Your Guide to Tokens: Types, Design, Uses, More
Eddy Lazzarin, Scott Kominers, Miles Jennings and Robert Hackett
Forget what you think you know about tokens. We present a new framework that could change the way you view crypto.
AI and the End of Apps (with NEAR)
Illia Polosukhin and Robert Hackett
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,...
All About Airdrops
Eddy Lazzarin, Daren Matsuoka, Andy Hall and Robert Hackett
We cover everything you need to know about one of the most familiar — and most misunderstood — mechanics in crypto: the airdrop.
Congestion Pricing? Economics, Theory, Reality
Michael Ostrovsky, Scott Duke Kominers and Robert Hackett
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,...
You Better Have a 30-Year Goal (with Eigen Labs)
Sreeram Kannan and Ali Yahya
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.
Blockchain Performance, Demystified
Sasha Spiegelman, Tim Roughgarden and Robert Hackett
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...
Inside the Biggest Heist
Matt Gleason and Robert Hackett
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...
Creativity Across Industries, with Uniswap & KidSuper
Hayden Adams, Colm Dillane, KidSuper and Sonal Chokshi
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";...
Where AI x Crypto Converge
Chris Dixon and David George
AI has broken the economic covenant of the internet. a16z crypto Founder and Managing Partner Chris Dixon has a vision to restore it.
Why blockchains need privacy
howard wu, justin thaler and robert hackett
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...
How This Foodie Founder Is Revamping Restaurants
Ben Leventhal and Arianna Simpson
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...
Social Media Secrets: How to Build Your Presence
Gauthier Le Meur, Ish Verduzco and Robert Hackett
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,...
Designing Beloved Brands
Jason Mayden and Chris Lyons
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...
Trends for 2025 (part 2): AI x Crypto - From Agents in Games & DePIN to Proof of Personhood and More
Andreessen Horowitz
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:...
Trends for 2025 (part 1): Stablecoins, App Stores, UX, and More
Andreessen Horowitz
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.
Prediction Markets and Beyond
Alex Tabarrok, Sonal Chokshi and Scott Duke Kominers
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...
Government... By Lottery?
Bailey Flanigan, Andrew Hall and Robert Hackett
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,"...
AI Bots & Memecoins
Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz
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.
State of Crypto 2024: Builder Energy, U.S. Election, Stablecoins, AI, More
Daren Matsuoka, Eddy Lazzarin and Robert Hackett
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.
Bridges: Out of the Mess, Into the Meshnet (with LayerZero)
Bryan Pellegrino, Robert Hackett and Ali Yahya
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...
Games as Reality (with EVE Online)
Hilmar Pétursson, Eddy Lazzarin and Robert Hackett
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...
How Blockchain Tech Advances Benefit Other Industries
Dan Boneh, Sonal Chokshi and Tim Roughgarden
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...
Governance Attack!?
Ross Shuel, Andrew Hall, Sonal Chokshi, Eddy Lazzarin and hacks
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...
Token Do's and Don'ts
Eddy Lazzarin, Miles Jennings and Robert Hackett
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...
Where Innovation Happens
Matt Clifford and Sonal Chokshi
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;...
What, How, and Why We're Reading
Sonal Chokshi, Robert Hackett, Stephanie Zinn and Tim Sullivan
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).
On Finding Product Market Fit — and Meaning
Ben Rubin and Jason Rosenthal
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...
Governing democracy, the internet, and boardrooms
Noah Feldman, Andrew Hall and Robert Hackett
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...
Pricing Strategy
Jason Rosenthal, Scott Duke Kominers, Maggie Hsu and Robert Hackett
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...
Open Sourcing the Superchain (with Optimism)
Jing Wang, Eddy Lazzarin and Robert Hackett
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...
Layer 2, Rollups, and Building Onchain (with Base)
Jesse Pollak, Noah Citron and Robert Hackett
"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...
Theory to Code: Building the Breakthrough zkVM Jolt
Justin Thaler, Sam Ragsdale, Michael Zhu and Robert Hackett
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...
Let's Get Digi-Physical: From 'Tap' Chips to Taylor Swift
Chris Lee, Michael Blau and Robert Hackett
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...
The Art of Technology, The Technology of Art
Simon Denny and Sonal Chokshi
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...
Leading through uncertainty (with Coinbase CEO)
Brian Armstrong and Chris Dixon
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...
Snowboards, software, and scaling (with Shopify CEO)
Tobias Lütke and Ben Horowitz
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.
Money, power, politics, and the internet's next battleground
Robert Hackett, marc andreessen, Chris Dixon and Ben Horowitz
Chris Dixon is the author of the bestselling book Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet, and he is the founder and managing partner of a16z crypto. Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen are the cofounders of Andreessen...
The story of the internet, emergent networks, and their effects
Steven Johnson, Robert Hackett and Chris Dixon
Steven Johnson is a prolific author of books about technology and innovation, such as Where Good Ideas Come From and How We Got To Now, and he is editorial director at Google Labs. Chris Dixon is the founder and managing partner of...
Read Write Own: A new era
Chris Dixon and Robert Hackett
Chris Dixon is the founder and managing partner of a16z crypto and author of the new book Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet. Robert Hackett is an editor at a16z crypto who worked closely with him on the book as an...
On the decentralized web, truth, and human rights: 'Hacking authenticity'
Jonathan Dotan and Robert Hackett
We discuss human rights including recent crises in various regions around the world -- and the role of technology, such as the decentralized web for establishing "ground truth" -- with Jonathan Dotan, Emmy-winning producer and former...
Communicating in Crypto, and Beyond
Sonal Chokshi and Matt Abrahams
How does one *communicate* well -- especially in crypto, but also in other technical industries, open source communities; or in distributed, decentralized organizations, where you may have participants that are both remote and in...
Chain Choices: Or, How to Decide What Blockchain to Build On
Eddy Lazzarin, Guy Wuollet and Sonal Chokshi
with @guywuolletjr @eddylazzarin @smc90 "Which blockchain should I build in?" Is a very top of mind question for builders in web3, but also relevant to anyone interested in tech innovation and the evolution of infrastructure. So how...
Debating Blockchain Architectures (with Solana)
Guy Wuollet, Anatoly Yakovenko, Ali Yahya and Sonal Chokshi
This all-new deep-dive, hallway-style chat features Solana co-founder and Solana Labs CEO Anatoly Yakovenko. The first half of the episode is a discussion/ debate blockchain architectures -- including of course Solana & Ethereum,...
Financial Freedom, Company Building, More
David Marcus and Sonal Chokshi
with @davidmarcus @smc90 A wide-ranging conversation on company building, big to small (including what cadence and when is the right "time" to ship); the relationship between centralization, decentralization, platforms, and financial...
AI & Crypto
Chat GPT, Sonal Chokshi, Ali Yahya and Dan Boneh
with @alive_eth @danboneh @smc90 The convergence of two important, very top-of-mind trends: artificial intelligence & blockchains/ crypto. The conversation covers everything from deep fakes and bots and proof-of-humanity in a...
Strategy & Operations for web3 (with Uniswap COO)
MC Lader and Sonal Chokshi
with @mclader @smc90 On how to think about business strategy (& competition) in a world of open source and decentralized finance; product vs. protocol innovation; talent from hiring to organizational structure &...
Network Effects, Moats, & the Business of web3
Sonal Chokshi and Scott Kominers
with @skominers @smc90 A deep dive and tour through key business concepts -- from competitive advantage and Porter's Five Forces, to network effects and moats -- as builders of all kinds navigate business strategy in open source,...
Of Data Availability & Danksharding
Valeria Nikolaenko, Dan Boneh and Robert Hackett
with @lera_banda @danboneh @rhhackett Data Availability Sampling and Danksharding is relevant to blockchain scaling, as well as to paving the way for more advanced blockchain networks and user applications. While much of the...
State of Crypto: Trends, Data, More
Daren Matsuoka, Robert Hackett, Eddy Lazzarin and Chris Dixon
with @cdixon @eddylazzarin @DarenMatsuoka @rhhackett Key takeaways from the 2023 State of Crypto -- including data, methods, and trends; as well as discussion of trends such as infrastructure, NFTs, gaming, creator economy, energy,...
Marketing web3: Audience, Community, More
Amanda Cassatt, Sonal Chokshi and Kim Milosevich
with @amandacassatt @kimbatronic @smc90 All about marketing, and web3 -- not just for marketers already in or seeking to enter web3, but also anyone doing community marketing/ community management, devrel (developer relations); or...
Web3 Gaming & On-chain Games
Andreessen Horowitz
with @ariannasimpson @eddylazzarin @smc90 An overview of web3 gaming as enabled by crypto & blockchains -- including pulse-checks on what’s working so far, what's more or less ready, and where the most exciting design spaces...
Crypto Policy & Regulation: What's Going On?
Brian Quintenz, Collin McCune, Miles Jennings and Sonal Chokshi
with @milesjennings @brianquintenz @colinmccune @smc90 We provide an overview of policy and regulation in the crypto industry right now -- from a lay of the land to pulse checks on sentiment; share frameworks for policymakers, and...
Programming Languages & Crypto
Sam Blackshear, Noah Citron, Sonal Chokshi and Eddy Lazzarin
with @b1ackd0g @noahcitron @eddylazzarin @smc90 A wide-ranging conversation all about programming languages and crypto -- for both existing blockchain & smart contract programmers, other non-web3 developers seeking to enter the...
Creators, Creativity, and Technology with Bob Iger
Bob Iger, Chris Dixon and Sonal Chokshi
with @robertiger @cdixon @smc90 A wide-ranging conversation with Bob Iger on the interplay between technology, content, and distribution; as well as Bob’s journey -- and that of various creators! -- especially as the industry...
Building and Overcoming the Hard Things
Ben Horowitz and Brian Armstrong
with @brian_armstrong @bhorowitz A conversation on management, company culture, and much more on building and overcoming the hard things… beginning with what’s top of mind for so many in the crypto industry and in the news right...
Mental Models for Navigating Crypto Markets & Cycles
Chris Dixon, Eddy Lazzarin and Sonal Chokshi
A (rerun but perhaps more relevant than ever) hallway-style conversation about market conditions, cycles of innovation, and mental models for navigating crypto and web3.
Mainstreaming NFTs: Use Cases, Art, More
Punk6529, Sonal Chokshi and Chris Dixon
with @punk6529 @cdixon @smc90 Chris Dixon and Sonal Chokshi chat with Punk6529 about NFT use cases; NFT art (and generative art!); VR, AR, metaverse; more. As well as about regulatory mindsets, moves, and news -- such as Apple's...
The Metaverse, Crypto, Virtual Society
Elena Burger, Herman Narula and Sonal Chokshi
with @hermannarula @virtualelena @smc90 A deep dive on all things metaverse -- what it is, what it isn’t; how VR, videogames, sports, fashion, communities play here; where crypto comes in, including trends in DAOs, on-chain gaming,...
Age of Wonders: NFTs, Art, AI, Cycles of Computing
Kevin Rose and Chris Dixon
with @kevinrose @cdixon A tour through hot topics both within and beyond crypto – including art, AI, the evolution of mediums including blockchains; a deep dive on NFTs, artists, communities; debates around cc0, modding and...
Ethereum, Merge and Beyond
Tim Beiko, Tim Roughgarden, Ali Yahya and Sonal Chokshi
with @timbeiko @tim_roughgarden @alive_eth @smc90 A deep dive on all things Ethereum, which this week makes the big move to proof of stake in The Merge. But our conversation, which certainly goes into The Merge and shares lots of...
PoS Blockchains - Designs, Consensus, Attacks
Valeria Nikolaenko, Sonal Chokshi and Tim Roughgarden
with @lera_banda @tim_roughgarden @smc90 An overview of proof-of-stake blockchains -- from quick background on how blockchains work, difference between PoS & PoW, and approaches to improving both; to digging deeper into Sybill...
Crypto Regulations, Illicit Finance, Privacy and Beyond
Michele Korver, Jai Ramaswamy and Sonal Chokshi
with @michelekorver @jai_ramaswamy @smc90 We tease apart the facts vs buzz around recent news -- Tornado Cash sanctions, and arrest of a suspected developer -- including what's novel and what's not, as well as broader backdrop. But...
Bridge Hack, Wallet Hack
Matt Gleason, Riyaz Faizullabhoy, Nassim Eddequiouaq and Sonal Chokshi
with @mg_486662 @riyazdf @nassyweazy and @smc90 We cover two of the most recent, high-profile hacks in the crypto space -- the Nomad bridge hack, and the Slope wallet hack (which affected several users on Solana) -- including a...
Top Tech Topics, Explained
Joseph Bonneau, Tim Roughgarden, Ali Yahya, Chris Dixon, Sonal Chokshi and Scott Kominers
@tim_roughgarden @josephbonneau @skominers with @alive_eth @cdixon A tour through top-of-mind blockchain & crypto tech topics, explained by several a16z crypto researchers, including VDFs (verifiable delay functions); zk-rollups,...
Policy Principles
Miles Jennings, Jake Auchincloss and Chris Dixon
@jakeauch @cdixon @milesjennings A quick overview of principles for thinking about policy, briefly covering topics and recent moves that are top of mind in U.S. crypto regulation -- from stablecoins to NFTs to DAOs more.
Securing and Evolving NFTs
Michael Blau, Nassim Eddequiouaq and Sonal Chokshi
with @x0rart / @blauyourmind, @nassyweazy, @smc90 We cover the security and evolution of NFTs across applications and mediums -- including dynamic NFTs for art to identity to experiences; address common myths and misconceptions along...
Puzzles (& Crypto)
Matthew Stein, Scott Kominers and Sonal Chokshi
with @enigmida @skominers @smc90 A special bonus holiday episode based on a hallway-style riff linking two seemingly unrelated things: puzzle design, and crypto -- covering types of puzzles, from mediums to mindsets; experience...
Decentralized Creativity & Collaboration
Rob McElhenney, Chris Dixon and Sonal Chokshi
with @RMcElhenney @cdixon @smc90 Based on a live conversation that took place earlier this week at NFT NYC between special guest Rob McElhenney (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Mythic Quest; Adim); Chris Dixon, and Sonal...
Auction Design for web3
Scott Kominers, Tim Roughgarden and Sonal Chokshi
with @skominers @tim_roughgarden @smc90 All things auctions -- which applies in web3 contexts to everything from NFT mints to blockchains themselves. We provide an overview of auction types and incentive design, and how it works in...
Blockchains / Crypto / web3
Chris Dixon, Ali Yahya, Tim Roughgarden and Sonal Chokshi
with @cdixon @alive_eth @tim_roughgarden @smc90 We set some context, quickly, into the connection between blockchains, crypto, and web3 – and offer some useful analogies, and more mental models, for thinking about a blossoming area...
Methods to the Madness
Chris Dixon, Eddy Lazzarin and Sonal Chokshi
with @cdixon @eddylazzarin @smc90 A conversation about the markets and how recent events affect crypto and web3; mental models for thinking about crypto and web3, and the longer arc and evolution of technology history, open source,...
web3 with a16z, a show about the next internet
Andreessen Horowitz
"web3 with a16z" is a show about the next generation of the internet, and about how builders and users -- whether artists, coders, creators, developers, companies, organizations, or communities -- now have the ability to not just...