StepStone Group is a global private markets investment firm headquartered in San Diego, California. Founded in 2007, it went public on the Nasdaq in September 2020 under the ticker STEP. The firm operates as a diversified alternatives platform spanning private equity, real assets, private debt, and venture and growth equity, serving institutional clients including pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, and family offices worldwide.
StepStone manages or advises on approximately $650 billion in assets as of its most recent public filings, making it one of the largest private markets platforms globally. Fee-earning assets under management sit closer to $140 billion. The firm deploys capital through a mix of fund-of-funds mandates, secondary purchases, and direct co-investments, giving it exposure across a wide range of asset classes without being a pure direct investor. Its crypto and blockchain portfolio is comparatively small – five known investments with one lead position – reflecting a measured rather than aggressive approach to digital assets.
StepStone's global footprint spans more than 25 offices across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, with primary investment activity concentrated in the United States. Its institutional client base and public listing subject it to relatively high disclosure standards compared with most venture firms, though granular data on individual crypto positions is not routinely published. More information is available via its official site and SEC filings.
Notable investments
Public information about StepStone's specific crypto and blockchain portfolio holdings is limited. The firm does not routinely disclose individual venture positions in digital assets. Its five known crypto-adjacent investments appear to be co-investments or fund allocations made alongside specialist Web3 and blockchain venture managers rather than solo bets. One lead investment has been recorded, but the target company has not been publicly confirmed at the time of writing.
Historically, StepStone has gained indirect exposure to blockchain through its private equity and venture fund-of-funds allocations, investing in vehicles managed by firms with dedicated crypto mandates. This secondary-layer approach reduces direct balance-sheet risk while still capturing upside from the sector.
Team
StepStone was founded by Monte Brem, who serves as Chief Executive Officer, alongside co-founders Jason Ment (President and Co-COO), Jose Fernandez, and Scott Hart, among others. The leadership team is drawn from backgrounds in private equity, investment banking, and institutional asset management. The firm employs more than 700 investment professionals globally. Full team biographies are published on the StepStone team page.
Recent activity
In the 18 months through early 2026, StepStone continued expanding its evergreen and semi-liquid private markets product range, targeting wealth management channels alongside its traditional institutional base. The firm completed several secondary market transactions and co-investment mandates across private equity and credit. On the digital assets side, activity remained measured; no major new crypto fund launches or marquee blockchain deals were publicly announced during this period.
StepStone also completed the acquisition of Greenspring Associates (announced 2021, closed 2021) earlier in its recent history, significantly expanding its venture and growth equity coverage. That deal brought a larger portfolio of technology and fintech exposures under the StepStone umbrella, with some indirect overlap with blockchain-adjacent companies. Further detail on this is available via Crunchbase and the firm's investor relations page.
StepStone's position in crypto remains institutional and cautious. It is better understood as a large allocator with selective exposure than as a dedicated Web3 venture firm. For investors tracking institutional money flows into digital assets, StepStone signals where large pension-adjacent capital is willing to dip a toe in – without committing significant conviction capital to the sector.