Investment in blockchain and cryptocurrency last year exceeded the total for the three previous years combined, according to a report by KPMG.

The "Big Four" accounting firm's latest biannual "Pulse of Fintech" report finds that investment in crypto and blockchain surged to $30 billion in 2021.That compares with $8.2 billion in 2018, $5.6 billion in 2019 and $5.5 billion in 2020.Last year's total was reached across 1,332 deals, beating the previous record of 901 in 2018. KPMG highlights the different approaches to crypto from different jurisdictions, specifically with regard to China's ban on bitcoin mining and trading as well as the threat that India would follow suit. As a result, crypto interest plummeted in Asia while picking up significantly elsewhere.According to the report, there is "growing interest in the broad spectrum of blockchain opportunities, including the ability to use blockchains to support collaborative multi-jurisdictional activities – combining data, research and analysis related to a critical task into a single ledger for all."

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