Hsin-Ju Chuang, a 37-year-old former partner at crypto venture firm Hack VC, was found dead on Aug. 24 in a vehicle in California’s Mojave Desert. Authorities have not announced a cause of death, and no connection to her death has been established.
A day earlier, Chuang said she had rejected a settlement requiring her silence and alleged mistreatment by Hack VC. However, her claims have not been independently verified. Hack VC stated that its account differed materially from Chuang’s and that it was unaware of the circumstances of her death.
Chuang, who held growth roles at Stellar and Solana, worked on the fully homomorphic encryption project Fhenix, and founded Dystopia Labs, an events and developer community organization. Before joining Hack VC, she announced her new role at the firm in a March 2025 X post.
Her death has prompted tributes from crypto founders, developers, and former colleagues, many of whom remembered her work organizing industry events and supporting early-stage projects.
