Blockchain Capital closes funds totaling $580M for investments in crypto gaming, DeFi

The funds include $380 million for early stage investments and a $200 million „opportunity fund.“

Venture capital group Blockchain Capital announced the closing of two new funds, totaling $580 million, for investment in infrastructure, gaming, DeFi, and consumer and social technologies.

The funds will operate as Blockchain Capital’s sixth early stage fund and its first “opportunity fund,” with the latter serving as an inroad to companies who’ve already secured major funding elsewhere.

We’re thrilled to share the closing of 2 new funds – our 6th early stage fund and 1st opportunity fund.

Together, they total $580 million and serve to reinforce our commitment to leading the global transition to decentralized, blockchain-based systems. ↓https://t.co/Vr2uYnGlF7

— Blockchain Capital (@blockchaincap) September 18, 2023

According to a press release from Blockchain Capital:

“The end game is to elevate personal empowerment by granting individuals control over their digital and financial lives through innovative blockchain-enabled applications and services. It’s this vision of a democratized and distributed future that guides our passion and investment decisions.”

The funds’ combined $580 million will be split, with $380 million reportedly going to the early stage fund and the rest earmarked for the opportunity fund. It’s unclear at this time exactly what types of projects the investment fund will prioritize.

According to the press release, the company will continue its trend of investing in infrastructure, DeFi, gaming, and other finance, blockchain and cryptocurrency opportunities.

However, the press release also mentions that Blockchain Capital’s strategy “isn’t about sectors; it’s about harnessing blockchain technology to realign incentives, reestablish user trust and reengineer the social contract of our increasingly digital world.”

“Indeed, the crypto market’s volatility these past 20 months revealed the hazards of short-term thinking, exposing many who misjudged this nascent technology,” writes Blockchain Capital in the release, adding later that “over the past 20 months we’ve invested more capital into the next generation of innovators than any other time in our history.”

The latest funds closed are among the largest in cryptocurrency or blockchain history and the most ever accrued by Blockchain Capital. However, this shouldn’t be interpreted as a signal that the firm intends to continually increase fund sizes.

Speaking to TechCrunch, one of the firm’s partners, Spencer Bogart, said that the firm had “no intent to expand and become an AI fund or hedge fund and trade tokens,” adding that he didn’t see future funds “becoming much larger than what you see here.”