Jacquelyn Melinek

<div id="highlights-block_61e15aaa41ab2" class="highlights">
        <ul>
                <li>Lukka provides services to both traditional financial firms and cryptocurrency companies including Arca, Circle, CPA.com, eToro, IHS Markit, S&amp;P Dow Jones Indices and State Street</li>
                <li>The investment comes nine months after its last funding round of $53 million</li>
            </ul>
    
</div>



<p>Crypto asset software and data provider Lukka closed its $110 million Series E, valuing it at over $1.3 billion, the company’s CEO Robert Materazzi exclusively told Blockworks on Friday.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“There’s a ton of momentum in the crypto industry as a whole, and Lukka’s at the center of that,” he said. “We’re expanding globally very quickly here,” he added.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The funding will be used to accelerate Lukka’s growth and expansion strategy through creating new offices internationally. At the end of 2021, it opened up offices in Switzerland and <a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/?s=singapore#:~:text=Singapore%20Seeks%20to%20%E2%80%98Balance%E2%80%99%20Economic%20Innovation%20While%20Shielding%20Public%20From%20the%20Metaverse" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Singapore</a>, Materazzi noted.&nbsp;</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="275" src="https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-01-14-Robert-Materazzi-300x275-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-15370" srcset="https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-01-14-Robert-Materazzi-300x275-1.jpg?w=300 300w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-01-14-Robert-Materazzi-300x275-1.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-01-14-Robert-Materazzi-300x275-1.jpg?w=768 768w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-01-14-Robert-Materazzi-300x275-1.jpg?w=281 281w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-01-14-Robert-Materazzi-300x275-1.jpg?w=285 285w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-01-14-Robert-Materazzi-300x275-1.jpg?w=239 239w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-01-14-Robert-Materazzi-300x275-1.jpg?w=80 80w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-01-14-Robert-Materazzi-300x275-1.jpg?w=50 50w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-01-14-Robert-Materazzi-300x275-1.jpg?w=1180 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>Lukka <meta charset="utf-8">CEO Robert Materazzi</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>“Our team almost tripled its headcount in the last year, but we’re not done,” he said. “We will have a lot of further headcount growth in global locations and will continue to build out,” he added.</p>



<p>The capital raise was led by London-based hedge fund <a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/london-based-hedge-fund-firm-marshall-wace-moves-toward-crypto/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marshall Wace</a>, which specializes in alternative investment strategies. Additional investors include Miami International Holdings, Summer Capital, SiriusPoint Ltd., as well as participation from its previous Series D investors Soros Fund Management, Liberty City Ventures, S&amp;P Global and CPA.com.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The investment comes nine months after its last funding round of <a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/soros-fund-backs-lukkas-53-million-series-d-funding-round/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">$53 million</a>. In total, the company has raised about $210 million, Materazzi said.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Lukka’s software compiles data of over 16,000 crypto spot assets, 70,000 crypto derivatives, 300 exchanges and about 30 decentralized exchanges. It provides services to both traditional financial firms and cryptocurrency companies including Arca, Circle, CPA.com, eToro, IHS Markit, <a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/sp-dow-jones-brings-crypto-to-wall-street/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">S&amp;P Dow Jones Indices</a> and <a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/state-street-teams-with-lukka-to-expand-crypto-services/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">State Street</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“We help them solve the most complex data challenges in the world and those challenges are more and more present with all the innovation going on in crypto,” Materazzi said.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"><p><strong>“It’s really challenging to keep up with innovation but that’s our goal and make sure we can simplify all those other data processes that results from all the innovation that’s constant,” he added.</strong>&nbsp;</p></blockquote>



<p>Last year, a lot of organizations, from businesses like <a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/nike-files-to-trademark-virtual-goods-hiring-metaverse-designers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nike</a> to traditional financial institutions like <a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/how-megabanks-goldman-sachs-morgan-stanley-are-talking-about-the-metaverse/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Goldman Sachs</a>, began to immerse themselves into crypto as it gained mainstream attention. But, Materazzi suspects that the companies that were quiet last year, were probably busy working on private plans they’ll share this year. “We’re going to see industry by industry adopt crypto in different ways,” he said.</p>



<p>Going forward, Lukka will release more “thoughtful institutional data products, in addition to ones launched last year,” to grow upon its existing data services, Materazzi shared. “At the end of the day, software is about managing data thoughtfully,” he commented.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“Data is powering the world — and everything we’re doing here is driven by data,” Materazzi said.</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator">
<p><strong>Get the day’s top crypto news and insights delivered to your inbox every evening.&nbsp;<a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/newsletter/?source=end" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to Blockworks’ free newsletter</a>&nbsp;now.</strong></p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator">


Crypto Asset Software Firm Lukka Hits Unicorn Status After $110M Series E

Casey Wagner

<div id="highlights-block_612939a83134d" class="highlights">
        <ul>
                <li>Robert Materazzi sees further regulation as an opportunity to bring greater security and legitimacy to the digital asset space, if done well</li>
                <li>There is going to be an increase in traditional financial institutions leaning into crypto products and offerings, he said </li>
            </ul>
    
</div>



<p>Banking in cryptocurrencies is here to stay, Robert Materazzi, CEO of <a href="https://www.lukka.tech/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lukka</a>, told Blockworks earlier this month at the Bretton Woods: The Realignment conference. </p>



<p>“I don’t think that many people can argue that it isn’t here,” said Materazzi “All of the big banks are working on it in some way, with actual business units, if they haven’t already launched, they are just about to, which is very exciting.”&nbsp;</p>



<p>Crypto businesses are increasingly leaning into traditional banking products, he said, and he is excited to see how traditional banking starts to merge with digital assets. </p>



<p>Materazzi, who works closely with regulators day-to-day, is excited about how further regulation can elevate the digital asset space.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“Buy some crypto, first,” Materazzi said of his advice to regulators trying to better understand the space. “What I mean by that is get your hands dirty, you have to actually go through the motions.” </p>



<p>Watch my full interview with Materazzi below.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Bretton Woods: Lukka&#039;s Robert Materazzi Says All the Biggest Banks Know Crypto Is Here" width="1024" height="576" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R853fd6XawQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p><strong><em>Want more investor-focused content on digital assets? <a target="_blank" href="https://cms.blockworks.co/events/digital-asset-summit-2021-2/" rel="noreferrer noopener">Join us</a> September 13th and 14th for the Digital Asset Summit (DAS) in NYC. Use code ARTICLE for $75 off your ticket. <a target="_blank" href="https://cms.blockworks.co/events/digital-asset-summit-2021-2/" rel="noreferrer noopener">Buy it now</a>.</em></strong></p>
