Technology

Story: Haun Ventures Lands $1 Billion as Crypto Firm Pivots Into AI Bets

By Sakamoto Nashi

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What the Money Means. A billion dollars is a lot of dry powder. It puts Haun Ventures in the same weight class as some…

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Haun's Track Record. Katie Haun made her name as a federal prosecutor going after cybercriminals and darknet markets.

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Haun Ventures just closed a billion-dollar fundraise.

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The venture firm, known mostly for backing crypto startups, said it's now going after artificial intelligence deals too.

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The new cash gives the firm room to chase two fast-moving sectors at once. Crypto's been Haun's bread and butter since she left Andreessen Horowitz to start her own shop.

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A billion dollars is a lot of dry powder. It puts Haun Ventures in the same weight class as some of the older, bigger names in venture capital.

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Haun said AI will handle more economic tasks going forward. She didn't elaborate on which tasks or which industries, but the implication is clear: automation is coming for…

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The firm's existing portfolio leans heavily into blockchain infrastructure, DeFi protocols, and NFT platforms.

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Related: FCA Opens Crypto Firm Pre-Application Slots Starting May 11

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Haun's bet is that AI and crypto will converge in ways that aren't obvious yet. Maybe that means decentralized AI training, where blockchain networks coordinate compute power.

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Venture capital firms love to talk about "thesis-driven investing," which basically means they pick a trend and then hunt for startups that fit.

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The firm's existing crypto bets include some well-known names. It backed OpenSea, the NFT marketplace, and Uniswap, the decentralized exchange.

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Haun didn't say when the firm will start announcing AI investments. She didn't name any target companies or sectors.

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The AI pivot comes at a weird time for crypto. Bitcoin's been range-bound for months. Ethereum's dealing with scaling issues and competition from faster chains.

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Related: XAUt Hits $3.3 Billion as Traders Rush to Gold-Backed Tokens

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