This episode of The New Money Podcast features Hoolie Tejwani, Head of Coinbase Ventures, the venture arm of Coinbase, investing in crypto and blockchain startups. Hoolie traces Coinbase Ventures’ origins from a nights-and-weekends experiment to a 500-plus company portfolio, outlining a financial-ROI-first mandate, flexible check sizes, and the strategic flywheel it creates for Coinbase. He maps the team’s current theses across stablecoins, DeFi, on-chain consumer apps, and the frontier of crypto x AI agents. The conversation provides insights on stablecoin issuance models, cross-border payments, and the complex economics of on-chain FX and liquidity, including when local-currency stables and USD preference matter. This episode offers a view into the crypto landscape through a venture capital lens, revealing how one of the industry’s leading investors allocates capital and identifies emerging opportunities.
Key Chapters
01:14 Coinbase Ventures begins as an internal experiment.
06:27 The early team shapes first investments.
08:04 The strategy expands and themes crystallize.
10:10 AI agents push toward on-chain commerce.
13:12 Stablecoin issuance diversifies as demand surges.
16:43 Stablecoin payments streamline cross-border flows.
17:27 FX economics depend on deep on-chain liquidity.
22:56 Quickfire Insights on Fintech and Crypto Trends
This is NOT financial, tax, or legal advice
Music by Marcelo Cataldo - http://www.marcelocataldo.com