Digital Asset, the company behind the Canton Network, has raised $365 million in a strategic funding round that values the firm at $2 billion — the same valuation as its previous round. The investment includes a $10 million contribution from Shinhan Financial Group and Standard Chartered's SC Ventures.
The company said the round is about strategic alignment with banks active in tokenization, not about pushing up the valuation. That flat price tag signals a deliberate move to bring in partners rather than chase a higher number.
Who Put Money In
Shinhan Financial Group and SC Ventures each contributed $10 million to the round. Both are already involved in tokenized assets and blockchain-based finance. The rest of the $365 million came from other investors, though Digital Asset did not name them all. The round is described as strategic, meaning the focus is on building relationships with financial institutions rather than just raising capital.
The company has now raised a total of over $500 million since its founding, according to public records.
Canton Network Gets Tighter Rules
Alongside the funding news, the Canton Network community is considering a new proposal. Canton Improvement Proposal CIP-0105 would require Super Validators to lock up 70% of their CC rewards. The change is meant to align incentives and secure the network. Super Validators are the nodes that run the network's consensus and validation.
The proposal is still under discussion. If approved, it would force validators to commit a large chunk of their earnings to the network, reducing the temptation to cash out quickly.
A New Fund for Builders
Palladium Labs, a separate entity building on Canton, announced a 10 million CC Genesis Fund — worth about $1.5 million at current prices. The fund is aimed at developers and projects building applications on the Canton Network. It's a relatively small pool, but it's meant to kickstart activity on the platform.
Palladium Labs said the fund will support early-stage builders with grants and resources. The move comes as the network tries to attract more developers and use cases beyond the initial financial institution focus.
What It All Means
Digital Asset's flat valuation is unusual in a market where many crypto and blockchain companies have seen their valuations soar. The company is clearly prioritizing partnerships over hype. Shinhan and Standard Chartered are both major players in Asia and Europe, and their involvement could help push Canton's tokenization platform into mainstream banking.
The CIP-0105 proposal and the Genesis Fund are separate but related efforts to strengthen the Canton ecosystem. Tighter validator rules could make the network more secure, while the fund could bring in new developers. Whether those developers will build the kind of applications banks want to use is an open question.
The funding round closed in the first quarter of 2025. Digital Asset has not announced a specific date for the next steps on CIP-0105 or the Genesis Fund's first grants.
