Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast a16z crypto show
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leslie Lamport on the Science of Distributed Systems | 25 juin 2026 | 00:36:22 | |
Before blockchains could reach consensus, Leslie Lamport had to define what agreement even meant when computers fail, lie, or disappear. In this episode of First Principles: The Scientific Roots of Blockchain Technology, Turing Award-winning computer scientist Leslie Lamport joins Tim Roughgarden Head of Research at a16z crypto and Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University, and a16z crypto Research Partner Ittai Abraham to trace the ideas that helped define modern distributed computing. Lamport’s work formalized some of the field’s deepest questions: how to reason about concurrent systems, how distributed systems can agree despite failures, and how to prove that protocols do what they are supposed to do. His work on logical clocks, state machine replication, the Byzantine Generals problem, and Paxos has shaped everything from cloud infrastructure to the consensus protocols underlying modern blockchains. The conversation begins with Lamport’s early work on concurrency and the origins of the Byzantine Generals Problem, and then turns to fault tolerance: what happens when machines crash, behave unpredictably, or even act maliciously? We also cover the feedback loop between theory and practice, the long arc of fundamental research, and how blockchains are inheriting and extending decades of distributed systems work. Highlights 00:00 – Intro: The problem every blockchain is built to solve About First Principles People often tell the story of the Bitcoin whitepaper as if it appeared out of nowhere. But the ideas behind Bitcoin — and blockchains more broadly — come from decades of computer science, economics, mathematics, and cryptography. First Principles is a guide to that lineage, as told by the people who helped build it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Before Blockchains, There Was State Machine Replication (ft. Barbara Liskov and Tim Roughgarden) | 22 juin 2026 | 00:35:46 | |
Every blockchain today leans on replication ideas worked out in the 1980s, by a Turing Award winner who wasn’t thinking about how it might apply to money at all. In this episode of First Principles, a16z crypto Head of Research and Columbia professor Tim Roughgarden speaks with Barbara Liskov, MIT professor, Turing Award winner, and one of the most influential computer scientists in programming languages, data abstraction, fault tolerance, and distributed computing. a16z crypto research partner Ittai Abraham joins the conversation. The discussion traces Liskov’s path from programming languages and modularity to distributed systems research; from CLU and Argus to viewstamped replication; and from benign failures to Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance, or PBFT — a protocol family whose ideas now shape many modern blockchain systems. Liskov explains why modularity matters, how systems researchers thought about replication in the 1980s, why view changes were such a key idea, and how PBFT extended earlier work to handle malicious behavior on the internet. The conversation also explores the bridge between theory and practice, the importance of proofs and specifications, and why the next generation of systems research may be reshaped by AI. First Principles is a special, limited series from a16z crypto about the scientific roots of modern computing — especially blockchains — told through rare conversations with the pioneers who helped shape the foundational ideas behind distributed systems, consensus protocols, economics, mechanism design, cryptography, zero-knowledge, and more. People often tell the story of the Bitcoin whitepaper as if it appeared out of nowhere. But the ideas behind Bitcoin — and behind blockchains more broadly — come from decades of computer science, economics, mathematics, and cryptography. First Principles is a guide to that lineage, as told by the people who helped build it. Highlights: 00:00 Intro: How do systems stay reliable when parts fail? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| How Bitcoin Rewired a Classic Computer Science Problem (ft. Tim Roughgarden and Ittai Abraham) | 22 juin 2026 | 00:20:00 | |
Bitcoin often gets credited with inventing trustless consensus. It didn’t. The problem was named decades earlier — in the world of distributed computing — and researchers spent years studying how machines could reach agreement even when some participants were faulty, adversarial, or corrupt. What Bitcoin did was something different: It solved a classic Byzantine agreement problem in a radically new, permissionless setting. And it took the research world years to fully recognize what Satoshi had done. In this episode of First Principles, a16z crypto Head of Research and Columbia professor Tim Roughgarden is joined by a16z crypto research partner Ittai Abraham — one of the world’s leading researchers in Byzantine agreement and consensus protocols, a founding member of VMware’s blockchain project, and founder of the technical blog Decentralized Thoughts — to unpack the scientific roots of blockchain consensus. Together, Tim and Ittai trace the line from classic distributed systems research to Bitcoin, proof-of-stake, Tendermint, Casper, DAG-based protocols, Solana’s Alpenglow, and the modern race for higher throughput and lower latency. Along the way, they explain why concepts like Byzantine fault tolerance, state machine replication, safety, liveness, and partial synchrony are not just academic abstractions — they are the language and design principles behind today’s blockchain protocols. This conversation kicks off First Principles: The Scientific Roots of Blockchain Technology — a special, limited series from a16z crypto on the scientific ideas behind modern computing — especially blockchains — told through conversations with the pioneers who helped create them, including Barbara Liskov, Leslie Lamport, and more. Hosted by Tim Roughgarden, the series explores the foundational concepts behind distributed systems and consensus protocols; economics, mechanism and market design; and cryptography, from digital signatures to zero knowledge. People often tell the story of the Bitcoin whitepaper as if it appeared out of nowhere. But the ideas behind Bitcoin — and behind blockchains more broadly — come from decades of computer science, economics, mathematics, and cryptography. First Principles is a guide to that lineage, told by the people who helped build it. Highlights 00:00 Introduction to First Principles: The Scientific Roots of Blockchain Technology Follow: Tim Roughgarden: https://twitter.com/Tim_Roughgarden X: https://twitter.com/a16zcrypto ** Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| How Stablecoins Are Reconfiguring the Financial System | ft. Eddy Lazzarin and Sonal Chokshi | 12 juin 2026 | 01:20:18 | |
Crypto has been walled off from the real economy for years — that's changing. Sonal Chokshi and Robert Hackett sit down with Eddy Lazzarin, a16z crypto's newest General Partner, to break down why crypto is entering a completely different phase and what gets built once the rules finally catch up to the technology. The discussion spans: - what the CLARITY Act actually does and why it changes the design space for crypto founders Highlights: As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| The Real Reason Behind Most DeFi Hacks | 13 mai 2026 | 00:35:28 | |
Following a string of major DeFi exploits, we unpack what’s driving the recent rise in hacks across crypto. a16z crypto GP Eddy Lazzarin and security engineer Matt Gleason join host Robert Hackett to take a closer look. Their argument: AI is not introducing entirely new vulnerabilities. It is making existing weaknesses easier to identify and exploit. The question is whether defenders can evolve as quickly as attackers. They also cover: - why “AI-powered hacking” is difficult to measure
Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro
Follow along here: Follow a16z crypto: Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/
As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| We Raised $2.2B. Here’s Why. | 05 mai 2026 | 01:00:31 | |
We're announcing a16z crypto's Fund 5: $2.2B in committed capital to back the startups and founders who are building the next era of crypto. All four GPs sat down to talk through where crypto is right now, what's changed, and where it may be headed next. Chris Dixon, Ali Yahya, Guy Wuollet, and Eddy Lazzarin join Robert Hackett to cover... Resources: Follow a16z crypto: X: https://x.com/a16zcrypto Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/
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| The end of ads? AI agents are about to change how we buy | 27 avr. 2026 | 00:57:09 | |
Agents can now do almost anything a human can do with a computer. So what happens when they start spending money on your behalf? Sam Ragsdale (founder and CEO of Merit Systems, a startup building infrastructure for the agentic economy) joins a16z crypto's Eddy Lazzarin, Noah Levine, and Robert Hackett on the open agentic commerce stack, and why the internet's business model is about to get rewired. 00:00 – Intro Sam Ragsdale on X: /samrags_ Follow a16z crypto: /a16zcrypto Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Why AI is so centralized: How it's built, who controls it, and what comes next | 22 avr. 2026 | 00:17:23 | |
A few big companies control most of the infrastructure behind AI. Most people experience AI through a wide range of different apps that actually depend on a deeply centralized stack of data and compute. In this conversation, Ben Fielding and Harry Grieve — cofounders of decentralized machine learning protocol Gensyn — explain why this matters, and what it would take to rebuild AI as open infrastructure instead. From unused global compute to the philosophical implications of machine intelligence, they argue that the next evolution of AI must be owned, coordinated, and verified in a fundamentally different way. Highlights Ben Fielding on X: https://x.com/benfielding
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| How Bots, Deepfakes and AI Agents Are Forcing a New Internet Identity Layer | 17 avr. 2026 | 00:42:13 | |
The internet already has a bot problem — and it's just getting worse. a16z's Ben Horowitz and Erik Torenberg speak with Alex Blania of Tools for Humanity. World is building the largest real human network, a proof-of-human layer for the AI era. They cover the technical challenge of proving human uniqueness at scale using iris biometrics, the privacy architecture behind World ID, and why platforms from social networks to dating apps to video conferencing will soon require proof of human verification. Timestamps:
Resources: Follow Alex Blania on X: / alexblania Follow a16z crypto for more...
As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| How DeFi lending actually works (with Paul Frambot, cofounder and CEO of Morpho Labs) | 08 avr. 2026 | 00:18:25 | |
What if the future of lending doesn’t need banks at all? Paul Frambot, cofounder and CEO of Morpho, explains what it means to build lending infrastructure without banks, and why DeFi’s real breakthrough isn’t “risk-free” loans, but open, onchain markets that make lending more transparent, competitive, and efficient. In this conversation, Paul breaks down the biggest misconception in DeFi lending, how to think about risk onchain, why institutions are learning faster than expected, and where banks, asset managers, fintechs, and stablecoins fit into the next wave of adoption. He also shares his long-term vision for finance: a world where open blockchain infrastructure replaces siloed financial systems, access to capital gets broader, and financial products become cheaper, more personalized, and easier to build. Highlights:
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*** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Why Solana keeps getting faster — and what's next (ft. Jito Labs CEO Lucas Bruder) | 03 avr. 2026 | 00:18:01 | |
What if opening a trading account was as easy as downloading an app? Lucas Bruder, CEO of Jito — a Solana-based liquid staking protocol — breaks down why he thinks all of finance is moving onchain, and what his small team is doing to make that happen. During the 2022-2023 bear market, Jito was getting pitched constantly to jump ship to other chains. Lucas explains why they turned everything down, doubled down on Solana, and chewed a lot of glass. We also cover how Jito acts like a Cloudflare for Solana, why cheap transactions create surprising problems, what convinced Lucas that the Solana engineers were in it for the right reasons, and his vision for a financial system anyone can access with just a phone. Follow Jito: https://www.jito.network/ Follow Lucas: https://x.com/buffalu__ Highlights
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As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Vitalik Buterin vs Beff Jezos: AI Acceleration Debate (E/acc vs D/acc) | 25 mars 2026 | 01:37:39 | |
Should we push AI forward as fast as possible, or be more careful about how it develops? Two competing views are emerging:
In this episode of the a16z crypto show, Vitalik Buterin (Ethereum founder) and Guillaume Verdon aka "Beff Jezos" (Extropic founder & CEO,) join Eddy Lazzarin (a16z crypto CTO) and Shaw Walters (Eliza Labs founder) for a deep debate about these two perspectives and what they mean for AI, crypto, and the future. They discuss:
Highlights: 00:00 Opening 07:02 Thermodynamics and first principles 16:04 Acceleration, entropy, and civilization 28:29 The core disagreement 32:42 Comparing and contrasting e/acc and d/acc 36:20 Open source, open hardware, and local intelligence 54:18 Should AI be slowed down? 1:02:35 Autonomous agents and artificial life 1:21:07 Crypto as the trust layer between humans and AI 1:35:37 Closing arguments
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📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/ *** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| AI Is Changing the Internet. What Does It Mean for Creators? (with Justin and Michael Blau) | 17 mars 2026 | 00:37:22 | |
What does the future of the creator economy actually look like? The economics of content creation are changing, what happens to copyright in a world of abundant generated content, and why human taste, curation, and connection may matter even more going forward. In this episode, host Robert Hackett talks with Justin (CEO, Bond) and Michael Blau(Head of Product, Bond) about the changing relationship between creators, audiences, platforms, and technology. They unpack how today’s platforms shape creator behavior, why audience relationships are often trapped inside algorithms, and what a more direct creator-fan connection could look like. They also explore broader questions around crypto infrastructure, stablecoins, and whether blockchain can enable new kinds of internet-native products without needing to be the focus of the user experience. Along the way, Justin reflects on his path from music into crypto, Michael talks about how magic shaped the way he thinks about originality and performance, and both share thoughts on NFTs, digital ownership, productivity tools, books, and creative inspiration. Highlights
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| The Emmy Built on ETH: Emily Yang aka pplpleasr on the Future of Storytelling | 13 mars 2026 | 00:11:08 | |
Four years ago, artist Emily Yang aka pplpleasr began a creative journey that would help break new ground at the intersection of art, technology, and community. In this episode, we sit down with Emily — founder of Shibuya — to talk about her evolution from illustrator to Emmy-winning storyteller. Emily shares how Shibuya is pioneering “permissionless creativity,” using crypto rails to fund, build, and co-create original IP with global communities. Her breakout project, White Rabbit, became the first crypto-native project to win an Emmy (Outstanding Innovation in Emerging Media), proving that grassroots storytelling can reach mainstream acclaim. We dive into:
Plus, Emily's biggest inspirations (Ghost in the Shell, Miyazaki, David Lynch, and more).
Follow a16z crypto for more... LinkedIn: / posts YouTube: / @a16zcrypto 📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subsc... *** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| AI Just Gave You Superpowers — Now What? | 05 mars 2026 | 01:05:40 | |
A hot paper — "Some Simple Economics of AGI" — has been making the rounds, so we sat down with the author, covering:
Featuring Christian Catalini (founder of MIT Crypto Economics Lab) and Eddy Lazzarin (CTO of a16z crypto) in conversation with Robert Hackett, our discussion dives deep into how automation is reshaping labor markets, as well as the nature of intelligence. What do these changes mean for startups, the future of work, and your career? Highlights 00:00 Introduction 01:47 AGI economics optimism and playbook 05:39 Agents as coworkers 07:39 Software work becomes verification 10:47 Automation versus verification 12:03 "Unknown unknowns" and taste 16:27 Human augmentation and intent 17:55 The "AI Sandwich" and "Codifier's Curse" 21:54 "Meaning-makers" and the human touch 23:48 Crypto for identity and trust? 27:10 Measurability: How to think about it 33:23 Machine coordination and art after automation 35:46 Trojan horse risks 37:47 Liability and insurance 41:08 Crypto and verification 44:31 A hollow vs. augmented economy 49:45 Career advice in the AI era 51:26 The one-person billion-dollar startup 57:15 Open-source as antibodies 58:42 Blockchains for coordination 01:01:49 Closing thoughts Follow a16z crypto for more... X: https://x.com/a16zcrypto LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a16zcrypto/posts/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@a16zcrypto 📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/ *** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Why Tokenize? Fidelity on Onchain Assets and the Next Phase of Adoption | 04 mars 2026 | 00:16:04 | |
What does it actually mean to bring assets onchain — and why should investors care? In this episode, Cynthia Lo Bessette, Head of Digital Asset Management at Fidelity Investments, breaks down Fidelity’s roadmap for digital market adoption — from Bitcoin ETPs to tokenized money market funds — and explains why tokenization is about far more than just putting assets on a blockchain. We cover:
Cynthia also shares insight into Fidelity’s early Bitcoin mining experiments, how they evaluate crypto founders, and why authenticity is the smallest hill she’ll always die on. If you're interested in tokenization, real-world assets, crypto ETFs, DeFi infrastructure, or the future of asset management — this conversation is for you. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| When Bots Have Bank Accounts: The Rise of the Agent Economy (With Sean Neville, Catena Labs) | 03 mars 2026 | 00:20:42 | |
What happens when AI becomes the primary economic actor? In this conversation, Sean Neville (cofounder of Circle, architect of USDC, and now cofounder of Catena Labs) shares his vision for the next phase of the internet: an agent-native economy powered by programmable dollars and AI banks. As stablecoins put dollars on internet rails, a new question emerges: what happens when AI agents start earning, spending, lending, investing — and even managing our assets — on our behalf? From KYA (“Know Your Agent”) to programmable spending policies to secure agent communication standards, this conversation explores the foundational layers that must be built before AI can safely participate in the global economy. Sean breaks down:
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| From Eater to Blackbird: Ben Leventhal on Restaurants, Loyalty, and Rebuilding Payments | 11 févr. 2026 | 00:15:49 | |
Restaurants generated more than a trillion dollars in sales last year — but they don’t control the payment rails those dollars flow through. In this episode, Ben Leventhal (founder of Eater, Resy, and now Blackbird) joins Robert Hackett to explain why that’s a problem, how loyalty and payments have failed independent restaurants, and where crypto fits into fixing it. Ben breaks down:
This is a grounded conversation about technology, ownership, and the future of restaurants — from someone who’s been building in the space for over a decade.
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📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/ 🎙️ Like, subscribe, comment, share the show: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/ *** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Bridge CEO Zach Abrams: Stablecoins Are The Next Platform for Money | 02 févr. 2026 | 00:19:45 | |
What happens when money moves 10x — or 100x — faster than it does today? In this episode, Zach Abrams, cofounder and CEO of Bridge (now part of Stripe), lays out a bold vision for the future of money: a world where stablecoins become the dominant payment rail, most transactions happen between non-human agents, and entirely new financial infrastructure is required to keep up. Zach explains why stablecoins are the next evolution of fintech, much like credit cards were decades ago — and why we’re still in the very early innings. We dig into agentic payments, AI-to-AI commerce, micro-transactions on the open internet, and what Stripe is building by assembling stablecoin infrastructure across the stack. Along the way, we cover:
If you’re curious about the future of payments, fintech, crypto, AI agents, or the economic foundations of the next internet, this conversation offers a look several steps ahead. Highlights: 00:00 Introduction Follow a16z crypto for more...
📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/ 🎙️ Like, subscribe, comment, share the show: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/ *** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Why Privacy Will Be the Biggest Moat in Crypto | 30 janv. 2026 | 00:36:20 | |
with @alive_eth @rhackett a16z crypto General Partner Ali Yahya explains why privacy — not performance — will determine the long-term winners in crypto, and how it creates powerful network effects. In conversation with a16z crypto show host Robert Hackett, Ali lays out how privacy creates lock-in and winner-take-most dynamics — without sacrificing decentralization. They also dive into the technologies making privacy possible today, from zero-knowledge proofs to trusted execution environments, and why financial use cases will drive mainstream adoption first. They cover:
Highlights: 00:00 — Introduction Follow a16z crypto for more...
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| From Oculus to Anduril: Palmer Luckey on Power, Technology, and the Future | 23 janv. 2026 | 01:02:01 | |
with @PalmerLuckey @cdixon In this special episode — our 100th on the a16z crypto show! — Chris Dixon interviews Palmer Luckey (founder of Anduril; founder of Oculus VR and designer of the Oculus Rift) to talk about the future of technology, belief, and building. What does it take to build hardware at scale? Where are many of today’s tech bottlenecks? And what's the case for optimism about the future despite growing geopolitical turmoil, regulatory constraints, and other blockers to innovation? The candid, wide-ranging conversation covers crypto, banking, and stablecoins, as well as modern warfare, the U.S.–China technology race, AI and manufacturing, and much more. Dixon also digs into company building in good times and bad with Luckey; the conversation was recorded live at our Founders Summit. Highlights: Follow a16z crypto for more...
📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/ 🎙️ Like, subscribe, comment, share the show: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/ *** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Nobody's Gonna Trust Your Corp Chain | 14 janv. 2026 | 00:17:27 | |
with @ccatalini @rhackett Today we’re talking about who — if anyone — should own the rails of global money. Our guest is Christian Catalini, cofounder and chief strategy officer of the global payments startup Lightspark, and a former architect of Meta’s shuttered Libra project — one of the most ambitious attempts to create a corporate-backed digital currency. In this episode, we talk about…
Christian also wrote a feature for us expanding on his argument, which you can read by subscribing to a16z crypto on Substack. Check it out and let us know what you think. This episode is part of a special series of interviews we recorded live at our Founders Summit in October. Follow a16z crypto for more...
📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/ 🎙️ Like, subscribe, comment, share the show: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/ *** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| The Obsession That Destroys Startups (with LayerZero CEO) | 07 janv. 2026 | 00:30:28 | |
with @PrimordialAA @rhackett In this episode, host Robert Hackett sits down with Bryan Pellegrino, cofounder and CEO of LayerZero, one of the core infrastructure projects that enables blockchains to talk to one another. We talk about why crypto went multichain, what it means for crypto to compete with legacy financial systems, and a lesson Bryan took firsthand from Elon Musk. We also get into Bryan’s background as a professional poker player, and how that has shaped his views on competition, conviction, and focus. We go deep on founder psychology: Highlights This episode is part of a special series of interviews we recorded live at our Founders Summit in October. Follow a16z crypto for more...
📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/ 🎙️ Like, subscribe, comment, share the show: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/ *** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| How Elite Athletes Perform Under Extreme Pressure | 29 déc. 2025 | 00:31:48 | |
with @LairdLife @GabbyReece @AriannaSimpson Today's episode features two people who’ve spent their careers performing at the highest levels in sport and business: big-wave surfing pioneer Laird Hamilton and former pro volleyball star Gabby Reece. They join a16z crypto General Partner Arianna Simpson for a conversation that explores what it takes to endure and excel over decades — how to get back up after setbacks, when to push versus change course, and how to build resilience and adaptability. They also get into stress, burnout, intuition, and why experience and self-care matter as much as data. It’s a fitting conversation as we head into the New Year: a moment to reflect on habits, goals, and the kind of people we wish to become. They cover: Highlights: Follow a16z crypto on... 📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: 🎙️ Like, subscribe, comment, share the show. *** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| What, How & Why We're Reading | 23 déc. 2025 | 01:19:50 | |
with @smc90 @rhackett @stephbzinn @Tim_Org In a now-annual tradition, the a16z crypto editorial team discuss themes (and picks) from a16z crypto's latest reading lists, as well as books we keep re-reading, childhood favorites, classics, adaptations on adaptations — in book and movie form! — and much more. We cover:
From irony, truth, and why context matters, to Machiavelli, Formula 1, and nautical non-fiction this episode has it all... check out our "what we're reading" lists, podcasts, and more here: Highlights *** Follow a16z crypto on... 📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: 🎙️ Like, subscribe, comment, share the show. *** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| From Wallets to Super Apps: The Internet's New Interface (with Phantom CEO) | 19 déc. 2025 | 00:41:15 | |
with @BChillman @jay_drainjr @rhackett Crypto wallets are no longer just wallets. They’re the front door to a decentralized internet. In this episode, Phantom CEO Brandon Millman joins a16z crypto Investment Partner Jay Drain and host Robert Hackett to unpack how crypto wallets are evolving into full-blown consumer finance platforms — and why they may be the most credible candidates to become the internet's next super apps. We explore Phantom’s journey from a Solana-first wallet to a multi-chain platform, why wallets are uniquely positioned to win trust around money, and how features like onchain trading, perps, social feeds, prediction markets, and payments are reshaping what people expect from a consumer finance app. The conversation also dives into:
If you’re curious about where crypto, fintech, and consumer apps are headed next — and why wallets may become the most important interface on the internet — this episode is for you. Highlights Follow a16z crypto on... 📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: 🎙️ Like, subscribe, comment, share the show. *** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Crypto's Killer App? | 10 déc. 2025 | 00:37:35 | |
with @zcabrams @psneville @rhackett In this episode, Robert Hackett sits down with Sean Neville, cofounder of Circle and co-creator of the USDC stablecoin, and Zach Abrams, founder of Bridge (now part of Stripe), for a deep dive into the real story behind stablecoins, finding product-market fit, and the future of payments infrastructure. They explore the earliest days of USDC — when stablecoins were far from obvious and regulatory frameworks didn’t exist. Sean shares how his conviction in “money running at internet speed” helped shape a multibillion-dollar asset. Zach recounts Bridge’s pivot from NFTs to stablecoin infrastructure — and how his business has changed since joining Stripe. Together, they break down:
Whether you’re a founder, a crypto-curious builder, or someone trying to understand where global payments are headed, this conversation — originally recorded live at our recent a16z crypto Founders Summit — offers insights from two operators at the center of an industry-defining transformation. Guests: Highlights: 01:26 — Origins of USDC 02:44 — Why stablecoins are having their moment now 04:14 — Circle’s early product experiments 06:19— Surviving crypto cycles 07:35 — Bridge: From NFT payments to stablecoins 08:58 — What product-market fit actually feels like 20:02 — Inevitability and the founder vs. employer mindset 20:58 — Why Bridge joined Stripe 26:18 — How AI changes company building 29:38 — What students should study now 30:27 — Why new payment chains (Tempo & Arc)? 35:55 — Decentralization as imperative Follow a16z crypto on...
📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/ 🎙️ Like, subscribe, comment, share the show: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/ *** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| TradFi’s Tipping Point: Fidelity CEO Abigail Johnson on Stablecoins, Bitcoin, and Innovation Bets | 04 déc. 2025 | 00:42:17 | |
Every traditional financial institution faces the same dilemma: evolve or fall behind, build or buy. But when safety, predictability, and trust is paramount, how do traditional finance companies innovate? How do they place their innovation bets, and decide what to explore and not to explore? Fidelity Chairman and CEO Abigail P. Johnson shares an inside look into Fidelity’s decade of crypto experimentation -- from early Bitcoin mining to building foundational custody infrastructure to stablecoins and much more. Johnson shares how Fidelity explored dozens of crypto use cases; why only one initially mattered, and how a single foothold shaped a long-term institutional strategy. This episode is for anyone interested in exploring how innovation happens inside companies, how startups can partner with big institutions, how TradFi is approaching crypto in this "Year of Institutional Adoption"... and what the next decade of financial infrastructure might look like. We originally recorded it at our Founders Summit event in October 2025, in conversation with a16z crypto COO Anthony Albanese, who was the Chief Regulatory Officer of the New York Stock Exchange before joining a16z; and was previously acting superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS), where he signed and issued New York’s first-ever BitLicense. As a reminder, none of the following is investment, business, or tax advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more information. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| AI, Networks, and What Makes Consumer Products Win | 24 nov. 2025 | 00:43:32 | |
with @cdixon @illscience Welcome to web3 with a16z crypto. Today’s episode digs into the forces shaping the next generation of consumer software — from AI-driven tools to the new economics of apps. Joining is Chris Dixon, a16z crypto founder and managing partner and one of the firm’s original consumer investors. He sits down with a16z General Partner Anish Acharya to explore how exponential forces — like Moore’s Law, composability, and network effects — help determine which products ultimately win. They talk about what it takes to build enduring consumer apps, how tools evolve into networks, and why niche communities like early crypto and open source movements can trigger massive technological shifts. Topics covered: Follow a16z crypto on...
📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/ 🎙️ Like, subscribe, comment, share the show: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/ *** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Pricing the Future (with Kalshi CEO) | 19 nov. 2025 | 00:23:29 | |
with @mansourtarek_ @rhackett In this episode of web3 with a16z crypto, host Robert Hackett talks with Kalshi Cofounder and CEO Tarek Mansour about how prediction markets are enabling people to trade directly on real-world events — from elections to inflation — and what this means for the future of finance and forecasting. Tarek explains why prediction markets aren’t gambling, how regulation has been central to Kalshi’s success, and why the company is embracing crypto and stablecoins as key components of its international strategy. He also discusses lessons learned about policy, product design, and staying compliant while innovating at the frontier. Topics include:
This episode kicks off a special series of interviews recorded live at our recent Founders Summit. Subscribe to web3 with a16z crypto for more conversations with founders and builders shaping the decentralized future. Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction: What are prediction markets, and why now? 01:04 – Kalshi’s mission: making forecasting tradable 01:52 – Why crypto fits into Kalshi’s long-term strategy 03:19 – Going global with stablecoins 05:55 – The long road to regulation and why it mattered 7:51 – Coinbase and Robinhood as role models 08:17 – The Trump trade: direct vs. indirect exposure to events 10:51 – Lessons from FTX and why compliance is a moat 12:06 – How Kalshi monitors markets and prevents manipulation 15:00 – Momentum after the presidential election 16:48 – How policy in DC really works 17:56 – The hidden advantage of being regulated 18:52 – Lightning round: worst advice, productivity habits, and more 21:00 – The importance of process and patience (“The Score Takes Care of Itself”) 22:30 – The smallest hill Tarek will die on Follow a16z crypto on...
📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/ 🎙️ Like, subscribe, comment, share the show: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/ *** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Trump's Tech Czar on Crypto, AI, and American Innovation | 05 nov. 2025 | 01:18:02 | |
with @DavidSacks @pmarca @bhorowitz @eriktorenberg Today’s episode features David Sacks, the Trump administration’s “AI and crypto czar," in conversation with a16z cofounders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, and General Partner Erik Torenberg. They dig into:
This episode is a special crossover with the a16z podcast, which you can follow for more conversations like this. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:16 David Sacks on Crypto and AI Policy 02:34 Trump's Vision for Crypto 06:16 The Crypto Crackdown and Debanking Years 08:58 AI Regulatory Capture and Gatekeeping 11:30 How Permissionless Innovation Built Silicon Valley 16:21 "Woke" vs. Orwellian AI 21:48 When AGI? 24:29 Polytheistic AI and "End-to-End" Humans 31:07 The Future of AI: Controlled or Decentralized? 37:13 Open Source and Global Competition 41:53 The AI Race: US vs China 46:32 Amping Up Energy and Infrastructure 47:17 Cultural Divides Over the American Tech Stack 55:01 The European approach and Doomerism 01:06:14 Crypto and the Legislative Process (GENIUS, CLARITY) 01:11:13 The Future of the Democratic Party 01:14:12 San Francisco Politics 📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resourcesfrom a16z crypto: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/ 🎙️ Like, subscribe, comment, share the show: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/ *** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| The Data Behind Crypto's Breakout Year | 01 nov. 2025 | 00:37:40 | |
with @DarenMatsuoka @eddylazzarin Today, we’re bringing you something special: a presentation from our 2025 Founders Summit, which we just wrapped last week in beautiful Carlsbad, Calif. You’ll hear from Daren Matsuoka, our Head of Data and Fund Strategy, as he walks through the insights from this year’s State of Crypto report — our deep-dive into the data, themes, and signals shaping the industry right now. Stay through to the end for audience Q&A featuring our founders and to hear a16z crypto CTO Eddy Lazzarin share his takes on this year’s findings. To watch the full video — and explore more deep dives, explainers, and interviews — visit the a16z crypto Youtube channel. Don’t forget to like and subscribe to stay updated. Oh, and if you haven’t already, be sure to check out the full State of Crypto report at a16zcrypto.com/stateofcrypto, and also to listen to the episode just before this one — a conversation between Daren, Eddy, and me where we unpack the numbers and trends, explain what they mean, and why they matter. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:56 Crypto Market Developments in 2025 07:19 Institutional Adoption and Market Trends 09:05 Stablecoins: The First Killer Use Case 12:08 The Evolution of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) 13:18 DePIN and Physical Infrastructure Networks 15:12 Blockchain Scaling and Infrastructure 17:24 Privacy, ZK Technology, and Quantum Computing 18:53 Crypto and AI: Converging Technologies 21:08 Regulatory Clarity and Legislative Progress 23:27 Looking Ahead 24:04 Q&A Session 📊 Download the full State of Crypto 2025 report and explore our interactive dashboard to track the industry’s key metrics. 📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources.from a16z crypto: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/ 🎙️ Like, subscribe, comment, share the show: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/ *** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| State of Crypto 2025: The Latest Data, Trends, and Themes Revealed | 22 oct. 2025 | 01:37:15 | |
with @DarenMatsuoka @eddylazzarin @rhhackett Each year, the State of Crypto report analyzes the data — cutting through the noise — to track crypto’s evolution across markets, technology, policy, culture, and more. Now in its fourth edition, the 2025 State of Crypto report reveals how this once-fringe technology has hit recent all-time highs and gone mainstream — from stablecoins and tokenized assets to rapid adoption by major financial institutions. In this episode, we dig into the findings and themes from this year’s report with lead author Daren Matsuoka, a16z crypto’s head of data and fund strategy; and Eddy Lazzarin, a16z crypto’s chief technology officer. We talk about what’s changed since last year, why stablecoins are “suddenly” taking over, and how institutions — from fintechs to legacy banks — are embracing crypto technologies. We also look ahead at trends like:
Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 02:39 Overview of the 2025 State of Crypto Report 05:04 The Evolution and Mainstreaming of Crypto 08:27 Crypto’s Market Cycles and All-Time Highs 12:08 The Price-Innovation Cycle (and Its Dislocation) 15:40 Memecoins, Stablecoins, and Entrepreneurs 17:25 AI and Attracting Tech Talent 21:18 Crypto Adoption and User Metrics 26:58 Airdrops, Farming, and Changing Metas 31:24 Bitcoin’s Resurgence and Store of Value 42:09 Institutional Adoption and Market Dynamics 50:08 The Evolution of Stablecoins 54:20 The Growing Role of Stablecoins in the Global Economy 01:00:54 The Importance of Privacy in Crypto 01:08:46 Tokenization of ‘Real World Assets’ 01:20:46 Perpetual Futures and Prediction Markets 01:29:41 Outlook for the Future 📊 Download the full State of Crypto 2025 report and explore our interactive dashboard to track the industry’s key metrics. 📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources.from a16z crypto: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/ 🎙️ Like, subscribe, comment, share the show: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/ *** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Prediction Markets -- Everything You Need to Know | 26 sept. 2025 | 01:42:34 | |
Prediction markets are a hot topic again — even cartoon characters are talking about them (South Park). But beyond the buzz, what is a prediction market, exactly? How do they work, how are they designed, and what makes them work? We answer all these questions and more in this deep-dive featuring experts Alex Tabarrok (professor of economics at George Mason University) and Scott Kominers (a16z crypto research partner and Harvard Business School professor), in conversation with Sonal Chokshi. While we originally covered this topic during last year’s election, the discussion is more relevant than ever today, as we go into the claims people make about prediction markets — what they’re good for (and not); how they fit in with other trends like AI, futarchy, and the crisis in scientific publishing; and where blockchains and crypto come in. This is your definitive explainer on the topic. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Surviving Market Cycles & Startup Lessons for Founders | 29 août 2025 | 00:48:59 | |
with @AriannaSimpson @jacqmelinek Crypto is known for its high and low market cycles: What must founders know — and what can they do — to survive the swings? In this episode, we unpack the lessons of past crypto cycles and how they shape the current wave of building — from stablecoins to AI x crypto. We also dive into the founder journey: from raising money and staying committed in 2025, to handling copycat competitors, cofounder disputes, growing too fast (or slowly), and more. You'll hear from a16z crypto General Partner Arianna Simpson, who has spent over a decade investing in crypto. She joins Jacquelyn Melinek, cofounder & CEO of Token Relations and host of the Talking Tokens podcast, where this conversation first aired, and which we’re excited to share with you here. Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 1:19 Arianna Simpson's Crypto Origin Story 3:23 Market Cycles & Investing Priorities 5:52 Interrogating the Stablecoin Trend 13:25 Intersection of AI x Crypto 17:49 The Role of Blockchains for Authenticity and Verification 23:07 Future of AI Agents and Monetization Models 27:23 Traits of Successful Crypto Founders 30:05 Challenges and Changes in Fundraising 33:57 Current State of the Market 37:33 Advice for Founders: • Pivoting when PMF is missing 47:52 Conclusion *** 📩 Subscribe for more from a16z crypto: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/ 🎙️ Like, subscribe, comment, share the show: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/ *** As always, none of the content should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| After the Foundation Era: Tokens, Policy, and Startup Structures | 22 août 2025 | 01:20:59 | |
with @eddylazzarin @milesjennings @JasonYanowitz Welcome to web3 with a16z crypto. Today’s episode is on a super timely topic: How to design, govern, and grow decentralized networks in today’s changing policy landscape. It covers:
To unpack it all, you’ll hear from Miles Jennings, head of policy and general counsel at a16z crypto, and Eddy Lazzarin, a16z crypto’s CTO, in conversation with Jason Yanowitz, cofounder of Blockworks and host of the Empire podcast (where this conversation first aired) ... and which we’re excited to bring to you here. Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 3:14 Regulatory Progress and Optimism in DC 9:34 The Problem with Offshore Foundations 13:58 The End of the Foundation Era 27:29 DUNAs and BORGs: New Legal Structures 38:42 Understanding Network Tokens 43:42 Network Tokens: Beyond L1 and L2 48:37 Company Tokens: Evolution and Challenges 51:09 The Legal Landscape of Token Offerings 1:04:25 Turning on the Fee Switch: When and Why 1:12:47 Balancing Portfolio Needs and Regulatory Clarity 1:15:36 Common Questions from Founders 1:20:17 Conclusion 📩 Subscribe for more from a16z crypto: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/ 🎙️ Like, subscribe, comment, share the show: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/ *** As always, none of the content should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| The antimemetics (and memetics) of making ideas happen -- in crypto and beyond | 07 août 2025 | 01:35:10 | |
with @nayafia and @smc90 Ideas, memes, and vibes are some of the most important drivers of modern technology adoption, marketing, and much more -- and have been much-covered by everyone from Darwin to Dawkins to Girard to many others. Yet the topic of antimemetics -- self-censoring (vs. self-propagating) ideas -- whether something fringe, forgotten, or forbidden -- haven't been studied as much, especially in the context of modern networks.
Where do bureacracy, institutions, and protocols come in? What about tacit knowledge that lies in these communities, how (or do) we make it explicit? What roles -- from truth tellers to champions to individual nodes in networks -- can and do people play in making something go from mere commentary to reality? After all, ideas -- or ideas as viruses -- are how movements happen, how innovation happens, how things change... or don't ever change despite being discussed all the time. Our expert guest in this special book episode (following in our long tradition of sharing what we're reading) is Nadia Asparouhova, the author of the new book, Antimemetics: Why Some Ideas Resist Spreading; she is also the author of the book Working in Public: The Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software. a16z crypto's Sonal Chokshi -- who previously hosted Nadia's book-launch episode for the a16z Podcast and almost a decade before that on the changing culture of open source -- interviews Nadia on these themes, how they connect, and why they matter for the crypto industry and beyond. We also dig into some critiques -- and opportunities for builders -- too, including what happens to the public commons; network propagation including across networks; reality distortion fields; hidden knowledge; and cultural stagnation vs. cultural abundance. All this and more in this episode of web3 with a16z! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| GENIUS Becomes Law: What It Took to Pass the First Rules for Stablecoins in the U.S. | 22 juil. 2025 | 00:23:58 | |
with @rhhackett @milesjennings @BenNapier & Michael Reed Today we're talking about the passage of the GENIUS Act — that's the "Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act" — which provides clear rules of the road for stablecoins in the U.S. We cover the law's implications, the recent high-stakes vote in the House of Representatives, and the bipartisan efforts to pass this groundbreaking bill. We also touch on the CLARITY Act — a major new “market structure” bill that would establish a clear regulatory framework for digital asset markets — which the House also passed with bipartisan support and which is now headed to the Senate. Here to separate the signal from the noise are members of the a16z crypto team who had a front-row seat to the action. We've got Miles Jennings, a16z crypto's General Counsel and Head of Policy, plus a16z Government Affairs Partners Ben Napier and Michael Reed, who are responsible for liaising with House Republicans and House Democrats, respectively. They share the inside scoop. Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:01) Understanding the GENIUS Act (3:56) News Summary: What Happened in the House (5:45) Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Contention (7:01) House Vote Drama: Republicans (9:31) House Vote Drama: Democrats (14:28) Winners and Losers (16:01) Decentralized Stablecoins and SEC Involvement (17:49) CLARITY Act and Future Legislation (21:47) Looking Ahead Resources:
*** As a reminder, none of the content should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| 11 Ideas for AI x Crypto | 16 juil. 2025 | 01:02:17 | |
with @rhhackett @SamBroner @skominers @liz_harkavy @CarraWu @jay_drainjr @mg_486662 Today's episode is a special one. It's a round table on some of the most compelling ideas at the intersection of AI and crypto, sourced from members of the a16z crypto team. You're going to hear from builders, researchers, and deal makers who are all wrestling with the big question: How will these two powerful technologies collide, and what happens when they do? First, Investment Partner Sam Broner makes the case for giving AI agents universal identities. Then Research Partner Scott Kominers presents how crypto can provide AI with levels and layers of rich context. You'll also hear from Investment Partners Liz Harkavy on AI monetization models; Carra Wu on the next evolution of web crawlers; Jay Drain on proving personhood online; and finally, Security Engineer Matt Gleason on how crypto turns internet advertising on its head. This is a tour of big, fresh ideas that hint at what an internet of the near future could look like. For the full list of ideas, check out our recent AI x crypto crossovers package, which you can find at a16zcrypto.com. Timestamps (0:00) Introduction (1:44) Universal Identity for AI Agents (5:25) Why Crypto Makes a Difference (10:07) Context in AI: Memory and Interoperability (15:00) Vibe Coding Applications (19:32) Registries with Global Context (21:47) Honkaku Mystery Novels (24:13) Monetization Models for AI x Crypto (28:36) Overcoming Technical Challenges (31:34) AI Agents and the Rise of Web Crawlers (36:05) Collapse of the Social Contract (39:21) AI Bots and Blockchain Solutions (44:31) Proof of Personhood: Ensuring Human-ness (50:41) Future of Personalized Advertising (1:01:54) Final Thoughts *** As a reminder, none of the content should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| What We're Reading & Technology Changing Reading | 02 juil. 2025 | 01:19:52 | |
with @rhhackett @smc90 @stephbzinn @tim_org In a now-annual tradition, the a16z crypto editorial team discuss themes (and picks) from a16z crypto's latest reading list, as well as books we keep re-reading, childhood favorites, classics, adaptations on adaptations -- in book and movie form! -- and much more. What genres are we reading now, how, and why? How is technology -- from AI and ChatGPT to the internet and audio -- changing reading? And why are certain themes in the zeitgeist right now? Is all non-fiction just fiction now, and should we lean in to this for education? Are the kids alright? From irony, truth, and why context matters, to Machiavelli to Formula 1 to nautical non-fiction to memoirs, this episode has it all... check out our "what we're reading" lists, podcasts, and more here: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| 5 Charts That Explain Crypto Right Now | 20 juin 2025 | 00:28:47 | |
with @DarenMatsuoka @rhhackett Today we've got a midyear market update and news episode for you. At the end of last year, our guest — and resident data weatherman — Daren Matsuoka put out a post on "5 metrics to watch in 2025." Most of the metrics that Daren picked measure how crypto's adoption: from mobile wallet usage and onchain transaction fees to volume across stablecoins, decentralized exchanges (or DEXs), and exchange traded-products. Now that we're about midway through 2025, it's a great time for an update. Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (2:27) Chart 1: Monthly Mobile Wallet Users (6:16) Chart 2: Adjusted Stablecoin Transaction Volume (10:01) Chart 3: ETF Net Flows for Bitcoin and Ethereum (13:30) Chart 4: Decentralized vs Centralized Exchange Volume (15:50) Chart 5: Total Transaction Fees (21:46) Emerging Metrics and Industry Insights (25:07) Recent Industry News and Developments (27:13) Conclusion Relevant news:
If you enjoyed this episode, stay tuned for our annual big State of Crypto Report, which we'll drop in the fall. If you want more from Daren, you can follow him @DarenMatsuoka on X or visit a16zcrypto.com to read his posts, including the one we talked about today. *** As a reminder, none of the content should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Wait — The Bank Froze Your Life Savings? | 11 juin 2025 | 01:25:17 | |
with @MinarikLaw @EMinSF @rhhackett Imagine waking up one day to find your bank account frozen. No warning. No explanation. No recourse. This is not a thought experiment. It’s a real situation. And it’s happened not just to crypto companies and their founders, but to ordinary people who are just trying to live their lives. That includes our guest today, who learned firsthand what it means to be “debanked.” In this episode, we talk about the unseen algorithms that monitor people’s accounts, the ramifications of the Bank Secrecy Act, and how crypto and decentralized finance may offer a much-needed check — and safety net — against the opaque systems of traditional finance. Joining us are:
A big thank you to Katherine for trusting us to share her story, which you can read a first-hand account of in an op-ed she contributed to a16zcrypto.com earlier this year. Find that and more below. Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (2:03) The Problem of Debanking (5:58) Debanking: A Personal Story (7:33) Understanding the Bank Secrecy Act (11:53) The Information Vacuum (16:55) The Impact on Crypto Companies (20:07) Addressing Skeptics (22:07) Banks: Good vs. Bad (27:35) The Scariest Moment (36:17) "Operation Chokepoint 2.0" (38:08) History of the Bank Secrecy Act (44:04) Security Theater (45:31) What Would You Change? (48:45) The Impact of Financial Consolidation (49:30) Crypto as Banking Solution (53:02) Is Debanking Still Happening? (58:35) Unresolved Mysteries (1:01:47) One More Debanking Story (1:08:07) Conspiracy or Coincidence? (1:09:39) It Shouldn't Be This Hard (1:11:18) Out From Under the SEC's Cloud (1:14:23) The Urgent Need for Legislation (1:17:26) Possible Tech Futures (1:19:33) Advice for Founders (1:22:04) Final Thoughts Resources:
As a reminder, none of the content should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Inside the Solana Story: Near-Death Brushes and a Need for Speed (with Solana) | 05 juin 2025 | 00:49:37 | |
with @aeyakovenko @alive_eth Today’s episode features Solana cofounder Anatoly Yakovenko in conversation with a16z General Partner Ali Yahya, recorded live at our CSX Crypto Startup Accelerator program earlier this year. Anatoly shares the origin story of Solana — from a late-night eureka moment to thousands of investor meetings and several near-death startup experiences. He talks about what it took to get the network off the ground, how his engineering background at Qualcomm shaped its design, and why a need for speed gave Solana its edge. They also get into developer culture, engineering trade-offs, and what differentiates Solana’s approach to building — including its willingness to ship, iterate, and rethink everything: including, most recently, its consensus algorithm. Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (2:54) Early Career and Move to SF (3:57) Discovering Crypto and Solana's Beginnings (8:28) Challenges and Fundraising (12:12) Building Solana and Overcoming Obstacles (13:41) Solana's Vision and Market Strategy (17:23) Navigating Crises and Team Resilience (22:37) Solana's Unique Approach and Future Plans (24:57) Solana's Unique Approach to Software Development (26:35) Redesigning Solana: Lessons Learned (30:22) The Importance of Hackathons and Community (32:32) Technical Choices and Implications (34:16) Prioritizing User Experience Over Developer Comfort (36:40) Competitive Landscape of Layer 1 Chains (38:49) Building a Loyal Developer Community (42:36) Future of Blockchains and Solana's Vision (47:29) Long-Term View and Goals As a reminder, none of the content should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| With AI, Anyone Can Be a Coder (with Github CEO) | 02 juin 2025 | 00:15:12 | |
In this special episode from TED Tech, hear from GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke on how AI is breaking the barrier to entry for coding. Who could a coder look like if you could code just by talking out loud? Learn how, thanks to AI, creating software is becoming as simple (and joyful) as building LEGO. In a live demo, he introduces Copilot Workspace: an AI assistant that helps you create code when you speak to it, in any language. Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (0:28) Personal Journey into Coding (2:31) The Evolution of Programming Languages (4:02) The Birth of GitHub Copilot (6:14) Live Demo: Building with Copilot (9:58) The Future of Software Development (13:04) Q&A: The Role of Humans in AI-Driven Development (14:32) Conclusion About TED Tech: From the construction of virtual realities to the internet of things — technology is changing our world every day. But how can we make sure that the quickly-evolving role that tech plays in our lives is one that builds, empowers, and connects us? Host Sherrell Dorsey guides you through the latest ideas from TED Speakers, uncovering the riveting questions that sit at the intersection of technology, society, science, design, business, and innovation. Listen in every Friday. As a reminder, none of the content should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| AI vs. ID: Proof of human in a world of agents, bots, deep fakes, more | 30 mai 2025 | 02:04:31 | |
with @eddylazzarin @adrian_ludwig @remco @smc90 Hi everyone, welcome to this week’s episode of web3 with a16z podcast, I’m Sonal, and today we’re talking about a hot topic which is also very evergreen because 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” (as Tools for Humanity and World app call it). The theme is actually represented on the latest cover of Time magazine, which features the Tools for Humanity orb: a ball-like hardware device that maps your eye’s iris code to an app on your phone to verify you’re human. (It’s actually only the fifth time in the past decade that hardware tech’s been on the cover; the other times are the iphone, Oculus, consumer drones, and SpaceX.) Since the technology -- and network -- story here draws on both existing and new tech to help solve what’s actually a *very* difficult problem -- and in a way where privacy is by default -- we begin with the why it matters, then go into some common questions, and finally how it all works under the hood. Our expert guests are:
As a reminder: None of the following is investment, business, legal, or tax advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information including link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Marketing 101 for Startups: Token Launches, Memes, Reaching Devs & More | 22 mai 2025 | 01:05:15 | |
with @kimbatronic @amandatylerj @clairekart Welcome to web3 with a16z. Since our show covers both tech trends and company building, today’s topic is all about marketing — including differences between marketing in crypto and traditional tech. The conversation shares 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. Our experts are: ... Amanda Tyler, who was most recently Head of Marketing at the Optimism Foundation (and was formerly at Polygon, Coinbase, and Google); ... Claire Kart, Chief Marketing Officer at Aztec (who previously was at Risc Zero and SoFi); ... in conversation with Kim Milosevich, CMO at a16z crypto (who was formerly VP of Comms at Coinbase, and who has spent decades in tech at a16z, Skype, Yahoo, and elsewhere). Timestamps (0:00) Introduction As a reminder, none of the content should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Everything Stablecoins: Big Picture, Deep Dive | 15 mai 2025 | 01:08:58 | |
with @cdixon @SamBroner @rhhackett Stablecoins are quietly transforming how money moves — faster, cheaper, and more globally than ever before. In this episode, we take 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. I’m joined by Chris Dixon, founder and managing partner of a16z crypto and author of the New York Times-bestselling book Read Write Own, and Sam Broner, a deal partner at a16z crypto who focuses on stablecoins. Together, we unpack the technical and regulatory foundations of stablecoins, explore the cracks in the current payments system, and look ahead to what becomes possible once digital dollars go mainstream. We also dig into the current state of regulation — and why the future of money might end up looking a lot more like email or the web than a bank. Check out the show notes for links and resources that we reference throughout this episode. Also be sure to listen to the episode we dropped just before this one where we analyze all the recent stablecoin news. Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:45) Payments, Finance, and the Internet (4:03) The Promise and Potential of Stablecoins (9:02) Global Financial System and Its Shortcomings (11:29) The WhatsApp Analogy (15:38) The Read Write Own Thesis (19:15) The Power of Blockchains (21:06) Venmo's Business Model (23:17) Stripe's Opportunity (25:11) Backwards Compatibility (Like Skype) (28:13) The Role of Stablecoin Regulation (34:36) Political Realities (vs. Big Banks) (38:11) The Business Implications of Stablecoins (40:31) The Stablecoin Investment Paradox (47:07) Why Blockchains? (51:11) Tech Marketing: Words vs. Products (54:28) What Happens Next (57:26) Global Demand for Stablecoins (59:37) Learning from the Past (1:05:06) Conclusion Links to related resources:
As a reminder, none of the content should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| All the Stablecoin News: Stripe, Visa, Coinbase, Circle, More | 15 mai 2025 | 00:24:24 | |
with @rhhackett @smc90 @DarenMatsuoka @SamBroner Welcome to web3 with a16z, a show about the next generation of the internet. I'm Robert Hackett. There has been a flurry of stablecoin news lately, so we're doing a special bonus episode to cover everything that's been going on. Sonal and I are joined by a16z crypto’s Data Science lead Daren Matsuoka who shares the actual data behind the stablecoin trend. Then we have Sam Broner — who is a Deal Partner here and our frequent author on stablecoins — to analyze the news, and help highlight the signal versus the noise. Here's a selection of the news:
We also have one of our regular episodes covering the broader stablecoins trend and big picture, dropping separately in the feed, also with Sam and a16z crypto Founder Chris Dixon, so be sure to check that out next. Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:30) Stablecoin Data Overview (3:55) Stablecoin Adoption and Infrastructure (4:24) Market Share of Issuers and Blockchains (6:10) Stablecoin Growth vs. Crypto Market Cycles (7:45) Stablecoin News and Developments (9:44) Fintech Embraces Stablecoins (12:44) Legacy Payment Systems vs. Stablecoins (17:04) The Future of Stablecoins and Open Networks (22:11) Conclusion Links to related resources:
As a reminder, none of the content should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Quantum Computing: What, When, Where, How | 08 mai 2025 | 01:15:13 | |
with @danboneh @succinctJT @smc90 This episode is all about quantum computing -- what it is, how it works, what's hype vs. reality, and how to prepare for it/ what builders should do. Specifically, we cover:
As always, we tease apart the signal vs. the noise in recent "science-by-press release" corporate quantum-computing milestone announcements. We also help answer questions on when do builders need to plan their switch to a post-quantum crypto world, what pitfalls to avoid there (hint: bugs! software upgrades!). Finally, we briefly cover different approaches to post-quantum crypto; and also dig deeper on zero-knowledge/ succinct-proof systems and how they relate to post-quantum crypto. Our expert guests, in conversation with Sonal Chokshi, are:
SEE ALSO: Post-quantum blockchains by Valeria Nikolaenko more resources + papers on topics mentioned:
As a reminder, none of this is investment, business, legal, or tax advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information including a link to our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||
| Your Guide to Tokens: Types, Design, Uses, More | 25 avr. 2025 | 01:41:36 | |
with @eddylazzarin @skominers @milesjennings @rhhackett Today we're diving deep into *the* defining concept in crypto: tokens. We're moving beyond conventional categories — like “governance tokens” or “utility tokens” or even “memecoins” — to present a full taxonomy that details what tokens are, what they aren’t, and what they're capable of becoming. Questions we'll explore include: What is a token? Is it a form of money? A piece of data? Something else? How many types of tokens are there — and who is in control of each? And how should we think about their actual economic, legal, and technical characteristics? We'll also dig into different token designs and their uses; where tokens derive value from; how they jibe with securities laws; and much more. In this conversation, you’ll hear from several experts on the a16z crypto team who have developed a new 7-part framework for classifying tokens, which you can find linked below. Joining us are the coauthors: Chief Technology Officer Eddy Lazzarin, General Counsel and Head of Policy Miles Jennings, and Research Partner Scott Kominers, who is also a Professor at Harvard Business School where he teaches courses on market design and entrepreneurship. Check out the resources below for a flowchart that we’ll also be referencing throughout this episode and that will be helpful as we wend our way through the token idea maze. Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (3:28) The Evolution of Token Terminology (6:19) Classifying Tokens: Economic, Legal, and Technical Dimensions (8:37) Moving Beyond “Governance Tokens” (12:05) Inherent Value: The Memecoin Debate (15:35) Company-Controlled Tokens: Risks and Realities (31:33) Arcade Tokens: Stability and Utility (46:00) The Power of Blockchain Interoperability (49:34) Shared Rewards and Loyalty Programs (59:19) Asset-Backed Tokens and Their Mechanisms (1:08:23) Collectible Tokens and Their Uniqueness (1:14:31) Network Tokens: The Future of Decentralized Marketplaces (1:31:03) Regulatory Challenges and "Lawyer Tokens" (1:36:57) Final Thoughts and Future Prospects Resources referenced in this episode:
As a reminder, none of the content should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. | |||