A shadowy company called 21 Inc. announced that it has raised $116 million for bitcoin-related operations, according to a new report.

That figure is apparently the largest ever sum for a digital currency start-up, The Wall Street Journal reported, explaining that the company "isn't yet publicizing ... the precise nature of its operations."

The business will involve software and hardware designed "to drive mainstream adoption of bitcoin," 21 co-founder and Chief Executive Matthew Pauker told the Journal.

Major investors in the company include Andreessen Horowitz, Chinese private equity firm Yuan Capital and Qualcomm's venture-capital unit, according to the Journal. The publication quotes Pauker as hinting that the chipmaker's strategic stake could lead to developing consumer products that use so-called blockchain technology.