Barry Silbert, one of the prominent names in the crypto industry, has launched a new venture called ‘Yuma’ for investing in crypto and artificial intelligence (AI) projects. With this launch, Barry is making a comeback in the digital asset market after challenges with his company Digital Currency Group (DCG).
According to a bloomberg report, the crypto pioneer has unveiled Yuma Asset Management, under DCG’s Yuma division. The company was launched soon after Donald Trump returned to office and is meant to bring new energy to the digital asset world.
Blending AI and Crypto in a Fresh Way
Yuma Asset Management will invest in small startup teams that build AI infrastructure projects on the Bittensor network, where developers are rewarded in cryptocurrency, mainly in Bittensor’s TAO token.
“I’ve not been as excited about anything since Bitcoin as I am about Bittensor.” Silbert said in an interview. DCG is giving Yuma an initial capital of $10 million to start, and hopes to attract more money from investors who are ready to take some risk for big rewards.
Turning Digital Projects Into Easy Investments
The new firm plans to offer two investment funds that work like well-known stock indexes. One will be similar to the Nasdaq, and the other will be like the Dow Jones Industrial Average, but instead of company stocks, these funds will invest in digital projects on Bittensor, known as “subnets.”
“We’re delivering investment exposure in a way that’s familiar and easy to understand, easy to access for institutions.” Silbert said. He also said Yuma will use a traditional fund structure to make it simple for large investors to join.
From Crypto Winter to a Fresh Start
The Bittensor network, which is valued at around $3 billion, was created to help developers build tools that use AI to solve real-world problems. Silbert highlighted a project called BitMind, which detects digital “deep fakes,” as one of the system’s successful examples. He said many crypto companies are only “trying to ride the AI hype train,” while Yuma aims to build technology that serves real purposes.
Meanwhile, this new effort marks Silbert’s return after a rough period during the so-called “crypto winter”, following the FTX collapse in 2022. During that time, DCG faced layoffs, investigations, and falling investments. Now, as the crypto market becomes stronger under President Trump’s friendlier policies, Silbert says he is ready to build again. “I put my business-building jersey back on and I’m the CEO of Yuma,” he said.
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