Venture Capitalists Bet Big on Altseason: Paradigm Reportedly Targets $850 Million Raise

Venture capitalists (VCs) are actively raising new funds, anticipating a robust altcoin season. Paradigm, co-founded by Coinbase’s Fred Ehrsam and ex-Sequoia Capital’s Matt Huang, is reportedly negotiating to secure between $750 million and $850 million for a new fund.

This development signifies a rebound in the crypto market, positioning Paradigm’s potential fund as the largest since the market’s previous downturn.

How Venture Capitalists Are Preparing For Altcoin Season

The venture capital arena in the crypto sector has been tumultuous. According to Bloomberg, Paradigm’s potential new fund is poised to become the largest since the market’s crash. This move is reminiscent of the peak in May 2022 when Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) set a record with a $4.5 billion fund.

Despite the sharp market correction that followed, Bitcoin and the broader crypto market have restarted the bull rally. Paradigm had previously set a record with a $2.5 billion fund in 2021, highlighting the sector’s cyclical investment trends.

VCs typically invest in emerging crypto projects, which often see a significant increase in value during the altcoin season following Bitcoin’s peak. Paradigm’s investment strategy, including its significant but ill-fated investment in FTX, highlights the sector’s high-risk, high-reward nature.

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

Nevertheless, Paradigm has continued to invest in promising projects, such as the Farcaster social media network, developed by Merkle Manufactory, valuing the startup at around $1 billion.

Along with SocialFi, another hot narrative for 2024 is the amalgamation of artificial intelligence (AI) and crypto projects. Hence, the community believes that this sector will receive heavy VC investments.

“The VC’s that missed the pumps on meme coins to multi-billion dollar market caps will FOMO into AI crypto to start another parabolic wave,” crypto analyst Johnny said.

As 2024 commenced, the pace of crypto fundraising was sluggish, with less than $500 million raised in the initial two months. However, the scenario improved in March, with fundraising exceeding $1 billion, reflecting a growing investor confidence.

Concurrently, a16z has injected $75 million into Web3 gaming startups via its SPEEDRUN fund, highlighting the sector’s rising potential.

Further invigorating the market, Marc Andreessen, alongside Accolade Partners and Galaxy Digital, partnered with 1kx to create a new $75 million fund. This collaboration is indicative of the market’s ongoing recovery and the rising optimism among investors.

Read more: Crypto Hedge Funds: What Are They and How Do They Work?

Despite the market’s uptick, venture capital investment in crypto remains cautious. The flow of venture funds typically trails behind token price movements.