Catenaa, Saturday, March 07, 2026-VC firm Paradigm plans to raise a $1.5 billion fund for artificial intelligence, robotics, and emerging technologies.
This marks its clearest move beyond crypto while maintaining support for blockchain startups.
The San Francisco-based firm will leverage its existing technical team to source deals across frontier sectors, citing growing overlaps between AI and crypto, including applications in autonomous payments and smart contract security.
Paradigm currently manages about $12.7 billion in assets, following previous crypto-focused funds, including a $2.5 billion flagship fund in 2021 and an $850 million early-stage vehicle in 2024.
The firm’s management said restricting investments to crypto alone risks missing opportunities emerging across computing and automation, particularly as AI reshapes software and financial infrastructure.
Co-founder Matt Huang emphasized that Paradigm remains committed to crypto, while studying AI’s implications.
Earlier this year, the firm partnered with OpenAI to release EVMbench, a benchmark testing whether machine-learning models can identify and patch vulnerabilities in smart contracts, reflecting practical overlap between AI and blockchain applications.
The fundraising push comes amid heavy venture capital flows into AI, with OECD data showing $258.7 billion invested in AI startups during 2025, accounting for 61% of total VC investment.
Generative AI companies alone received roughly 14% of that funding, with US startups capturing the largest share.
Paradigm intends to replicate its research-driven approach from crypto investing, applying it to frontier technologies including AI and robotics, while continuing to back blockchain ventures and strengthen its portfolio of infrastructure, applications, and growth-stage companies.
Paradigm is raising $1.5B to invest in AI, robotics, and emerging tech while maintaining crypto backing, leveraging existing teams for frontier opportunities.
