- David Pakman shifted from music tech to Web3 investing, backing NFT platforms like Rarible and Dapper Labs.
- His move from Venrock to CoinFund marked a deep commitment to blockchain and early-stage crypto innovation.
When someone mentions David Pakman’s name today, most will immediately associate him with CoinFund and the crypto space. But this man’s journey has been much longer, more winding, and sometimes a bit unexpected. Before he got busy with NFTs and Web3, he was already playing on the big stage: digital music.
Around the early 90s, Pakman started his career at Apple. He helped form Apple Music Group and co-founded the Macintosh New York Music Festival. It’s quite surprising, considering that he is now better known as a technology investor than a musician. But this is David—someone who rarely stays in one place for too long.
A few years later, he co-founded Myplay, which introduced the concept of a digital music locker—a kind of Dropbox for songs—before cloud storage was a trend. The idea then caught the attention of German media giant Bertelsmann, who eventually acquired the startup.
Pakman then moved to eMusic as CEO, and in a few years turned it into a major platform for indie music. Some might have thought he would settle in the music industry. But, well, he didn’t.
David Pakman: Moving to Tech and Crypto Investing
The next leap came when he joined Venrock in 2008. Here, he didn’t just invest—he targeted targets that would later prove to be very good. Dollar Shave Club? That was one of his deals. Dapper Labs, the company behind CryptoKitties and NBA Top Shot? Also in his portfolio. At the time, most investors didn’t really understand the potential of NFTs, but Pakman had already started planning his steps.
Then, in 2021, he made a pretty big decision: he moved to CoinFund. The reason? Because, he said, there had never been a sector as fast and wild as crypto. That might sound reckless, but considering his track record, it’s actually interesting.
At CoinFund, his focus shifted to NFTs and decentralized platforms. One of his major investments is Rarible, an NFT marketplace that he’s backed since its early days. He even sits on the company’s board. He’s also been directly involved in funding Metaversal and several other Web3 projects.
Furthermore, in 2022, CoinFund launched a $300 million investment fund to support 30 to 40 new projects in the sector. A big step that shows that they are not just ‘following the trend,’ but really want to be part of shaping the future crypto infrastructure.
Between Crypto, Music, and Drumming
Behind all his busy life as an investor, there is another side to David that is quite interesting. He still plays the drums, and even performed on the Totally 80s Live tour with When In Rome II. On the one hand, it seems like a past hobby that he doesn’t want to let go of. On the other hand, it also feels like a sign that he is not the type of person who is easily trapped in just one identity.
Is it easy for a former music executive to dive into the world of blockchain and tokenization? Not always. But Pakman seems to have his own style in understanding the direction of technology. Instead of just focusing on buzzwords, he looks for ways to instill value. This can be seen from how he prioritizes projects with long-term impact.
Maybe that’s what makes his story worth following. Because in an industry filled with speculation and flash projects, David Pakman keeps a more measured rhythm. Sometimes using drums, sometimes using code.
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