The winds of crypto winter may continue to blow, but that does not seem to stop venture capital firms from continuing to bet on cryptocurrencies. In fact, recent bear market-influenced events, such as the collapse of FTX, could bring “more confidence to the ecosystem,” according to Jez Mohideen, co-founder and CEO of Laser Digital, the Asian giant’s newly launched digital assets arm; Nomura Holdings.
“More traditional players who can help regulate the industry are entering the space. This means players who understand regulation, as well as the importance of customer aggregation, stability and execution,” explained Mohideen, a longtime participant. in the venture capital industry and former director of Barclays and partner in the hedge fund; Brevan Howard.
Laser Digital Ventures’ current portfolio includes exchange Bullish, decentralized exchange protocol Orderly Network, and hybrid institutional investor custodian Komainu, among other firms working on decentralized finance (DeFi) structured products and fixed income solutions. In 2023, he said, the company plans to invest in about 20 projects.
Among Laser Digital’s main areas of funding are startups that offer solutions for institutional investors, a market that has grown steadily lately. In the past year, 62% of institutional investors have increased their cryptocurrency investments, according to a Coinbase survey.
“The lack of suitable infrastructure solutions has created a significant bottleneck for cryptocurrency-friendly institutions. In Web 3.0, the company is especially interested in working on infrastructure solutions that accelerate institutional adoption of cryptocurrencies, including DeFi.
For cryptocurrency companies trying to raise capital amid falling cryptocurrency prices, solving real problems will be essential. Laser Digital’s investment thesis focuses on projects that are “innovative and have clear metrics for how they will get there,” Mohideen explained. And he added:
“Web 3.0 and metaverse platforms will be one of the main growth areas in the coming years. Furthermore, Web 2.0 services such as social networking, streaming entertainment and gaming can reap great benefits by embracing the technology and governance of Web 3.0”.
As one of the largest banks in Japan, Nomura Holdings had $470 billion in assets under management as of the end of 2022. Last year, the company also announced plans to launch a specialized cryptocurrency subsidiary aimed at investing in digital assets and tokens. not expendable.
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