Meet the former prosecutor who became the face of crypto VC investing

Seven years ago, bitcoin was a foreign language to federal prosecutor Katie Haun. That changed when her boss at the U.S. attorney’s office asked her to look into shutting it down.

What’s now the most widely used cryptocurrency was a niche payment method being used in the depths of the internet, in many cases being used to buy illegal goods on black markets. But Haun quickly decided the currency itself wasn’t what needed probing.

“It would have been akin to saying ‘let’s go prosecute cash,'” Haun said.

Instead, her department prosecuted multiple cases where bitcoin was being used for extortion and white collar crime. In some cases, the technology behind bitcoin, known as blockchain, actually helped the department solve cases.

Haun’s view on cryptocurrency has evolved, and so has her career path. After spending much of her professional life prosecuting prison gangs, corrupt officials, and the mafia, she’s now the…