Framework Ventures Raises $400 Million as Crypto VCs Expand Into AI, Robotics and Energy

One of crypto's best-known venture capital firms is broadening its investment strategy.

Framework Ventures has reportedly closed a $400 million fourth fund that will continue backing crypto startups while expanding into artificial intelligence, robotics and energy—signaling how blockchain investors are increasingly looking beyond digital assets for the next wave of frontier technologies.

Roughly half of the new fund has already been deployed, although Framework's co-founders Vance Spencer and Michael Anderson declined to disclose the fund's limited partners.

The raise comes as venture capital firms that built their reputations investing in crypto begin diversifying into adjacent sectors without abandoning blockchain altogether.

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Crypto Is Still Part of the Thesis

Despite the expanded mandate, Framework says the move isn't a pivot away from crypto.

Instead, the firm argues it's following the same founders who are increasingly building at the intersection of blockchain, AI and other emerging technologies.

"We can see these founders leading us in this direction," Anderson explained in a recent interview. "We should pay attention."

That philosophy reflects a broader shift taking place across venture capital. Rather than treating crypto, artificial intelligence and robotics as separate industries, investors are increasingly viewing them as overlapping technologies that will shape the next generation of internet infrastructure.

Betting on the Next Frontier

The new fund has already backed several projects outside traditional crypto investing. Earlier this month, Framework participated in a $60 million funding round for robotics data startup Mecka AI, marking one of its most notable AI-related investments to date.

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The firm has also continued making sizeable bets on blockchain infrastructure.

In February, Framework partnered with mortgage lender Better to provide up to $500 million in financing through the Sky stablecoin ecosystem. It also acquired a $45 million equity stake in Better, representing roughly 10% of the company.

The investments highlight Framework's growing interest in businesses where blockchain intersects with traditional finance, artificial intelligence and real-world infrastructure.

From DeFi Pioneer to Multi-Sector Investor

Founded in 2019, Framework Ventures established itself during the early decentralized finance boom by backing infrastructure projects that would become some of crypto's largest protocols.

Its portfolio today includes Aave, Chainlink, Hyperliquid, Jito Labs, and Plasma, alongside dozens of other blockchain startups spanning decentralized finance, infrastructure and digital assets.

The company launched its first crypto-focused fund in 2019 before raising a $100 million second fund in 2021 and another $400 million fund in 2022.

While those earlier vehicles focused almost exclusively on crypto, the latest raise marks the firm's broadest investment mandate yet.

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A Sign of Where Venture Capital Is Headed

Framework's latest fund reflects a growing trend across the venture industry.

Many crypto-native investors are no longer limiting themselves to blockchain startups, instead targeting technologies they believe will converge over the coming decade.

Artificial intelligence is expected to require decentralized compute, robotics increasingly relies on machine-to-machine payments, while stablecoins and tokenization continue pushing blockchain deeper into traditional financial markets.

Rather than viewing these sectors as competing for investment dollars, firms like Framework increasingly see them as complementary.

The strategy also arrives as venture funding for crypto begins to recover after two years of subdued investment activity. While capital remains selective, investors appear increasingly willing to back founders building infrastructure with applications that extend beyond Web3.