1786
a16zcrypto
@a16zcrypto #1786
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We’ve just released our latest State of Crypto report.
It shares insights on key trends — like stablecoins, L2s, and AI — plus, crypto’s rise as a hot policy issue, new data on builders and users, and much more.
Here are 7 top takeaways ⬇️
1. Crypto activity and usage hit all-time highs
2. Crypto has become a key political issue ahead of the U.S. election
3. Stablecoins have found product-market fit
4. Major scaling upgrades have drastically reduced onchain transaction costs
5. DeFi remains popular — and it’s growing
6. Crypto could solve some of AI’s most pressing challenges
7. More scalable infrastructure has unlocked new onchain applications
Check out the full report: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/state-of-crypto-report-2024/
It shares insights on key trends — like stablecoins, L2s, and AI — plus, crypto’s rise as a hot policy issue, new data on builders and users, and much more.
Here are 7 top takeaways ⬇️
1. Crypto activity and usage hit all-time highs
2. Crypto has become a key political issue ahead of the U.S. election
3. Stablecoins have found product-market fit
4. Major scaling upgrades have drastically reduced onchain transaction costs
5. DeFi remains popular — and it’s growing
6. Crypto could solve some of AI’s most pressing challenges
7. More scalable infrastructure has unlocked new onchain applications
Check out the full report: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/state-of-crypto-report-2024/
“Mainstream media stories about crypto tend to focus on eye-catching allegations of illicit financial activity, particularly when cryptocurrency is used to launder the proceeds of a hack, ransomware attack, or other cybercrime activity.
As former prosecutors who spent a substantial part of our careers putting away bad guys — including money launderers — our interest is not in making headlines, but rather in helping Congress and other policymakers figure out which measures will be most effective in catching bad actors and reigning in illicit financial activity in the emerging crypto industry.
In brief, the U.S. government should address criminal acts by foreign bad actors who are the principal threat.
Below are some suggestions for how it can do so.”
–– Michele Korver, Head of Regulatory & Jai Ramaswamy, Chief Legal Officer
📝: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/crime-crypto-concrete-steps-address-money-laundering/
As former prosecutors who spent a substantial part of our careers putting away bad guys — including money launderers — our interest is not in making headlines, but rather in helping Congress and other policymakers figure out which measures will be most effective in catching bad actors and reigning in illicit financial activity in the emerging crypto industry.
In brief, the U.S. government should address criminal acts by foreign bad actors who are the principal threat.
Below are some suggestions for how it can do so.”
–– Michele Korver, Head of Regulatory & Jai Ramaswamy, Chief Legal Officer
📝: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/crime-crypto-concrete-steps-address-money-laundering/
Science of Blockchain Conference ‘24: Field notes
by Joseph Bonneau, Pranav Garimidi, & Joachim Neu
📝: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/science-of-blockchain-conference-24-field-notes/
by Joseph Bonneau, Pranav Garimidi, & Joachim Neu
📝: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/science-of-blockchain-conference-24-field-notes/
Introducing Voices Onchain (VO)—a new initiative spotlighting creators boldly blending art and tech.
VO is more than just a showcase—it’s a celebration of the visionary creators redefining the creative economy with blockchain.
Think music, art, and literature, but with infinite possibilities.
The inaugural VO crew includes @callmelatasha, @sashastiles, Micah Johnson, and Julian Gilliam.
You can dive deeper into their stories and nominate more talent at voicesonchain.com
Stay tuned for more!
VO is more than just a showcase—it’s a celebration of the visionary creators redefining the creative economy with blockchain.
Think music, art, and literature, but with infinite possibilities.
The inaugural VO crew includes @callmelatasha, @sashastiles, Micah Johnson, and Julian Gilliam.
You can dive deeper into their stories and nominate more talent at voicesonchain.com
Stay tuned for more!
In an ideal world, every company holding digital assets would follow a standard reporting practice — allowing operators and investors to intuitively and transparently understand the liquid value of their assets.
This is the purpose of the new Statement of Digital Assets (SoDA), a standardized report that aims to provide a lasting and transparent bridge between accurate GAAP reporting of digital assets and the details from multiple wallets, centralized exchanges, and other cryptographically based ownership and/or custody arrangements.
SoDA is designed to address many of the accounting nuances associated with businesses that interact with digital assets.
Learn more about SoDa here: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/statement-of-digital-assets/
This is the purpose of the new Statement of Digital Assets (SoDA), a standardized report that aims to provide a lasting and transparent bridge between accurate GAAP reporting of digital assets and the details from multiple wallets, centralized exchanges, and other cryptographically based ownership and/or custody arrangements.
SoDA is designed to address many of the accounting nuances associated with businesses that interact with digital assets.
Learn more about SoDa here: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/statement-of-digital-assets/
Blockchain bridges have a history of succumbing to big hacks.
Why?
One of the builders who knows the world of blockchain interoperability best helps disentangle the mess.
LayerZero Labs CEO and Cofounder Bryan Pellegrino (@primordialaa) joins a16z crypto General Partner Ali Yahya (@alive) and show cohost Robert Hackett (@hackr) for a tour of what goes on between chains.
Check out the full podcast here:
https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/blockchain-bridges-layerzero-bryan-pellegrino/
Why?
One of the builders who knows the world of blockchain interoperability best helps disentangle the mess.
LayerZero Labs CEO and Cofounder Bryan Pellegrino (@primordialaa) joins a16z crypto General Partner Ali Yahya (@alive) and show cohost Robert Hackett (@hackr) for a tour of what goes on between chains.
Check out the full podcast here:
https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/blockchain-bridges-layerzero-bryan-pellegrino/
This summer, we held our third summer research program, where we invite researchers from academia and industry to come and share their work.
We also publicly release all of their presentations to make the community stronger.
Check out the videos here (more coming soon)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjQ9HCQMu_8zlqApmyd2_cJZHstiNbirl
We also publicly release all of their presentations to make the community stronger.
Check out the videos here (more coming soon)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjQ9HCQMu_8zlqApmyd2_cJZHstiNbirl
Covered in our latest newsletter:
✨Spotlight: AI x crypto
❓Why Ethereum ETPs (vs. ETFs) are so significant, plus answers to other FAQs
🛡️News you can use: A legal defense fund for creators using crypto
🌌Application to play (test): On games as reality
🔐Trend: Trusted execution environments (TEEs)
🗞️: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/decentralize-ai-or-only-big-tech-wins-etp-vs-etf-defend-play-trust/
✨Spotlight: AI x crypto
❓Why Ethereum ETPs (vs. ETFs) are so significant, plus answers to other FAQs
🛡️News you can use: A legal defense fund for creators using crypto
🌌Application to play (test): On games as reality
🔐Trend: Trusted execution environments (TEEs)
🗞️: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/decentralize-ai-or-only-big-tech-wins-etp-vs-etf-defend-play-trust/
You can also find @skominers's 3 takeaways here: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/3-takeaways-on-market-design-for-web3-builders/
BTC and ETH ETFs (actually ETPs!) were approved and listed earlier this year.
Here's what it means for crypto as an asset class:
https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/eth-etf-etp-faq/
Here's what it means for crypto as an asset class:
https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/eth-etf-etp-faq/
When does virtual reality cease being virtual… and start to become reality
This episode digs deep into game design, philosophy, and mechanics with the maker of one of the world’s most iconic massive multiplayer online role playing games: EVE Online.
Listen also as our guest, Hilmar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games, shares more about his studio’s next act: EVE Frontier, a blockchain-based overhaul of the sci-fi game that is now inviting people to apply as playtesters.
This episode digs deep into game design, philosophy, and mechanics with the maker of one of the world’s most iconic massive multiplayer online role playing games: EVE Online.
Listen also as our guest, Hilmar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games, shares more about his studio’s next act: EVE Frontier, a blockchain-based overhaul of the sci-fi game that is now inviting people to apply as playtesters.
6 must-watch talks and takeaways for early-stage crypto startups
→ https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/6-csx-talks-for-startups/
→ https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/6-csx-talks-for-startups/
Today we had the opportunity to host @haydenzadams and @karl-op on stage at CSX NYC for a talk about their early days as web3 founders while they were still suitemates in college.
Thank you for coming to share your experience and thoughts with the cohort!
🫡
Thank you for coming to share your experience and thoughts with the cohort!
🫡
It’s our 50th episode of the web3 with a16z podcast!
The episode is on how tech advances thanks to the blockchains/ crypto space can be applied to many other industries well beyond.
Tim Roughgarden (a16z crypto Head of Research and professor at Columbia University) and Dan Boneh (a16z crypto Senior Research Advisor and professor at Stanford University) and our Editor in Chief, @smc90 cover everything from AMMs to credible auctions to DAOs, to macroeconomic experiments and FHE to TEEs to zero knowledge and much more — offering useful explanations along the way.
Find find “web3 with a16z” wherever you get your podcasts.
The episode is on how tech advances thanks to the blockchains/ crypto space can be applied to many other industries well beyond.
Tim Roughgarden (a16z crypto Head of Research and professor at Columbia University) and Dan Boneh (a16z crypto Senior Research Advisor and professor at Stanford University) and our Editor in Chief, @smc90 cover everything from AMMs to credible auctions to DAOs, to macroeconomic experiments and FHE to TEEs to zero knowledge and much more — offering useful explanations along the way.
Find find “web3 with a16z” wherever you get your podcasts.
CSX kicks off this week in NYC! 🙌
How can founders show why their vision matters – and why they're the right team to bring it to market? A primer on pitching a web3 startup from a16z crypto general partner Arianna Simpson.
In this talk, Arianna shares learnings and frameworks from her experience raising money for her own funds, along with years hearing thousands of pitches.
She covers pitching from start to finish – from crafting a narrative for your product and team to following up – to help make an often daunting process as easy as possible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVKcgn2W1uw
In this talk, Arianna shares learnings and frameworks from her experience raising money for her own funds, along with years hearing thousands of pitches.
She covers pitching from start to finish – from crafting a narrative for your product and team to following up – to help make an often daunting process as easy as possible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVKcgn2W1uw
Covered in this week's newsletter edition:
🤝🫶 Feature: Hiring and retaining talent in web3
🗣️💥 Governance attack!?
🏦💼 Regulatory update: The unhosted wallet rule has been officially withdrawn
📰🪪 News you can use: on payments
& more!
Check it out: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/a16z-crypto-newsletter-recruiting-wallets-governance/
🤝🫶 Feature: Hiring and retaining talent in web3
🗣️💥 Governance attack!?
🏦💼 Regulatory update: The unhosted wallet rule has been officially withdrawn
📰🪪 News you can use: on payments
& more!
Check it out: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/a16z-crypto-newsletter-recruiting-wallets-governance/
Hiring the right recruiter help can set founders up for success from the start.
In this post, Aurora Petracca will share how.
Aurora worked at and helped scale Airbnb (which she joined at 50 employees) and Coinbase (which she joined at 7), plus, counseled countless other startups.
She believes a recruiter should be among your first 10 hires.
Learn why: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/why-startups-should-hire-recruiters/
In this post, Aurora Petracca will share how.
Aurora worked at and helped scale Airbnb (which she joined at 50 employees) and Coinbase (which she joined at 7), plus, counseled countless other startups.
She believes a recruiter should be among your first 10 hires.
Learn why: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/why-startups-should-hire-recruiters/
"What is the right model for internet governance?"
Here’s a practical guide from @ishverduzco on how to build your social media presence.
It includes guidelines for starting from scratch, and taking a social presence from 0 to 1, including setting goals, identifying a target audience, and measuring success.
Plus, tools and frameworks founders can use to know how, when, and what to post, especially if time is your biggest constraint.
The full guide can be found here: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/social-media-for-startups-guide/
It includes guidelines for starting from scratch, and taking a social presence from 0 to 1, including setting goals, identifying a target audience, and measuring success.
Plus, tools and frameworks founders can use to know how, when, and what to post, especially if time is your biggest constraint.
The full guide can be found here: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/social-media-for-startups-guide/
In this new episode, we not only break down the recent Compound “governance attack” -- including discussing whether that's the right label for it or not -- but also cover online vs offline governance attacks in general, possible solutions to such governance attacks in the specific, and more.
with Andy Hall, @eddy, @shuel.eth, @smc90
🎙
Tune in: https://web3-with-a16z.simplecast.com/episodes/dao-governance-voting-attacks-onchain-vs-political-systems
with Andy Hall, @eddy, @shuel.eth, @smc90
🎙
Tune in: https://web3-with-a16z.simplecast.com/episodes/dao-governance-voting-attacks-onchain-vs-political-systems