups

Blockchain protocol OpenLedger said it will commit $25 million to fund AI and Web3 developers.

The capital will be available on OpenCircle, a new launchpad set up by the California-based project to assist developers with creating AI-focused protocols.

The funding comes at a time of increased intersection between the blockchain and AI industries. Telegram last month announced a deal with Elon Musk’s xAI to incorporate the Grok AI chatbot on the messaging app, with the app also accepting the TON token for crypto payments.

“AI is currently an extractive economy, profiting from invisible labor and centralized training pipelines,” said Ram, a core contributor at OpenLedger. “OpenCircle turns that model inside out. We’re building a system where anyone who contributes, whether through code, data, or compute, owns a piece of the value they help create.”

OpenLedger raised $8 million in a seed round in 2024 as it looked to become the “sovereign data blockchain for AI technology.” The company also signed a deal with restaking protocol Ether.fi to enhance AI model development and security, Ether.fi has $6.5 billion in total value locked (TVL).