{"id":"samiz-bayan","title":"Samiz Bayan","content":"**Samiz Bayan** is an investor, entrepreneur, and venture capital professional whose work has focused on [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) technology, [digital assets](https://iq.wiki/wiki/digital-assets), and emerging technology companies. He is a Partner at Draper Dragon, an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in [Web3](https://iq.wiki/wiki/web3), [cryptocurrency](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency), and technology startups. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-CgEw9l8P18uZE3uZ)  \n\n## Education\n\nBayan earned two BBAs from the University of Southern California and the USC Marshall School of Business. [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-K6TEIqS98xGlQZWz) \n\n## Career\n\nBayan began his professional career in finance and consumer products. He worked as a Product Consultant for The Estée Lauder Companies, advising on sales strategy and retail operations, before joining Bank of America in 2018. At Bank of America, he served as an associate, working with small-business clients and helping to connect commercial banking services with wealth management and investment solutions.\n\nIn 2020, Bayan co-founded Crashr, a platform focused on [real-world assets](https://iq.wiki/wiki/real-world-assets-rwas) and [peer-to-peer](https://iq.wiki/wiki/peer-to-peer-trading-p2p) economic activity. The company explored the use of [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) technology to facilitate the tokenization and onchain representation of assets. He led the business until 2023, when he transitioned to venture investing.\n\nSince 2023, Bayan has been a Partner at Draper Dragon, where he focuses on identifying and supporting early-stage companies in the [digital asset](https://iq.wiki/wiki/digital-assets) and emerging technology sectors. In addition to his role at the firm, he has participated as an investor in several [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) and financial technology companies, including Veda, OpenTrade, [ether.fi](https://iq.wiki/wiki/etherfi), Coinflow, and Mogul. His work has centered on venture capital, startup development, and the growth of [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain)-based financial and technology ecosystems. [\\[4\\]](#cite-id-IbIRWJZBy0FxAtDP) \n\n## Interviews\n\n### Orion Fund\n\nIn an April 2026 episode of [Cardano’s](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cardano-ada) Governance Hour hosted by Nicolas Cerny, Bayan discussed the Orion Fund and its governance framework within the [Cardano](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cardano-ada) ecosystem. Bayan outlined his early engagement with Cardano beginning around 2019–2020, citing its research-driven, peer-reviewed development approach as a key entry point into the ecosystem, and described his broader transition into venture capital focused on [digital assets](https://iq.wiki/wiki/digital-assets).\n\nThe discussion focused on the structure and rollout of the Orion Fund, including the approval and execution of a 50 million ADA treasury allocation into a special-purpose vehicle, ARI Holdings, as part of a phased investment strategy targeting a total fund size of 75 million USD over four years. Bayan emphasized the fund’s emphasis on transparency and governance, including the use of dashboards, quarterly reporting, and community voting mechanisms to align with [Cardano](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cardano-ada) stakeholders. He also outlined the fund’s investment focus areas, which include [real-world assets](https://iq.wiki/wiki/real-world-assets-rwas), [Bitcoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bitcoin) [DeFi](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi), institutional [DeFi](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi), [stablecoins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/stablecoin), privacy technologies, and consumer applications, with deployment across stages ranging from pre-seed to Series A.\n\nBayan further described the fund’s community engagement approach, including project intake processes, ecosystem partnerships, and community-driven nomination mechanisms designed to build a consistent pipeline of opportunities. He also highlighted Draper Dragon’s long-standing investment experience across both traditional and [digital asset](https://iq.wiki/wiki/digital-assets) markets and its ongoing commitment to supporting [Cardano’s](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cardano-ada) ecosystem development. Overall, the conversation positioned the Orion Fund as a structured, transparent, and scalable model for institutional participation within [Cardano’s](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cardano-ada) governance and investment landscape. [\\[5\\]](#cite-id-K7hKcEw5QyAlfOsa) \n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=lc0Wg7dclR0)\n\n## Panels\n\n### Investing in Startups\n\nAt [Rare Evo](https://iq.wiki/wiki/rare-evo) 2025 in August, Bayan participated in a panel moderated by [David Wachsman](https://iq.wiki/wiki/david-wachsman) alongside Seira Yun (Socious) and Michael Yagi (Sundial), where they discussed the evolving landscape of [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) venture investing and ecosystem development. The conversation centered on a shift toward more purpose-driven capital allocation in [crypto](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency), alongside growing institutional interest driven by improving regulatory clarity and increasing confidence in [Bitcoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bitcoin) and broader [digital asset](https://iq.wiki/wiki/digital-assets) markets.\n\nBayan highlighted increased institutional participation in the sector and the implications of sustained capital inflows for market structure and innovation cycles, particularly within [Bitcoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bitcoin)-linked ecosystems. Other panelists discussed the rise of [Bitcoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bitcoin) [layer 2](https://iq.wiki/wiki/layer-2) development focused on yield and scalability, as well as the importance of trustless bridges and decentralized identity systems in enabling secure, privacy-preserving verification for both regulated use cases and decentralized governance. The discussion also touched on efforts to improve user experience and onboarding in [crypto](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) applications, as well as emerging opportunities in gaming and e-sports. Overall, the panel reflected a shared view that [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) adoption is entering a more mature phase, driven by institutional engagement, infrastructure development, and broader real-world integration [\\[6\\]](#cite-id-dfKFIdfFtDZUWYPK) \n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=vHYXORc731I)","summary":"Samiz Bayan is a Partner at Draper Dragon, focusing on blockchain technology and venture capital in emerging technology sectors. 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