Crypto Currency Partners is a company.
Key people at Crypto Currency Partners.
Crypto Currency Partners was founded by Brock Pierce (Co-Founder & Managing Partner).
Key people at Crypto Currency Partners.
Crypto Currency Partners was founded by Brock Pierce (Co-Founder & Managing Partner).
Blockchain Capital, formerly known as Crypto Currency Partners, is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm founded in 2013 that specializes in blockchain, cryptocurrency, and digital assets.[1][2][3] Its mission centers on supporting crypto builders through multi-stage investments, leveraging deep industry experience to back over 170 entrepreneurs across more than 100 companies, with over $2 billion in assets under management from its sixth fund.[1][3] The firm's investment philosophy emphasizes diligent research, founder-first support, and exposure to the blockchain economy, targeting sectors like distributed applications, DeFi, NFTs, smart contracts, decentralized exchanges, and blockchain infrastructure.[1][3][5] Blockchain Capital has shaped the startup ecosystem as one of the earliest dedicated crypto VC funds, enabling early leaders like Coinbase, Kraken, Ripple, and Ethereum while pioneering innovations such as the first tokenized fund (BCAP) and institutional-scale raises up to $580 million.[1][2][3]
Blockchain Capital traces its roots to 2013, when brothers Bart Stephens (Paul Bart Stephens) and Brad Stephens (William Bradford Stephens), along with entrepreneur Brock Pierce, founded the firm initially as Crypto Currency Partners in San Francisco.[1][2][3] The Stephens brothers began by mining Bitcoin and participating in the world's first ICO for Mastercoin, spotting opportunities in digital goods and virtual currency markets amid blockchain's emergence.[1][3] In 2014, they raised the first-ever crypto VC fund of $1 million, followed by a $12 million second fund, marking a pivot to formal venture investing in bitcoin and crypto projects.[3] Key early traction included funding Parity (the first Ethereum ecosystem investment after Gavin Wood pitched in Brad's living room) and leaders like Coinbase, Kraken, OpenSea, and Ripple, solidifying their focus on blockchain infrastructure despite evolving from Crypto Currency Partners II filings in 2014.[1][2][3][4]
Blockchain Capital rides the blockchain and crypto adoption wave, timing its 2013 launch perfectly with Bitcoin's rise and Ethereum's birth, capitalizing on market forces like DeFi growth, NFT booms, and tokenized assets amid regulatory evolution.[1][3] It influences the ecosystem by funding infrastructure (e.g., exchanges, stablecoins) that lowers barriers for global finance, as seen in Yellow Card's African push for cost-effective payments, and decentralized social platforms like Bluesky.[1][2] The firm's early bets democratized crypto access, enabling public milestones like Coinbase's IPO and setting precedents for security tokens, which amplify network effects in a $2 trillion+ digital asset market.[1][3]
Blockchain Capital's trajectory points to continued dominance in maturing crypto sectors, with its sixth $580 million fund fueling bets on DeFi 2.0, AI-blockchain intersections, and emerging markets amid favorable tailwinds like clearer U.S. regulations and institutional inflows.[1][3] Trends like tokenized real-world assets and decentralized identity will shape its path, potentially evolving its influence toward hybrid on-chain/off-chain models and larger exits. As a foundational player from Crypto Currency Partners' origins, it remains poised to back the next wave of blockchain builders transforming global finance.[1][2][3]
