web3 with a16z crypto

AI and crypto... How will these two powerful technologies collide, and what happens when they do?

Published: 16 July 2025

What are the books, classics, adaptations, genres, and themes we keep reading? How is technology -- from AI and ChatGPT to the internet and audio -- changing reading? Why are certain themes in the zeitgeist right now? ...and much more!

Transcribed - Published: 2 July 2025

As the crypto industry matures, what are the most telling signals of real growth and adoption? We dig into 5 metrics we use to track the market.

Transcribed - Published: 20 June 2025

What do you do when the bank suddenly freezes access to your accounts? "Debanking" has affected many people and companies, including our guest Katherine Minarik, legal chief for Uniswap. We share her story and others like it.

Transcribed - Published: 11 June 2025

Solana cofounder Anatoly Yakovenko shares the origin and evolution of Solana; what sets the chain's culture, values, and tech apart; how it has gotten to where it is today (despite several near-death brushes); and much else in conversation with a16z General Partner Ali Yahya.

Transcribed - Published: 5 June 2025

Today, we’re sharing a special episode of the TED Tech podcast that features GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke. This talk explores how AI tools — like Github Copilot and others — are changing the landscape of coding and making it more accessible and transparent.

Transcribed - Published: 2 June 2025

We’re entering a world where AI – including AI agents, bots, deep fakes, and so on -- are changing the internet, very drastically. And so we will need proof of who’s human, or not, online – aka “proof of human". (This theme is also represented on the latest cover of Time magazine). Since the technology -- and network -- story here draws on both existing and new tech to help solve what’s actually a *very* difficult problem, we cover why it matters, go into some common questions, and finally how it all works under the hood.

Transcribed - Published: 30 May 2025

We’re entering a world where AI – including AI agents, bots, deep fakes, and so on -- are changing the internet, very drastically. And so we will need proof of who’s human, or not, online – aka “proof of human". (This theme is also represented on the latest cover of Time magazine). Since the technology -- and network -- story here draws on both existing and new tech to help solve what’s actually a *very* difficult problem, we cover why it matters, go into some common questions, and finally how it all works under the hood.

Transcribed - Published: 30 May 2025

A candid look at what works — and what doesn’t — when it comes to building reputation and community, attracting developers, hiring teams and agencies, launching tokens, raising founder profiles, and more with marketing leaders from Aztec, Optimism and a16z crypto.

Transcribed - Published: 22 May 2025

A deep look at why stablecoins have emerged as one of the most promising applications in crypto today — and how they could reshape global payments. We're joined by a16z crypto Founder Chris Dixon and Deal Partner Sam Broner.

Transcribed - Published: 15 May 2025

There has been a flurry of stablecoin news lately — from Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, Coinbase, Circle, and more — so we're doing a special bonus episode to cover everything that's been going on. Our experts highlight the signal versus the noise.

Transcribed - Published: 15 May 2025

This episode is all about quantum computing -- explaining what it is, how it works, what's hype vs. reality, and how to prepare for it/ what builders should do -- with cryptography and proof system experts.

Transcribed - Published: 8 May 2025

Forget what you think you know about tokens. We present a new framework that could change the way you view crypto.

Transcribed - Published: 25 April 2025

Our guest Illia Polosukhin designed and implemented the first-ever "transformer" models that kicked off the current AI boom. He joins the show to share his vision for an internet overrun by trillions of "user-owned" AI agents, replacing websites and apps.

Transcribed - Published: 16 April 2025

We cover everything you need to know about one of the most familiar — and most misunderstood — mechanics in crypto: the airdrop.

Transcribed - Published: 7 April 2025

Everyone hates traffic. One way to reduce it is through congestion pricing, which New York City implemented at the start of the year — a first of its kind for the U.S. We spoke to two economists about the history of this approach, the challenges of putting it into practice, and the implications — which extend from city blocks to, yes, blockchains.

Transcribed - Published: 29 March 2025

Everyone hates traffic. One way to reduce it is through congestion pricing, which New York City implemented at the start of the year — a first of its kind for the U.S. We spoke to two economists about the history of this approach, the challenges of putting it into practice, and the implications — which extend from city blocks to, yes, blockchains.

Transcribed - Published: 29 March 2025

From computational genomics research to building "humanity's coordination engine," Eigen Labs founder Sreeram Kannan shares his path — and lessons learned along the way — in conversation with a16z crypto General Partner Ali Yahya.

Transcribed - Published: 25 March 2025

What do people really mean when they talk about blockchain performance? Aptos Labs' Head of Research Sasha Spiegelman joins a16z crypto Head of Research Tim Roughgarden and show host Robert Hackett to discuss ways technologists are trying to maximize throughput and minimize latency for blockchains.

Transcribed - Published: 14 March 2025

Crypto exchange ByBit got hacked for $1.5 billion — making it potentially the biggest heist of all time. a16z crypto security expert Matt Gleason joins host Robert Hackett to discuss how the attack went down, the state of crypto security, and what you can do to help protect yourself from similar attacks.

Transcribed - Published: 8 March 2025

A special guest combo -- Hayden Adams of Uniswap and Colm Dillane of KidSuper -- on the topics of: industry jargon, the power of naming (and origin stories), marketing vs. spectacle; the power of early community and "selling out"; drops as in “airdrops” in crypto to drops in fashion (a la Supreme); open source copying, forking, and design (in both tech and fashion)... and the power of innovating vs. stagnating

Transcribed - Published: 3 March 2025

AI has broken the economic covenant of the internet. a16z crypto Founder and Managing Partner Chris Dixon has a vision to restore it.

Transcribed - Published: 22 February 2025

Blockchain privacy is about more than payments — it's about enabling all new types of apps. We discuss the set of onchain privacy-enabling technologies, why they matter, and more with Provable Cofounder and CEO Howard Wu, the brains behind Aleo, a privacy-focused blockchain network, plus a16z crypto Research Partner Justin Thaler.

Transcribed - Published: 1 February 2025

Blockchain privacy is about more than payments — it's about enabling all new types of apps. We discuss the set of onchain privacy-enabling technologies, why they matter, and more with Provable Cofounder and CEO Howard Wu, the brains behind Aleo, a privacy-focused blockchain network, plus a16z crypto Research Partner Justin Thaler.

Transcribed - Published: 1 February 2025

Ben Leventhal, the founder and CEO of BlackBird, and formerly the founder of Resy and Eater, is revamping the restaurant industry... with crypto. He shares his journey as a serial entrepreneur — including hard-won lessons learned in company-building — in conversation with a16z crypto General Partner Arianna Simpson.

Transcribed - Published: 24 January 2025

Looking to level up your online presence? Here's how to make social media work for you, rather than overwhelming you. Our guests are masters of the art of posting, and they have tips and tactics you can use to boost your profile, attract attention, and build a following of your own.

Transcribed - Published: 13 January 2025

Jason Mayden is the chief design officer of Jordan Brand at Nike — that's Jordan as in former NBA superstar Michael Jordan. He discusses with a16z crypto's Chris Lyons how to build a brand, whether you’re in crypto, sportswear, or another field; plus much more.

Transcribed - Published: 30 December 2024

We cover some of our big ideas for 2025 -- all focused on AI x crypto -- in this episode, spanning the trends of agents, DePIN, proof of unique personhood, decentralized autonomous chatbots, and more. Check out part 1 for more trends: stablecoins, app stores, infrastructure and UX, and others.

Transcribed - Published: 21 December 2024

We cover some of our big ideas for 2025 in this episode, spanning the trends of stablecoins, app stores, infrastructure and UX, and more. Check out part 2 for more trends at the intersection of crypto and AI.

Transcribed - Published: 20 December 2024

On the premise and the promise of prediction markets, which hit the main stage with the most recent election -- what worked (and didn't) this time? We tease apart the hype from the reality of prediction markets, but also go more deeply into the how, why, and where these markets work; the design challenges and opportunities (including implications for builders); other information aggregation mechanisms; and more. Where do (and don't) blockchain and crypto technologies come in? What are some of the most interesting applications, including across trends like AI, DeSci, futarchy/ governance, and more?

Transcribed - Published: 22 November 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 is undergoing a revival today as tech companies (like Meta) and AI startups (like OpenAI and Anthropic) use the method to shape policies. We're joined by political scientists Bailey Flanigan (Harvard now, MIT next year) and Andrew Hall (Stanford).

Transcribed - Published: 2 November 2024

a16z cofounders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz explore an unusual intersection of AI and crypto: the sudden rise of a strange memecoin bolstered by a meme-loving, bitcoin-wielding LLM.

Transcribed - Published: 26 October 2024

We take you behind the scenes of our newly released, annual State of Crypto Report — a16z crypto's analysis of the latest data and trends that have defined the industry in 2024.

Transcribed - Published: 18 October 2024

Blockchain bridges are essential tools for moving cross-chain, but they have a history of succumbing to big hacks. Why? One of the builders who knows this world best helps disentangle the mess. LayerZero Labs CEO and Cofounder Bryan Pellegrino joins a16z crypto General Partner Ali Yahya and show cohost Robert Hackett for a tour of what goes on between chains.

Transcribed - Published: 28 September 2024

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.

Transcribed - Published: 13 September 2024

In this special 50th episode, we discuss how work in the blockchains/ crypto space has led to advances in several important technologies — which can be used by many other industries well beyond crypto. We 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.

Transcribed - Published: 9 September 2024

We breakdown the recent Compound “governance attack”, including discussing whether “governance attack” is the right label for it or not; how it’s different from other attacks; and the broader trend of online vs offline governance attacks in general. We also discuss how to avoid, prevent, and respond to such governance attacks -- highlighting key differences between on-chain/ token-based/ digital voting systems vs. physical-world political systems around the world. What happens when you have activity from actors that the majority doesn’t necessarily agree with? How do you distinguish between good-faith and bad-faith activity, especially on-chain? And other such tricky questions?

Transcribed - Published: 15 August 2024

All about tokens — from protocol design to token launch. Our expert guests discuss how to reason about the risk and reward tradeoffs of various protocol designs and launch strategies, and they detail the Do's and Don'ts. a16z crypto chief technology officer Eddy Lazzarin joins general counsel and head of decentralization Miles Jennings for a conversation with editor Robert Hackett on the art of tokencraft.

Transcribed - Published: 8 August 2024

All about innovation around the world -- at both an ecosystem and individual talent level -- from what does and doesn't work; how certain places become hubs of startup activity and economic growth; what makes entrepreneurial talent; the nature of ambition, yearning, and finding your path; and more broadly, mindsets for navigating risk/ reward and dynamism in different regions, including London and Europe. We also discuss new ways of funding breakthrough R&D, tech trends of interest including crypto, and more.

Transcribed - Published: 31 July 2024

What we're reading -- including picks from our latest summer reading list and evergreen recommendations as well -- as well as how we read, and why we read (religion, mythology, fantasy, infotainment, fiction vs nonfiction, and more).

Published: 21 July 2024

Finding product market fit is a trial every founder must face. Serial entrepreneur Ben Rubin, who built the breakout social apps Meerkat, then Houseparty (acquired by Epic Games in 2019), and who is now building a decentralized messaging protocol as CEO and cofounder of Here Not There Labs, shares his journey — and search for meaning — with Jason Rosenthal, head of a16z crypto's CSX startup accelerator program.

Transcribed - Published: 25 June 2024

Who gets to decide what, for whom? Governance is one of the trickiest challenges people have faced, from ancient city-states to AI startups. Experts Noah Feldman, constitutional law scholar at Harvard who architected the Meta oversight board and has written multiple books, and Andrew Hall, professor of political science at Stanford and consultant to a16z crypto research, join a16z crypto editor Robert Hackett for a hallway-style conversation touring the field’s big ideas, lessons learned in practice, and the most exciting experiments happening today. They discuss everything from the history of democracy, to the dynamics (and dysfunctions) of corporate and university boards, to the hopes for blockchain-based DAOs and beyond, as well as examples of governance from big companies like Meta to startups like Anthropic, and much more.

Transcribed - Published: 18 June 2024

This episode is all about pricing strategy. We dive into insights from traditional and web2 businesses and apply them — plus brand new approaches — to startups using crypto and blockchains. Topics of discussion include the importance of understanding consumer psychology, how to navigate pivots and avoid common mistakes, and what can be learned from real-world case studies, including Tesla, Nvidia, and others. Our experts include a16z crypto's Maggie Hsu, head of our go-to-market team; research partner and Harvard Business School professor of economics Scott Kominers; and tech veteran and head of our CSX startup accelerator Jason Rosenthal — the three of whom combine their different expertise around the theme of this episode to help you master pricing strategy.

Transcribed - Published: 1 June 2024

Open source software powers much technology today, from web servers to phones. But what does it take to get an open source project going from scratch? Optimism Foundation CEO and executive director Jing Wang joins a16z crypto CTO Eddy Lazzarin and editor Robert Hackett to talk about the peculiarities of open source stewardship, from thinking through contributor incentives and business models to establishing a foundation and planning roadmaps — including Optimism's own vision for a blockchain-scaling "superchain."

Transcribed - Published: 23 May 2024

"Layer 2” rollups are computer networks that are designed to help scale “layer 1” blockchains such as Ethereum — and they've been bustling with activity recently, especially since Ethereum implemented its scaling-related EIP-4844 ("Dencun") upgrade in March. Jesse Pollak, who is Coinbase's head of protocols and who founded and leads the popular layer 2 rollup Base, joins a16z crypto engineer Noah Citron and host Robert Hackett to discuss bottom-up vs. top-down innovation, models of leadership, software development roadmaps, and building the onchain economy.

Transcribed - Published: 11 May 2024

Verifiable computing is a method for trustlessly outsourcing computation — and it’s a fast-developing area of technology that could help scale blockchains and, more broadly, decentralize the internet. We explore this world through the lens of zkVMs — or zero-knowledge virtual machines — tools that enable computers to prove that they ran programs correctly, as well as the SNARKs that enable them to work their magic. In this episode, members of the a16z crypto research and engineering teams discuss their year-long close collaboration to develop the simplest, most performant zkVM to date: Jolt.

Transcribed - Published: 1 May 2024

Chris Lee is cofounder of IYK, a startup that makes digital experiences tangible through NFC chips. Michael Blau is a deal partner at a16z crypto and part-time generative artist. And Robert Hackett is an editor at a16z crypto. They discuss the merging of the digital and physical, new consumer experiences enabled by chipped goods, the challenge of counterfeits and bots, and more.

Transcribed - Published: 13 April 2024

All about how technology has changed art, and how artists change with technology – from the emergence of the browser, the iPhone, and social media; to generative AI art and blockchains to NFTs. We (with guest Simon Denny) also discuss debates that seem to come up in every art x tech shift -- including inventing vs. remixing; between commercialism and art; between mainstream canon and fringe art; whether we’re living in an artistic monoculture now (the answer may surprise you); and much more.

Transcribed - Published: 2 April 2024

Brian Armstrong is CEO and cofounder of Coinbase. Chris Dixon is founder and managing partner of a16z crypto. They discuss Coinbase's early days, the fallout from FTX, crypto in politics, company building, product development, and more.

Transcribed - Published: 28 March 2024

Tobias Lütke is the CEO and cofounder of the ecommerce platform Shopify. Ben Horowitz is the cofounder of a16z. They discuss scaling startups; leadership strategies; how to handle emotions, corporate culture, and activism; and more.

Transcribed - Published: 28 March 2024