Chris Dixon: Stablecoins, Startups, and the Crypto Stack

In this episode of the A16Z podcast, Chris Dixon, founding partner of a16z crypto, discusses his vision for crypto beyond speculation, highlighting stablecoins as internet-native money and blockchains as global financial rails. He emphasizes the importance of programmability over low fees and touches on the evolving regulatory landscape, noting the momentum in Congress and a shift towards a more pro-tech stance. Dixon also shares his insights on the adoption of crypto across government, B2B, and direct-to-consumer sectors, advocating for clear legislation to foster innovation and mitigate risks, and points out the under-competed nature of the crypto startup space, encouraging more talent to enter. The conversation further explores the competitive dynamics between startups, hybrid companies, and institutional players, as well as the potential of real-world assets on the blockchain and solutions for social engineering hacks.