web3 with a16z crypto

By: a16z crypto Sonal Chokshi Chris Dixon
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  • Summary

  • "web3 with a16z" is a show about the next generation of the internet, and about how builders and users -- whether artists, coders, creators, developers, companies, organizations, or communities -- now have the ability to not just "read" (web1) + "write" (web2) but "own" (web3) pieces of the internet, unlocking a new wave of creativity and entrepreneurship. Brought to you by a16z crypto, this show is the definitive resource for understanding and going deeper on all things crypto and web3. From discussing the latest and leading trends to sharing research, data readouts, and insights from top scientists and makers in the space, this is a variety show with a variety of formats and topics listeners can pick and choose from. It is hosted by the longtime showrunner of (and original team behind) the popular a16z Podcast. Learn more at a16zcrypto.com.
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Episodes
  • Quantum Computing: What, When, Where, How

    Quantum Computing: What, When, Where, How
    May 8 2025
    with @danboneh @succinctJT @smc90This episode is all about quantum computing -- explaining what it is, how it works, what's hype vs. reality, and how to prepare for it/ what builders should do. Specifically, we cover: What quantum computing is and isn't, and what people are really talking about when they worry about a quantum computer that can break classic computing-based cryptography systems -- a cryptographically relevant post-quantum computer.When is it happening/ what are the "timelines" for quantum computing becoming a reality -- how many years away are we? -- and when are the U.S. government's deadlines/ NIST standards for post-quantum cryptography?How will different types of cryptography be affected, or not? What are different approaches and tradeoffs?Where does quantum computing and post-quantum crypto apply to blockchains -- which are not only more easily upgradable, but also by and large rely on signatures, not encryption, so may be more quantum-resistant in many ways (and not in others).As always, we tease apart the signal vs. the noise in recent "science-by-press release" corporate quantum-computing milestone announcements. We also help answer questions on when do builders need to plan their switch to a post-quantum crypto world, what pitfalls to avoid there (hint: bugs! software upgrades!). Finally, we briefly cover different approaches to post-quantum crypto; and also dig deeper on zero-knowledge/ succinct-proof systems and how they relate to post-quantum crypto. Our expert guests are: Dan Boneh, Stanford University professor and applied cryptography expert and pioneer; also Senior Research Advisor to a16z crypto;Justin Thaler, research partner at a16z, professor at Georgetown, and longtime expert and pioneer in interactive and ZK proof systems.SEE ALSO: Post-quantum blockchains by Valeria Nikolaenkomore resources + papers on topics mentioned:A Graduate Course in Applied Cryptography by Dan Boneh and Victor Shoup [see also]Proofs, Arguments, and Zero-Knowledge by Justin ThalerLatticeFold+: Faster, Simpler, Shorter Lattice-Based Folding for Succinct Proof Systems by Dan Boneh and Binyi ChenNeo: Lattice-based folding scheme for CCS over small fields and pay-per-bit commitments by Wilson Nguyen and Srinath Setty"Q-Day Clock" from Project Eleven -- public dashboard to visually track timeline for quantum computing to reach cryptographically relevant capabilities and break widely used encryption algorithmson hard forks for quantum emergenciesQuantum analysis of AES, Kyungbae Jang, Anubhab Baksi, Hyunji Kim, Gyeongju Song, Hwajeong Seo, Anupam ChattopadhyayThe Google Willow Thing by Scott AaronsonFAQs on Microsoft’s topological qubit thing by Scott AaronsonMicrosoft’s claim of a topological qubit faces tough questions, American Physical SocietyAs a reminder, none of this is investment, business, legal, or tax advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information including a link to our investments.
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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • Your Guide to Tokens: Types, Design, Uses, More

    Your Guide to Tokens: Types, Design, Uses, More
    Apr 25 2025

    with @eddylazzarin @skominers @milesjennings @rhhackett

    Today we're diving deep into *the* defining concept in crypto: tokens.

    We're moving beyond conventional categories — like “governance tokens” or “utility tokens” or even “memecoins” — to present a full taxonomy that details what tokens are, what they aren’t, and what they're capable of becoming.

    Questions we'll explore include: What is a token? Is it a form of money? A piece of data? Something else? How many types of tokens are there — and who is in control of each? And how should we think about their actual economic, legal, and technical characteristics? We'll also dig into different token designs and their uses; where tokens derive value from; how they jibe with securities laws; and much more.

    In this conversation, you’ll hear from several experts on the a16z crypto team who have developed a new 7-part framework for classifying tokens, which you can find linked below. Joining us are the coauthors: Chief Technology Officer Eddy Lazzarin, General Counsel and Head of Policy Miles Jennings, and Research Partner Scott Kominers, who is also a Professor at Harvard Business School where he teaches courses on market design and entrepreneurship.

    Check out the resources below for a flowchart that we’ll also be referencing throughout this episode and that will be helpful as we wend our way through the token idea maze.

    Timestamps:

    (0:00) Introduction

    (3:28) The Evolution of Token Terminology

    (6:19) Classifying Tokens: Economic, Legal, and Technical Dimensions

    (8:37) Moving Beyond “Governance Tokens”

    (12:05) Inherent Value: The Memecoin Debate

    (15:35) Company-Controlled Tokens: Risks and Realities

    (31:33) Arcade Tokens: Stability and Utility

    (46:00) The Power of Blockchain Interoperability

    (49:34) Shared Rewards and Loyalty Programs

    (59:19) Asset-Backed Tokens and Their Mechanisms

    (1:08:23) Collectible Tokens and Their Uniqueness

    (1:14:31) Network Tokens: The Future of Decentralized Marketplaces

    (1:31:03) Regulatory Challenges and "Lawyer Tokens"

    (1:36:57) Final Thoughts and Future Prospects

    Resources referenced in this episode:

    • 7 canonical tokens, defined [see flowchart] by Miles Jennings, Scott Duke Kominers, and Eddy Lazzarin (a16z crypto newsletter, March 2025)
    • Defining tokens by Miles Jennings, Scott Duke Kominers, and Eddy Lazzarin (a16z crypto, March 2025)
    • Network tokens vs. company-backed tokens by Miles Jennings, Scott Duke Kominers, and Eddy Lazzarin (a16z crypto, March 2025)
    • Defining decentralization: It comes down to control by Miles Jennings (a16z crypto, February 2025)
    • Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet by Chris Dixon (Penguin Random House, January 2024)
    • The Everything Token: How NFTs and Web3 Will Transform the Way We Buy, Sell, and Create by Steve Kaczynski and Scott Duke Kominers (Penguin Random House, January 2024)

    As a reminder, none of the content should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments.
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    1 hr and 42 mins
  • AI and the End of Apps (with NEAR)

    AI and the End of Apps (with NEAR)
    Apr 16 2025

    with @ilblackdragon @rhhackett

    Welcome to web3 with a16z. I’m your host, Robert Hackett.

    In this episode, we're diving deep into one of the most intriguing intersections in tech today: AI and crypto.

    To help us unpack it, we're joined by Illia Polosukhin — co-founder of the crypto protocol NEAR and co-author of the groundbreaking 2017 "transformers" paper that kicked off the current AI boom. Ilia has been early to some of the biggest recent tech trends, and today he brings us a rare, panoramic view of the tech industry’s cutting edge.

    Together we explore what the phrase “user-owned AI” really means; why the so-called agentic internet — that is, a world where your AI assistant talks directly to services on your behalf — might replace the very notion of websites and apps as we know them; and much more.

    Timestamps:

    (0:00) Introduction
    (3:40) Centralization and Challenges of AI
    (6:17) "User-Owned" AI
    (12:14) Confidential Computing and AI
    (17:51) The Birth of Transformers
    (22:33) NEAR AI and Crowdsourcing
    (27:56) AI Agents and Future Applications
    (31:04) The End of Websites and Applications
    (34:08) Dead Internet Theory & Distinguishing Humans
    (41:49) Open Source vs. Open Weight Models
    (43:48) Geopolitical Implications of AI
    (46:55) NEAR Protocol and Blockchain Scaling
    (59:29) The Role of Humans in an AI World

    Resources:

    • Attention is all you need by Vaswani et al. (Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems 2017)

    As a reminder, none of the content should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments.
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    1 hr and 2 mins

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