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VanEck Ventures, the venture capital arm of the global investment firm VanEck, has announced a $50 million fund to back early-stage blockchain and fintech startups.
The fund will target pre-seed and seed-stage companies working on innovative digital financial solutions, including tokenized assets, payment systems, and financial marketplaces.
With this strategic move, VanEck aims to invest in startups shaping the future of digital finance, building on its history of transformative investments in gold and Bitcoin markets.
Investments in blockchain and fintech
The $50 million fund, led by former Circle Ventures executives Wyatt Lonergan and Juan Lopez, plans to support 25 to 35 startups in the blockchain and fintech sectors.
Lonergan and Lopez, who previously managed over $50 million at Circle Ventures, bring extensive experience in the digital finance landscape to VanEck’s new initiative.
The focus will be on startups that are developing next-generation payment systems using technologies like stablecoins and blockchain, which promise faster and more efficient financial transactions without the need for traditional banks.
VanEck’s entry into blockchain and fintech aligns with its legacy of identifying groundbreaking financial trends.
The firm, which first invested in gold in 1968 and was an early adopter of Bitcoin in 2017, now manages $115 billion in assets.
With this new fund, VanEck is betting on blockchain as the next major evolution in financial services.
The fund is designed to tap into emerging technologies that could revolutionize how digital assets are handled and traded globally.
Focus on tokenized assets and digital financial marketplaces
The fund will primarily target startups operating at the application layer of blockchain technology.
These include companies working on tokenized assets, decentralized financial marketplaces, and payment systems.
Innovations like stablecoins, which are digital currencies pegged to traditional currencies, and blockchain technology offer the potential for faster, more secure, and cost-effective financial services, bypassing traditional banking systems and reducing transaction fees.
VanEck Ventures has already made four undisclosed investments since the fund’s launch, and it plans to continue expanding its portfolio in the fintech, crypto, and artificial intelligence sectors.
By focusing on companies with both financial and strategic growth potential, VanEck aims to position itself at the forefront of the digital finance revolution.
As blockchain technology, stablecoins, and tokenized assets become increasingly integrated into the financial ecosystem, VanEck’s latest venture capital fund is well-positioned to capitalize on these innovations.
The firm’s commitment to supporting early-stage startups in these areas reflects its belief that digital finance will play a central role in the future of the global economy.
With its new $50 million fund, VanEck Ventures is poised to shape the future of decentralized finance, supporting startups that offer both strategic value and financial upside in this rapidly evolving industry.
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