San Salvador, El Salvador, July 9th, 2025, Chainwire
The raise will accelerate the development of a dual infrastructure: NEXBRIDGE, a regulated issuer of asset-backed digital assets, and NEXPLACE, a next-generation trading platform.
NEXBRIDGE and NEXPLACE today announced the closing of a $8 million Series A funding round led by Fulgur Ventures. The capital will fast-track the expansion of a Bitcoin-native financial infrastructure that merges regulated issuance with seamless trading for retail and institutional clients worldwide.
Early access to NEXPLACE is now available — users can join the waitlist here.
NEXBRIDGE will use the proceeds to launch new digital assets and pursue additional listings across licensed exchanges. NEXPLACE will accelerate development and go-to-market execution ahead of its H2 2025 launch, while advancing further licensing efforts in key jurisdictions.
NEXBRIDGE and NEXPLACE currently operate as separate entities, but share the same shareholder group and strategic roadmap— with plans to consolidate under a single holding once the necessary corporate and jurisdictional steps are completed.
“Our vision for BitcoinFi is simple: bring the safeguards of traditional capital markets onto Bitcoin rails and make digital assets accessible with 24/7 efficiency— through compliant, global infrastructure,” said Michele Crivelli, Founder & CEO of both companies. Today we focus on secure access to familiar exposures like bonds or equities—made available through NEXPLACE and other licensed venues, with our own platform built to evolve and unlock advanced features over time. Tomorrow, we’ll enable businesses to raise capital on-chain through native, regulated digital instruments designed to move funds directly to the issuer, without traditional intermediaries.”
A new on-chain market architecture
NEXBRIDGE issues regulated digital assets backed by real underlying value, offering both familiar exposures and new formats for accessing them. In November 2024, NEXBRIDGE launched USTBL—the first public, regulated digital asset backed by U.S. Treasury Bills and issued on Bitcoin infrastructure via the Liquid Network. Initially listed on Bitfinex Securities, USTBL is now preparing to expand across additional licensed exchanges.
Following this, El Salvador’s digital‑asset regulator (CNAD) approved a broader range of products—spanning from single-stock exposures to multi-asset strategies—set to launch on NEXPLACE and other licensed venues, including through NEXBRIDGE’s own OTC desk.
NEXPLACE, licensed as a Digital Asset Service Provider, offers a unified venue for trading a wide range of digital assets—from native cryptocurrencies and utility tokens to asset-linked instruments. Advanced features—such as using eligible tokenized assets as collateral for derivatives—will be gradually rolled out following launch.
Unlike models where tokenized assets are mere digital wrappers of off-chain products, NEXBRIDGE issues digital assets that are regulated at the token level. Each issuance is formally approved by CNAD, receives a unique instrument identifier, and includes public disclosures such as proof-of-reserve attestations and a dedicated termsheet detailing key information. In this model, transparency and regulatory oversight apply directly to the digital asset users hold and trade—not just to the structure behind it.
While initial distribution will occur primarily via NEXPLACE, the infrastructure is designed for openness. NEXBRIDGE’s regulatory architecture allows its assets to be listed on other licensed trading venues—ensuring portability.
This dual model bridges two worlds: providing secure, regulated access to digital markets for global users—especially those in fast-growing emerging economies—while giving institutions a simplified interface to manage both crypto and asset-linked positions with full transparency.
“This raise helps us unlock a new generation of asset-linked digital products—especially for users in markets where access to dollar-based exposure has been limited,” Crivelli added. “Each token we issue is directly regulated, with its own public termsheet, governance, and oversight—rather than being a passive mirror of an off-chain asset. That’s a structural shift – and a foundation we can build on.”
Strategic alignment and investor support
Fulgur Ventures, the lead investor, supports Bitcoin‑native infrastructure with real‑world applications.
“Bitcoin continues to establish itself as a unique, scarce digital asset—now increasingly relevant to institutional finance,” said Oleg Mikhalsky, Partner at Fulgur Ventures. “Traditional financial institutions are beginning to recognize Bitcoin not only as a store of value but also as a settlement layer for both monetary transactions and tokenized instruments. NEXBRIDGE and NEXPLACE demonstrate a meaningful, real-world use case enabled by the Liquid Network that reinforces Bitcoin’s role in capital markets—a development Fulgur is proud to support.”
Blockstream — the Bitcoin infrastructure firm behind the Liquid Network layer-2 that powers asset issuance and settlement — emphasized the partnership’s strategic potential.
“By powering NEXBRIDGE’s digital asset issuance and NEXPLACE’s trading platform with the Liquid Network, we’re helping shape a new generation of capital markets—anchored to Bitcoin’s security, built for global scale, said Adam Back, Co‑founder & CEO of Blockstream.
Early access to NEXPLACE is now available — users can join the waitlist here.
About NEXBRIDGE
NEXBRIDGE Digital Financial Solutions is a regulated issuer headquartered in El Salvador. It creates and offers asset-linked digital assets under the country’s Digital Asset Issuance Law, with settlement secured through the Bitcoin-based Liquid Network.
About NEXPLACE
NEXPLACE is a next-generation digital asset exchange set to launch publicly in the second half of 2025. It enables seamless trading across cryptocurrencies and regulated digital assets—within a unified venue designed to evolve with market needs.
About Fulgur Ventures
Fulgur Ventures is a Bitcoin native investment firm focused on infrastructure and applications that unlock Bitcoin’s role in global financial systems.
Contacts
Press Contact Marketing & Communication Department
NEXBRIDGE
press@nexbridge.io
Press Contact Marketing & Communication Department
NEXPLACE
info@nexplace.com
