/Investor DB

Protocol Ventures

Fund of funds

San Francisco · Seed–Series A · 14 people tracked

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Investment thesis

Protocol Ventures positions itself as the first and leading fund of funds in the crypto asset class. Rather than picking individual tokens or startups, it allocates to an elite group of crypto hedge funds, selected on past and expected performance, management quality, and complementary strategies, to provide LPs diversification via a single investment. Its underlying portfolio funds invest in highly liquid crypto assets, SAFTs, and equity of leading blockchain and crypto-related companies. Protocol favors managers with deep technical understanding of blockchain, asymmetric industry knowledge, strong global networks, a value-add approach to the ecosystem, and a differentiated investment thesis. As a 3(c)(7) fund, it accepts only Qualified Purchasers.

Source: firm website, verified Oct 24, 2026.

Stage
Seed–Series A
Check
$5M
HQ
San Francisco, CA, US
Leads rounds
Follows
Instruments
Equity
Founded
2017
Tracked investments
2
Unicorns
1

Team · 14 people

from the firm's website & public directories
Gary Hsueh· General Partner
Jeff Bonforte· General Partner
Nabeel Qadri· Managing Partner
Rick Marini· Managing Partner

Managing Partner at Protocol Ventures who appeared on the Flippening crypto investing podcast in January 2018.

Naval Ravikant· Advisor𝕏

Naval Ravikant co-founded AngelList, the platform that turned angel investing into infrastructure through syndicates and rolling funds. His own early checks included Twitter, Uber, and Postmates, and his writing and podcast appearances on wealth, leverage, and happiness have earned him an audience well beyond Silicon Valley. He remains AngelList's chairman and continues to invest personally.

Ari Paul· Advisor

Advisor to Protocol Ventures; CIO of BlockTower.

Avichal Garg· Advisor

Advisor to Protocol Ventures; Managing Partner at Electric Capital.

Linda Xie· Advisor

Advisor to Protocol Ventures; co-founder of Scalar Capital.

Paul Veradittakit· Advisor

Advisor to Protocol Ventures; Partner at Pantera Capital.

Vinny Lingham· Advisor

Advisor to Protocol Ventures; CEO of Civic.

Arij M Nazir· Executive Officer
Harry Yeh· Executive Officer
Michael Levit· Executive Officer
Richard G. Marini, Jr.· Executive Officer

What they invest in

from 2 of 2 portfolio companies

Crypto & Web3 ×2AI & Machine Learning ×1Data & Infrastructure ×1Developer Tools ×1Marketing Tech ×1

Investments · 2 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path
LayerZerolayerzero.networkin𝕏Sep 2021 · $6M

LayerZero builds decentralized infrastructure for interoperability across blockchains and asset issuance, enabling applications and chains to connect liquidity and extend reach across ecosystems.

Crypto & Web3Data & InfrastructureDeveloper Tools

Bryan Pellegrino(Founder)inRaz Zarick(Founder)inCaleb Banister(Founder)Ryan Zarick(Founder)

Co-investorsa16z cryptoAdvent InternationalAndreessen HorowitzAndromeda CapitalBitDAOBixin Capital+38 more

Ojamuojamuai.com𝕏Oct 2021 · $1.7M

Ojamu is a Web3 B2B platform that uses AI and machine learning to give brands automated marketing solutions, insights, and real-time blockchain data recommendations across NFT, blockchain gaming, and metaverse ecosystems.

AI & Machine LearningCrypto & Web3Marketing Tech

Co-investorsTransform VenturesAscensive AssetsChain CapitalMaster VenturesMoonrock CapitalMorningstar Ventures+3 more

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Frequently asked questions

What stage does Protocol Ventures invest at?
Protocol Ventures invests at the Seed, Series A stages.
What is Protocol Ventures's typical check size?
Protocol Ventures typically writes checks of $5M.
What sectors does Protocol Ventures focus on?
Protocol Ventures focuses on Crypto & Web3.
Where is Protocol Ventures located?
Protocol Ventures is headquartered in San Francisco, US.
Does Protocol Ventures lead rounds?
Protocol Ventures typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.

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