The Full List of 26 Trading Platform Unicorn Startups (2026)
The trading platform sector is primarily shaped by companies focused on cryptocurrency and digital assets. This group of 26 unicorns represents a global field with companies from the US, Europe, and Asia.
Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken is valued at $20B. In contrast, the livestream shopping platform Whatnot shows the sector's range with its $12B valuation.
Below is the full list of 26 Trading Platform unicorn startups at this time.
Top 10 Most Valuable Trading Platform Unicorns
Kraken operates a secure and long-standing cryptocurrency exchange for trading a wide range of digital assets. They are also known for offering advanced features like staking, parachain auctions, and various crypto index services.
| Valuation | $20B (Joined June 2019) |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2011 |
| Founders | Jesse Powell, Michael Gronager, Thanh Luu |
| Funding Amount | $1.3B |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Citadel, Tribe Capital, HOF Capital, Apollo, HSG |
Whatnot built a livestream shopping platform where people can buy and sell products through real-time video auctions and sales. Their marketplace is especially popular within the collectibles community, featuring everything from rare trading cards to vintage clothing.
| Valuation | $12B (Joined September 2021) |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2019 |
| Founders | Grant LaFontaine, Logan Head |
| Funding Amount | $974.7M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series F |
| Top Investors | Andreessen Horowitz, Y Combinator, Sequoia Capital, Bond, Lightspeed Venture Partners |
KuCoin runs a popular cryptocurrency exchange that gives users access to trade and invest in hundreds of digital assets. The platform supports a wide variety of cryptocurrencies, including both major coins and newer altcoins, for a global user base.
| Valuation | $10B (Joined May 2022) |
| Headquarters | Mahé, Beau Vallon, Seychelles |
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Chun Gan, Eric Tang, Johnny Lyu, Kent Li, Michael Gan |
| Funding Amount | $180M |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | IDG Capital, NGC Ventures, Jump Crypto, Circle, Susquehanna International Group |
FalconX operates a digital assets prime brokerage offering institutional clients a single platform for trading, financing, and custody. Their service provides access to global crypto liquidity with reliable trade execution and clearing.
| Valuation | $8B (Joined August 2021) |
| Headquarters | San Mateo, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | Prabhakar Reddy, Raghu Yarlagadda |
| Funding Amount | $477M |
| Company Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series D |
| Top Investors | Lightspeed Venture Partners, B Capital, Wellington Management, Adams Street Partners, Accel |
Blockchain.com builds a platform that gives millions of people an easy way to buy, sell, and store cryptocurrency. They are widely recognized for their pioneering digital wallet and a user-friendly exchange that serves both retail and institutional clients.
| Valuation | $7B (Joined February 2021) |
| Headquarters | London, England, United Kingdom |
| Year Founded | 2011 |
| Founders | Benjamin Reeves, Nicolas Cary, Peter Smith |
| Funding Amount | $600M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series E |
| Top Investors | GV, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Coinbase Ventures, Digital Currency Group, Lakestar |
Trade Republic built a commission-free trading platform to give Europeans easy access to the financial markets. Their app allows users to invest in stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies, aiming to simplify personal wealth creation.
| Valuation | $5.36B (Joined May 2021) |
| Headquarters | Berlin, Berlin, Germany |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Christian Hecker, Marco Cancellieri, Thomas Pischke |
| Funding Amount | $1.3B |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | Sequoia Capital, TCV, Founders Fund, Creandum, Accel |
Binance.US runs a cryptocurrency exchange providing a platform for U.S. residents to trade a wide variety of digital assets. They are known for offering a secure and compliant marketplace with competitive trading fees.
| Valuation | $5B |
| Headquarters | Palo Alto, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2019 |
| Founders | Changpeng Zhao |
| Funding Amount | $200M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | VanEck, Foundation Capital, Gold House, Bossa Invest, Gaingels |
Upstox operates a fintech platform that simplifies investing in stocks, mutual funds, and other financial instruments. Their tools are designed to give individual investors an accessible and straightforward way to trade on the financial markets.
| Valuation | $4B (Joined November 2021) |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Year Founded | 2009 |
| Founders | Kavitha Subramanian, Raghu Kumar, Ravi Kumar, Shrinivas Viswanath |
| Funding Amount | $143.3M |
| Company Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | Kalaari Capital, Stride Ventures, BlackSoil, InnoVen Capital, Tiger Global Management |
TradingView created a charting platform and social network where traders and investors can spot opportunities across global markets. Their tools offer powerful market analytics while connecting a massive community of users to share trading ideas and strategies.
| Valuation | $3B (Joined October 2021) |
| Headquarters | Westerville, Ohio, United States |
| Year Founded | 2011 |
| Founders | Andrew Kirillov, Denis Globa, Konstantin Ivanov, Stan Bokov |
| Funding Amount | $388.8M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | Jump Capital, Right Side Capital Management, Tiger Global Management, Techstars, Insight Partners |
DriveWealth builds brokerage infrastructure that allows fintechs and financial institutions to offer investing services through APIs. Their platform is recognized for pioneering fractional share trading, enabling partners to embed wealth management tools directly into their own products.
| Valuation | $3B (Joined August 2021) |
| Headquarters | Jersey City, New Jersey, United States |
| Year Founded | 2012 |
| Founders | Robert Cortright |
| Funding Amount | $550.8M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series D |
| Top Investors | Quiet Capital, FTX, Insight Partners, Accel, SoftBank Vision Fund |
The Remaining 16 Trading Platform Unicorns
The ten most valuable companies are just part of the story in the trading platform space. Founders from the United States to India and Brazil have raised over $5.3 billion to build the next wave of platforms.
Some are newer to the scene, while others are already scaling quickly. Below is a look at the other unicorn startups shaping the future of trading.
| Unicorn Startup | Country | Year Founded | Amount Raised | Valuation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Tridge | South Korea | 2015 | $113.8M | $3B |
 Trumid | United States | 2014 | $458.3M | $2.4B |
 CoinDCX | India | 2018 | $247M | $2.15B |
 Xpansiv | United States | 2016 | $718.5M | $2B |
 Spinny | India | 2015 | $683.5M | $2B |
 Pipe | United States | 2019 | $423.1M | $2B |
 CoinSwitch | India | 2017 | $301.5M | $2B |
 Ouyeel | China | 2016 | $467.7M | $1.45B |
 Talos | United States | 2018 | $145M | $1.25B |
 Public | United States | 2019 | $443.5M | $1.2B |
 iTrustCapital Inc. | United States | 2018 | $128M | $1B |
 Dune Analytics | Norway | 2018 | $79.4M | $1B |
 Masterworks | United States | 2017 | $110M | $1B |
 Ajaib | Indonesia | 2019 | $246.3M | $1B |
 Zhaogang.com | China | 2012 | $379.4M | $1B |
 CargoX | Brazil | 2013 | $390.1M | $1B |
