Share this article

Ken Moelis' Investment Bank Creates Group to Focus on Blockchain Deals

The New York bank, founded in 2007, is looking at crypto deals with more intent.

Updated May 11, 2023, 6:51 p.m. Published Jul 25, 2022, 11:47 a.m.
Moelis and Co. has started a group focusing on blockchain investment (Sophie Backes/Unsplash)
Moelis and Co. has started a group focusing on blockchain investment (Sophie Backes/Unsplash)

Investment bank Moelis & Co. has started a group to focus on venture deals in the blockchain and digital asset industry, according to a press release.

  • The bank is led by billionaire Ken Moelis who, in a speech last year, likened the crypto space to the 1848 gold rush.
  • He remains unperturbed by a market downturn that sent bitcoin's price plunging from $69,000 in November to $22,000, saying that “any disruptive technology is going to have volatility.”
  • The group will be led by Moelis co-founder John Momtazee, who said the 30% of managing directors at the firm have crypto wallets.
  • The bank was hired by crypto broker Voyager Digital in June with the intention of providing assistance in Voyager's bankruptcy proceedings.
  • It has also worked with Ripple Labs and CipherTrace, a blockchain analytics company that was acquired by Mastercard (MA) in September.
  • Ken Moelis has personal exposure in the crypto space after becoming an investor in Paxos in December 2020.
  • The launch of the blockchain group was reported earlier by Bloomberg on Monday.

UPDATE (July 25, 2022, 14:11 UTC): Changes sourcing.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

More For You

Protocol Research: GoPlus Security

GP Basic Image

What to know:

  • As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
  • GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
  • Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.

Higit pang Para sa Iyo

Turkey's Paribu Buys CoinMENA in $240M Deal, Expanding Into High-Growth Crypto Markets

Yasin Oral, Founder and CEO of Paribu (center) and Dina Sam’an (left) and Talal Tabbaa (right), Co-Founders of CoinMENA (Paribu, modified by CoinDesk)

With the acquisition, Paribu gains regulatory foothold in Bahrain and Dubai and access to the region's fast-growing crypto user base.

Ano ang dapat malaman:

  • Paribu acquires Bahrain- and Dubai-based CoinMENA for up to $240 million.
  • Deal marks Turkey’s biggest fintech acquisition and first international crypto M&A, the firm said.
  • The move taps into the MENA region’s fast-growing crypto user base and supportive regulatory hubs.