Crypto was on 2023’s naughty list, but some startups still managed to avoid coal in their stockings. : From the end of 2021 into mid-2022, the money faucet for crypto projects was on full blast. Startups raised $10.7 billion in the first quarter of 2022 alone, according to Crunchbase. But that stream turned to a trickle in 2023, as crypto founders raised approximately $6.7 billion across all four quarters.