Crypto Ventures Remain on Ice

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), a prominent player in Silicon Valley’s venture capital arena, is embarking on an ambitious journey to pool $6.9 billion for new investment funds, focusing heavily on artificial intelligence (AI).

This strategy signifies a notable shift in the firm’s investment priorities. Simultaneously, it has decided to postpone any further fundraising for its cryptocurrency ventures until next year.

How Will A16z Invest $6.9 Billion?

According to Fortune, the planned $6.9 billion will be distributed across various initiatives. Specifically, this funding aims to support a master fund and a16z’s fourth growth fund, following a successful $5 billion raise two years prior.

Additionally, the a16z allocation includes two AI-focused funds, a gaming fund, and another fund dedicated to “American Dynamism.” This latter initiative targets startups working to solve pressing challenges in sectors such as aviation, defense, and manufacturing within the United States.

Moreover, a16z has made a strategic decision to delay the next round of fundraising for its crypto funds. This pause reflects a careful approach as the industry heads toward a potential bull market. Nonetheless, the firm committed $4.5 billion to the crypto fund in 2022.

The firm’s involvement in crypto has been robust, with over $7.6 billion managed across four funds dedicated to web3 technologies. Last month, a16z invested $100 million in EigenLayer, a protocol enhancing the Ethereum network’s security through restaking. This initiative illustrates a16z’s ongoing belief in the transformative potential of blockchain technology.

EigenLayer introduces a method that allows Ethereum and ERC-20 token holders to contribute to network security, earning rewards in the process. This approach aims to improve the Ethereum ecosystem’s overall security and efficiency, drawing attention and support from the crypto community and leading investors.

However, the pace of venture capital fundraising in crypto has seen a slowdown, raising questions among market observers. For instance, DeFi Researcher Ignas has noted a lag in fundraising activities despite favorable market conditions.

Read more: How To Fund Innovation: A Guide to Web3 Grants

Mudit Gupta, Chief Information Security Officer at Polygon Labs, suggests this slowdown could be due to strategic timing in fund announcements, indicating a more active investment scene than publicly recognized.

“Funds are being raised, just that they are announced later so you dont have correct new data yet. Often, months later. I personally know more deals have happened in this quarter than what the graph suggests, and I only know a fraction of all deals happening,” Gupta said.