Decentralized lending protocol Morpho has raised $175 million in new funding, pushing its valuation close to $2 billion, according to a Fortune report on Tuesday.
The round was led by Paradigm, Ribbit Capital, and a16z crypto. Apollo Funds, Circle Ventures, and VanEck also joined. It shows how traditional finance players are warming up to DeFi infrastructure.
Morpho lets users create custom lending markets. That gives participants more control over risk and loan conditions. It’s a shift away from rigid pool-based lending you see on older platforms.
Rapid growth in DeFi lending
The protocol was founded in 2021 by French entrepreneur Paul Frambot and three co-founders. It has become one of the fastest-growing lending protocols around. Right now, Morpho holds about $6.6 billion in total value locked, per DefiLlama data.
Big crypto firms are already using it. Coinbase, Kraken, Anchorage Digital, and Galaxy Digital are among the early adopters.
Institutional interest is rising
Frambot said the company is increasingly looking to serve institutional clients. Banks and asset managers are exploring how to integrate DeFi products into their strategies. That could mean more structured lending products, regulated custodians, and compliance-friendly tools.
Morpho’s design makes it attractive for those users. Rather than forcing everyone into one pool, lenders and borrowers can set their own terms. It feels more like over-the-counter finance than a typical crypto app.
The DeFi sector has gone through ups and downs. But fresh capital flowing into infrastructure projects suggests confidence is returning. If Morpho can keep growing, it might influence how traditional finance builds on-chain lending products.
