Checking in on a16z

May 19, 2022

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Good morning! We’re catching up with a household name in VC, Andreessen Horowitz , LLC, or a16z for short.

Games Fund One
The firm just announced its latest fund, the Game Fund One, with $600MM to support game studios, consumer apps for gamers, and the infrastructure for games in the metaverse. A16z's portfolio already includes the wildly successful Roblox game and, more recently, blockchain gaming platform Irreverant Labs.

Crypto Report 2022
A16z is heavily invested in Web3, and the firm's recently-released crypto report paints a sunny narrative about the adoption and acceleration of the blockchain. The highlights include a reminder about the supposed ‘price-innovation’ cycle of crypto, explaining that the current price downturn is all part of the process, and pointing out the potential real-world impact of DeFi: to include over a billion people currently left out of the financial system and to become the 31st largest bank by total assets under management. The report points out the “paradigm shifting” potential of blockchain portfolio companies like Spruce and Helium.

The report revealed a startling data point: that Ethereum transactions generate $15MM in transaction fees every day. Digging further into the world of blockchain transaction fees, it turns out that the fees are the incentive for those running the computing systems that keep the blockchain running. No wonder crypto is getting shade from Berkshire Hathaway.

Advice for founders
Nearly a year after the launch of an in-house media platform, The Future, a16z's compelling content demonstrates the firm's expertise in shaping and cultivating great entrepreneurs. The Future has articles on navigating a market downturn, reporting on the 100 largest private companies, and the power of subtracting for better outcomes.

To see where a16z is investing, check out our investor profile and read more from this previous Daily Stack article.