Compound managing partner Michael Dempsey said crypto venture activity had been close to dormant for nearly two years as founders pursued artificial intelligence, offering a view of changing priorities across technology.
Dempsey made the comments in an Oct. 13, 2026, interview. He contrasted the current period with 2021, when entrepreneurs entered crypto believing it could become a major technology platform.
He also said tokenization has potential benefits, while token incentives have not reliably kept participants aligned over time.
Compound invests in companies from seed stage through Series A. Its investment areas include crypto, AI, machine learning, robotics and biotech.
EconoTimes previously covered Ali Yahya’s plan to leave Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto team for an open-software venture shaped by his views on AI.
