Crypto has to be more ‘efficient’ with the money being used

“Be prepared to do more with less,” Framework Ventures’ Michael Anderson said

article-image

Framework Ventures co-founder Michael Anderson | DAS 2025 New York by Mike Lawrence for Blockworks

share

This is a segment from the Empire newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.


“Be prepared to do more with less,” Framework Ventures’ Michael Anderson said on this week’s Empire round-up

Empire co-host Santiago Santos joined the Bell Curve round-up to chat about the cycle, and he talked a lot about what this moment means for founders, given that the overall attitude around crypto is pretty bullish…and yet it’s a tough time to build in crypto. 

As Dragonfly’s Rob Hadick told us yesterday, the valuations are pretty high at this point, and Anderson added another interesting layer: This industry has to be “efficient with the money that we’re using.”

“ There is generally going to be less money than people expect. Every year over the last five years, we’ve had less money than the previous year from a venture-allocation perspective,” he added. 

For the founders out there, Santos offered some advice from his unique position of being both a VC and a founder himself: Keep at least 24 months of runway and “understand your position in the stack.”

Which means having an understanding of a monetization plan. 

Santos added that Facebook, back when it was planning to go public — and even after it IPO’d — didn’t have a monetization plan. It actually got dinged by investors for it, if you look at the historical data.

“It just said, we’re gonna build a killer product that people love and we’ll then figure out how to monetize,” Santos said. But as crypto evolves, the path towards monetization models will also become more clear as users come onboard and — as Santos put it himself — “ if you have attention of the user, you can monetize the shit out of it.”

So go forth and monetize…one day.


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.

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

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

Unlocked by Template.png

Research

The march toward an interoperable and onchain-by-default internet depends on reliable messaging and value transfer across heterogeneous domains. Crosschain protocols now process >$1.3T in combined annual transfer volume and secure tens of millions of user interactions, yet no single design dominates.

article-image

The exchange’s full approval from the UAE’s Securities and Commodities Authority marks a regulatory milestone for global crypto oversight

by Blockworks /
article-image

Founded by Coinbase and Cruise veterans, CipherOwl plans to bring artificial intelligence to blockchain monitoring and risk detection

by Blockworks /
article-image

As the shutdown enters its second week, sources say the Senate Banking Committee looks to move ahead with a market structure bill markup

article-image

The collaboration expands Ripple’s Middle East footprint, supporting Bahrain’s blockchain adoption and future rollout of Ripple USD

by Blockworks /
article-image

The medical device firm will manage its $400 million Solana holdings using Coinbase Prime infrastructure to bolster its digital asset strategy

by Blockworks /
article-image

The deal gives PayPay a 40% stake in Binance Japan, linking digital assets with Japan’s largest mobile payment network

by Blockworks /