Former executives from Tether and Blackstone are spearheading a $1 billion fundraising effort to establish a publicly traded cryptocurrency treasury holding Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. The initiative leverages a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) structure to create a diversified digital asset portfolio accessible to institutional investors.
M3-Brigade Acquisition V Corp, the SPAC vehicle involved, aims to raise capital through a combination of private placements and public markets. Cantor Fitzgerald LP is advising on the transaction, which would mark one of the largest dedicated crypto treasury funds to date. The fund’s structure allows investors to gain exposure to multiple major cryptocurrencies through a single regulated entity.
Leading the effort are Tether co-founder Reeve Collins and former Blackstone dealmaker Chinh Chu, who bring complementary expertise from traditional finance and blockchain sectors. Their collaboration signals deepening institutional interest in digital assets as viable treasury holdings.
The SPAC Structure
The $1 billion fundraising utilizes a Special Purpose Acquisition Company framework, enabling faster public market access than traditional IPOs. This SPAC already secured $425 million in private placement funding led by Consensys, with Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin appointed as chairman. The blank-check company will exclusively target digital asset acquisitions.
SPACs provide regulatory advantages for crypto ventures seeking public listings, offering established pathways through SEC oversight. This structure has gained popularity among crypto enterprises despite recent market volatility, reflecting growing institutional comfort with digital asset investment vehicles.
Cryptocurrency Portfolio
The fund will maintain a diversified portfolio targeting three major cryptocurrencies:
- Bitcoin as the flagship store-of-value asset
- Ethereum for its smart contract ecosystem
- Solana for high-speed transaction capabilities
This multitoken approach differs from single-asset corporate treasuries adopted by companies like MicroStrategy. By spreading exposure across established layer-1 blockchains, the fund mitigates protocol-specific risks while capturing broader market growth. The selection reflects institutional confidence in these networks’ long-term viability.
Key Players
Reeve Collins brings cryptocurrency expertise from co-founding Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin. His involvement lends credibility to the fund’s crypto-native strategy. Chinh Chu contributes traditional finance experience from his tenure as Blackstone’s senior managing director, where he executed over $100 billion in transactions.
Their partnership bridges blockchain innovation and institutional finance, combining Chu’s capital markets proficiency with Collins’ deep industry connections. This dual expertise positions the fund to navigate both regulatory landscapes and volatile crypto markets effectively.
Market Context
The initiative emerges amid increasing institutional adoption, with companies like Tesla and Square allocating portions of corporate treasuries to Bitcoin. Unlike those single-asset strategies, this fund offers diversified exposure through a regulated public vehicle. The $1 billion target would make it among the largest dedicated crypto investment funds.
Recent months have seen accelerated institutional entry into digital assets, including BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF approval and multiple banking giants offering crypto custody services. This fund represents a novel approach by combining traditional SPAC mechanics with direct cryptocurrency exposure.
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The fund’s launch signals maturation in cryptocurrency investment vehicles, potentially paving the way for more hybrid traditional-crypto financial products. As institutional capital continues flowing into digital assets, such diversified treasury options may become standard components of corporate balance sheets and investment portfolios alike.
- SPAC
- A Special Purpose Acquisition Company is a shell corporation designed to take companies public without traditional IPO processes. SPACs raise capital first, then identify acquisition targets.
- Multitoken Treasury
- A cryptocurrency reserve holding multiple digital assets to diversify risk and exposure across different blockchain protocols and use cases.
- Layer-1 Blockchain
- A base network protocol like Bitcoin or Ethereum that processes and settles transactions on its own blockchain, distinct from layer-2 scaling solutions.