London-headquartered Molten Ventures Plc de-valued its holdings in digital finance companies Ledger and Revolut Ltd., signaling venture capital firms are becoming more cautious toward technology startups and the crypto sector.
(Bloomberg) — London-headquartered Molten Ventures Plc de-valued its holdings in digital finance companies Ledger and Revolut Ltd., signaling venture capital firms are becoming more cautious toward technology startups and the crypto sector.
The fair value of Molten’s investment in crypto wallet maker Ledger was calculated at £71.8 million ($91.5 million) as of March 2023, the venture capital firm said in its annual report on Thursday, down 22% from its 2022 value of £91.9 million. Meanwhile, digital banking provider Revolut, which offers crypto trading to its customers, was lowered by 40% to £54.5 million over the same period.
Fair value of private market investments can be calculated using indicators such as public market data, how a stake might be valued if it had to be sold imminently and internal company performance figures, as opposed to the valuations that companies can receive from investors as part of a funding round. Overall, the fair value of Molten’s gross portfolio decreased by 16% year-on-year to £1.4 billion.
The crypto sector itself has been roiled by a series of high-profile company collapses, declining prices and regulatory backlash within the last year, damping investors’ expectations for growth. Venture capital investment in crypto companies plunged in the first quarter to $2.4 billion — its lowest level since 2020, and an 80% decline from its all-time high of $12.3 billion during the same period last year, according to data from PitchBook in April.Â
Read more: Crypto VC Funding Falls 80%, Squeezing Beleaguered Startups
A spokesperson for Ledger said its valuation had not declined, with its price per share largely stable between 2022 and 2023. The Paris-based firm raised the bulk of its most recent €100 million ($109 million) funding round at first close in March, valuing the business at €1.3 billion.
Molten Ventures and Revolut declined to comment.
–With assistance from Anna Irrera.
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