The crypto economy is here to stay. Crypto startups people barely know about are growing at exponential rates and building the future of finance in real-time. One such company that has achieved massive success and is moving the crypto industry forward in a big way is Liquid.com.
Founded in 2014, Liquid is a Japanese cryptocurrency exchange platform for both beginners and professionals alike. It was the first crypto exchange to receive an official license from the Japan Financial Services Agency (FSA) and is one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the country.
Liquid’s $1 Billion Valuation
Announced in a press release on April 03, 2019, Liquid became one of only two tech unicorns in Japan, as the company’s total valuation is at over $1 billion following the closing of an ongoing Series C funding round.
Liquid has achieved unicorn status in under 5 years, making it one of Japan’s fastest growing tech companies, and they show no signs of slowing down. The Series C funds will be invested in the company for the purpose of global expansion and the development of innovative products and services.
Liquid’s Series C funding was led by IDG Capital and one of the world’s largest makers and users of cryptocurrency mining rigs, Bitmain Technologies. Both of these companies have invested heavily in a number of other crypto startups and are big drivers in the crypto space.
Speaking about Liquid and their success was Bitmain co-founder Jihan Wu, who said in the press release:
“Japan is one of the leading nations in putting the crypto industry under proper regulations, and Liquid Group has proven itself to be the exemplary player within such compliant rules. This is a very important and unique moat amid global competition.”
Adding to Wu’s statement, the General Partner of IDG Capital, Young Gao, stated how important Japan is to the innovation of the cryptocurrency industry, and that IDG is proud to have backed such a visionary crypto startup as Liquid.
“IDG has been actively investing in the global crypto space since 2012, identifying some key players early. We came to realize that Tokyo has emerged as a top destination for crypto innovation and it is our honor to back such visionary pioneers as Liquid Co-founders Mike Kayamori and Mario Gomez Lozada to carry out this innovation.”
The Crypto Industry Believes in Liquid
Apart from IDG Capital and Bitmain Technologies, multiple other high-profile investors and organizations see Liquid as an innovative and revolutionary crypto company in the space. Before the closing of the Series C funding, Liquid secured $20 million in venture capital funding to fuel their growth in 2016.
Venture capitalists who participated in Liquid’s $20 million fundraiser include JAFCO, SBI, B Dash Ventures, Mistletoe, and ULS Group.
Another funding method that’s led to Liquid’s status as a tech unicorn was their hosting of the largest ICO in Asia, which raised more than $100 million in QASH.
Liquid CEO Mike Karamori is obviously stoked over the success of his company, and he expressed his gratitude and excitement over the recent Series C funding in the press release, stating:
“As we enter into a new age of digital disruption in financial services, consumers are increasingly placing a higher value on digital assets and technologies they can trust and use with greater ease. Our vision is to make financial services accessible to all, which means bringing more people into the digital asset space so that anyone can be a part of it. This first round of Series C funding from our two highly respected investors, IDG Capital and Bitmain, puts us in an incredibly strong position to make a global impact in 2019.”
Do you think Liquid can become the most powerful and innovative crypto company? Also, how do they compare to Binance? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
