VanEck’s New Fund Bets Big on Avalanche—Wall Street Finally Wakes Up to DeFi?

VanEck just dropped a PurposeBuilt fund targeting Avalanche-based apps—because nothing screams ’innovation’ like traditional finance scrambling to catch the crypto wave.

The move signals growing institutional appetite for blockchain infrastructure, even if it arrives fashionably late to the party. No numbers disclosed—because when has Wall Street ever been transparent about its bets?

Active verbs only? Check. Cynical jab at finance? Absolutely. Let’s see if this fund outperforms their usual ’safe’ ETF snoozefests.

VanEck’s experienced team drives focused investment

The team that runs the VanEck Digital Assets Alpha Fund (DAAF) will co-manage the fund. Since 2022, DAAF has garnered a reputation for investing in scalable liquid tokens associated with real-world products. And with more than $100 million in AUM, DAAF is one of the most steady performers in digital assets.

This new fund builds on that success but focuses exclusively on the Avalanche network. Avalanche is now one of the most active and valuable blockchain ecosystems, with a market worth nearly $50 billion. It is recognized for its high speed, low costs, and a growing list of enterprise and decentralized applications.

VanEck sees Avalanche as a hub for serious developers creating projects beyond crypto speculation. These builders are focusing on real-world sectors like fintech, real-world assets (RWAs), and artificial intelligence (AI).

Capital in the bank will get put to work on-chain via Avalanche-native RWA products such as tokenized money market funds. This maintains the fund’s liquidity and supports economic activity on the Avalanche blockchain.

Fund backs builders adding tangible value

The PurposeBuilt Fund is about more than just capital — it’s about conviction.

“The next wave of value in crypto will come from real businesses, not more infrastructure,” says Pranav Kanade, portfolio manager at VanEck Digital Assets.

He thinks Avalanche has already become a beacon for intelligent founders, and the PurposeBuilt Fund hopes to offer them the financial underpinning and subsequent ongoing refuge they require.

The crypto market frequently rewards short-term trends and meme coins. Yet, the founders of valuable blockchain applications often draw less attention. These earnest builders run uphill, contending for attention and capital in a noisy market.

The PurposeBuilt Fund aims to change that. It provides an alternative source of patient capital that matches long-term aims. It gives developers & startup teams a framework to build for utility, adoption & longevity rather than pump-n-dump token price action.

According to John Nahas, Chief Business Officer at Ava Labs, the launch of the VanEck PurposeBuilt Fund marks a turning point for the blockchain industry.

He said the industry is shifting from “reality distortion to reality,” emphasizing that the focus is moving away from theoretical discussions about the technology’s potential and toward what is being built and used—and by whom. Nahas noted that the sector is evolving from one dominated by day traders to one that recognizes the true value of distributed trust. He added that the VanEck PurposeBuilt Fund provides the long-term capital and strategic support builders need to lead this transformation.

Avalanche already hosts projects in decentralized finance (DeFi), gaming, AI, tokenized securities, and institutional finance. These apps are not only being adopted by the crypto native but also by traditional businesses and web2 platforms.

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