Blockchains are a new settlement and ownership layer, one that’s programmable, open, and global by default, unlocking new forms of entrepreneurship, creativity, and infrastructure. Growth in monthly active crypto addresses is generally tracking the
The economics of the internet are already changing. As the open web collapses into a prompt bar, we have to wonder: Will AI lead to an open internet or a maze of new paywalls? And who will control it — big centralized companies or broad communities
In this wide-ranging conversation, Uniswap Labs COO Mary Catherine (aka MC) Lader discusses the challenges — and opportunities — of decentralized finance (DeFi); business strategy (& competition) in a world of open source; product vs. protocol innovation… as well as organizational structure & collaboration, hiring, metrics, community engagement, app store policies, decentralization, and much, much more.
The conversation — based on an interview with host Sonal Chokshi and founder Q&A live from a16z crypto Startup School earlier this year — also covers how to make decisions on what to innovate on or not; how to move from idea and vision to business; and the transition overall from traditional finance/ tradfi. Before joining Uniswap Labs (which contributes to Uniswap, a protocol for trading and automated liquidity provision on Ethereum) — Lader was a managing director at BlackRock (and chief operating officer of the firm’s digital wealth business and head of its climate tech business); was formerly a fintech entrepreneur; and began her career as an investment analyst at Goldman Sachs.
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As a reminder: none of the following should be taken as investment, legal, business, or tax advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information — including a link to a list of our investments.