Crypto.com’s venture fund hires former tech journalist Jon Russell
Crypto.com Capital has named former TechCrunch journalist Jon Russell as its newest partner, according to an announcement.
The $200 million venture capital fund, launched by Crypto.com in March 2021, writes cheques for up to $10 million for early stage web3 startups — and invests in both tokens and equity.
It has so far backed the likes of crypto security firm Ledger, avatar-maker Genies, and DeBank, the decentralized wallet.
Russell is a veteran tech journalist who spent five years at TechCrunch covering the Asian market before joining media startup The Ken. He will work under Crypto.com co-founder Bobby Bao, who leads the wallet firm’s venture arm.
“I’ve had offers to move into crypto full-time before but Crypto.com is the most ambitious company in web3,” said Russell in a statement. “The Crypto.com Capital fund brings a very unique advantage to help the world’s best web3 founders and startups to realise their potential and I can’t wait to play my part.”
While the move from journalism to venture capital is unusual, it is not without precedent. Notably, Welsh billionaire Michael Moritz spent his early career as a journalist before joining Sequoia Capital.
© 2021 The Block Crypto, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
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Author: Ryan Weeks