Crypto and blockchain investments continue to grow thanks to ever-rising investor interest, according to a new report from Big Four accounting house KPMG.

Titled "Pulse of Fintech H1 2022," the study covers global investment activities in different financial engineering science verticals for the offset half of the year. Information technology details ii,456 investment deals worth $98 billion made between January and June. One of the top fintech trends for 2022 is the explosive growth in the crypto and blockchain investments, the report reads.

The first six months of 2022 saw 548 investments activities, including venture capitals, individual equities, and mergers and acquisitions in the blockchain and cryptocurrency sectors. The full value of investments during the offset half of the twelvemonth is $viii.7 billion, already doubling the total value of 580 investment deals made during 2022, worth $4.three billion.

Companies that raised more $100 1000000 in funding rounds, including BlockFi, Paxos, Blockchain.com and Bitso, led the growth in investment volume.

"Cryptocurrency and blockchain are exploding globally," said KPMG global fintech co-leader Anton Ruddenklau, adding:

"There'southward then much happening in the space correct now, between the eCNY project running in People's republic of china, Facebook'southward Diem, a number of ecosystem initiatives — non to mention all the unlike trading platforms raising money. Digital currencies and virtual avails are a big, big topic of conversation. I think for the rest of this year at to the lowest degree, crypto will be a very hot ticket for investors."

The written report points to ascension investor awareness as a key commuter of the growth in investment. Investors now accept "a better understanding not only well-nigh crypto assets, but as well the operational and procedural side of crypto — from custody and storage to storekeeping and the competitiveness and maturity of service providers."

Related: What bear market? Investors throw record cash behind blockchain firms in 2022

KPMG predicted in the report that the cryptocurrency space would continue to mature, while the distinction between cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies would get stronger. Nonfungible tokens (NFT), a key focus during the beginning half, will contribute to the development of crypto exchanges in the form of NFT-focused trading platforms.

The report expects a farther focus on regulatory frameworks for the rest of the year. I specific case, India, will impact the whole ecosystem should it regulate cryptocurrencies equally an nugget course in the 2d half of 2022.