Fundraising Fox
Fred Ehrsam
InvestorUnicorn founderBoard Of Directors at Coinbase · Co-founder and Board Member at Coinbase Ventures · Co-Founder & Senior Advisor at Paradigm · Founder at Nudge
San Francisco, CA
Writes $1M – $100M checks · typically $25M
FoundedCoinbase$85B · YCNudge
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Photo: Robyn Selman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons ↗
About
Fred Ehrsam co-founded Coinbase and later Paradigm, the crypto investment firm he started with Matt Huang in 2018. He stepped back from Paradigm's day-to-day management in 2023 and now serves as its senior advisor while running Nudge, the neurotechnology startup he founded to build non-invasive brain interfaces using focused ultrasound.
Contact· published on Fred's own website
Invests in
AI & Machine LearningCrypto & Web3Developer ToolsFintechGaming
Beyond investing
- Founded
- Co-founded Coinbase. Co-founded Paradigm. Co-founded Nudge, which builds brain-computer interfaces starting with ultrasound. Ehrsam co-founded Nudge, a neurotechnology startup developing non-invasive brain-computer interfaces, in 2024.
- Education
- Studied at Duke University (BS, Computer Science, 2010) Read computer science and economics at Duke University, graduating in 2010.
- Boards
- Ehrsam serves on the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), to which he was appointed in 2026.
- Communities
- Hosts the Prometheus Summit, bringing together researchers and entrepreneurs focused on human enhancement. At Duke he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Appointed to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in March 2026.
- Hobbies
- In high school Ehrsam was an avid competitive World of Warcraft player, spending thousands of hours exploring its in-game virtual economy.
- More
- Supports fundamental research in fields including physics, biology, and public policy. Ehrsam grew up in Concord, Massachusetts and attended Concord-Carlisle High School. Hosts the Prometheus Summit, a gathering for researchers and founders working on human enhancement.
Mentioned above: the Duke University mafia → · the Coinbase mafia →
From Fred's own website — common ground for a warm intro.
Founder at Nudge
Intro paths
In turn, Fred can intro founders to Nudge's investors below.
Nudge's investors · 9
Co-founders at Nudge
Board Of Directors at CoinbaseYC S12
Intro paths
Fred went through Y Combinator (Summer 2012) — any YC alum in your network can reach them through the YC community.
Their group partner at YC was Garry Tan, President & CEO of Y Combinator — the partner who ran Coinbase's batch and knows the company first-hand. YC profile ↗
In turn, Fred can intro founders to Coinbase's investors below.
Coinbase's investors · 104
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Co-founders at Coinbase
Investments
Board seats
Investor
AltAndurilAnthropicArcadia MedicineBIOS HealthBloXroute LabsCape.aiChai DiscoveryChainalysisCognitionDapper LabsDestiny (D/XYZ)DIRT ProtocolDot ProductdYdXDyneti TechnologiesEight SleepEquipment ShareFireblocksForever LabsForteGamelynxGeneral MatterGoodyInventexItalicMeadowMindstate Design LabsNectomeNeuralink-LogoArtboard-1NewLimitNumeraio1LabsOasis LabsOkayOn DeckOpenAIOpenseaPhantomPostmodaPraxisProtocol LabsRoyalSeedShippoSocketSpaceXSSIStarkWare IndustriesSuperb AISwift SolarTermiusThe Interaction Company of CaliforniaThrive AgritechTruStoryUserfeedsWispr FlowZcashZenith AerospaceZora
Sources: curated public sources · the investor's own website.
Podcasts & interviews
featuring Fred EhrsamFred Ehrsam, Co-Founder, Coinbase
Internet Society On-Demand
Fred Ehrsam: From Coinbase to Paradigm
@How-I-Got-Rich1
Paradigm founders Fred Ehrsam and Matt Huang
UpOnly
Paradigm, Led by Coinbase Co-Founder Fred Ehrsam, Looking to Raise $1.5B Fund
CoinDesk
Paradigm, Led by Coinbase Co-Founder Fred Ehrsam, Looking to Raise $1.5B Fund
finance.yahoo.com
Coinbase Alumni Roundtable Hosted by Fred Ehrsam
Coinbase
4 more appearances
Colleagues at Coinbase Ventures
Network14
▶2 more connections
Investors connected to Fred in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Fred Ehrsam?
- Fred Ehrsam co-founded Coinbase and later Paradigm, the crypto investment firm he started with Matt Huang in 2018. He stepped back from Paradigm's day-to-day management in 2023 and now serves as its senior advisor while running Nudge, the neurotechnology startup he founded to build non-invasive brain interfaces using focused ultrasound.
- Where does Fred Ehrsam work?
- Fred Ehrsam is Board Of Directors of Coinbase and Co-founder and Board Member at Coinbase Ventures and Co-Founder & Senior Advisor at Paradigm and Founder at Nudge.
- What does Fred Ehrsam invest in?
- Fred Ehrsam invests in AI & Machine Learning, Crypto & Web3, Developer Tools, Fintech, Gaming.
- What check size does Fred Ehrsam write?
- Fred Ehrsam typically writes checks of $1M – $100M.
- What companies did Fred Ehrsam found?
- Fred Ehrsam founded Coinbase, Nudge.
- What boards does Fred Ehrsam sit on?
- Fred Ehrsam holds tracked board seats at Coinbase.
- What companies has Fred Ehrsam invested in?
- Investments tracked here include Alt, Anduril, Anthropic, Arcadia Medicine, BIOS Health, BloXroute Labs, Cape.ai, Chai Discovery, Chainalysis, Cognition, Dapper Labs, Destiny (D/XYZ), and 48 more.
- What podcasts and interviews feature Fred Ehrsam?
- Tracked appearances include "Fred Ehrsam, Co-Founder, Coinbase", "Fred Ehrsam: From Coinbase to Paradigm", "Paradigm founders Fred Ehrsam and Matt Huang", and 7 more.
Founder mafias
Y Combinator mafia10,594
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Goldman Sachs mafia651
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Goldman Sachs mafia436
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Duke University mafia368
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Coinbase mafia121
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
About this profile. Compiled from public sources — Coinbase Ventures's own website, press coverage and public professional profiles — and summarised by Fundraising Fox; every fact is kept with where it came from. Spotted an error, or would rather not be listed? Email privacy@fundraisingfox.com · How we build profiles · Your rights