Strategy:
Blockchain Capital is a pioneer and the leading venture capital firm investing in Blockchain-enabled technology companies. Our seed fund was the first VC fund dedicated to the Bitcoin/Blockchain ecosystem, launched in the fall of 2013, and was also the first fund to accept Bitcoin capital calls. Based in San Francisco, Blockchain Capital invests in the best entrepreneurs who foster innovation in the Blockchain economy.
The firm has invested in more than 50 companies in the last 4 years, investing alongside leading Silicon Valley venture capital firms. They are a multi-stage, sector-specific venture capital investor looking to gain diverse exposure to the Blockchain economy while providing unique co-investment opportunities and an exclusive deal stream for our investors.
P. Bart Stephens, Managing Partner and Co-Founder
Bart Stephens is the founder and managing partner of Blockchain Capital, the general partner of the Crypto Currency Partners funds. Bart Stephens has also been a Managing Partner of Stephens Investment Management, LLC (SIM). Stephens Investment Management is a family owned and operated hedge fund and venture capital firm. Bart and his brother and co-founder Brad coined the term and pioneered “Nanocap” investing: venture capital style investing in the public markets focused on micro-cap stocks.
Bart has a background as an operating entrepreneur and venture capitalist. Prior to co-founding SIM, Bart was Executive Vice President of Venture Capital at Ivanhoe Capital Corporation (ICC), an international investment firm.
Prior to joining ICC, Bart was a founding investor and director of corporate and business development for Oncology.com. Oncology.com grew to be the largest cancer-related website on the Internet before being sold to Pharmacia (now Pfizer) in 2001.
Prior to Oncology.com, Bart spent more than two years with E*TRADE, one of the first Internet innovators in online financial services. . While at E*TRADE, he held senior positions focused on product marketing, business development, and corporate development. Bart earned a BA in Political Science from Princeton University. While at Princeton, his academic work focused on the intersection of information technology and national security issues.
W. Bradford Stephens, Managing Partner and Co-Founder
Brad Stephens is a Founding Partner and Managing Partner of Blockchain Capital, the general partner of the Crypto Currency Partners funds.
Brad has also been a Managing Partner at Stephens Investment Management, which he co-founded in 2002. His diverse experience in domestic and international finance includes sell-side equity research, hedge fund management, venture capital, and family office management. Prior to co-founding SIM, Brad worked as a Senior Analyst at Fidelity Ventures, the venture capital arm of Fidelity Investments. At Fidelity, Brad focused on the areas of Internet Security and New Media, leading investments in e-Security, Sanctum and Managed Objects. He also founded the Fidelity Biometric Consortium, a state-of-the-art collaboration of all Fidelity business units designed to explore, test and implement biometric security systems within Fidelity and, eventually, its consumer customers.
Brad has also worked as a research analyst in CSFB’s Technology Group, specializing in Internet security and Internet infrastructure software. While at CSFB, Brad helped raise more than $1.3 billion for covered companies. Prior to CSFB, Brad worked as a research analyst at Furman Selz (later acquired by ING Barings), where he co-founded its Internet Research Group and co-authored the first financial industry paper on Internet security.
Brad has a Bachelor of Arts from Duke University where he majored in Economics with an emphasis on China. This work included direct venture capital experience in Beijing, where he helped fund the seed of SRS, the first technology venture investment in China, which later became Sina.com (Nasdaq: SINA). Brad is also on the board of directors of IMI Exchange, the world’s leading virtual goods exchange, headquartered in Seoul, Korea.
Spencer Bogart, Managing Director and Head of Research
Spencer Bogart is Managing Director and Head of Research at Blockchain Capital, the general partner of Blockchain Capital venture funds. Spencer is a fundamental investment analyst with a rare combination of deep experience analyzing cryptocurrency and traditional equity opportunities.
Prior to joining Blockchain Capital, Spencer was a vice president at Needham & Company, where he authored Wall Street’s first industry report highlighting the use cases, businesses, and potential of blockchain technology. He was also the most active Bitcoin analyst on Wall Street, writing detailed reports and research on Bitcoin’s fundamental value proposition, price forecast, and technical advances. In addition to leading all Bitcoin and Blockchain-related research efforts during her time at Needham & Company, Spencer also covered public SaaS, FinTech, and Internet companies, produced reports on those sectors, and issued price targets for companies under coverage.
Prior to Needham & Company, Spencer got his start in the world of startups, where he helped create a first-of-its-kind proprietary research platform for analyzing exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which was later acquired by FactSet.
Given his rare combination of skill sets and his history of actively publishing reports, Spencer is widely cited in the Bitcoin and Blockchain industry and is a regular speaker at industry and startup events. Spencer is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and earned his bachelor’s degree in business economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
JoAnne Lauer, Director of Operations (COO)
JoAnne Lauer is the COO of Blockchain Capital. He draws on more than 30 years in financial services and educational organizations, driving growth in his roles that span leadership, operations, relationship management, and professional training. JoAnne plays a strategic role at Blockchain Capital managing operations, systems and resources, from investor relations and investment execution to legal and regulatory compliance.
Prior to Blockchain Capital, JoAnne was Director of Global Programs for two international communications and executive leadership firms before founding her own professional advisory and consulting practice.
JoAnne was also Vice President of Investor Relations and Regulatory Affairs at Belvedere Capital, the first private equity firm to become a bank holding company, where she managed multiple complex regulatory relationships, coordinated fundraising, and managed all investor legal and accounting relationships. , holding companies and subcontractors. as well as the administrative team.
JoAnne earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, and Organizational Development from Sonoma State University, and is a Certified Professional Trainer.
Jeremy Gardner, Entrepreneur in Residence
Residence Jeremy Gardner is Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Blockchain Capital. He has been involved in the blockchain sector since 2013 and has founded several successful companies in the industry.
In early 2014, Jeremy founded what is now known as the Blockchain Education Network (BEN). What started as a small hodgepodge of “bitcoin clubs” quickly grew into a global network of student organizations, spanning every continent, over thirty countries, and nearly four hundred schools today. Jeremy still serves as the chairman of the board.
In late 2014, Jeremy co-founded Augur, a decentralized prediction market platform built on the Ethereum blockchain. Jeremy traveled the world raising awareness for Augur. This culminated in the first Ethereum ICO for Augur’s native REP token, raising $5.2 million. Currently, REP’s market capitalization is around $400 million, and Augur plans to launch in the summer of 2017.
Since joining Blockchain Capital, Jeremy has helped several portfolio companies navigate the industry and bolstered their operations and marketing. He is also editor-in-chief of Distributed, the only print magazine dedicated to blockchain technology.
