What KR1 does

KR1 plc is a publicly listed digital asset investment company headquartered in Douglas, Isle of Man, that operates blockchain network infrastructure and deploys capital into decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystems. Founded in 2016 and listed on the London Stock Exchange Main Market under ticker K1 (moved from Aquis in November 2025), KR1 is the first authentic digital asset firm to list on the LSE main market. The company is led by co-founders and Managing Directors George McDonaugh (CEO) and Keld van Schreven, with Janos Berghorn heading research.

KR1's operations are organized around two investment strategies. The Technology Infrastructure Strategy constitutes the majority of holdings and involves operating validator nodes that secure six blockchain networks — Ethereum, Polkadot, Celestia, Cosmos, Kusama, and Moonbeam — generating staking income through network participation. The Financial Infrastructure Strategy, launched in February 2026, deploys up to 20% of holdings (Bitcoin and Ethereum) into Ethereum's DeFi ecosystem, initially via Nexus Mutual's NXM underwriting pools with annualized yields ranging from 2.81% to 13.31%.

Revenue is generated through two streams: (1) recurring staking income from validator operations (FY24: £12.8m; HY25: £2.9m) and (2) usage-based DeFi underwriting premiums from NXM capital deployment. As of 28 February 2026, KR1 reported a Net Asset Value of £37.9m and a Market Capitalization of £32.9m, with its top holdings comprising Ethereum (21.4%), Polkadot (16.9%), Zee Prime II (12.9%), Nexus Mutual (10.7%), and RedStone (7.6%). The company serves public market investors seeking regulated exposure to blockchain infrastructure and decentralized finance yields, distributed exclusively through the LSE equity channel.

Name

KR1

Legal name

KR1 plc

Website

https://KR1.io

Company type

Public

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KR1 plc is a publicly listed digital asset investment company (LSE: K1) that operates blockchain validator infrastructure across six networks and deploys capital into DeFi via Nexus Mutual underwriting, serving public market investors seeking regulated exposure to blockchain yield.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Asset Investment

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Layer-1 (L1) Network Validators & Node Operators (FSADAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Compliance, Risk & RegTech for Tokenized Assets (KYC/AML, sanctions, travel rule, reporting) (FSAPAIAH)

Keywords

• Digital asset investment
• Blockchain staking services
• Validator node operations
• Decentralized finance underwriting
• Cryptocurrency portfolio management

Headquarters

HQ city

Douglas

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Staking Income: KR1 generates recurring staking income by operating validator nodes and securing blockchain networks. The company earns staking rewards from networks including Ethereum, Polkadot, and others. Staking income was £12.8m for FY24 and £2.9m for HY25.
2. DeFi Underwriting Premiums: KR1 deploys digital assets (NXM tokens) as underwriting capital in Nexus Mutual's DeFi insurance pools. The company earns a share of premiums while bearing exposure to potential losses from covered protocol claims. Recent annualized yields range from 2.81% to 13.31%.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

KR1 plc is a publicly listed digital asset investment company that invests in and operates foundational blockchain networks. The company generates recurring staking income by running validator nodes across six blockchain networks (Ethereum, Polkadot, Celestia, Cosmos, Kusama, and Moonbeam) and earns DeFi underwriting premiums through Nexus Mutual's decentralized insurance pools. It serves as a regulated, publicly-traded vehicle providing institutional and retail investors exposure to the digital asset economy.

Product overview

KR1 plc is a digital asset technology company structured around two core investment strategies. The primary Technology Infrastructure Strategy constitutes the majority of holdings and encompasses staking activities and planned validator nodes across six blockchain networks (Ethereum, Polkadot, Celestia, Cosmos, Kusama, and Moonbeam). The complementary Financial Infrastructure Strategy, launched in February 2026, allocates up to 20% of holdings to Bitcoin and Ethereum deployed within Ethereum's DeFi ecosystem, utilizing NXM token underwriting pools on Nexus Mutual for risk mitigation. The company generates revenue through staking income and DeFi yield while maintaining a diversified portfolio of digital asset holdings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Technology Infrastructure Strategy KR1's core investment strategy comprising the majority of company holdings, focused on staking infrastructure and validator operations across blockchain networks including Ethereum, Polkadot, Cosmos, Celestia, Kusama, and Moonbeam, generating staking income through network participation.
• Financial Infrastructure Strategy A newly introduced DeFi investment strategy deploying Bitcoin and Ethereum assets within Ethereum's decentralized finance ecosystem, utilizing Nexus Mutual smart contract coverage for risk mitigation. Targets up to 20% of holdings with allocations through NXM underwriting pools on Nexus Mutual.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Nexus MutualcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2026KR1 has partnered with Nexus Mutual by deploying 40,000 NXM tokens (approximately £1.5 million) as underwriting capital in Nexus Mutual's decentralized finance insurance pools on Ethereum. This deployment is the first phase of KR1's newly introduced Financial Infrastructure Strategy. The tokens are locked until January-April 2027 and will earn a share of premiums while bearing exposure to potential losses from covered protocol claims. KR1 intends to utilize the majority of its remaining NXM holdings under this strategy with additional allocations planned during H1 2026.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CoinShares: CoinShares is a publicly listed European digital asset investment and trading firm. It is the closest direct peer to KR1 given its similar structure as a regulated, publicly traded vehicle providing institutional-grade exposure to digital assets and staking yield.
• Galaxy Digital: Galaxy Digital is a publicly listed digital asset and blockchain financial services firm. Comparable to KR1 in its focus on digital asset investment, trading, and infrastructure, though Galaxy operates a broader range of services including asset management and trading.
• 3iQ Corp: 3iQ is a publicly listed digital asset investment manager that offers crypto-focused funds and ETFs. Comparable to KR1 in providing institutional and retail investors with managed digital asset exposure through regulated public structures.
• 21Shares: 21Shares is one of the largest issuers of crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs). Comparable to KR1 in providing institutional-grade, regulated access to digital assets, though 21Shares focuses on ETP product issuance rather than direct validator operations and DeFi capital deployment.
• Block.one: Block.one is a blockchain software company and major investor in the EOS ecosystem. Comparable to KR1 as a blockchain-focused investment and infrastructure firm with significant capital deployed across digital asset networks.

Broad incumbents

• MicroStrategy: MicroStrategy is a publicly traded enterprise software company that has adopted a Bitcoin treasury strategy, holding the largest corporate Bitcoin position globally. Comparable to KR1 as a publicly traded vehicle providing equity-market exposure to digital assets, though focused exclusively on Bitcoin and operating as a broader software business.
• Marathon Digital Holdings: Marathon Digital is a publicly traded digital asset technology company focused on Bitcoin mining. Comparable to KR1 as a publicly traded crypto infrastructure operator, though focused on proof-of-work mining rather than proof-of-stake validation.
• Purpose Investments: Purpose Investments is a Canadian asset manager that launched the world's first Bitcoin ETF and offers various crypto-focused funds. Comparable to KR1 in providing public-market digital asset exposure, though Purpose operates primarily through traditional fund structures.
• Coinbase: Coinbase is a publicly traded leading cryptocurrency exchange and platform. Comparable to KR1 as a major publicly listed digital asset company, though Coinbase operates at significantly greater scale and offers retail exchange services rather than focused validator/DeFi operations.
• Hut 8 Mining: Hut 8 is a publicly traded digital asset mining and infrastructure company. Comparable to KR1 as a publicly listed crypto infrastructure operator, though Hut 8 focuses on Bitcoin mining and data centre operations rather than multi-network staking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KR1plc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kr1plc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments47 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KR1