What to know:

Entrée Capital unveiled a $300 million funds for investing in early stage crypto and Web3 infrastructure, a move that underscores the accelerating institutional appetite for blockchain systems that interact seamlessly with modern technology stacks.

The fund will target investments from pre-seed through Series A, backing founders building the foundational layers for mainstream Web3 adoption, the firm said in a Thursday email. Targets includes artificial intelligence (AI) agents capable of autonomously managing assets within cryptographic policy frameworks, as well as decentralized physical infrastructure (DePIN) networks and blockchain protocols that use token incentives to coordinate, finance and operate real-world infrastructure.

Entrée says its long history across fintech and crypto — including early bets on Stripe, Rapyd, Mesh and Web3 builders like Gen Labs and Breez — positions it to support founders at the intersection of regulated finance and decentralized networks.

Institutional investors are paying close attention to both AI agents and DePIN because they function as crypto-native counterparts to two of today’s fastest-growing technology pillars: artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

AI agents promise autonomous asset management governed by cryptographic policy frameworks, while DePIN networks extend the cloud model by coordinating and financing physical infrastructure. Together, they offer a pathway to secure, automated and highly scalable digital and real-world utility, aligning with institutions’ broader push into next-generation infrastructure.