**VanEck Ventures Launches $30M Fund for Crypto and AI Startups**

VanEck, known for its spot Bitcoin ETFs, has unveiled VanEck Ventures, a $30 million fund aimed at supporting early-stage fintech, crypto, and AI projects. Announced on Oct. 9, the fund will focus on tokenized assets, internet-native financial marketplaces, and stablecoin-based payments.

Leading the initiative are Wyatt Lonergan and Juan Lopez, former heads of Circle Ventures. At Circle, they invested over $50 million in early-stage companies. Lonergan emphasizes the potential of stablecoins as a future "open-source banking layer."

Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.