Denver, May 13 – A growing trend among tech executives and cryptocurrency entrepreneurs has taken a new, physical turn as some of the industry’s elite engage in amateur martial arts fights, blending physical combat with their virtual ventures.
At this year’s ETHDenver conference, an annual gathering of cryptocurrency enthusiasts, venture capital investor Andrew Batey and crypto entrepreneur Chauncey St. John stepped into the ring for an unconventional showdown that was streamed live on YouTube. The fight, part of a growing movement within the tech industry, was organized by Karate Combat, a professional mixed martial arts league that has attracted an audience from the crypto and tech worlds.
Batey, 40, who founded Beatdapp, a software company focused on eliminating fraud in music streaming, and runs Side Door Ventures, spent months preparing for the match. A former amateur athlete, Batey dedicated four months and $75,000 to training, hiring a personal trainer, a nutritionist, and professional sparring partners in what he described as both a midlife crisis and a health-driven goal.
“I just want to thank my wife for supporting me,” Batey said in a victorious post-fight moment, dancing in celebration after defeating St. John in the first round. “She made my meals, put the kids to bed, and helped me get here.”
The match was part of Karate Combat’s “Influencer Fight Club,” which pairs tech industry personalities with an audience of crypto enthusiasts. The club has gained significant traction within the crypto community, offering a combination of combat sport and tech startup culture. Batey’s investment firm also backed Karate Combat, making him both an investor and a competitor in the league.
For St. John, 38, the fight represented an opportunity for redemption. A former founder of the crypto startup Angel Protocol, St. John had suffered a major blow to his career after his company’s investments in the now-collapsed Luna cryptocurrency left charities with significant losses. St. John, who embraced Christianity following the crisis, said he saw the invitation to fight as a sign of personal renewal.
“I’m here to redeem myself,” St. John said before the bout. “It’s more than just a fight — it’s a spiritual journey.”
The event at ETHDenver mirrored broader shifts in the tech world, where figures like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla’s Elon Musk have embraced physical combat sports. Zuckerberg, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu enthusiast, even publicly challenged Musk to a cage match last year, fueling a larger cultural movement among tech elites to embrace a more traditional, testosterone-driven ideal of masculinity.
Despite the lighthearted nature of these tech-sponsored bouts, the growing trend has serious implications for the industry. The spectacle has been embraced by fans online, with Crypto Twitter and social media providing a platform for the fighters to gain new followers and “clout.” Venture investor Nic Carter, who also participated in a previous “Influencer Fight Club,” emphasized the symbolic power of these fights.
“This is an amazing clout-forming exercise,” Carter said. “Not to be cynical, but it’s a part of the game now.”
Batey’s victory, achieved by overpowering St. John in a flurry of punches, may have been less about technical skill and more about the theatricality of the event. As Batey celebrated his win, the audience cheered, reflecting a fusion of tech culture, cryptocurrency, and a growing desire among industry elites to assert their physical prowess in the public eye.
With more tech executives embracing martial arts and physical challenges, the rise of “tech fights” appears to be more than a passing fad. For these entrepreneurs, the ring may just be the latest place to test their mettle, both physically and culturally.
