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Bitcoin Venture Capital · 2018-Present

a16z crypto

Chris Dixon, Ali Yahya, Guy Wuollet, and Eddy Lazzarin.

Fund Size

$7.6B across four dedicated digital-asset funds, the largest dedicated digital-asset venture allocation in the world.

Thesis

The 'everything' digital-asset fund, a16z crypto invests across the entire stack, from Layer 1 protocols to consumer applications, with a belief that digital assets and web3 represent a fundamental computing paradigm shift similar to the internet itself. They bring massive operational support (legal, recruiting, marketing) to portfolio companies.

Portfolio

Coinbase, Uniswap, Solana, Lightspark, Optimism, EigenLayer, LayerZero, Phantom, Aztec, and many others.

Why It Matters

When a16z launched its first digital-asset fund in 2018, it was the definitive signal that Silicon Valley's most prestigious firm believed in the space. Their $7.6B in dedicated digital-asset capital is more than most entire VC firms manage across all sectors. They've also been the most aggressive in engaging with regulators and shaping policy.

Companies on this list they backed

Coinbase, Lightspark, Anchorage Digital

Cite & share

Early Riders. “A Brief History of Bitcoin Venture Capital: a16z crypto.” https://earlyriders.com/top50/vc/a16z-crypto/

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