$55 Billion Hedge Fund Firm Marshall Wace Planning Investments in Crypto Sector

Hedge fund firm Marshall Wace, with $55 billion in assets, is reportedly gearing up to launch a portfolio investing in the crypto sector.

• London-headquartered hedge fund firm Marshall Wace is planning investments in the crypto sector, the Financial Times reported Tuesday.
• Founded by Sir Paul Marshall and Ian Wace in 1997, Marshall Wace currently manages $55 billion in assets.
• The firm is launching a digital finance portfolio that will invest in privately owned, late-stage digital finance companies, the publication detailed, citing people familiar with the plan. It will target investments in areas such as blockchain technology, payments systems for digital currencies, and stablecoins. A particular area of focus for the firm is the infrastructure around stablecoins.
• Marshall Wace is currently talking to potential investors for the new portfolio, which will be headed by Amit Rajpal, CEO of Marshall Wace Asia and co-founder of Indian fintech firm Niyogin.
• Marshall Wace has recently been looking to hire staff in the crypto sector, the sources added. At the end of May, the company participated in a funding round for crypto firm Circle. Noting that the new business is still at an early stage, the publication conveyed:

The group plans to expand it rapidly in a move that could include other forms of investment, for instance potentially trading digital currencies.