Christie’s VC Bets Big on Web3 & Fintech Revolution

Art world giant makes strategic pivot toward blockchain and financial technology

Legacy Meets Innovation

Christie's venture capital arm just announced a major strategic shift—they're diving headfirst into web3 and fintech investments. The 250-year-old auction house isn't just dipping toes anymore; they're plunging into the digital deep end.

Beyond the Gavel

After pioneering NFT auctions that saw Beeple's work sell for $69 million, Christie's clearly sees where the smart money's heading. Their VC division recognizes that digital assets and decentralized finance represent the next frontier for high-value transactions.

Timing the Market

While traditional finance types still debate whether crypto is a 'real asset,' Christie's—who've been valuing rare items for centuries—apparently see something the skeptics don't. Maybe it takes 250 years of handling priceless objects to recognize value when it's staring you in the face.

Another finance firm discovers technology that's been evolving for over a decade—welcome to the party, the blockchain doesn't care about your pedigree.

A look inside Christie’s portfolio

According to the official website, there are about 14 companies in the venture capital’s portfolio. All the projects that are listed in the site are related to one of the four areas of focus mentioned by Brennan: Web3, artificial intelligence, fintech, and hardware.

In the AI category, the fund has invested in cultural intelligence engine Art Signal, visual insights platform Collagia, and Software-as-a-Service solution EchoMark. With regards to web3, the portfolio includes mmERCH, MNTGE, Manifold, Atomic Form, and LayerZero.

So far, there are only two fintech projects in Christie’s portfolio which are Luxus and Art Money. Finally, the venture capital has also invested its funds into a number of Hardware projects including Rokbox, Dubbl, Conserv, Manifold, and Proto.