1786
a16zcrypto
@a16zcrypto #1786
We back bold entrepreneurs building the next internet.
a16zcrypto.com/
13309 Follower 222 Following
Introducing our special end-of-year podcast episodes!
They look ahead to 2025 — covering our annual Big Ideas lists, where various a16z crypto team members share what they are personally excited about.
These two episodes cover:
- Stablecoins payments, and where the early adopters will come from
- App store distribution, curation, and discovery
- Where the next crypto users will come from
- Turning passive holders into active users
- How builders improve, and better choose, infrastructure
- Simplifying user experience
And much more!
Part 1: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/trends-2025-stablecoins-app-stores-infrastructure-ux-more/
Part 2: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/trends-2025-ai-crypto-agents-depin-proof-of-personhood-unique-id-decentralized-autonomous-chatbots-tees/
w/ @sambroner @maggiehsu @darenmatsuoka @smc90 @hackr, @chrislyons & @jneu
They look ahead to 2025 — covering our annual Big Ideas lists, where various a16z crypto team members share what they are personally excited about.
These two episodes cover:
- Stablecoins payments, and where the early adopters will come from
- App store distribution, curation, and discovery
- Where the next crypto users will come from
- Turning passive holders into active users
- How builders improve, and better choose, infrastructure
- Simplifying user experience
And much more!
Part 1: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/trends-2025-stablecoins-app-stores-infrastructure-ux-more/
Part 2: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/trends-2025-ai-crypto-agents-depin-proof-of-personhood-unique-id-decentralized-autonomous-chatbots-tees/
w/ @sambroner @maggiehsu @darenmatsuoka @smc90 @hackr, @chrislyons & @jneu
Here are a few of the books the a16z crypto team is reading and recommending this winter.
This list has something for everyone, from spherical geometry to celebrity autobiographies, and from the science of supervolcanoes to science fiction.
Repeat recommendations reveal our longstanding interests. This season’s repeats included Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight on the making and running of an iconic shoe brand, and James Clear’s Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, a favorite resource for kicking off new habits and mindsets in the new year.
📚 https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/winter-reading-list-2024/
This list has something for everyone, from spherical geometry to celebrity autobiographies, and from the science of supervolcanoes to science fiction.
Repeat recommendations reveal our longstanding interests. This season’s repeats included Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight on the making and running of an iconic shoe brand, and James Clear’s Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, a favorite resource for kicking off new habits and mindsets in the new year.
📚 https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/winter-reading-list-2024/
Best of 2024.
Here’s a roundup of our most popular and best-performing pieces and themes from this year.
Including podcasts, videos, and articles that cover everything from pressing policy debates to emerging trends in culture, governance, and infrastructure.
→ https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/best-of-2024/
Here’s a roundup of our most popular and best-performing pieces and themes from this year.
Including podcasts, videos, and articles that cover everything from pressing policy debates to emerging trends in culture, governance, and infrastructure.
→ https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/best-of-2024/
Featured in our latest newsletter edition:
🏦 Debanking: What you need to know
👀 Things we’re excited about in crypto (2025)
📽️ New talks, from SNARK security to AI poetry
🗞️ News and updates
And more!
Check it out here: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/the-problem-with-debanking/
🏦 Debanking: What you need to know
👀 Things we’re excited about in crypto (2025)
📽️ New talks, from SNARK security to AI poetry
🗞️ News and updates
And more!
Check it out here: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/the-problem-with-debanking/
Debanking (and "de-risking") has been happening behind the scenes for years but is back in the public conversation, with many individuals, policymakers, companies, and — most importantly for U.S. innovation — entrepreneurs coming forward on the issue.
Since the crypto industry and specific agencies have come up, here’s a quick explainer to help separate the signal from the noise:
- What is debanking
- Why does it matter
- Reasons why and effects
- Where Operation Choke Point(s) comes in
- Which agencies are involved?
- Scope of the issue for the crypto industry
Check out the post: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/debanking-explained/
Since the crypto industry and specific agencies have come up, here’s a quick explainer to help separate the signal from the noise:
- What is debanking
- Why does it matter
- Reasons why and effects
- Where Operation Choke Point(s) comes in
- Which agencies are involved?
- Scope of the issue for the crypto industry
Check out the post: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/debanking-explained/
A few of the things we’re excited about in crypto (2025)
→ An AI needs a wallet of one's own to act agentically
→ Enter ‘decentralized autonomous chatbots’
→ As more people use AI, we’ll need unique proof of personhood
→ Going from prediction markets… to better information aggregation for everything
→ Enterprises will increasingly accept stablecoins for payments
→ Countries explore putting government bonds onchain
→ We’ll see greater adoption of the ‘DUNA’, a new industry standard for blockchain networks in the U.S.
→ Liquid democracy online goes physical
→ Builders will reuse, not just reinvent, infrastructure
→ Crypto companies will begin with the end (-user experience), instead of letting the infrastructure determine the UX
→ ‘Hiding the wires’ helps usher in web3’s killer app
→ The crypto industry finally gets its own appstores, and discovery
→ Crypto owners become crypto users
Learn more: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/big-ideas-crypto-2025/
→ An AI needs a wallet of one's own to act agentically
→ Enter ‘decentralized autonomous chatbots’
→ As more people use AI, we’ll need unique proof of personhood
→ Going from prediction markets… to better information aggregation for everything
→ Enterprises will increasingly accept stablecoins for payments
→ Countries explore putting government bonds onchain
→ We’ll see greater adoption of the ‘DUNA’, a new industry standard for blockchain networks in the U.S.
→ Liquid democracy online goes physical
→ Builders will reuse, not just reinvent, infrastructure
→ Crypto companies will begin with the end (-user experience), instead of letting the infrastructure determine the UX
→ ‘Hiding the wires’ helps usher in web3’s killer app
→ The crypto industry finally gets its own appstores, and discovery
→ Crypto owners become crypto users
Learn more: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/big-ideas-crypto-2025/
What happened in crypto in 2024?
Here's a walkthrough of this year's State of Crypto report — from all-time highs in crypto activity to key applications — presented at the annual a16z crypto Founders Summit.
w/ @darenmatsuoka
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44OBGKoAoyM
Here's a walkthrough of this year's State of Crypto report — from all-time highs in crypto activity to key applications — presented at the annual a16z crypto Founders Summit.
w/ @darenmatsuoka
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44OBGKoAoyM
During the holidays there’s no shortage of hot-button political issues to debate around the dinner table.
With crypto front-and-center this year, it’s bound to be one of them.
But here’s how you can maintain peace amongst the family.
🔗: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/bipartisan-crypto-issues/
With crypto front-and-center this year, it’s bound to be one of them.
But here’s how you can maintain peace amongst the family.
🔗: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/bipartisan-crypto-issues/
Looking for a better understanding of the tech, business, and startup worlds? A primer on the history and future of the internet? A crisp explanation of the crypto and blockchain movements, and why they matter?
We’ve got you.
Here, we’ve gathered some of the sharpest excerpts and most provocative ideas from the New York Times Best Seller Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet.
The book is densely packed with insights about the hidden structures that dictate the flow of power and money online.
Author and a16z crypto Founder and Managing Partner @cdixon.eth draws on his decades-long career investing in startups to reveal what makes the networks that determine so much of our lives tick, as well as how they can be rewired to empower internet users and transform them into owners.
Check out the post here: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/read-write-own-book-excerpts/
We’ve got you.
Here, we’ve gathered some of the sharpest excerpts and most provocative ideas from the New York Times Best Seller Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet.
The book is densely packed with insights about the hidden structures that dictate the flow of power and money online.
Author and a16z crypto Founder and Managing Partner @cdixon.eth draws on his decades-long career investing in startups to reveal what makes the networks that determine so much of our lives tick, as well as how they can be rewired to empower internet users and transform them into owners.
Check out the post here: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/read-write-own-book-excerpts/
Featured in our latest newsletter edition:
🎁 Holiday shopping inspiration
👀 Separating prediction market hype vs. reality
⚡️ An update on Jolt, our open-source zkVM
& more
https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/p/gear-guide-our-gifts-this-holiday
🎁 Holiday shopping inspiration
👀 Separating prediction market hype vs. reality
⚡️ An update on Jolt, our open-source zkVM
& more
https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/p/gear-guide-our-gifts-this-holiday
The holidays are just around the corner, which means it’s a great time to explore the latest gear and gadgets.
Whether you’re looking for thoughtful gift ideas, planning a tech upgrade, or just trawling through seasonal sales, this guide offers a curated selection of products to consider, sourced from the a16z crypto team, which is passionate about technologies of all types.
Check out the full guide and let us know if there’s anything you’d add to the list: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/gear-gift-guide-2024/
Whether you’re looking for thoughtful gift ideas, planning a tech upgrade, or just trawling through seasonal sales, this guide offers a curated selection of products to consider, sourced from the a16z crypto team, which is passionate about technologies of all types.
Check out the full guide and let us know if there’s anything you’d add to the list: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/gear-gift-guide-2024/
We’ve heard a lot about the premise and the promise of prediction markets for a long time, but they finally hit the main stage with the most recent election. So what worked (and didn’t) this time? Are they really better than pollsters, is polling dead?
So in this conversation, we tease apart the hype from the reality of prediction markets, from the recent election to market foundations… going more deeply into the how, why, and where these markets work. We also discuss the design challenges and opportunities (including implications for builders throughout). And we also cover other information aggregation mechanisms — from peer prediction to others — given that prediction markets are part of a broader category of information-elicitation and information-aggregation mechanisms.
@skominers @smc90
Full episode: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/prediction-markets-information-aggregation-mechanisms/
So in this conversation, we tease apart the hype from the reality of prediction markets, from the recent election to market foundations… going more deeply into the how, why, and where these markets work. We also discuss the design challenges and opportunities (including implications for builders throughout). And we also cover other information aggregation mechanisms — from peer prediction to others — given that prediction markets are part of a broader category of information-elicitation and information-aggregation mechanisms.
@skominers @smc90
Full episode: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/prediction-markets-information-aggregation-mechanisms/
DePIN is one of the most exciting areas in crypto right now.
Great progress being made across decentralized wireless, mapping, energy, and more.
Great progress being made across decentralized wireless, mapping, energy, and more.
We recently hosted some of the most talented builders in the UK to compete and collaborate on AI, crypto, healthcare+bio, and frontier tech projects.
Thank you to everyone who joined and helped make the event happen. 🫡
Thank you to everyone who joined and helped make the event happen. 🫡
We estimate that there are 30-60 million monthly active crypto users.
This is just 5-10% of people who own crypto.
How did we arrive at this number?
Learn here: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/estimating-crypto-users/
This is just 5-10% of people who own crypto.
How did we arrive at this number?
Learn here: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/estimating-crypto-users/
Consolidation is happening across the U.S. economy.
5 banks control nearly half of all assets.
6 tech companies make up more than half the Nasdaq 100’s value.
Crypto can help decentralize power.
Full report: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/state-of-crypto-report-2024/
5 banks control nearly half of all assets.
6 tech companies make up more than half the Nasdaq 100’s value.
Crypto can help decentralize power.
Full report: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/state-of-crypto-report-2024/
Full house for CSX Demo Day in NYC.
CSX connects founders with capital, a network of industry experts, and a cohort of leading web3 teams.
We focus on the expertise, mentorship, and support startups need to build ambitious products across industries.
Today, our NYC cohort will be presenting to a room full of investors and leaders in the industry.
Here’s @jasonr kicking it off.
CSX connects founders with capital, a network of industry experts, and a cohort of leading web3 teams.
We focus on the expertise, mentorship, and support startups need to build ambitious products across industries.
Today, our NYC cohort will be presenting to a room full of investors and leaders in the industry.
Here’s @jasonr kicking it off.
Crypto has broken into the national discourse this election cycle.
So we measured swing states’ relative levels of crypto interest.
Two battlegrounds expected to be among the tightest races in November — Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — have seen the fourth- and fifth-biggest jumps in crypto search interest since the last election in 2020, measured as a proportion of total searches using Google Trends.
Learn more in the full post: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/election-politics-crypto-2024/
So we measured swing states’ relative levels of crypto interest.
Two battlegrounds expected to be among the tightest races in November — Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — have seen the fourth- and fifth-biggest jumps in crypto search interest since the last election in 2020, measured as a proportion of total searches using Google Trends.
Learn more in the full post: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/election-politics-crypto-2024/
What can you do when experts can’t be trusted?
Draw lots.
This episode examines the ancient practice of “sortition,” which delegates decision-making power to random members of the public.
Sometimes called “government by lottery,” sortition was used in ancient Athenian democracy to elect public officials.
Now it’s undergoing a revival as tech companies (like Meta) and AI startups (like OpenAI and Anthropic) use the method to shape their policies.
Our guests today are Bailey Flanigan, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard who is joining MIT as an assistant professor next year, and who has helped develop selection algorithms for sortition that are in use today; and @andyhall, Stanford University poli sci professor, advisor to Meta, and consultant to a16z crypto research.
w/ @hackr 🎙️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjG2qhAAz0Y
Draw lots.
This episode examines the ancient practice of “sortition,” which delegates decision-making power to random members of the public.
Sometimes called “government by lottery,” sortition was used in ancient Athenian democracy to elect public officials.
Now it’s undergoing a revival as tech companies (like Meta) and AI startups (like OpenAI and Anthropic) use the method to shape their policies.
Our guests today are Bailey Flanigan, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard who is joining MIT as an assistant professor next year, and who has helped develop selection algorithms for sortition that are in use today; and @andyhall, Stanford University poli sci professor, advisor to Meta, and consultant to a16z crypto research.
w/ @hackr 🎙️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjG2qhAAz0Y
The number of monthly mobile crypto wallet users hit an all-time high of 29 million in June 2024.
While the U.S. makes up the greatest share of monthly mobile wallet users at 12%, its share of the total mobile wallet user base has declined in recent years as crypto adoption grows globally and as more projects seek regulatory compliance by excluding the U.S. through geofencing.
This is an excerpt of our 2024 State of Crypto report.
The full report should be read in its entirety for important disclosures and context.
None of the above should be taken as investment advice or an advertisement for investment services; see http://a16z.com/disclosures for further information.
The full report can be found here: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/state-of-crypto-report-2024/
While the U.S. makes up the greatest share of monthly mobile wallet users at 12%, its share of the total mobile wallet user base has declined in recent years as crypto adoption grows globally and as more projects seek regulatory compliance by excluding the U.S. through geofencing.
This is an excerpt of our 2024 State of Crypto report.
The full report should be read in its entirety for important disclosures and context.
None of the above should be taken as investment advice or an advertisement for investment services; see http://a16z.com/disclosures for further information.
The full report can be found here: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/state-of-crypto-report-2024/
Here's a special episode featuring a16z cofounders @pmarca and @bhorowitz talking about AI bots and crypto.
They discuss what happens when you mix postmodern theories and internet memes in an LLM.
They also get into the sudden rise of a strange memecoin, the state of crypto regulation in the U.S., and more.
Check out the full episode: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/ai-bots-memecoins/
They discuss what happens when you mix postmodern theories and internet memes in an LLM.
They also get into the sudden rise of a strange memecoin, the state of crypto regulation in the U.S., and more.
Check out the full episode: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/ai-bots-memecoins/