Depending on their proximity to crypto, entrepreneurs give differing opinions as to whether they’d let a group of cartoon characters invest in their business. Josh Quittner, the money-grubbing “CEO” of Decrypt, whinnied, “Ask them if they’d invest in Decrypt! I’d take their money!” (On the other hand, Decrypt EIC Dan Roberts fretted via Slack, “Are you sure this investment firm actually exists, and this column won’t humiliate us?” To which I could offer no guarantees.) 

Others noted their successful exploitation of Twitter fame, a technique used by many regular VCs, too. “I know some of those guys,” said Kyle Samani of the crypto fund Multicoin Capital, adding that anon companies are probably the wave of the future. “They’re cool.” Joey Krug, of the large Pantera Capital, which has been part of several deals involving eGirl, echoed the sentiment. “As long as they’re a value-add to companies, that’s what matters most as an investor,” Krug says. “As opposed to what names they choose to call themselves.”

Those who have worked directly with eGirl were generally supportive. Riccardo Spagni aka Fluffypony, of the eGirl portfolio project Yat, said he was a fan of the collective. As did Simon Harman, the founder of an early stage startup called Chainflip in which eGirl bought a minor stake earlier this year, trading tokens for the stablecoin USDC instead of equity for dollars. “In terms of the anon aspect of it, eGirl has people behind them like any other company,” said Harman. “I happen to know one of the prominent members personally. Being anon is more about social contracts rather than actual anonymity.”