Potential Investors3 Oct 2023 07:27
Mon, 2 October 2023
Crypto's top CEOs are playing a pivotal role in driving funding for longevity research and anti-ageing technology, a leading scientist has claimed.
Longevity Escape Velocity Foundation president Aubrey de Grey, shared his insights in a recent episode of Yahoo Finance's The Crypto Mile.
De Grey highlighted the crypto community's support for both non-profit initiatives and investment ventures in the longevity sector.
He said that influential figures like Hex's Richard Heart, ethereum's (ETH-USD) Vitalik Buterin, Coinbase's (COIN) Brian Armstrong, and Cardano's Charles Hoskinson are engaged in both non-profit initiatives and investment ventures within the longevity sector.
"Brian Armstrong, co-founder of Coinbase, created a company called New Limited, which he put north of $50m in to, and Cardano's Charles Hoskinson has created an anti-ageing clinic in Wyoming," de Gray added.
The longevity scientist further noted that on the non-profit side of anti-ageing research, several donors from the cryptocurrency sector have contributed significantly.
"The biggest and most conspicuous example in that regard is the Hex community, the community of people who made their money out of the cryptocurrency called Hex, led by Richard Heart," said De Grey.
"Richard had this wonderful idea a few years ago to encourage his flock to donate to the SENS Research Foundation, and that worked out very well to the tune of $27m."
Investment from sovereign wealth funds and the private sector
According to a report, the longevity sector is experiencing increasing momentum and is projected to reach a market size of $44.2bn by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.1% from 2021 to 2030.
Capital inflow into the field has surged, with notable contributions from individuals like Amazon's Jeff Bezos and substantial investments from sovereign wealth funds, particularly from the Middle East and Asia. De Grey pointed out that this influx of funding began around 2017 when private sector involvement was minimal, but it has grown exponentially in recent years.
De Grey underscored how sovereign wealth funds, especially from the Middle East and the Far East, have started to get involved. Saudi Arabia's goal of investing $1bn annually, has created a ripple effect, inspiring other nations to follow suit.