Framework Ventures Launches $400M DeFi Fund Targeting Gaming, Web3 Startups

Framework Ventures, known for early-stage DeFi investments, said blockchain gaming could see “significant growth” over the next five years

article-image

Blockworks exclusive art by axel rangel

share
  • The firm said it’s earmarked $200 million for blockchain gaming startups
  • Framework now oversees approximately $1.4 billion, making it one of the largest VCs in blockchain

Venture capital firm Framework Ventures has raised $400 million for a fund focused on investing in early-stage startups involved in some of the crypto industry’s frothiest sectors.

Framework’s third fund (FVIII) is expected to target blockchain gaming, Web3 and DeFi startups, as well as networks in the hope of banking big on the next successful crypto vertical, according to a statement Tuesday.

Of the total $400 million, 50%, or $200 million, has been earmarked for blockchain gaming, Adam Badrawi, the firm’s communications partner told Blockworks in an email. Badrawi declined to comment on where the remaining 50% would be split.

The firm now oversees approximately $1.4 billion, pole-vaulting it to one of the largest VCs in the blockchain industry. The majority of Framework’s assets stem from a small set of institutional stakeholders.

Considered by some as one of the earliest DeFi (decentralized finance) venture capital firms, Framework planted its roots in 2019 by leveraging an $8 million raise slated for the budding growth of DeFi.

Now intending to expand upon its beginnings, Framework said its investor team had “identified” the industry’s gaming sector as an area of “significant growth” over the next five years.

The company said it was “reinforcing its commitment,” having already dedicated large swaths of capital to various segments of the gaming sector following early round investments in Stardust and the $6 billion project shooting for a Triple-A title, Illuvium.

“We believe we have pioneered a new style of crypto investing…and intend to deploy it aggressively across other major verticals in the blockchain industry,” Framework Co-founder Vance Spencer said. “We believe we’re well-positioned to outperform our competitors, including the Sand Hill set that is only now coming into crypto and Web3.”


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

allora-image.png

Research

Decentralized AI coordination networks solve crypto's growing architectural mismatch: applications built on trustless infrastructure shouldn't depend on centralized intelligence providers. By turning model outputs into competitive marketplaces, protocols like Allora are building the permissionless intelligence layer that AI-powered DeFi and autonomous agents require.

article-image

Ethereum rolls out Fusaka, setting the stage for a stronger blob fee market and renewed deflationary potential

article-image

Futuristic DeFi is stuck inside the computer. An old idea might be its escape hatch

article-image

Money market indicators are flashing liquidity stress again as crypto underperforms equities

article-image

From passageways to penumbras: a history of private life

article-image

BTC’s Asia-session move and Ethena’s weaker yields reflect a market adjusting to tighter yen funding and softer derivatives carry

article-image

What Monad’s launch, MegaETH pre-market pricing, and the Berachain refund story say about today’s infra market