As crypto prices fall, a16z crypto raises $2.2 billion fund

In a Blog post Laying out a vision for the future of cryptocurrencies, from a “new financial system” to warnings about “opaque” artificial intelligence, a16z crypto has announced a new $2.2 billion fund. This is the venture capital firm’s fifth fund, and the total amount raised so far reaches $9.8 billion, she says.

In addition, The fund also promoted chief technology officer, Eddie Lazarinto a general partner, bringing the general investment team to four people. Lazarin joins Chris Dixon, Ali Yahya and Guy Woollett. The fund has backed prominent companies such as Coinbase, Kalshi, and Solana Foundation.

The timing of this news is a bit ironic, as cryptocurrencies are trading in such a slow period that Coinbase announced on the same day. Laying off 14% of its workforce. March was the slowest month in terms of trading volume across cryptocurrency exchanges since November 2023, according to cryptocurrency data and news site CoinGecko. I mentioned.

Venture capital investment in cryptocurrency startups has slowed as well, reaching nearly $5 billion in the first quarter of 2026, compared to nearly $6 billion in the same quarter last year. DLNews reportsCiting statistics from cryptocurrency data site DefiLlama.

a16z crypto partners acknowledge this. They describe how crypto rallies are attracting investment and startup enthusiasm, but “we are in one of those quieter moments now,” they write. However, they insist that much of what is built during downtime is “usually more beneficial than it appeared at the peak, and more sustainable than it appeared at the bottom.”

Hot market or not, there are venture capital funds available for blockchain-related startups that can attract venture capital. The part that founders will have to overcome is that some of the largest crypto venture capital firms are now being lured by AI startups. This is an area swimming in high ratings.

For example, Paradigm, one of the largest and most well-known cryptocurrency funds, is reportedly raising a new $1.5 billion fund to expand its thesis to include robotics and artificial intelligence, the Wall Street Journal reports. I mentioned In February. In addition, Y Combinator, which was launched Many startups related to cryptocurrencies and blockchain Over the years, he hasn’t asked for anything in his latest state Startup Requests list.

Earlier this week, former Andreessen Horowitz investor Katie Hawn announced that her cryptocurrency-focused company, Hawn, had also… Raised a new $1 billion fund I will continue to invest in this market. But it is also looking at AI agent technology as it intersects with cryptocurrency/blockchain and fintech.

A spokesperson told TechCrunch that the latest a16z cryptocurrency fund will not be lured away by hotter markets, promising that it will be “100% dedicated to crypto entrepreneurs.”