Valar Ventures, the early‑stage fund co‑founded by Peter Thiel, has sold about £50 million ($70 million) worth of Wise Plc shares via an overnight bookbuild. The block represented roughly 4.8 million Class A shares priced at £10.30 each, trimming Valar’s exposure to the London‑listed payments pioneer.Valar’s relationship with Wise dates back to 2013, when the fund led a $6 million Series A round. It remained a steadfast backer through Wise’s 2021 direct listing, a high-profile milestone in the fintech sector. However, the recent sale marks a significant shift. Wise’s share price has declined approximately 20% from its 2024 peak. It is influenced by slowing growth and intensifying competition from digital payment platforms and stablecoin networks.
Crypto-First Mindset Gains Traction
The Wise exit follows a sequence of crypto-centric moves across Thiel’s investment universe. In late 2023, Founders Fund quietly invested $200 million in Bitcoin and Ethereum, anticipating market rebounds before the current rally. This year, the fund led a $200 million round for Polymarket, a prediction market platform nearing unicorn valuation. With this, earlier investments in Block.one, BitDAO, and Layer1 underscore Thiel’s enduring confidence in blockchain infrastructure over legacy fintech. These actions suggest intentional redeployment of capital from fintech investments like Wise into more speculative or long-term crypto ecosystems.
Shifting Capital: Fintech Fading, Crypto Funding Resurgent
Market data reinforce this shift. According to PitchBook, venture investment in fintech declined by roughly 35% in the first half of 2025, as regulatory demands and competitive pressures weighed heavily. While, crypto-focused venture capital appears to be in resurgence. That is estimated to reach $18 billion this year, nearly double the volume from 2024. This resurgence highlights investor interest in blockchain infrastructure, stablecoin networks, and emerging DeFi platforms.
Wise’s early advantage in low-cost foreign exchange, while groundbreaking a few years ago, now faces formidable competition from fast, efficient on-chain transfers enabled by stablecoins such as USDC. These platforms offer instant settlement and lower fees, challenging Wise’s value proposition and validating Valar’s capital rotation.
Strategic Implications for Crypto Markets
Valar’s withdrawal from Wise injects new liquidity into a vehicle already active in digital asset markets. Even partial deployment of the £50 million proceeds into crypto projects could accelerate late-stage fundraising rounds. Institutional movements of this scale help validate crypto’s standing among investors tracking capital flows as sentiment indicators.
This capital rotation also reinforces a broader narrative: fintech profits and assets are increasingly being redirected to blockchain initiatives. For builders, developers, and secondary market participants, Thiel’s pivot may signal an additional layer of long-term confidence in DeFi infrastructure.
Risks and Uncertainties Remain
Despite clear indicators, unanswered questions persist. Valar has not specified where the proceeds will be directed. It could invest in sectors beyond crypto, including AI or defense technologies, which align with Thiel’s historical interests. While regulatory dynamics remain unpredictable, Wise continues to navigate stricter anti-money laundering scrutiny in Europe. While crypto remains subject to evolving global regulatory frameworks. A macroeconomic downturn could also impact valuations across both fintech and digital asset sectors.
Watch for the Next Move
As with the prior stealth buy of crypto assets, Valar’s next deployment may come quietly. Through Form D filings, token treasury announcements, or limited partnership disclosures. Institutional trackers and industry analysts will be monitoring closely. If a portion of the Wise exit funds a token or blockchain investment. This may mark another inflection point in the flow of venture capital from traditional financial systems to Web3 infrastructure.
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