United States, July 1, 2021 /AlexaBlockchain/ – Crypto asset manager Valkyrie Investments has raised approximately $10 million in Series A funding round, which garnered significant interest from a wide variety of investors across multiple industries and verticals including professional sports, media, finance, and more.
This funding round also saw participation from Precept Capital Management, Tron Founder Justin Sun, former Major League pitcher CJ Wilson, XBTO, BTC Media, UTXO Management, Litecoin founder Charlie Lee, Consolidated Trading, 10X Capital, angel investor Brad Mills, and the prominent crypto trader Scott Melker, among others.
About Valkyrie Investments
Valkyrie Investments, Inc. is a specialized alternative asset financial services firm at the intersection of traditional finance and the emerging cryptocurrency sector whose affiliates aim to offer asset management, research, and other services. Headquartered in Nashville, the Firm and its affiliates aim to create and manage bespoke portfolios and products, including managing exposure to digital assets and other frontier investments.
Leah Wald, a World Bank veteran, co-founded the company along with Guggenheim Partners and Galaxy Digital veteran Steven McClurg, who serves as Valkyrie’s Chief Investment Officer. They have assembled a top tier team of professionals with decades of experience in traditional markets at firms including UBS, Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME Group), and elsewhere, with the goal of bringing Wall Street rigor and compliance standards to a nascent asset class.
Valkyrie is led by seasoned asset managers who have previously launched multiple ETFs, publicly traded funds and ETPs, including bitcoin and altcoin trusts with backgrounds across Guggenheim Partners, UBS, Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and The World Bank.
Valkyrie Investments CEO Leah Wald, said:
“We believe crypto and digital assets are changing how people view, use, and invest their money. Our goal, as a firm, is to help bring more access to the opportunities they provide to a wider audience of people, and to do so in a managed, research-driven manner that ultimately provides best-in-class products to all kinds of investors.”
The Firm aims to provide a wide range of investment products and services ranging from trusts and separately managed accounts, to multiple exchange traded funds (ETFs) that are pending approval from the SEC.
Litecoin founder, Charlie Lee, one of the investors in Series A round, has all praise for the Valkyrie team. Charlie said:
“Leah and Steven have a great vision for how they want to bring investment opportunities to market, and I couldn’t be happier to support them on this journey.”
A recent study by Gemini, conducted in November 2020, revealed that about 20 million adults are likely to jump into the crypto asset markets over the next year, which would double today’s current retail investor base; additionally, the survey revealed nearly two-thirds of adults in the U.S. are ‘crypto curious,’ a term used to describe those who do not yet own crypto but want to learn more and soon buy some.
“This is an exciting time to be in the crypto markets,” said McClurg, adding that “demand for our products has been strong, and goes to show that even with markets having an uneven year, many family offices, investors, and others still seem to believe in the long-term potential of digital assets, and are see this as an opportunity to position themselves for success during the next bull cycle.”
Valkyrie currently offers managed products across a number of digital assets including Bitcoin, Polkadot, and other digital assets about to be announced.
The funds raised are intended to be used to further build the Firm’s presence in Nashville including hiring additional research, trading, compliance, marketing, and sales staff; develop the firm’s product pipeline, broaden distribution channels, and more. The Firm also plans to expand its presence in Asia, when conditions permit.