IntoTheBlock and Trident Digital have merged to form a new company, Sentora, which aims to build a compliant DeFi platform for institutional investors. The venture is set to raise $25 million from prominent investors including Ripple and New Form Capital. It aims to simplify access to DeFi, addressing market complexities while enhancing liquidity and risk management for asset managers.
In a significant development in the crypto space, two major players, IntoTheBlock and Trident Digital, have joined forces to create a company called Sentora. This new entity aims to build a compliant decentralised finance (DeFi) platform specifically targeting sophisticated investors. They have set their sights on raising $25 million, inviting investments from notable firms like New Form Capital, Ripple and Tribe Capital, to facilitate entry for institutional investors into the DeFi landscape.
Anthony DeMartino, who co-founded Trident and previously served as the head of risk strategies at Coinbase, will lead this merged venture. Currently, Sentora is nearing the completion of its funding round, which has gathered considerable attention for its potential in attracting institutional capital to DeFi. Investment activity is robust across the board, with other backers including UDHC, Joint Effects, and strategic players such as Curved Ventures and Flare.
The merger unfolds at an important time when DeFi is proving to be more than just a speculative market; it’s evolving into a structured financial ecosystem tailored for more discerning investors. Data from Architect Partners reflects ongoing consolidation trends within the crypto world, with 88 mergers and acquisitions recorded within the first several months of 2025, signalling a potential record-breaking year.
Sentora pairs the comprehensive analytics of IntoTheBlock—which has overseen more than $3 billion in institutional transactions—with Trident’s expertise in developing liquidity programs and financial products. By creating an all-encompassing platform, Sentora intends to simplify capital management for asset managers, offering yield strategies alongside risk management and compliance, all under one roof.
Jesus Rodriguez, co-founder of IntoTheBlock and now CTO of Sentora, expressed the vision for the new company, explaining the aim to create essential tools to help various types of institutions interact with DeFi more safely and securely. The complexity of the DeFi landscape can deter asset managers, and DeMartino noted that this complexity shouldn’t make participation difficult.
To bridge the gap between traditional finance and the DeFi realm, Sentora hopes to provide a single interface for all the protocols a user might need, focusing on risk management and liquidity, while maintaining transparency with users about the underlying processes. Despite DeFi gaining traction, with less than $130 billion in assets across protocols, there’s potential for much more. DeMartino emphasised that it’s about building infrastructure to attract an additional $130 trillion worth of assets on-chain.
In summary, as DeFi continues to grow, the emergence of Sentora from this merger signals a shift towards making decentralised finance more accessible and structured for institutional investors, paving the way for a more integrated financial future.
