# a16z Podcast: Bitcoin’s Growing Pains — and Possibilities

>   Bitcoin has had more than its share of drama. There is, of course, the mystery surrounding its anonymous founder (or perhaps, founders) Satoshi Nakamoto. More recently, there’s been a battle over whether the size of blocks need to grow to account for more capacity — especially since there isn’t mu...

- URL: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/a16z-podcast-bitcoins-growing-pains-and-possibilities
- Authors: [Chris Dixon](https://a16zcrypto.com/team/chris-dixon), [Mike Hearn](https://a16zcrypto.com/team/mike-hearn), [Sonal Chokshi](https://a16zcrypto.com/team/sonal-chokshi)
- Published: 2015-07-13
- Updated: 2025-06-13
- Focus areas: company building, tech trends
- Tags: history, bitcoin, founder stories
- Format: podcast

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[Embedded media](https://player.simplecast.com/5cb4e913-f4be-42e7-8fdc-94a7974dd4ca?dark=true)

Bitcoin has had more than its share of drama. There is, of course, the mystery surrounding its anonymous founder (or perhaps, founders) Satoshi Nakamoto. More recently, there’s been a battle over whether the size of blocks need to grow to account for more capacity — especially since there isn’t much time left to make changes before blockchain capacity runs out, says core bitcoin developer Mike Hearn.

Hearn joins a16z’s Chris Dixon on this segment of the a16z Podcast to discuss the current state of bitcoin development; Hearn’s own Lighthouse creation, which is a bitcoin-based crowdfunding app; and what it will take to move the bitcoin protocol into the mainstream.

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Source: [a16z Podcast: Bitcoin’s Growing Pains — and Possibilities](https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/a16z-podcast-bitcoins-growing-pains-and-possibilities) — a16z crypto. Full archive: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts