Blockchain investors bankrolling New York crypto and web3 companies in 2026

New York's blockchain scene raised $1.4B across 76 deals in 2025. Most capital went to crypto infrastructure and institutional DeFi, not consumer NFT projects. The city has Wall Street's traditional finance expertise but investors here got burned badly in 2022. You won't get funded building another NFT marketplace - they want regulatory-compliant infrastructure and clear paths to institutional adoption.

Quick list

Why New York blockchain investing crashed after 2022

New York raised $1.4B in blockchain during 2025 across 76 deals. That's 75% less than 2021's peak of $5.6B. Average Series A is $12M, down from $25M in 2021. The city watched FTX, Luna, Celsius, and BlockFi all collapse spectacularly. Investors who lost hundreds of millions are now extremely conservative.

New York excels at institutional crypto infrastructure - custody, trading, compliance tools. The city's traditional finance expertise helps blockchain companies sell to banks and asset managers. But consumer crypto projects get zero funding here after the NFT crash. Investors want boring infrastructure plays, not revolutionary DeFi protocols.

The downside is NYC blockchain investors are traumatized and slow. Deal timelines stretched from 3 months in 2021 to 12-18 months in 2026. Due diligence is extreme. They want regulatory clarity, institutional customers, and proof of sustainable business models. If you're building experimental crypto, go to SF or Singapore. NYC only funds stuff banks will actually use.

Picking the right New York blockchain investor

Local presence matters less than regulatory sophistication. NYC blockchain investors understand SEC compliance and traditional finance integration better than SF crypto VCs. That's valuable if you're building infrastructure for institutions but irrelevant for DeFi protocols.

Portfolio companies should include survivors from the 2022 crash. Check if they backed Coinbase, Circle, or companies that didn't implode. If their portfolio is full of failed NFT projects and collapsed DeFi protocols, they made bad bets and probably don't have capital for new investments.

Check sizes in New York range from $2M-$5M for seed and $10-20M for Series A in 2026. That's 60% smaller than 2021 peak. Growth rounds dried up completely - only Paradigm and a16z write $50M+ checks, and they're extremely selective. Most NYC crypto funds are smaller than their headline AUM suggests after 2022 markdowns.

Local network helps for institutional adoption. Investors who can intro you to Goldman Sachs digital assets team or Fidelity blockchain group are valuable. But most blockchain innovation happens outside NYC now. SF has better technical talent, Singapore has friendlier regulations. Knowing how to protect your pitch deck is essential when sharing proprietary content with cautious investors.

Communication with NYC blockchain investors is pessimistic and skeptical. Use Ellty to share your deck with trackable links. You'll see which investors actually open your deck versus which ones passed on blockchain entirely. Many NYC VCs who funded crypto in 2021 won't touch it in 2026. Don't waste time on funds that ghosted the sector.

Follow-on capacity is limited. Most NYC blockchain funds lost 70-90% of their AUM between 2021-2023. They say they have reserves but many don't. Only Digital Currency Group, Paradigm, and a16z can reliably fund Series B+. Ask directly about their current fund size and deployment pace, not their 2021 announcements.

How to find and approach New York blockchain investors

Research local deals by checking which NYC funds actually deployed capital in 2024-2025. Many "blockchain investors" haven't made new investments since 2022. Look at Messari and The Block for recent NYC deal announcements, not 2021 portfolio pages.

Leverage local ecosystem through Consensus NYC and Token2049 where remaining active investors scout deals. Columbia Business School blockchain programs connect technical founders to investors. Most NYC blockchain meetups died after FTX collapsed - the ecosystem is 80% smaller than 2021.

Build relationships first because NYC blockchain investors trust nothing after 2022. You need warm intros from founders who returned capital or exited successfully. Cold emails about your DeFi protocol get deleted immediately. References from traditional finance executives matter more than crypto influencer endorsements.

Share your pitch deck through Ellty with unique tracking links for each investor. NYC blockchain VCs take 30-60 days to respond if interested, 3x longer than 2021. They're researching your team backgrounds, checking for any FTX connections, and consulting with lawyers about regulatory risk. If they haven't opened your deck in 14 days, they passed.

Attend local events like Consensus NYC and Messari Mainnet where active NYC investors still show up. Most NYC blockchain events died. Better to attend Miami Bitcoin Conference or Singapore Token2049 where capital actually flows. NYC blockchain investing moved to other cities.

Connect with portfolio founders from companies that survived 2022. Ask them which investors were supportive during the crash versus which ones ghosted. Many NYC blockchain investors stopped responding to portfolio companies when valuations crashed. Those references matter more than 2021 marketing materials.

Organize due diligence materials extensively because NYC investors assume everything is fraud until proven otherwise. Set up an Ellty data room with your token economics, smart contract audits, legal structure, regulatory analysis, and team backgrounds. They'll want lawyer opinions on SEC compliance before first meetings.

Understand local pace because NYC blockchain deals take 12-18 months from first meeting to term sheet in 2026. Investors want multiple legal reviews, token structure analysis, and proof of institutional interest. They won't fund based on whitepaper and testnet like 2021. Expect 20+ meetings and assume half will cancel. A clear GDPR-compliant workflow signals maturity to VCs who scrutinize operational risk early.

New York blockchain considerations

NYC investors only fund infrastructure for traditional finance integration. Crypto custody, institutional trading platforms, and compliance tools get capital. Stablecoins backed by real assets work here. Everything else struggles. Consumer DeFi, NFT platforms, and experimental protocols get zero funding.

Expect regulatory paranoia. NYC blockchain investors watched the SEC destroy projects through enforcement actions. You need detailed legal analysis of why your project isn't a security. They won't fund "we'll figure out regulation later" approaches. Most deals die in legal review before term sheets.

Lead with traditional finance partnerships. NYC investors want to see Goldman Sachs, Fidelity, or BlackRock testing your infrastructure. They don't care about crypto-native user adoption or DeFi TVL metrics. Show banks using your product and you'll get meetings. Lead with on-chain metrics and you won't.

15 top blockchain investors in New York

1. Digital Currency Group

Barry Silbert's crypto empire including Genesis (bankrupt but restructuring), Grayscale ($20B+ AUM), and CoinDesk - survived 2022 but damaged.

• Recent Deals: Coinbase early rounds, Circle participation, various infrastructure plays (mostly pre-2022)
• LinkedIn: Barry Silbert LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Crypto infrastructure, institutional custody, exchanges, mining
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: 1 Letterman Drive, Building C, Suite C3-480, San Francisco, CA (NYC presence)
• Website: dcg.co

2. Pantera Capital

Oldest crypto fund still active - backed Coinbase, Circle, Kraken early before blockchain became mainstream.

• Recent Deals: Coinbase Series A (2013), Circle participation, Kraken early rounds, selective new deals 2024-2025
• LinkedIn: Dan Morehead LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Crypto exchanges, DeFi infrastructure, Layer 1 protocols, institutional platforms
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: Menlo Park with NYC presence
• Website: panteracapital.com

3. a16z crypto

Andreessen Horowitz's crypto arm with $7.6B under management - backed OpenSea before NFT crash but still deploying capital.

• Recent Deals: Uniswap $165M Series B (2022), OpenSea $300M Series C (2022), Optimism participation (2022)
• LinkedIn: Chris Dixon LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: DeFi protocols, Layer 2 scaling, crypto infrastructure, web3 platforms
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: NYC office at Hudson Yards
• Website: a16zcrypto.com

4. Paradigm

$13B AUM crypto fund that backed FTX disastrously but still has capital - extremely cautious now, very selective deployment.

• Recent Deals: FTX $420M Series B (2021 - total loss), Optimism participation (2022), selective infrastructure deals 2024+
• LinkedIn: Matt Huang LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: DeFi infrastructure, Layer 1 protocols, crypto exchanges, institutional platforms
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: San Francisco with NYC investments
• Website: paradigm.xyz

5. Polychain Capital

Early Coinbase investor with $5B+ AUM peak, now much smaller after markdowns - still active but selective.

• Recent Deals: Coinbase early (2013), Avalanche $230M (2021), Near Protocol $150M (2021), limited 2024-2025 activity
• LinkedIn: Olaf Carlson-Wee LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Layer 1 protocols, DeFi infrastructure, cross-chain platforms
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: San Francisco with NYC deals
• Website: polychain.capital

6. Jump Crypto

Trading firm Jump Trading's crypto arm - backed Wormhole and cross-chain infrastructure, technical expertise.

• Recent Deals: Wormhole participation (2022), Pyth Network (2021), cross-chain infrastructure tools
• LinkedIn: Kanav Kariya LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Cross-chain bridges, DeFi infrastructure, trading infrastructure, Layer 2 scaling
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: Chicago with NYC presence
• Website: jumpcrypto.com

7. Galaxy Digital

Mike Novogratz's crypto merchant bank with $2.5B AUM - survived 2022 better than most, focus on institutional infrastructure.

• Recent Deals: Institutional crypto custody, trading platforms, Bitcoin mining infrastructure (2024-2025)
• LinkedIn: Mike Novogratz LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Institutional custody, Bitcoin mining, trading platforms, crypto banking
• Stage Focus: Growth, Late-stage
• Office Location: 888 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10019
• Website: galaxydigital.io

8. Castle Island Ventures

Founded by Coinbase alumni Nic Carter - focus on crypto infrastructure and traditional finance convergence.

• Recent Deals: Anchorage custody platform, crypto compliance tools, institutional infrastructure (2024-2025)
• LinkedIn: Nic Carter LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Crypto custody, compliance tools, institutional infrastructure, fintech-crypto convergence
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Cambridge, MA with NYC presence
• Website: castleisland.vc

9. Blockchain Capital

Early crypto fund that backed Coinbase Series A - portfolio damaged in 2022 but still deploying selectively.

• Recent Deals: Coinbase Series A (2013), OpenSea participation (2021-2022), limited new deals 2024+
• LinkedIn: Bart Stephens LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Crypto exchanges, DeFi protocols, NFT infrastructure, Layer 1 protocols
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: San Francisco with NYC office
• Website: blockchain.capital

10. Dragonfly Capital

Cross-border crypto fund backing Asian and US projects - less damaged by FTX than US-focused funds.

• Recent Deals: Compound Finance, dYdX exchange, Asian DeFi protocols (2021-2025)
• LinkedIn: Haseeb Qureshi LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: DeFi protocols, cross-border payments, Layer 1 protocols, Asian crypto projects
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: San Francisco with NYC/Asia presence
• Website: dcp.capital

11. CoinFund

Crypto-native fund backing DeFi protocols and web3 infrastructure - technical team understands protocol design deeply.

• Recent Deals: DeFi protocols, web3 infrastructure, NFT platforms (2021-2025, selective)
• LinkedIn: Jake Brukhman LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: DeFi protocols, web3 infrastructure, token economies, decentralized networks
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: New York, NY
• Website: coinfund.io

12. Placeholder

Thesis-driven crypto fund that backed Maker, Synthetix, and early DeFi protocols - smaller fund but active.

• Recent Deals: Maker DAO early, Synthetix early, DeFi infrastructure protocols (ongoing)
• LinkedIn: Joel Monegro LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: DeFi protocols, decentralized networks, token economics, crypto-economic systems
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: New York, NY
• Website: placeholder.vc

13. Electric Capital

Backed Anchorage, Bitwise, and crypto custody platforms - focus on institutional infrastructure survived 2022 better.

• Recent Deals: Anchorage custody, Bitwise asset management, institutional crypto platforms
• LinkedIn: Avichal Garg LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Crypto custody, institutional infrastructure, asset management, compliance tools
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: San Francisco with NYC deals
• Website: electriccapital.com

14. Framework Ventures

DeFi specialists who backed Chainlink, Synthetix, and lending protocols - technical team with protocol expertise.

• Recent Deals: Chainlink participation, Synthetix early, DeFi lending protocols (2020-2025)
• LinkedIn: Vance Spencer LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: DeFi protocols, lending platforms, decentralized exchanges, liquid staking
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: San Francisco with NYC office
• Website: framework.ventures

15. Variant Fund

Web3-focused fund backing decentralized networks and token economies - smaller fund with specific thesis.

• Recent Deals: Web3 social networks, decentralized content platforms, creator tokens (2021-2025)
• LinkedIn: Jesse Walden LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Web3 social, decentralized networks, creator economies, token-based platforms
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: New York, NY
• Website: variant.fund

Start tracking your New York blockchain investor outreach

These 15 investors closed NYC blockchain deals in 2025-2026. Before you reach out, understand that most NYC crypto funds are smaller than their peak AUM after 2022 markdowns. Digital Currency Group and Galaxy focus on institutional infrastructure, while a16z and Paradigm are extremely selective after high-profile losses.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each NYC investor. You'll see which investors actually open your deck versus which ones abandoned blockchain entirely. Many NYC VCs who funded crypto in 2021 won't respond in 2026. Track opens to avoid wasting time on dead ends.

When NYC blockchain investors ask for due diligence materials after exhaustive initial meetings, share an Ellty data room with your token economics model, smart contract audit reports, legal structure documentation, and regulatory analysis. They'll want SEC compliance opinions, traditional finance partnerships, and proof your project won't implode like FTX. Having everything organized with view analytics shows which investors are actually reviewing your legal docs versus ghosting after first meetings.

Common questions

Do I need to be based in New York to raise from NYC blockchain investors?

No - most blockchain innovation moved to SF, Singapore, and Dubai after NYC's regulatory crackdowns. NYC investors will back companies anywhere but they strongly prefer institutional infrastructure over experimental protocols. If you're building consumer crypto or DeFi, NYC isn't your market regardless of location.

How does New York compare to SF for blockchain fundraising?

NYC has $1.4B in blockchain capital versus SF's $3B+ in 2025. Both are down 70%+ from 2021 peaks. SF investors understand experimental crypto protocols and developer tools. NYC investors understand institutional adoption and traditional finance integration. SF wants innovation, NYC wants regulatory compliance. Both are traumatized but SF recovered faster.

What's the average Series A size in New York for blockchain?

$10-20M in 2026, down from $25-40M in 2021. NYC blockchain Series A typically requires institutional partnerships or clear paths to bank adoption. That's 50% smaller rounds than peak crypto bull market. Many "Series A" rounds are actually $5-8M bridge rounds at down valuations from 2021 peaks.

Should I raise locally or go to SF/Singapore for DeFi protocols?

Go to SF or Singapore for DeFi, NFTs, or experimental crypto. NYC investors won't touch consumer crypto after 2022. Stay in NYC only for institutional infrastructure, crypto custody, or compliance tools selling to traditional finance. Even then, SF has more capital and less regulatory paranoia.

Do New York blockchain investors expect profitability?

Yes, immediately or within 12 months. NYC blockchain investors watched $200B+ evaporate between 2021-2023. They want sustainable business models with real revenue, not token price appreciation. Show how you make money from fees and services, not token speculation. "We'll monetize through token" approaches get rejected immediately.

What blockchain sectors get funded most in New York?

Institutional crypto custody, compliance and regulatory tools, traditional finance integration platforms, stablecoins backed by real assets. Bitcoin mining infrastructure gets some capital. Everything consumer-facing struggles. DeFi protocols get zero funding unless institutional banks are using them. NYC wants boring crypto infrastructure that banks will actually adopt.