What they do:
Open-source, design centric software for interacting with blockchains
Quick facts:
HQ: New York, NY, United States
Top DeFi Startups
This list has 12 startups and was last updated on Oct 15, 2026. 1 of them are hiring right now. Biggest hubs: San Francisco (5) and New York (2). Largest teams: Rainbow, Globe, and Magna.
12 startups
What they do:
coinbase for derivatives
Quick facts:
HQ: London, United Kingdom
Apollo
Hiring
What they do:
Payments & Loyalty Infrastructure
Quick facts:
What they do:
Cross border Payments infrastructure for internet businesses and…
Quick facts:
What they do:
The protocol for derivatives on blockchains
Quick facts:
HQ: Claymont, DE, United States
Magna
Acquired
What they do:
Carta for Web3: token vesting and DeFi investment management.
Quick facts:
HQ: New York, NY, United States
Cypher
Acquired
What they do:
Crypto Neo-Bank (WhatsApp moment for bank accounts)
Quick facts:
HQ: San Francisco, CA, United States
TaoFi
Acquired
What they do:
The financial layer for decentralized AI
Quick facts:
HQ: San Francisco, CA, United States
Hedgehog
Shut down
What they do:
Cryptocurrency Robo-adviser. Buy. Balance. Relax.
Quick facts:
HQ: San Francisco, CA, United States
Cashmere
Shut down
What they do:
Crypto wallet for web3 startups
Quick facts:
HQ: San Francisco, CA, United States
Notebook Labs
Shut down
What they do:
Decentralized, anonymous, and accountable identity on Web3.
Quick facts:
HQ: San Francisco, CA, United States
Payfura
Shut down
What they do:
Global payment gateway to buy/sell crypto
Quick facts:
HQ: Delaware City, DE, United States
Questions and answers
How many startups are on this list?
There are 12 startups on this list, last updated on Oct 15, 2026.
Which of them are hiring?
1 of them are hiring right now, including Apollo.
Which of them have the largest teams?
By team size: Rainbow (28 employees), Globe (20 employees), and Magna (18 employees).
Where are they based?
The biggest hubs are San Francisco (5) and New York (2).