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Peter Thiel-Backed Crypto Firm Bullish Files Confidentially for US IPO

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Bullish, a cryptocurrency exchange backed by Peter Thiel and a unit of blockchain software company Block.one, has confidentially filed for an initial public offering (IPO) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in recent weeks, according to the Financial Times on Tuesday.

Bullish previously attempted to go public via a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) deal in 2021, but the effort collapsed in 2022 amid heightened regulatory scrutiny and rising interest rates that unsettled equity markets.

Unlike the Biden administration, the Trump administration has adopted a more lenient approach toward crypto regulation, supporting the industry’s policy goals. Under this environment, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has dropped several investigations.

Bullish aims to leverage renewed investor enthusiasm for digital assets during the current administration, the report added.

The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and Reuters could not independently verify the Financial Times report.

Bullish’s filing follows a similar move by crypto exchange Gemini, operated by billionaire twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, which last week disclosed it had confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO.

Founders Fund in Talks to Back Anduril Industries at $28 Billion Valuation

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AI-powered defense startup Anduril Industries is negotiating a new funding round that could elevate the company’s valuation to $28 billion, sources revealed on Friday. Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund is expected to lead this funding round, which could raise as much as $2.5 billion. This follows Anduril’s last funding round in August, where the company raised $1.5 billion at a $14 billion valuation.

Founders Fund has supported Anduril since its inception in 2017, and one of Anduril’s co-founders, Trae Stephens, is a partner at the firm. Despite the significant backing, Founders Fund declined to comment on the details of the latest round, which was first reported by CNBC.

Based in Costa Mesa, California, Anduril develops autonomous weapons and sensors, including drones, for military applications. The company has also announced plans to build a large-scale weapons manufacturing facility in Ohio to enhance its production capabilities. Additionally, Anduril launched the Lattice for Mission Autonomy in 2023, an AI-driven software for coordinating autonomous systems in human-supervised missions.

Anduril’s founder, Palmer Luckey, is well-known for creating Oculus VR, which was acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $2.3 billion. U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who previously worked as a venture capitalist, has invested in Anduril and holds stakes in the company. Thiel, a long-time Republican donor and co-founder of Palantir Technologies, has backed multiple conservative political figures, including President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and Vance’s 2022 Senate bid.