CMS Holdings Research
Investment Thesis
CMS Holdings is a principal investment firm focused on the cryptoasset ecosystem, investing in both liquid and illiquid crypto tokens alongside equity stakes in blockchain companies. The firm was founded in 2019 by veterans of institutional crypto trading at Circle and Cumberland, bringing deep market infrastructure expertise to venture capital. CMS believes in careful market entry and long-term value creation across the evolving blockchain landscape.
Investment History & Team Background
The founding team previously ran one of the largest crypto trading operations (Circle Trade) during the 2017 ICO boom, maintaining an unusual hybrid model that combines trading desk expertise with venture capital deployment. This heritage gives them unique insights into market dynamics and protocol economics.
Geographic Focus
Headquartered in New York City, CMS Holdings operates with a global investment scope, primarily active in the U.S. market but maintaining international reach across major crypto hubs.
Investment Scope & Sectors
CMS Holdings invests across the entire crypto-asset ecosystem, with particular emphasis on:
Blockchain Infrastructure:
- Layer 1 and Layer 2 networks (Solana, Avalanche, Monad, BOB)
- Bitcoin layer 2 solutions (Build on Bitcoin, Alex, Velar)
- Sidechains and modular blockchains
- Cross-chain communication protocols
Decentralized Finance (DeFi):
- Decentralized exchanges (DEXs and CLOBs)
- Lending and borrowing protocols
- Yield trading and yield aggregation
- Liquid staking protocols
- Synthetic asset platforms
- Derivatives trading protocols
Infrastructure & Tools:
- Blockchain API and data providers
- Oracles and data infrastructure
- Development tools and SDKs
- Indexing and data validation
- MEV and trading infrastructure
Emerging Focus Areas:
- AI agents in crypto (Billy Bets AI)
- Real-world assets (RWA) platforms
- Bitcoin DeFi and staking
- Institutional trading infrastructure
- Privacy and security protocols
Stage Focus
CMS Holdings invests across multiple stages:
- Pre-Seed: Early protocol research and development
- Seed: Product-market fit validation
- Series A and beyond: Scaling proven platforms
Recent activity (2025) shows focus on seed and strategic rounds, with check sizes ranging from $500K to $10M.
Check Size & Lead Tendency
Typical Investment Range: $500,000 - $10,000,000 Average Round Size: $3M - $10M Lead Tendency: Frequently leads rounds, reflecting deep conviction and market knowledge
Recent Activity (2025)
CMS Holdings has been actively deploying capital with 8+ investments in the past year:
- December 2025: Axis FDN (quantitative yield protocol) - $5M
- November 2025: Mu Digital (RWA platform for Asian companies) - $1.5M
- October 2025: pieverse (on-chain payment protocol)
- September 2025: BOB strategic round (Bitcoin L2)
- August 2025: Billy Bets AI (sports betting AI agent)
- May 2025: Hyperdrive (Series A, fixed/variable rate AMM) - Series A lead
- May 2025: Rover (liquid staking on Spiderchain)
The firm demonstrates consistent deployment across diverse crypto verticals, with 220+ total investments across their portfolio history.
Portfolio Overview
CMS Holdings maintains one of the largest and most diversified crypto venture portfolios with 199+ active portfolio companies. Key holdings reflect their early entry into major ecosystems:
Tier 1 Holdings:
- Solana (high-performance blockchain)
- Avalanche (decentralized blockchain)
- Monad (high-performance L1)
- dYdX (decentralized exchange)
- Injective (DeFi-optimized L1)
DeFi Ecosystem:
- Pendle (yield trading), DODO (DEX), Perpetual Protocol, Synapse (cross-chain)
- Acala, Manta Network, Composable Finance
Bitcoin & Bitcoin L2:
- Solv Protocol (BTC staking), Interlay (BTC DeFi), Hamilton (BTC tokenization)
Emerging Protocols:
- Allora (decentralized AI), Anoma Network (intent-centric protocol)
- Chainflip (cross-chain liquidity), Everclear (intent-based bridges)
This diversity reflects their thesis: infrastructure and DeFi protocols will be the economic foundation of blockchain adoption.
Decision Process & Founder Preferences
CMS Holdings operates with a partnership-based investment committee structure, leveraging multiple GP perspectives on technical merit and market opportunity. The team values:
- Technical Excellence: Deep protocol design, efficient execution, novel cryptography
- Market Understanding: Founders who grasp macro crypto dynamics and protocol economics
- Infrastructure Vision: Projects solving real coordination or efficiency problems
- Responsible Growth: Clear go-to-market strategies rather than pure speculation
Fund Status
The firm is actively deploying capital across multiple fund vintages, with consistent deal flow and recent activity in Q4 2025 indicating robust deployment pace.
Investment Philosophy
CMS Holdings emphasizes "careful market entry and long-term value creation." This translates to:
- Thesis-driven investments aligned with infrastructure development
- Patient capital willing to support early-stage protocols through market cycles
- Deep due diligence on tokenomics and economic sustainability
- Active engagement with founders on market strategy
Co-Investor Network
CMS Holdings frequently co-invests with top-tier crypto funds including:
- GBV Capital (28 co-investments)
- The Spartan Group (27)
- NGC Ventures (25)
- AU21 Capital (23)
- Polychain Capital (21)
- OKX Ventures (20)
This extensive co-investment network reflects their reputation and positioned relationships within the crypto VC ecosystem.