Photo Credit: Aria
In September, Aria secured $15 million in seed and strategic funding, according to details shared with Digital Music News earlier today. That brings the total of 2025 funding across the industry to an unprecedented $11.022 billion.
In September, Aria Protocol secured $15 million in combined seed and strategic funding to help accelerate its ecosystem of turning revenue-generating IP into fungible blockchain liquid assets. That data has now been added to DMN Pro’s Music Industry Funding Tracker, further highlighting the unprecedented level of funding across the industry in 2025 and bringing the total to a whopping $11.022 billion instead of the previously reported $11.007 billion.
The funding included participation from Polychain Capital, Neoclassic, Story Foundation, and other key partners across IP, crypto, and entertainment. This builds on Aria’s prior launch of its first IP-backed token, $APL, which represents royalties from songs performed by global superstars like BTS, Blackpink, Miley Cyrus, and Justin Bieber. The rights were acquired using just shy of $11 million raised in February last year through StakeStone’s LiquidityPad. At launch, the project became one of the biggest tokenizations of music IP to date.
“By turning IP into liquid, fungible tokens with embedded licensing logic, Aria creates capital formation rails that protect creative integrity and reward participation,” said David Kostiner, co-founder and Chief IP Officer of Aria Protocol Labs. “This $15 million funding enables us to continue building programmable IP infrastructure and scaling a new IP economy.”
“The market is finally waking up to IP as a real-world asset class,” said S.Y. Lee, CEO of the Story Foundation. “Aria is showing what’s possible when historically illiquid IP is brought onchain in a programmable, rights-respecting way. They are building the future of IP finance and creative capital.”
Aria said the capital would support team expansion, artist partnerships, and protocol development to enable programmable remix licensing, revenue splits, and community participation. The company promises a slew of additional IP launches on the way to expand Aria’s reach across music, film/TV, and traditional art.
