2015 saw the bitcoin industry as a whole raise an estimated $1 billion in venture capital funding. And 2016 may see significant investment in the blockchain mechanisms and infrastructure underlying it, though not necessarily leading to investments in the bitcoin sector itself.
According to a recent Coin Journal report on an interaction by Epicenter Bitcoin with Vinay Gupta, a $10 billion in funding for blockchain-related startups is possible this year.
http://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/blockchain-raise-10b-funding-2016-31398/
