Agio Ratings, a London-based startup, has secured $6 million in a funding round led by AlbionVC, with participation from Portage Ventures and MS&AD, bringing its total capital raised to over $11 million. The company aims to establish itself as the "Moody’s of digital assets" by providing institutional-grade risk ratings for the crypto market. This fresh injection of capital will enable Agio to expand its research and engineering teams and broaden the scope of its risk assessments, supporting major banks and financial institutions as they delve into digital asset trading, lending, and stablecoin operations.
Founded in 2022, Agio Ratings was created to fill a critical data vacuum in crypto risk management. Unlike traditional credit rating agencies, Agio utilises real-time quantitative models that adapt dynamically to shifting market conditions. These models analyse liquidity, transaction patterns, reserves, and governance indicators to assign probability-of-default scores to exchanges, custodians, and lenders. Their approach has proven effective, notably flagging the high default probability of FTX four months prior to its collapse in 2022. Furthermore, Agio accurately assessed Bybit's resilience following a significant $1.5 billion security breach, countering widespread expectations of failure.
Ana De Sousa, CEO of Agio Ratings, emphasises that managing crypto risk is a significant challenge hindering institutional adoption. “This funding allows us to grow our team and deepen our partnerships with leading banks,” she told VentureBurn. “The demand we’re seeing shows that financial institutions want independent, data-driven insights before entering crypto.” Agio’s clientele includes prominent market players such as Wintermute, Ledn, and Relm Insurance. Early in 2025, Agio formed a partnership with Relm Insurance to power its crypto exchange default insurance product, enabling more accurate pricing of digital asset risk.
Institutional interest in cryptocurrencies is intensifying, yet entry remains cautious due to risk concerns. Agio Ratings is positioned to become a trusted source of independent risk intelligence, offering the transparency and rigour needed to facilitate safer participation. “Institutions won’t fully embrace crypto until they can measure and price its risks confidently,” De Sousa added. Discussions are underway with major banks across the US and Europe as traditional financial institutions become increasingly aware that entering the crypto market without robust risk frameworks can expose them to severe default and operational dangers.
Investor confidence in Agio’s model is strong. Kibriya Rahman, an investor at AlbionVC, expressed pride in backing Agio, noting its proven ability to foresee significant market events like the FTX collapse when others missed the warning signs. The presence of Portage Ventures and MS&AD, both with expertise in fintech and risk analytics, is also expected to help Agio extend its reach into emerging markets and integrate with conventional financial systems. This multidimensional support underscores Agio’s potential to define industry standards for crypto risk analysis.
By combining machine learning, quantitative finance, and blockchain data analytics, Agio Ratings addresses the missing layer of trust in decentralised markets. As major banks prepare to expand into tokenised assets and digital settlements, Agio offers a credible, adaptable, and compliance-aligned risk assessment framework. This could well position the company as a cornerstone for the institutional era of cryptocurrencies, enabling safer market engagement and fostering regulatory alignment.
📌 Reference Map:
- Paragraph 1 – [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [7]
- Paragraph 2 – [1], [5], [7]
- Paragraph 3 – [1], [5], [6]
- Paragraph 4 – [1], [5], [6]
- Paragraph 5 – [1], [4], [6], [7]
- Paragraph 6 – [1], [5], [6]
Source: Noah Wire Services