On Crypto
I left crypto at the tail end of 2020. I felt the gap was too wide between the future a core group of smart, earnest, and technically impressive true believers were gesturing at, and what was really happening. 2020 was the year where Yield Farming exploded, and it seemed to confirm that crypto had accepted its main purpose as a vehicle for self-referential, mindless, speculative bullshit. It’d lost all its seriousness, and all of its promise with it.
Crypto is Networked Nonviolent Protest
The goal of this article is to explain how the internet (networked information) enabled fragile nonviolent protest, then map that onto how blockchain technology (networked capital) is enabling antifragile nonviolent protest.
Crypto optimism in the age of the doomer
Last winter, I found myself at a dinner party in the city. It was a mixed crowd, by which I mean people who understood my work, those who didn’t, or those who were skeptical of it. I’m a crypto lawyer and policy advocate, so I’m used to questions like: Are you a lawyer for Bitcoin? And do you even use a bank?
Crypto news & regulatory update: December 4 – 22, 2023
The a16z crypto Regulatory Update is a series that highlights the latest crypto regulation and policy happenings relevant to builders in web3 and crypto, as tracked and curated by the a16z crypto regulatory team. The roundups are based on recent news, the latest updates, new guidance, ongoing legislation, and frameworks released by regulatory agencies/bodies, industry consortia and professional associations, banks, governments, and other entities as they impact the crypto industry (or applications) around the world. We also occasionally include select other resources such as talks, posts, or other commentary – from us or from others – with the updates.
2023: Digital Asset Fund Flows Weekly Report
2023 inflows 2.7x greater than 2022, Bitcoin the main benefactor
The Year In Review
A year ago, when I wrote Has Crypto Failed, I was making notes for myself. It was written after a year of fraud had created market turbulence. FTX had filed for bankruptcy a few months after acquiring a former employer. I didn’t know what to do with my life and career. So, I wrote to find answers while taking long walks back home. Little did I know that this would set the stage for a year of writing stories and building alongside founders.
