Kite Lands $18M Funding Round as Major VCs Bet on AI-Blockchain Integration

Blockchain infrastructure startup Kite has successfully closed its Series A funding round at $18 million, backed by heavyweight investors PayPal Ventures and General Catalyst, alongside support from 8VC and Samsung Next. This latest capital injection brings the company’s cumulative funding to $33 million.

The core vision behind Kite revolves around leveraging blockchain technology to create a trust infrastructure for artificial intelligence applications. Rather than building a traditional exchange or trading platform, Kite is positioning itself as a backbone layer that enables AI agents to authenticate identities and establish reliable interactions across networks.

According to recent reports, Kite intends to deploy its blockchain-based identity and verification system to unlock new use cases for autonomous AI—particularly in e-commerce automation where trust and authenticity are critical. The platform seeks to bridge the gap between decentralized intelligence systems and real-world applications that require verified interactions.

The funding validation from PayPal Ventures and General Catalyst signals growing institutional confidence in the convergence of AI and blockchain technologies. While many startups chase similar opportunities, Kite’s focus on infrastructure-level solutions rather than consumer-facing applications differentiates its approach within the rapidly evolving sector.