Alan Howard’s son secures $25m for crypto venture fund

Daniel Howard and Bhavin Vaid have launched Halo Capital, a $25 million venture fund focused on early-stage crypto projects across the digital asset ecosystem.

Daniel Howard, son of British hedge-fund billionaire Alan Howard, and colleague Bhavin Vaid have raised $25 million for Halo Capital, a new venture-capital fund focused on early-stage projects in the digital-asset sector, Bloomberg has learned.

While both Howard and Vaid declined to disclose Halo’s investors and partners due to privacy concerns, Howard acknowledged that his family background plays a role but stressed that Halo’s unique approach is key to attracting investors.

The New York-based fund will invest across the digital ecosystem, the report says, adding that the scope of interests includes Bitcoin-centric products as well as decentralized artificial intelligence.

“Our ability to take a differentiated approach, and a research and data-driven one, is going to be vital.”

Bhavin Vaid, Halo Capital co-founder

Halo focuses on distinctive approach

Halo has already invested in several projects, including Bima Labs, the developer of the Bitcoin-backed stablecoin USBD, and Andrena, a wireless internet provider focused on developing a protocol for decentralized physical infrastructure networks to provide broadband. The fund also recruited 20 partners to advise it and its portfolio companies.

Emphasizing the need for a research-driven approach, Vaid noted that “a lot of the existing funds in the space are potentially just biased, based on other investments they might have made over the past three to five years.”

Alan Howard, already a prominent crypto backer, helped establish Brevan Howard’s crypto arm, BH Digital, in 2021. In mid-July, crypto.news reported that Brevan Howard Asset Management’s crypto fund saw a 20% gain in the first half of 2024, driven by increased institutional interest amid rising crypto prices.