5 crypto projects entered the Forbes TOP-10 fintech companies

Forbes, a renowned business publication, has unveiled its list of the top 10 most innovative private fintech companies in 2023, with a notable presence of crypto projects. Leading the pack despite a significant decrease in valuation is financial infrastructure provider Stripe, followed by Chime, Ripple, Blockchain.com, Plaid, OpenSea, Brex, GoodLeap, Bolt, and Alchemy.

Stripe, with a valuation of $50 billion, experienced a 47% decline in value compared to the previous year. However, it retained its top spot on the list. Klarna, previously in second place, plummeted by 85% to $6.7 billion and dropped out of the top 10. FTX, ranked third, faced more severe challenges as the company filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy following charges against its former CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried.

Forbes cautioned that the estimated valuations of the startups, excluding Stripe, may not accurately reflect their current worth, as they are based on previous investment rounds under more favorable conditions. An example cited was the OpenSea NFT marketplace, which was valued at $13.3 billion in December 2021 but has since lost its leadership in the segment, along with a drastic decline in monthly NFT transaction volume.

In response to market conditions, several companies on the list, including Stripe, Plaid, Brex, Bolt, Blockchain.com, OpenSea, and GoodLeap, have implemented cost optimization measures, including staff reductions. Furthermore, the first quarter of 2023 saw a significant decrease in the number of newly minted “unicorns” (startups valued at $1 billion or more), with only one addition compared to the previous year’s 31. In total, fintech startups raised $15 billion during this period, with Stripe accounting for $6 billion. In contrast, the figure for January-March 2022 reached $28 billion.

Notably, Forbes’ updated “30 under 30” list, recognizing young talent in the finance industry in North America, included founders Hayden Adams of Uniswap and Kevin Seknicki of Avalanche. Cryptocurrencies have emerged as a significant factor, with nearly half of the recognized individuals having associations with the crypto space.