Crypto VC Paradigm Plans $1.5B Fund Expansion Into AI and Robotics

2026-02-28 10:12:46

Venture capital firm Paradigm is preparing a new $1.5 billion fund aimed at artificial intelligence, robotics and other emerging technologies, marking its clearest push yet beyond the crypto sector that built its reputation.

Key Takeaways:

Paradigm is raising a $1.5B fund to invest in AI, robotics and other frontier technologies while continuing crypto backing.
The firm will use its existing technical team as it expands beyond blockchain-only investments.
Paradigm sees growing overlap between AI and crypto, including applications like autonomous payments and smart contract security.

The San Francisco-based investor will continue backing blockchain startups while expanding into adjacent industries, according to people familiar with the plan cited by the Wall Street Journal.

Paradigm intends to rely on its existing technical investment team to source deals in frontier technologies rather than building a separate unit.

Paradigm Manages $12.7B After Launching Record Crypto Funds

Regulatory filings show the firm manages about $12.7 billion in assets.

It previously launched a $2.5 billion flagship fund in November 2021, at the time the largest dedicated crypto fund, and followed it in 2024 with an $850 million vehicle focused on early-stage blockchain projects.

Managers reportedly concluded that limiting investments to crypto alone risked missing promising opportunities developing across computing and automation.

The decision reflects a broader shift among technology investors as artificial intelligence reshapes both software and financial infrastructure.

Executives have long argued that the fields are interconnected. One example is agent-driven payments, in which autonomous software systems execute transactions using blockchain rails.

The concept relies on both AI decision-making and decentralized settlement.

Paradigm’s interest in AI is not new. As early as 2023, observers noticed the firm quietly removed Web3-specific language from parts of its website, fueling speculation that it was pivoting away from digital assets.

Co-founder and managing partner Matt Huang rejected that interpretation but acknowledged the firm was studying AI’s implications.

“We’ve never been more excited about crypto,” Huang wrote at the time, adding that developments in AI were too important to ignore. He argued the technologies should not be seen as rivals, predicting overlap between the two ecosystems.

That overlap has already appeared in practice.

Earlier this month, Paradigm partnered with OpenAI to release EVMbench, a benchmark designed to test whether machine-learning models can identify and patch vulnerabilities in smart contracts, a persistent security challenge in decentralized finance.

AI Startups Drew $258.7B in VC Funding in 2025, OECD Says

The fundraising effort also comes as venture capital flows heavily into AI startups.

According to OECD data, AI companies attracted $258.7 billion in venture funding during 2025, accounting for 61% of total VC investment and roughly doubling their share since 2022.

Generative AI firms alone represented 14% of AI-focused funding, with US startups receiving the largest portion.

Last month, Andreessen Horowitz secured more than $15 billion in fresh capital, strengthening its standing as one of the most powerful venture capital firms in the US tech sector.

The funds span multiple strategies, including infrastructure, applications, healthcare, growth investments and its “American Dynamism” initiative.

In 2025 alone, the firm represented over 18% of total venture capital deployed in the United States.

Co-founder Ben Horowitz said the fundraising reflects the firm’s core philosophy that venture capital exists to give people opportunities to build companies and create value.

Trending News RecommendedPopular Crypto TopicsPrice Predictions

Elon’s Grok AI Predicts the Price of XRP, Cardano, and Ethereum By the End of 2026
China’s DeepSeek AI Predicts the Price of XRP, Bitcoin and Ethereum
Google’s Gemini AI Predicts the Price of XRP, Dogecoin and Shiba Inu by the end of 2026
XRP Price Prediction: Whales Are Dumping Millions, Is XRP About to Crash Below $1?
Bitcoin Price Prediction: $500 Million in Short Positions Just Got Wiped Out — New Bull Market Starting?

Industry Talk

Bitcoin Price Prediction: Wikipedia Founder Warns BTC Could Collapse Below $10K — Should Investors Panic?

2026-02-27 22:30:00, by Ahmed Balaha

Industry Talk

Crypto Price Prediction Today 25 February: XRP, Solana, Bitcoin

2026-02-25 22:35:00, by Tim Hakki

Altcoin News

Wall Street Frontrunning Retail? Institutions Flooded Ethereum Before 15% Price Rally

2026-02-26 13:55:58, by Ahmed Balaha

Best Crypto to Buy Now in February 2026 – Top Crypto to Invest In

2026-02-24 10:31:20, by Alan Draper

New Cryptocurrencies to Invest in Today – Top New Crypto Coins

2026-02-27 16:08:04, by Ines S. Tavares

9 Best Crypto Presales in February 2026

2026-02-23 08:44:24, by Alan Draper

7 New & Upcoming Coinbase Listings in February 2026

2026-02-24 11:25:06, by Ilija Rankovic

10 New & Upcoming Binance Listings in 2026

2026-02-24 11:07:23, by Ilija Rankovic

11 Cryptos Set to Explode in 2026 – Our Top Picks

2026-02-26 12:48:05, by Ilija Rankovic

Bitcoin (BTC) Price Prediction 2026, 2027 – 2030

2026-02-28 07:30:00, by Leon Waters

XRP (XRP) Price Prediction 2026, 2027 – 2030

2026-02-28 07:30:00, by Ihssan El Medkouri

Ethereum Price Prediction 2026, 2027 – 2030

2026-02-28 07:30:00, by Alan Draper

VC-0,84%

This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.