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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.
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.
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