By
Chimamanda U. Martha
March 28th, 2024
To ensure effective research work of the newly formed team, the core departments of a16z will work together.
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), a venture capital firm that backs entrepreneurs building the future through technology, has announced a new multidisciplinary crypto research lab. According to the announcement by the company, the a16z crypto research will be led by Tim Roughgarden, a researcher and computer science professor at Stanford and Columbia.
“Today, we’re excited to announce the creation of a16z crypto research, a new kind of multidisciplinary lab that will work closely with our portfolio and others toward solving the important problems in the space, and toward advancing the science and technology of the next generation of the internet,” Ali Yahya and Chris Dixon wrote in the announcement.
The firm has been committed to helping crypto startups rise and reach the global market. However, to progress forward as the leading venture capital, the company has to focus on quality research.
a16z Crypto Research
Before its debut, the company made sure the most experienced people have been put at the helm of the new wing. Moreover, it is the people that make a company stand in addition to proper systems.
“First, the most important element of any successful research lab is the people. When we decided to build a16z crypto research, we knew the person at its helm would have to be a brilliant researcher, communicator, and educator who could also assemble and lead a world-class team. This person would have to be capable of bridging the gap between academia and industry by leading close collaborations between our team and founders in our portfolio. Finally, we knew that whoever we brought onboard would have to be aligned with our mission of advancing the science and technology at the core of crypto and web3,” the announcement noted.
Among other notable people hired to lead the new crypto research center include Dan Boneh. He is a professor of computer science and electrical engineering at Stanford University. Worth noting, that Dan has been working with the company in the past as a Senior Research Advisor.
Joseph Bonneau, who has taught cryptocurrency courses at the University of Melbourne, NYU, and Stanford, will be part of the founding members.
Another founding member is Benedikt Bünz who is the Chief Scientist of Espresso Systems. The list also includes Scott Duke Kominers and Valeria Nikolaenko.
Side Notes
To ensure effective research work of the newly formed team, a16z has indicated that its core departments will work together to generate ideas and bring them to life. Additionally, the team will ensure the ideas and the implementation are within the legal framework.
Indeed, venture capitalists are experiencing an imbalance between their funds and potential business ideas to invest in. Otherwise, I wonder what a16z could be aiming at in particular.