May 29, 2025 – California, United States Blockchain Builders, a venture fund deeply integrated within the Stanford blockchain ecosystem, has announced the successful closing of its oversubscribed $28 million Fund I. This pre-seed and seed-stage fund focuses on investing in Stanford’s pioneering crypto community along with outstanding founders from other top-tier institutions. Founded by Stanford graduate students Gil Rosen, Kun Peng, and Steven Willinger, the fund has already deployed over $16 million across 40 blockchain startups covering sectors such as AI, infrastructure, DeFi, DePIN, payments, and RWAs (real-world assets). The eight-year Fund I is on track to fully deploy its remaining capital by year-end, with numerous portfolio projects gearing up for upcoming TGEs (token generation events). Noteworthy portfolio companies include modular AI blockchain 0G (backed by Hack VC, Bankless, Delphi Digital), supercomputer venture Nexus Labs (supported by Lightspeed, Pantera, Dragonfly), open-access AI cloud Hyperbolic (funded by Variant, Polychain, Topology), and blockless layer-one Pod (invested in by a16z, 1kx). Kun Peng, co-founder of Blockchain Builders, stated, “Blockchain Builders emerged from our firsthand experience growing the Stanford blockchain ecosystem. “We initiated Stanford’s Blockchain Accelerator, teach the MS&E 447 Blockchain Entrepreneurship course, and produce the BASS (Blockchain Application Stanford Summit) conference series. “These programs have supported over 200 founders, engaged 400 students, and attracted nearly 5, 000 cumulative attendees, creating a robust network to inspire, support, and mentor new founders towards success. ” Professor David Tse, founder of Babylon, added, “Stanford has a long history of blockchain research and innovation, including the Tse Lab I lead, the Center for Blockchain Research, and courses like my EE 374 on blockchain infrastructure. “It also organizes the BASS events, MS&E 447 entrepreneurship class, and the Stanford blockchain accelerator, which have all nurtured the founder ecosystem and helped launch many blockchain startups. ” The fund’s leadership combines deep expertise from both traditional finance and crypto sectors. Steven Willinger previously led Coinbase Ventures, invested at Capital One Ventures, and held roles in product and partnerships at Blockstream and Google/Google X. Gil Rosen, an active angel investor, bootstrapped a 100-employee venture developing distributed compute infrastructure for JPMorgan, the London Stock Exchange, and the IRS before exiting to AI platform NGData. Kun Peng brings extensive founder experience across Web 3. 0 domains including crypto analytics and indexing, NFT, DeFi, and infrastructure. Gil Rosen further commented, “Our strong Stanford connections provide early access to high-potential founders who appreciate our hands-on involvement. “We actively engage in the details of strategy, go-to-market, and fundraising — positioning founders optimally for competitive follow-on rounds led by top-tier investors. ” Looking ahead to Fund II, the team is broadening its support to the new IC3-Cornell accelerator, which encompasses Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, Princeton, Yale, and UCL, and is collaborating on leading industry events with the Ethereum Foundation, Solana, Starkware, BASE (Coinbase), among others, advancing its mission to support founders nationwide. About Blockchain Builders Fund Blockchain Builders is a venture fund focused on pre-seed and seed-stage blockchain founders, primarily sourced from the Stanford ecosystem. Led by seasoned builders and operators dedicated to early-stage ventures, the team combines capital investment with hands-on support to ensure founder success. Its initiatives include Stanford’s Blockchain Accelerator, the BASS conference series, MS&E 447, and strategic partnerships with prominent academic institutions to cultivate the next generation of blockchain innovators. Contact