a16z crypto show
a16z crypto, Robert Hackett, Sonal Chokshi
The a16z crypto show explores how decentralized networks are reshaping money, ownership, and the architecture of the internet. We go beyond the hype to look at what’s actually working, what isn’t, and what comes next as crypto continues to go mainstream and blockchains become core infrastructure.
Each episode features conversations with founders, engineers, economists, policymakers, and researchers building at the frontier of finance, payments, AI, and distributed systems. We cover stablecoins and global payments, the tokenization of "real-world" assets, decentralized physical infrastructure, network design and governance, and the practical tradeoffs behind decentralization — along with lessons from past technology shifts.
Produced and hosted by the a16z crypto team, the show combines reporting, analysis, and first-principles thinking to explain how crypto intersects with the economy and society — and why it matters now.
Learn more at a16zcrypto.com.
***
Posts should not be considered investment advice or an advertisement for investment services. Reposts of third-party content are not attributable to a16z; see disclosures for more information: https://a16z.com/disclosures/.
Each episode features conversations with founders, engineers, economists, policymakers, and researchers building at the frontier of finance, payments, AI, and distributed systems. We cover stablecoins and global payments, the tokenization of "real-world" assets, decentralized physical infrastructure, network design and governance, and the practical tradeoffs behind decentralization — along with lessons from past technology shifts.
Produced and hosted by the a16z crypto team, the show combines reporting, analysis, and first-principles thinking to explain how crypto intersects with the economy and society — and why it matters now.
Learn more at a16zcrypto.com.
***
Posts should not be considered investment advice or an advertisement for investment services. Reposts of third-party content are not attributable to a16z; see disclosures for more information: https://a16z.com/disclosures/.
Episodes
Mentioned books
34 snips
Mar 25, 2026 • 1h 38min
Vitalik Buterin vs Beff Jezos: AI Acceleration Debate (E/acc vs D/acc)
Guillaume Verdon (Beff Jezos), founder of Extropic and acceleration proponent focused on generative AI and hardware, debates Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum co‑founder and decentralized systems researcher. They clash over pushing AI fast versus steering it carefully. Topics include thermodynamics and civilization, open hardware and verifiability, local compute and decentralization, slowing AI, autonomous agents, and crypto as a trust layer.
41 snips
Mar 17, 2026 • 37min
AI Is Changing the Internet. What Does It Mean for Creators? (with Justin and Michael Blau)
Michael Blau, Head of Product at Bond and former magician-turned-builder, and Justin Blau, CEO of Bond and ex-DJ-artist turned crypto founder. They discuss creators lacking audience data and how on-chain relationships could fix that. They explore stablecoins and global rails, bonding as a new creator-fan model, AI-driven content abundance, and why human curation and provenance will still matter.
20 snips
Mar 13, 2026 • 11min
The Emmy Built on ETH: Emily Yang aka pplpleasr on the Future of Storytelling
Emily Yang (pplpleasr), founder of Shibuya and Emmy-winning artist/filmmaker, discusses permissionless creativity using crypto to fund and co-create stories. She explains White Rabbit’s NFT-based interactive model and how communities shape endings. Conversation covers turning viewers into participants, new capital formation for creators, and balancing community input with artistic vision.
71 snips
Mar 5, 2026 • 1h 6min
AI Just Gave You Superpowers — Now What?
Christian Catalini, economist and MIT Crypto Economics Lab founder, explores AGI economics and verification. Eddy Lazzarin, CTO-level technologist, discusses practical agent deployment and tooling. They discuss agents as coworkers, the automation versus verification split, the AI sandwich firm structure, crypto for identity and provenance, and the contrast between a hollow and an augmented economy.
28 snips
Mar 4, 2026 • 16min
Why Tokenize? Fidelity on Onchain Assets and the Next Phase of Adoption
Cynthia Lo Bessette, Head of Digital Asset Management at Fidelity, leads the firm’s tokenization and on-chain product strategy. She outlines the three phases of adoption, explains why tokenization must enable real utility, and discusses tokenized money market funds, real-world assets moving on-chain, and build-versus-partner decisions.
45 snips
Mar 3, 2026 • 21min
When Bots Have Bank Accounts: The Rise of the Agent Economy (With Sean Neville, Catena Labs)
Sean Neville, co-founder of Circle and Catena Labs and architect of USDC, discusses the rise of an agent-native economy powered by programmable dollars and AI banks. He explores how AI agents might earn, spend, lend, and manage assets. Topics include KYA (Know Your Agent), programmable spending policies, secure agent communication standards, and the infrastructure needed for safe agent-to-agent payments.
18 snips
Feb 11, 2026 • 16min
From Eater to Blackbird: Ben Leventhal on Restaurants, Loyalty, and Rebuilding Payments
Ben Leventhal, founder of Eater, Resy, and Blackbird, is a restaurant and hospitality builder focused on payments, loyalty, and tech. He discusses why current payment rails fail restaurants. He explains using crypto to enable ownership and low-friction loyalty without making restaurants deal with crypto. He also covers go-to-market strategies, hiring for restaurant love, and the realities of kitchen life.
49 snips
Feb 2, 2026 • 20min
Bridge CEO Zach Abrams: Stablecoins Are The Next Platform for Money
Zach Abrams, founder and CEO of Bridge (now part of Stripe) and payments entrepreneur focused on stablecoin infrastructure. He lays out stablecoins as the next payments platform. Short takes on AI-to-AI commerce and agentic payments. Discussion of needed APIs, treasury tools, and why open, decentralized rails matter. Quick thoughts on lower fees, fraud prevention, and new use cases like microtransactions.
18 snips
Jan 30, 2026 • 36min
Why Privacy Will Be the Biggest Moat in Crypto
Ali Yahya, General Partner at a16z crypto and expert in blockchain network effects and privacy tech, argues privacy will be crypto’s core competitive moat. He explains how private state and anonymity sets create strong lock-in. They examine why finance demands privacy, the tech stack powering private chains, and how privacy fuels winner-take-most network effects.
73 snips
Jan 23, 2026 • 1h 2min
From Oculus to Anduril: Palmer Luckey on Power, Technology, and the Future
Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril and creator of the Oculus Rift, shares insights about the future of technology. He discusses the significant challenges he faced in developing VR and explains why VR is finally gaining traction. Luckey dives into his controversial journey with Anduril, focusing on strategic hiring and rapid product development. He also addresses the U.S.–China tech rivalry and presents an optimistic view on how automation and AI will reshape our economy, making everyday life more accessible despite geopolitical tensions.
