Why AI Startups Are Raising Bigger Rounds Even as Building Gets Cheaper

<p>AI was supposed to make startups cheaper to build. So why are founders still raising big rounds?</p><p><br></p><p>Tobias Bauer, who runs venture fund TBV and events company The Best Event, joins David Sencil at Korea Blockchain Week to explain how AI is changing venture capital. A lot of pitches, he says, now come down to one line: &quot;We need compute.&quot;</p><p><br></p><p>He breaks down how compute costs and huge AI rounds are squeezing smaller crypto funds, how AI has sped up deal sourcing and background checks, and why deepfake calls and fraud are pushing investors back to meeting founders in person.</p><p><br></p><p>With more than 300 side events on KBW&#39;s official list, he also shares his playbook for choosing the ones worth your time, and what TBE has planned for TOKEN2049 week in Singapore.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>They discuss:</strong></p><ul><li>Why startups now raise for compute instead of hires</li><li>How smaller crypto funds get squeezed by bigger rounds</li><li>Using AI for deal sourcing and background checks</li><li>Deepfakes, fraud and in-person due diligence</li><li>What makes a side event worth attending</li><li>Tobias&#39; plans for KBW 2026 and TOKEN2049 week</li></ul><p><br></p><p>A <a href="http://bitcoin.com/">Bitcoin.com</a> Live News Desk interview recorded at Korea Blockchain Week 2026.</p><p><br></p><p>🎧 Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform to catch more conversations with industry leaders, economists, and builders shaping the future of crypto and finance.</p><p><br></p><p>Then join our community and follow us for the latest updates ⬇️</p><p><br></p><p>► OrangeRock: <a href="https://orangerock.com/">https://orangerock.com/</a></p><p>► YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@BitcoincomNews">https://www.youtube.com/@BitcoincomNews</a></p><p>► X (<a href="http://bitcoin.com/">Bitcoin.com</a>): <a href="https://x.com/Bitcoincom">https://x.com/Bitcoincom</a></p><p>► X (<a href="http://bitcoin.com/">Bitcoin.com</a> News): <a href="https://x.com/bitcoinnews">https://x.com/bitcoinnews</a></p><p>► Telegram: <a href="https://t.me/www_Bitcoin_com">https://t.me/www_Bitcoin_com</a></p><p>► Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/9NGNJEnwmW">https://discord.gg/9NGNJEnwmW</a></p><p>► LinkedIn (<a href="http://bitcoin.com/">Bitcoin.com</a>): <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitcoin.com/">https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitcoin.com/</a></p><p>► LinkedIn (<a href="http://bitcoin.com/">Bitcoin.com</a> News):