NextBlock Global was launched in 2017 as a venture capital company focused on the emerging blockchain and cryptocurrency sector. Positioned as one of the first "crypto merchant banks," its mission was to provide investors with a diversified exposure to digital assets by investing in various tokens and blockchain startups. The company planned to go public on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) but abruptly cancelled its public listing and shut down its operations in November 2017 after a major controversy involving misrepresentations in its investor marketing materials.