The firm, which has US$115 million under management, is launching a USS$30 million focused on the crypto sector in Latin America.
In an interview with Coindesk, CEO Paola Origel said she’s identified what major players like Sequoia and a16z have missed: the untapped potential of Latin America’s fragmented crypto market.
While venture capital is virtually non-existent in regions like Mexico, Origel sees parallels between Latin America’s current crypto ecosystem and the global crypto landscape of 2017. It’s a market ripe for transformation, but with a unique challenge: traditional investor mindsets.
“[Latin American investors] tell me they only invest in things that they can stand on, or things they can touch,” Origel notes. Her mission is to break through this mental barrier to demonstrate the tangible value of digital assets.
Hyla’s approach is methodical: they’re building what Origel envisions as the “Goldman Sachs for digital assets.” The firm acts as a sophisticated bridge between traditional investors and the crypto ecosystem, offering everything from liquid venture funds to Bitcoin and Ethereum market-neutral yield strategies. Their upcoming Latin America fund, set to launch in January 2025, will add another US$30 million to their portfolio.
Most intriguingly, Origel’s strategy isn’t about picking winners in specific sectors – the market is too nascent for that level of specialization. Instead, she’s focused on identifying potential unicorns that can scale from regional success to global impact.
