Serena Williams is making hay while the sun shines as cryptocurrencies continue to tough it through this winter.
Speaking to CNBC on Tuesday after her VC firm, Serena Ventures raised a $100 million fund to power early-stage startups, the American professional tennis player revealed her high hopes for cryptocurrencies and Web 3, stating that she was deeply invested in projects in the blockchain sector.
“I saw the market a little back earlier in crypto and for me, it was really just about, you have to really think outside the box,” she told CNBC’s, Andrew Ross.
She went on to say that as a VC in the last 9 years, she had developed a deep liking for tech-based investments, some of which she had dug her feet in before discovering bigger opportunities in crypto and is considering adding more crypto-related investments to her firm’s balance sheet.
“We have a good lead going into that journey of cryptocurrency and Web 3,” she continued. “We wanna get into that space over at Serena Ventures.”
With cryptocurrencies and web 3 exploding, investors with a sturdy enough case like Williams and her husband have been making leaps into the space. In March 2021, Serena, through her VC firm led a pack of notable investors in backing a $5 million investment round for Bitcoin Rewards start-up Lolli.
“I’m excited to announce my investment in Lolli, a company on a mission to make bitcoin more accessible,” Williams had said in a statement following the funding round “Earning and owning Bitcoin is a step towards financial inclusivity for all people.”
In January 2022, the tennis player was appointed to join Sorare, a Blockchain-based fantasy soccer platform as Board Advisor to drive the adoption of Web3 and the future of sports fandom. Last month, Williams Ventures also invested in Nestcoin, a company focused on building products to accelerate crypto adoption in Africa.
Williams is also immersed in digital art with her NFT array now including a crypto punk and a Bored Ape from Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), valued at 85 ETH ($254,892.35) and 117 ETH($350,969.47) respectively. She joins a list of global sports celebrities in the NFT ecosystem including Shaquille O’Neal (Shaq), Lebron James, and Kipchge Keino among others, with more Investors jumping onto the Web 3 bandwagon.
Through her $33 billion market cap VC firm, Williams now hopes to not only make a decent profit from investing in the most promising crypto and web 3 projects but also contribute to the global adoption of projects which she believes will bring more inclusivity.
