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As crypto cools, a16zcrypto raises a $2.2B fund

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In a blog post that lays out a vision for crypto’s future, ranging from a “new financial system” to warnings about “opaque” AI, a16zcrypto announced a new $2.2 billion fund. This is the VC firm’s fifth fund and brings the total raised to date to $9.8 billion, it says.

In addition, the fund also promoted its CTO, Eddy Lazzarin, to General Partner, bringing the GP investing team to four people. Lazzarin joins Chris Dixon, Ali Yahya, and Guy Wuollet. The fund has backed standout companies like Coinbase, Kalshi, and Solana Foundation.

The timing of this news is a bit ironic, with crypto trading in such a slow period that Coinbase announced on the same day it was laying off 14% of its workforce. March was the slowest trading-volume month across crypto exchanges since November 2023, crypto data and news site CoinGecko reported.

VC investing in crypto startups has cooled, too, landing at nearly $5 billion in the first quarter of 2026, compared to closer to $6 billion in the year-ago quarter, reports DLNews, citing stats from crypto data site DefiLlama.

The a16zcrypto partners acknowledge this. They describe how crypto highs draw in investment and a fervor of startups, but that “we’re at one of those quieter moments now,” they write. However, they insist that much of what gets built during a downtime “is usually more useful than it looked at the peak, and more durable than it looked at the trough.”

Hot market or not, there is VC money out there for blockchain-related startups that can woo VCs. The part founders will have to overcome is that some of the biggest crypto VCs are now being seduced by AI startups. This is an area swimming in rising valuations.

For instance, Paradigm, one of the biggest and most prestigious crypto funds, is reportedly working on raising a fresh $1.5 billion fund to expand its thesis into robotics and AI, The Wall Street Journal reported in February. Plus, Y Combinator, which has cranked out many crypto and blockchain-related startups over the years, didn’t ask for any in its most recent “Requests for Startups” list.

Earlier this week, former Andreessen Horowitz investor Katie Haun announced that her crypto-focused firm, Haun, has also raised a new $1 billion fund and will continue to invest in this market. But she’s also looking for AI agent tech as it intersects with crypto/blockchain and fintech.

The latest a16zcrypto fund will not be lured away by hotter markets, a spokesperson tells TechCrunch, promising that it will be “dedicated 100% to crypto entrepreneurs.”

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2027: Wadada picks Ombugadu as running mate for Nasarawa governorship race

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The All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate in Nasarawa State, Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, has announced Chief Michael Emmanuel Ombugadu as his running mate for the 2027 election.

Wadada made the announcement in a statement issued on Monday, describing Ombugadu’s selection as an effort to strengthen the party’s ticket ahead of the election.

He said Ombugadu brings more than three decades of experience spanning administration, public finance, community service, academia and the private sector.

Wadada said his running mate began his professional career at Ashaka Cement Plc before serving at Isa Mustapha Agwai I Polytechnic, Lafia, and later at the Nasarawa State Pension Bureau, where he rose to become Director of Finance and Accounts.

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According to Wadada, Ombugadu’s career has been marked by diligence, accountability and public service.

He also described him as a grassroots politician whose political career has been shaped by resilience, loyalty and commitment to his constituents.

Wadada said Ombugadu’s decision to prioritise the interest of the APC and the collective interest of the state over personal ambition during recent political developments demonstrated the qualities he brings to the ticket.

“Beyond the positions he has held, I value the man: his humility, his loyalty, his understanding of our people and his commitment to service,” Wadada said.

He said the joint ticket reflects the diversity of Nasarawa State and the interests of its people across the 13 Local Government Areas, 18 Development Areas and 147 electoral wards.

Wadada reiterated his campaign theme, “One Nasarawa. One People. One Future,” and pledged to run an issue-based campaign focused on unity and development.

“We will run a campaign that unites rather than divides; that focuses on issues rather than sentiments; and that places the development, security, prosperity and dignity of the people of Nasarawa State above every other consideration,” he said.

Wadada congratulated Ombugadu on his selection and expressed confidence in the APC ticket ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

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ALFRED DAPAL DAMIYAL AFFIRMED AS NDC GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE FOR PLATEAU STATE.

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JOS, PLATEAU STATE

September 15, 2026

Alfred Dapal Damiyal (ADD) has been affirmed as the Governorship Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for Plateau State ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with Mwadkon Dung Vincent nominated as his running mate.

The affirmation took place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at the NDC State Secretariat in Jos, where delegates and stakeholders of the party gathered to reaffirm their confidence in Damiyal and his capacity to lead the party into the 2027 governorship contest. The exercise was supervised by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), providing institutional oversight to the process.

During the gathering, Meadkom Dung Vincent was also nominated to serve as Damiyal’s running mate, giving the NDC a clear governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 election.

The affirmation marks a significant milestone in Damiyal’s political journey and provides the NDC with a clear standard-bearer and running mate as the party begins to intensify its preparations, mobilisation and engagement with voters across Plateau State.

Damiyal’s emergence is anchored on his NEWTHINKING philosophy, which advocates a new approach to governance based on accountability, transparency, equity, inclusion, innovation, human-centred development and good governance.

His campaign maintains that Plateau State is at a crossroads and requires leadership capable of responding to contemporary challenges with contemporary solutions.
Damiyal has repeatedly emphasised the need for a fundamental change in the approach to governance, stressing that the state cannot make meaningful progress by relying on outdated methods to address modern problems.

“We cannot continue to apply analogue solutions to digital problems if Plateau is to make meaningful progress. We need a new way of thinking if we desire a new Plateau.”

With extensive professional experience in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, alongside his background in entrepreneurship and leadership, Damiyal’s supporters believe he brings a combination of professional experience and fresh ideas to the political contest.
His proposed agenda places strong emphasis on security, education, economic development, employment, agriculture, infrastructure, youth empowerment, innovation and accountable governance.

The NDC candidate’s campaign also seeks to build a broad-based movement across Plateau’s 17 local government areas, presenting NEWTHINKING as a platform for creating a safer, more united and prosperous state.

For his supporters, the 2027 election represents an opportunity for Plateau voters to make a deliberate choice about the future direction of the state and to demand leadership focused on development, competence and measurable results.

The affirmation by party delegates and stakeholders, under the supervision of INEC officials, on September 15 therefore marks the beginning of a new phase in the NDC’s campaign, with Damiyal and his nominated running mate, Meadkom Dung Vincent, positioned to take the party’s message directly to the people of Plateau State.

The central message of the campaign remains clear:
ADD — A New Direction. A New Standard. A New Plateau.

Signed:
ADD Media



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