KOR Protocol has secured $7.5 million in Series A funding at a $100 million valuation, with venture firms 1kx and Blockchain Capital leading the round. The investment will support further development of the protocol’s infrastructure for registering, licensing, and monetizing creative assets onchain as blockchain adoption expands into digital media and intellectual property management.
Existing investors including Republic Crypto, Animoca Brands, Alumni Ventures, SevenX Ventures, Sfermion, Avalanche, and Solana-backed entities also participated in the financing, underscoring continued investor interest in blockchain applications beyond decentralized finance.
The latest raise comes as the entertainment industry faces growing challenges around copyright ownership, licensing, and royalty distribution following the rapid adoption of generative AI tools. As AI makes it easier to produce digital content, companies are increasingly exploring technologies that can verify ownership and automate payments across complex rights networks.
We’ve raised $7.5M at a $100M valuation to build the creative asset clearinghouse.
Capital provided by @1kxnetwork and @bcap, with continued support from existing investors @RepublicCrypto, @animocabrands, @alumniventures, @avax, @SevenXVentures, @Sfermion_, and @solana.
AI… pic.twitter.com/Ra5YYo94cF
— KOR (@KorProtocol) July 7, 2026
The latest investment will support KOR Protocol’s efforts to develop blockchain infrastructure that enables creators, AI developers, and rights holders to manage digital assets more efficiently.
KOR targets blockchain infrastructure for creative rights
Unlike platforms focused on content creation, KOR Protocol is building blockchain infrastructure designed to manage creative assets after they are produced. Operating on Base, Coinbase’s Ethereum Layer 2 network, the protocol enables creators to register works such as music, films, digital artwork, and other media onchain.
The blockchain record establishes provenance and ownership while creating a verifiable registry that can be referenced by labels, agencies, publishers, brands, distributors, and other commercial partners.
According to KOR, once an asset is licensed or commercially used, smart contracts can automatically distribute revenue among creators, collaborators, and rights holders using programmable payment mechanisms. The company also integrates stablecoin settlement to simplify cross-border payments.
Rather than introducing a proprietary blockchain, KOR said its infrastructure is designed to work alongside existing intellectual property systems, digital identity frameworks, attestation services, and blockchain payment standards.
Funding to support platform expansion
KOR said the newly raised capital will be used to accelerate product development, strengthen its blockchain development platform, expand ecosystem integrations, and drive adoption across creative industries.
The company’s immediate priorities include:
- Expanding engineering and product capabilities.
- Building additional integrations with media and technology partners.
- Growing its ecosystem of creators and rights holders.
- Advancing plans for a future protocol token.
Blockchain firms increasingly focus on intellectual property
The investment reflects a broader shift within Web3 toward practical infrastructure supporting real-world digital assets. Intellectual property management has become an increasingly active area as AI-generated content raises new questions around copyright attribution, ownership verification, and transparent royalty distribution.
Several blockchain projects have recently expanded into creator-focused infrastructure, moving beyond financial applications to address licensing, provenance, and digital rights management.
Industry participants argue that immutable blockchain records can improve transparency throughout the content lifecycle by documenting ownership histories and enabling automated settlement when creative works are licensed or reused.
Commercial traction ahead of expansion
KOR says its platform has generated more than $2 million in gross revenue, with over 1,000 partners, one million lifetime user registrations, and approximately 400,000 connected wallets. Its ecosystem includes companies and organizations spanning entertainment, music, and media, including Beatport, mau5trap, Banijay Group, Black Mirror, Imogen Heap, and KDDI.
Although blockchain adoption in entertainment remains at an early stage, investor activity suggests continued confidence in infrastructure that combines digital ownership records with programmable licensing and payments. As AI reshapes how creative content is produced and distributed, platforms focused on rights verification and automated revenue sharing are becoming an increasingly active segment of the blockchain industry.
The Series A funding positions KOR to expand its infrastructure at a time when creators, publishers, and technology companies are searching for scalable systems that can support digital rights management in an AI-driven media landscape.
