Maximum Frequency Ventures Raises $50 Million: Revolutionary Crypto Fund by Aptos Cofounder

The cryptocurrency venture capital landscape witnesses a transformative intervention with Maximum Frequency Ventures securing $50 million in capital commitments. This represents the strategic return of Mo Shaikh, Aptos Labs cofounder, alongside three former colleagues who bring battle-tested blockchain expertise to an investment model that fundamentally challenges conventional passive capital deployment.

Aptos Cofounder Launches New Crypto Fund

Mo Shaikh, the strategic architect behind Aptos Labs—a blockchain development company that raised over $400 million and commands nearly $3 billion in market capitalization—has returned with Maximum Frequency Ventures. After departing Aptos Labs as CEO in December 2024, Shaikh has assembled a formidable partnership with Neil Harounian (Aptos’s first employee and former head of ecosystem), Alexandre Tang (former head of APAC institutions), and Jerome Ong (former APAC ecosystem lead). The fund’s deliberately provocative name embodies the relentless determination required for entrepreneurial excellence, signaling an unapologetically aggressive approach to founder support and company building.

$50 Million Raised for Hands-On Crypto Investments

Maximum Frequency Ventures secured $50 million from family offices across the United States, East Asia, and Southeast Asia during a challenging market environment. Cryptocurrency venture investments plummeted 55% to $6.8 billion between the first and second quarters of 2025, according to Pitchbook data. Despite these headwinds, the fund has already deployed $5 million across six portfolio companies spanning Texas, Abu Dhabi, and South Korea. All four cofounders committed personal capital to the fund, establishing critical alignment between fund managers and limited partners. This strategic deployment emphasizes quality over quantity in portfolio construction.

Former Meta Blockchain Team Returns to Crypto

Shaikh’s professional trajectory combines Wall Street institutional rigor with Silicon Valley innovation culture. His career began at financial powerhouses KPMG and BlackRock before joining Meta in 2020 to lead strategic partnerships for the technology giant’s blockchain initiative. In late 2021, Meta granted Shaikh and colleague Avery Ching permission to use proprietary software to launch Aptos, just before the company abandoned its crypto ambitions. This transition from corporate project to independent venture demonstrates sophisticated timing and execution capability. Shaikh’s hybrid background provides Maximum Frequency Ventures with a distinctive analytical framework for evaluating blockchain opportunities.

New Venture Capital Firm Targets Asian Crypto Markets

Maximum Frequency Ventures has strategically prioritized Asian markets in its investment sourcing strategy. Tang and Ong bring critical institutional relationships and cultural fluency across Asia-Pacific regions, enabling access to deal flow unavailable to Western-centric funds. The fund specifically targets founders in South Korea, Southeast Asia, and the broader Asian markets where regulatory frameworks and entrepreneurial energy create optimal conditions for blockchain innovation. This geographic emphasis positions Maximum Frequency Ventures at the intersection of capital abundance and technological dynamism, historically a combination that generates exceptional venture returns.

Crypto VC Fund Promises Active Founder Support

Maximum Frequency Ventures differentiates through an incubation-oriented operational model that challenges passive investment conventions. Harounian emphasizes that crypto lacks genuine incubation-focused funds, highlighting a structural gap. The four cofounders actively work alongside portfolio founders to construct scalable businesses and develop ventures in-house. This hands-on methodology transforms the fund from capital provider to operational partnership, offering founders battle-tested expertise in navigating blockchain commercialization challenges. Shaikh articulates this philosophy directly: “We’re very hands on. We’re very active. It’s a quality game, not a quantity game.” This concentration strategy deploys meaningful capital into carefully selected ventures.

Conclusion

Maximum Frequency Ventures emerges as a compelling force channeling capital toward authentic blockchain innovation. The fund’s combination of proven execution experience, strategic geographic positioning, and operational intensity establishes a formidable foundation for impact within the crypto venture ecosystem. As cryptocurrency markets navigate tension between speculation and infrastructure development, this operator-led approach promises to deliver transformative value to founders building the next generation of blockchain enterprises.