Paradigm's Matt Huang previously said developments in AI were "too interesting to ignore" and that both AI and crypto will have plenty of overlap. Crypto investment firm Paradigm is seeking to raise $1.5 billion for a new fund that will invest in companies in AI, robotics and other frontier technologies, according to the Wall Street Journal. Paradigm will continue to invest in crypto companies, according to sources familiar with the situation, but it will use its existing technical investment team to look at deals in frontier tech companies, they said. San Francisco–based Paradigm has $12.7 billion in assets under management, according to the latest regulatory filings. Read more
The cryptocurrency investment firm says Bitcoin mining is being unfairly lumped with AI data centers, arguing miners act as flexible grid demand, not constant energy drains. The rapid buildout of AI data centers has revived a long-running debate over energy consumption, with critics arguing that large computing operations, including Bitcoin mining, strain power grids and drive up electricity prices. As Cointelegraph previously reported, the surge in AI data center construction has fueled local resistance in several US regions, with residents and lawmakers raising concerns about power demand and rising electricity costs. Bitcoin (BTC) mining has increasingly been linked to the broader debate over high-density computing infrastructure. In a recent research note, crypto investment firm Paradigm pushed back on that narrative, arguing that Bitcoin mining is frequently misunderstood and often mischaracterized in public energy debates. Rather than treating mining as a static energy drain, Paradigm frames it as a par...
Tempo leads an investment round in startup Commonware to advance blockchain infrastructure for real-world payments. Crypto infrastructure startup Commonware has raised $25 million in a funding round led by Tempo, a payments-focused blockchain network, underscoring a renewed effort to scale blockchain-based payment systems. The deal, first reported by Fortune on Friday, is notable because Tempo was launched in September by fintech giant Stripe and crypto venture firm Paradigm. Commonware said other investors participated in the round but declined to name them. Commonware develops open-source software that allows other companies to build and deploy their own blockchains, supporting the growing ecosystem of payment-oriented Web3 infrastructure. Read more
The main goal of VCs is to "suck as much value as possible” from Ethereum, but they remain necessary bridges for global capital entering the crypto industry, according to Lubin. Ethereum co-founder and Consensys founder Joseph Lubin highlighted the importance of venture capital (VC) funding for the development of the world's largest smart contract network, despite growing industry concerns over the influence of investment funds on Ethereum. The main goal of VCs like Paradigm is to "suck as much value as possible from the Ethereum and broader ecosystem," while their secondary goals include "progressing the systems towards rigorous decentralization," wrote Lubin in a Monday X post, adding that there is “no reason for concern.” Lubin's comments come shortly after the departure of two key Ethereum researchers, which caused renewed concerns over the potential influence of centralized funds over Ethereum’s development. Read more
Agora, founded by Nick van Eck, aims to boost adoption of its white-label stablecoin platform with $50 million from Paradigm and Dragonfly. Stablecoin issuer Agora raised $50 million in a Series A funding round led by crypto venture firm Paradigm. The investment sets the stage for Agora to expand its white-label stablecoin offering, AUSD, amid growing interest in dollar-backed digital assets. Agora enables companies to launch their own branded stablecoins using AUSD’s underlying infrastructure, benefiting from shared liquidity and interoperability. The project is founded by Nick van Eck, son of VanEck CEO Jan van Eck, alongside crypto veterans Drake Evans and Joe McGrady. “What we wanted to do is really something novel, which is start by building the network,” van Eck told Fortune. “We always had the view that we were going to do white-labeled issuance in a different way to how existing peers had done it.” Read more