STOKR to Establish One of Europe’s First Corporate Bitcoin Treasuries Following €7.4 Million Funding Round Led by Fulgur Ventures

Lugano, Switzerland, Oct. 24, 2024— STOKR, the EU’s leading digital asset marketplace, has announced the completion of a €7.4 million strategic funding round led by Fulgur Ventures on the eve of Plan ₿ in Lugano, Switzerland, one of Europe’s largest annual Bitcoin events. A significant portion of the funds will be used to establish one of Europe’s first corporate Bitcoin treasuries. 

This latest equity-based fundraise comprises 100 BTC—valued today at approximately €6.2 million—plus €1.2 million in cash. Luxembourg-based STOKR intends to bring new Bitcoin-related tokenized assets to market and create the infrastructure for institutions to issue tokenized securities more efficiently on native Bitcoin layer-2 technologies such as the Liquid Network. STOKR will also further strengthen its regulatory standing by transitioning from its current Virtual Asset Service Provider status to being a regulated Crypto Asset Service Provider under Europe’s new MiCA regulatory framework.

Additionally, STOKR plans to follow the lead of corporate Bitcoin adoption pioneer MicroStrategy (Nasdaq: MSTR), by aggressively expanding its new Bitcoin treasury over the coming years.

“STOKR is building capital markets on top of Bitcoin. This fundraise marks a pivotal moment for STOKR as we continue to push the boundaries of asset tokenization,” said STOKR Co-CEO, Arnab Naskar. “With six years of experience, we recognize the vast potential of asset tokenization on Bitcoin. Establishing a Bitcoin treasury is a logical next step for STOKR, as a leading platform for tokenized Bitcoin derivatives.’’

STOKR is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading players in the growing digital asset space, the company acting as a facilitator for entrepreneurs and asset managers looking to create and issue EU-compliant tokenized securities. The company provides services ranging from turn-key technological solutions and KYC/AML compliance to helping partners issue assets on digital asset protocols such as the Liquid Network, Bitcoin’s first and most powerful sidechain.

Tokenized securities have surged in popularity in recent years, offering clear advantages to their legacy counterparts. The Security Token Offering (STO) market is projected to grow to over $2 trillion by 2032, providing companies with a regulated, secure way to raise capital, along with benefits like enhanced transparency, reduced counterparty risks, and 24/7 access to global liquidity.

STOKR has facilitated some of the real-world asset (RWA) industry’s most intriguing issuances in recent years. These include the Blockstream Mining Note 1 (BMN1), a tokenized hashrate offering from leading Bitcoin infrastructure company, Blockstream. The first issuance—BMN1—matured in July delivering one of the largest payouts in the history of the RWA space—1,212 BTC, equivalent to $75 million or a cash-on-cash of up to 103%.

In 2024 STOKR successfully tapped into MicroStrategy’s extraordinary success with the launch of the MicroStrategy Note (CMSTR), the Bitcoin ecosystem’s first-ever tokenized security to be backed by shares from a Nasdaq-traded company.

Amid growing retail and institutional interest in Bitcoin and tokenized assets more broadly, STOKR has processed a total of over $110 million in combined redemption and investment in 2024 alone. 

Looking ahead, STOKR will be looking to support bringing even more Bitcoin derivatives and structured investment products to market across a wide variety of industries. The company has also embarked on a number of key steps to enhance its governance, recently forming a special executive committee to guide its growth joined by prominent industry figures such as legendary Bitcoin pioneer and CEO of Blockstream, Dr. Adam Back, and former Kraken senior executive, Raul Oliveira. 

STOKR will also continue to benefit significantly from the expertise and guidance of Fulgur Ventures, which has an impressive track record as a key investor in several successful, widely-known Bitcoin-related ventures including Blockstream, Breez, Bitrefil and Fold. 

Those seeking more information on STOKR and the enormous possibilities presented by asset tokenization, are invited to visit stokr.io or to reach out directly via the contact information below. 

About STOKR

STOKR is at the forefront of transforming financial assets for the digital era. As a leading digital investment platform, STOKR helps asset managers, fund managers, and issuers to tokenize and manage a diverse range of financial assets. STOKR’s platform simplifies the entry into the world of digital securities with a comprehensive suite of services that includes dedicated investment structures, state-of-the-art technology infrastructure, and full-scale support in payments and compliance.

With STOKR, clients can effortlessly issue digital securities and foster strong investor relationships, benefiting from enhanced liquidity thanks to the integration with secondary markets. STOKR’s approach removes the technical complexities typically associated with digital securities, offering a seamless investment experience. Leveraging over six years of innovation and expertise in the digital securities market, STOKR provides a sophisticated and secure environment for capital raising.

Registered as a Virtual Assets Service Provider (VASP) with the CSSF in Luxembourg, STOKR is committed to the highest standards of regulatory compliance, ensuring a reliable and trustworthy platform for all stakeholders.

Fulgur Ventures

Since 2019 Fulgur Ventures specializes in funding startups across the Bitcoin and Lightning Network ecosystems, including both early stage and follow-on rounds. The firm is focused on supporting startups that drive market adoption of bitcoin and scaling of bitcoin technology, such as Relai, Zebedee, LN Markets, Breez, Fold and over 50 others. 

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