Joe McCann is winding down Asymmetric’s Liquid Alpha Fund after the fund was accused of losing massive value this year and drew sharp criticism online.
In a social media post, the crypto investor said that the strategy behind the Liquid Alpha Fund “clearly is no longer serving our LPs.” He said the fund had been built for volatile markets and had once delivered results, but added that Asymmetric would now be “shifting away from liquid trading strategies” and toward longer-term investments in blockchain infrastructure.
The decision comes after unconfirmed social media chatter that the liquid fund was down 78% this year.
The move isn’t a total surprise, as volatility in the crypto market has decreased significantly in the last twelve months, potentially signaling a more mature digital assets market. Crypto Volatility Index (CVI) is down almost 30%, according to TradingView data.
Investor exit
Investors in the liquid fund have been offered the option to exit without regard to standard lock-up terms or to roll their capital into a new, illiquid investment structure. “Our job is to adapt with discipline and build for what’s next,” McCann wrote.
The firm, he said, consists of multiple investment vehicles, and while the Liquid Alpha Fund struggled, other parts of the business — especially its venture strategy — remain intact. That venture arm will continue to back early-stage blockchain projects.
McCann, a former technologist and trader who moved into crypto investing, described the fund’s poor performance as a test of “one’s resolve” but emphasized that “the only way forward is through.”
Correction (July 23, 20:43 UTC): An earlier version of this story included a link to a post on X, allegedly written by McCann. However, a spokesperson said that the post was fake.