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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The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has assured travellers and other airport users that enhanced health surveillance measures have been activated across the country’s international airports following renewed Ebola concerns in parts of Central Africa.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, FAAN said the measures were introduced in collaboration with Port Health Services, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention(NCDC) and other relevant agencies to strengthen preparedness and prevent possible health risks.
According to the authority, surveillance and passenger monitoring have been intensified, particularly for travellers arriving from high-risk regions.
“Passengers are being screened for symptoms associated with Ebola, and any suspected case will be promptly isolated and subjected to secondary health checks in line with established national and international health protocols,” the statement said.
FAAN noted that additional emergency response procedures have also been reinforced while airport personnel have undergone increased sensitisation as part of precautionary efforts.
The authority stressed that there is currently no confirmed Ebola case in Nigeria but said it remains vigilant in safeguarding public health and ensuring safe airport operations.
“FAAN remains vigilant and fully committed to safeguarding public health and maintaining safe airport operations,” the agency stated.
Passengers were also advised to remain calm, cooperate with health screening procedures and report any symptoms to health officials at the airports.
The development comes as health authorities across parts of Africa continue to monitor Ebola-related concerns and strengthen border surveillance to prevent cross-border transmission.
Nigeria’s aviation and health authorities have previously activated similar emergency screening measures during periods of global and regional disease outbreaks, including the COVID-19 pandemic and earlier Ebola scares.
Your shot at VC access, global visibility, TechCrunch coverage, and $100,000 in equity-free funding is gone in a week.
Startup Battlefield 200 applications close May 27. If you’re building a breakout startup — or know a founder who is — this is the moment to act.
Apply todayfor the opportunity to take the stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, October 13-15, alongside 200 of the world’s most promising early-stage startups.
Image Credits:Kimberly White / Getty Images
The clock is ticking for early-stage founders
Pre-Series A founders, consider this your final countdown reminder: the strongest startups are already entering the arena, and the application window is closing fast.
If your startup has already been nominated, don’t wait to complete your application. This final week moves quickly, and last-minute submissions risk getting buried as applications surge ahead of the deadline.
Know a startup that deserves the spotlight? Nominate them now so they still have time to apply before May 27.
The companies that define categories rarely start polished
Some of the most consequential companies in tech history didn’t launch with splashy fundraising announcements. They started with a pitch.
Dropbox demoed to a room full of skeptics. Cloudflare took the stage before most people understood what edge networking meant. Discord was still a scrappy gaming startup called Hammer & Chisel.
Image Credits:TechCrunch
They all passed through the same crucible: Startup Battlefield 200. That’s not a coincidence — it’s a pattern. And it starts with an application.
Startup Battlefield 200 has never been a competition for the most polished companies. It’s a competition for the most promising ones. Pre-launch is fine. No revenue is fine. What matters is whether what you’re building genuinely changes something — not incrementally, but meaningfully.
If you or a founder you know is building something impactful, then the application itself becomes the first pitch. Apply before May 27.
Selected startups will showcase live on the Disrupt Stage in front of 10,000+ attendees, leading VCs, global media, and the broader TechCrunch audience. This is your opportunity to gain investor exposure, receive direct VC feedback, and prove your company belongs among the next generation of category-defining startups.
Every one of the 200 selected companies receives:
A fully funded three-day exhibition booth at Disrupt
Founder masterclasses with world-class VCs and operators
A featured startup profile in the event app
Press list access and lead-generation opportunities
Opportunities for TechCrunch editorial coverage, podcasts, and speaking appearances as the company grows
And every selected company pitches, whether on the Disrupt Stage or the Pitch Showcase Stage. Both put founders in front of the investors, media, and partners who attend Disrupt specifically to find what’s next.
The Startup Battlefield 200 track record speaks for itself
More than 1,700 companies have competed in Startup Battlefield 200. Together, they’ve raised over $32 billion and generated more than 250 exits, including acquisitions by Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, Uber, and Amazon.
The network runs so deep that alumni have even acquired each other: Dropbox acquired fellow Battlefield 200 alum DocSend in 2021.
This is also the same launchpad that helped accelerate companies like Fitbit, Trello, and Mint.
Behind every one of those outcomes was a founder willing to make a bet on themselves publicly, in front of people who were paying attention. Apply and learn more here.
Who should apply?
We’re looking for ambitious early-stage startups building innovative, potentially category-defining products.
Applications are open globally across all industries. Most selected companies are pre-Series A, though select Series A startups may qualify on a case-by-case basis.
To apply, startups should have:
Founders with vision, execution, and real traction
Thousands apply every year. Only 200 are selected. Just 20 finalists pitch live on the Disrupt Stage. One startup takes the crown and wins $100,000 in equity-free funding.
One week left to make your move
The founders who wait until they feel ready often wait too long. You do not need to be polished. You need to be promising.
If you’ve been sitting on this, here’s the reality: the worst outcome is you don’t get selected this cycle — and you come back next year with a stronger application because you went through the process.
The stage matters. The community lasts. The milestone is real. But the deadline is now one week away.