Crypto startup funding rose for a second straight quarter to hit $2.4 billion in the first three months of 2024, Pitchbook data showed, as expectations of lower interest rates and the debut of the first U.S. bitcoin spot ETF whetted investor appetite. Funding was spread across 518 deals and rose by 40.3% from the previous quarter, according to data firm PitchBook. "The recovery in publicly traded tokens and continued rise in institutional adoption will drive increased VC funding," Pitchbook analyst Robert Le said.