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← A brief history of Bitcoin venture capital
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Bitcoin Venture Capital · 2012-Present

Ribbit Capital

Micky Malka.

Fund Size

Roughly $12B in assets under management as of 2024.

Thesis

A fintech-only venture firm built to back the companies reengineering financial services. Ribbit invests in equity, not tokens, and moved into Bitcoin early with real conviction, funding Coinbase in 2013 and allocating fund capital directly into Bitcoin at a time when almost no generalist firm would. The through-line is that the winners are the companies building financial infrastructure, not the ones speculating on the assets.

Portfolio

Coinbase, Fireblocks, Chainalysis, M0, Lighter, and Morpho in digital assets, plus Robinhood, Nubank, Revolut, Affirm, and Brex across broader fintech.

Why It Matters

Ribbit is the clearest bridge between mainstream fintech and Bitcoin. Its early Coinbase bet and direct Bitcoin position showed that the most durable way to invest in the space is through the financial infrastructure built on top of it, rather than speculation on the assets themselves. Few firms have a better record of backing the companies that become the plumbing of modern finance.

Companies on this list they backed

Coinbase, Fireblocks, Xapo

Cite & share

Early Riders. “A Brief History of Bitcoin Venture Capital: Ribbit Capital.” https://earlyriders.com/top50/vc/ribbit-capital/

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