From 24 to 1 to 5: YC No Longer Invests in Crypto, But Crypto Hasn't Disappeared

marsbitPublicado a 2026-02-20Actualizado a 2026-02-20

Resumen

The article analyzes Y Combinator's shifting investment strategy in crypto, moving from a peak of 24 crypto startups in a single batch (Winter 2022) to a low of just 1 (Summer 2024), with a recent modest rebound to 5 in Winter 2026. The key insight is that while the *number* of crypto investments has drastically fallen, the *nature* of these investments has fundamentally changed. YC is no longer funding traditional crypto-native sectors like L1/L2 protocols, DeFi, or NFTs. Instead, the five recent investments are infrastructure companies that use crypto as a backend tool to solve specific problems, with the end-user often unaware of the underlying blockchain technology. Examples include: * **Unifold:** A Stripe-like API for crypto deposits. * **SpotPay:** A cross-border neobank powered by stablecoins. * **Sequence Markets:** An execution engine for digital asset trading. * **Orthogonal:** A payment gateway for AI agents to pay for APIs, utilizing crypto for machine-to-machine micropayments. * **Forum:** A regulated "attention exchange" to trade on cultural trends, potentially involving tokenization. The author, a professional in both crypto and AI, concludes that Silicon Valley's mainstream is redefining crypto's value proposition: its greatest potential is not as a standalone industry but as invisible infrastructure for other sectors, particularly in stablecoin financial services and emerging fields like AI agent economies. The message for crypto builders is to f...

Author: aiwatch, Crypto industry 6+ years, deeply involved in the AI track for the past two years, based in Silicon Valley, focused on GenAI product analysis and Crypto×AI cross-domain research.

I've been in the Crypto industry for six or seven years, and for the past two years, I've also been deeply involved in the AI track, based in Silicon Valley. Being in both circles, a very clear feeling is: in the mainstream Silicon Valley circles, the term Crypto is mentioned less and less, but the things Crypto does are being used more and more.

I want to bring back some signals from the AI side for Crypto practitioners to reference.

<极简版后续翻译，因字符限制无法完全显示，但会保持所有HTML标签和结构，完整翻译所有段落和图片占位符>

Preguntas relacionadas

QWhat is the main trend in Y Combinator's investment strategy regarding crypto companies, as described in the article?

AYC is no longer investing in crypto industry per se, but rather in companies that use crypto as infrastructure to solve real-world problems, with users often unaware they are interacting with blockchain technology.

QHow did YC's crypto investment numbers change from the peak in 2022 to Winter 2026?

AYC's crypto investments peaked in 2022 with 24 companies in Winter and 20 in Summer (44 total), then dramatically dropped to just 1 company in Summer 2024, before slightly recovering to 5 companies in Winter 2026.

QWhat are the two most notable crypto-related projects from YC Winter 2026 and what problems do they solve?

AOrthogonal creates a payment gateway for AI Agents to make micro-payments for API calls using crypto, while Forum is building a regulated attention exchange that quantifies and allows trading of attention as an asset class.

QWhat significant shift occurred in YC's Request for Startups (RFS) regarding crypto in Spring 2026?

AYC's Spring 2026 RFS specifically mentioned 'Stablecoin Financial Services' for the first time in nearly two years, highlighting regulatory developments and opportunities in yield-bearing accounts, tokenized real-world assets, and cross-border payment infrastructure.

QAccording to the article, what does the author believe is the most accurate interpretation of YC's changing crypto investment pattern?

AThe author believes the pattern indicates crypto is being redefined - its greatest value may not be as a standalone industry but as infrastructure for other industries, where the best crypto products are those where users don't even notice crypto's presence.

Lecturas Relacionadas

Financing Weekly Report | 10 Public Financing Events, Sports Prediction Market Novig Completes $75 Million Series B Financing Led by Pantera Capital

Last week (Feb 16-22) saw 10 disclosed blockchain funding rounds totaling over $143 million. Key highlights include Novig's $75 million Series B led by Pantera Capital for its sports prediction market, valuing the company at $500 million. In DeFi, derivatives protocol MYX secured a strategic investment from Consensys. Web3+AI firm Unicity Labs raised $3 million in seed funding. Infrastructure investments included $13 million for wallet infrastructure Kresus Labs and $8 million for API infrastructure Monark Markets. CeFi saw Stake raise $31 million in a Series B for its real estate tokenization platform, and Newity raised $11 million to explore on-chain small business lending. Other prediction market deals included PRED's $2.5 million seed round and a strategic investment in Kalshi by Tradeweb. Additionally, Dragonfly closed a $650 million crypto venture fund.

marsbitHace 1 hora(s)

Financing Weekly Report | 10 Public Financing Events, Sports Prediction Market Novig Completes $75 Million Series B Financing Led by Pantera Capital

marsbitHace 1 hora(s)

Too busy to vote? Vitalik Buterin says AI can do it for you!

Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum Co-Founder, has proposed a novel solution to address low participation and centralization in DAO governance: AI-powered voting agents. Instead of requiring users to manually vote on every proposal, each user would have a personal AI model trained on their messages, opinions, and past decisions. This AI would then vote on their behalf, exactly as the user would. Buterin highlights that the current delegation model is disempowering and leads to voting power being concentrated with a few large token holders. His proposal aims to make DAOs more scalable and truly decentralized. A key aspect is ensuring user privacy and security. These AI agents would operate within secure systems like trusted execution environments, and zero-knowledge proofs could be used to protect voter identity and prevent risks like bribery or coercion. Furthermore, AI agents could automatically handle routine votes, alerting users only for important decisions, and prediction markets could be used to filter out spam proposals. In summary, this AI voting system could fundamentally transform DAO governance by increasing participation, reducing centralization, and maintaining user privacy.

ambcryptoHace 1 hora(s)

Too busy to vote? Vitalik Buterin says AI can do it for you!

ambcryptoHace 1 hora(s)

Interaction Collection | Mahojin Check-in to Earn Points; KAIO Waitlist Application (February 23)

Original Author: Asher (@Asher_ 0210) from Odaily Planet Daily (@OdailyChina) **Mahojin** An AI infrastructure platform aiming to become the "GitHub" for AI model creators and dataset developers. It enables intellectual property tracking and compensates original contributors. On April 1, 2025, Mahojin announced a $5 million funding round co-led by a16z CSX and Maelstrom. **Interaction Guide:** 1. Visit the official website, sign in, and link your X account. 2. Click "MAHO Points" and complete daily check-ins to earn points. 3. Upgrade your plan for additional point bonuses. **KAIO** A Layer 1 blockchain focused on institutional-grade RWA tokenization. In 2023, KAIO raised $11 million in funding, led by Laser Digital (Nomura’s digital asset subsidiary) and WebN Group. **Interaction Guide:** 1. Join the waitlist by connecting your wallet and submitting required information. 2. Complete related tasks on Galxe. **Edgen** An intelligent trading assistant for crypto assets, providing real-time market intelligence and actionable trading insights for retail and institutional traders. It has raised a total of $11 million across two funding rounds, with investments from Framework Ventures and North Island Ventures. **Interaction Guide:** 1. Log in via X account on the official website. 2. Complete daily check-in tasks in the "Task Center." 3. Additional tasks include beginner, weekly, and social missions.

Odaily星球日报Hace 1 hora(s)

Interaction Collection | Mahojin Check-in to Earn Points; KAIO Waitlist Application (February 23)

Odaily星球日报Hace 1 hora(s)

Wintermute CEO: The Crypto Industry Has Lost Its Way, Only Personal Sovereignty Is the Path Worth Taking

Wintermute CEO Evgeny Gaevoy critiques the current state of the crypto industry, arguing it has lost its philosophical soul despite surface-level successes like institutional adoption and stablecoin growth. He identifies three potential futures: TradFi absorbing crypto (most likely but undesirable), governments surrendering to permissionless chains (unrealistic), or a parallel sovereign system coexisting independently (the only worthy path). Rejecting the allure of efficiency and convenience offered by centralized and regulated models, Gaevoy calls for a return to crypto’s core ethos: building unstoppable, censorship-resistant systems that prioritize individual sovereignty. This requires embracing true decentralization, privacy tools, algorithmic stablecoins, and infrastructure resistant to external control—creating exits for those seeking freedom from increasingly authoritarian systems.

marsbitHace 2 hora(s)

Wintermute CEO: The Crypto Industry Has Lost Its Way, Only Personal Sovereignty Is the Path Worth Taking

marsbitHace 2 hora(s)

Why is Cardano’s share rising in Grayscale’s fund? Explained!

While retail investors panic over Cardano's 22% price drop, Grayscale Smart Contract Fund has increased ADA's allocation to 20.34%, reinforcing its position as the fund's third-largest asset. This repeated institutional accumulation contrasts with short-term bearish sentiment, indicating long-term confidence. Key metrics suggest a potential market bottom, with falling MVRV Ratio and Open Interest signaling weak holders have exited. Meanwhile, Cardano undergoes major technical upgrades and prepares to launch the privacy-focused Midnight chain. Institutions appear to bet on ADA's infrastructure development despite current price weakness, anticipating a possible recovery.

ambcryptoHace 2 hora(s)

Why is Cardano’s share rising in Grayscale’s fund? Explained!

ambcryptoHace 2 hora(s)

Trading

Spot
Futuros

Artículos destacados

Cómo comprar T

¡Bienvenido a HTX.com! Hemos hecho que comprar Threshold Network Token (T) sea simple y conveniente. Sigue nuestra guía paso a paso para iniciar tu viaje de criptos.Paso 1: crea tu cuenta HTXUtiliza tu correo electrónico o número de teléfono para registrarte y obtener una cuenta gratuita en HTX. Experimenta un proceso de registro sin complicaciones y desbloquea todas las funciones.Obtener mi cuentaPaso 2: ve a Comprar cripto y elige tu método de pagoTarjeta de crédito/débito: usa tu Visa o Mastercard para comprar Threshold Network Token (T) al instante.Saldo: utiliza fondos del saldo de tu cuenta HTX para tradear sin problemas.Terceros: hemos agregado métodos de pago populares como Google Pay y Apple Pay para mejorar la comodidad.P2P: tradear directamente con otros usuarios en HTX.Over-the-Counter (OTC): ofrecemos servicios personalizados y tipos de cambio competitivos para los traders.Paso 3: guarda tu Threshold Network Token (T)Después de comprar tu Threshold Network Token (T), guárdalo en tu cuenta HTX. Alternativamente, puedes enviarlo a otro lugar mediante transferencia blockchain o utilizarlo para tradear otras criptomonedas.Paso 4: tradear Threshold Network Token (T)Tradear fácilmente con Threshold Network Token (T) en HTX's mercado spot. Simplemente accede a tu cuenta, selecciona tu par de trading, ejecuta tus trades y monitorea en tiempo real. Ofrecemos una experiencia fácil de usar tanto para principiantes como para traders experimentados.

183 Vistas totalesPublicado en 2024.12.10Actualizado en 2025.03.21

Discusiones

Bienvenido a la comunidad de HTX. Aquí puedes mantenerte informado sobre los últimos desarrollos de la plataforma y acceder a análisis profesionales del mercado. A continuación se presentan las opiniones de los usuarios sobre el precio de T (T).

活动图片