Decentralized finance (DeFi) has taken a significant leap forward with the merger of two key players, IntoTheBlock and Trident Digital, to form Sentora. This strategic union aims to attract institutional investors to the burgeoning on-chain landscape.
Sentora is being spearheaded by Anthony DeMartino, a well-respected figure in the crypto sector, who co-founded Trident and previously led risk strategies at Coinbase. The newly established company is also poised to secure a $25 million funding round, led by New Form Capital. Notable participants in this fundraising include Ripple, Tribe Capital, UDHC, and Joint Effects, alongside various strategic ecosystem investors like Curved Ventures, Flare, and Bankai Ventures. While most of the investment process has been finalized, two firms are expected to conclude their contributions by June, as stated in a recent CoinDesk report.
The timing of this merger is particularly noteworthy, considering the maturity phase DeFi is currently undergoing. Once perceived as the ‘wild west’ of finance, the sector is evolving into a more structured and sophisticated blockchain-based economy, catering increasingly to institutional-level investors.
Moreover, this trend reflects a broader movement within the crypto industry, characterized by notable consolidation. In the first four months of 2025 alone, there were 88 mergers and acquisitions, foreshadowing a year that may outpace previous record years in 2022 and 2024, according to findings from Architect Partners.
By combining IntoTheBlock’s extensive experience in DeFi analytics—boasting over $3 billion in institutional deployments—with Trident’s proficiency in structuring liquidity programs and financial products, Sentora promises to be a comprehensive platform for institutional investors. The goal is to create an all-encompassing solution, delivering yield strategies, compliance, risk management, and access to structured products seamlessly.
As Jesus Rodriguez, co-founder of IntoTheBlock and now CTO of Sentora, articulated in an interview with CoinDesk, “The vision is to build all the core primitives that are needed for any institution, whether it’s a crypto institution, DAO foundation, traditional finance investor, or individual family office, to interact with DeFi in a way that feels intelligent, safe, and secure.”
However, the journey towards widespread adoption of DeFi remains fraught with challenges. DeMartino acknowledged that the increasing complexity and fragmentation of various chains and protocols have made it more difficult for asset managers to engage with DeFi on a larger scale. “It shouldn’t be this hard,” he commented. “You shouldn’t have to learn about a new chain and understand different protocols and wallets every time you want to enter a new space.”
To simplify the user experience, Sentora is focused on creating a unified platform that abstracts the intricacies of individual protocols. This approach allows for integrated risk management and liquidity measures while maintaining transparency regarding the underlying infrastructure.
As DeMartino remarked, “DeFi rails are the future of finance, but it’s still a very small market.” Current data from DefiLlama indicates less than $130 billion in assets are currently staked in DeFi protocols, which is significantly overshadowed by trillions under management at traditional financial giants like BlackRock and Fidelity Investments. “We’re building the rails for the next 130 trillion of assets to come on-chain,” he emphasized.
Read more: Beyond Incentives: How to Build Durable DeFi
