TLDR:
Key Points:
- Auros, a crypto trading firm, has established a venture capital arm called Auros Ventures.
- The firm plans to invest over $50 million in early-stage crypto startups in the next two years.
Auros has appointed Julien Auchecorne as the head of Auros Ventures, who previously held roles at hedge fund Brevan Howard and digital asset services platform XBTO International. The firm has already invested close to $20 million in projects like Pyth and Berachain. Auros aims to make concentrated bets on seed and series A stage projects to help them scale. The company’s goal is to form strategic partnerships with portfolio companies and not use investments as a client acquisition tool for their market-making business.
This move follows a rebound in crypto VC investments in the first half of 2024 after a tough capital drought. Auros estimates that it handles roughly 4% of the global crypto trading volume on exchanges, showing its growing presence in the market. With this venture capital arm, Auros joins other major market makers like Wintermute and Cumberland DRW in diversifying their business.
