Today’s special episode features two people who’ve spent their careers performing at the highest levels in sport and business...
Big-wave surfing pioneer Laird Hamilton and former pro volleyball star Gabby Reece.
They join a16z crypto General Partner Arianna Simpson for a conversation that explores what it takes to endure and excel over decades — how to get back up after setbacks, when to push versus change course, and how to build resilience and adaptability. They also get into stress, burnout, intuition, and why experience and self-care matter as much as data.
It’s a fitting conversation as we head into the New Year: a moment to reflect on habits, goals, and the kind of people we wish to become.
They cover:
– How extreme environments teach resilience
– When to keep pushing forward (and when to walk away)
– Why adaptability matters more than strength or intelligence
– How data confirms intuition
– What it takes to sustain performance across decades
Here's a short clip from the talk.
Quantum computing and blockchains: Let's match the urgency with the actual threats.
But first, where are we on timelines to an cryptographically relevant quantum computer?
Lately, the timelines are being overstated — leading to calls for urgent, wholesale transitions to post-quantum crypto.
This is a problem because it overlooks the costs and risks of premature migration, and ignores more salient security risks.
Learn more: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/quantum-computing-misconceptions-realities-blockchains-planning-migrations/
Fidelity explored 52 crypto use cases.
Only one worked… at first.
CEO Abigail Johnson shares the company's early thesis on crypto, also covering the R&D bets they made. She also shares thoughts on stablecoins, and the future of traditional finance and crypto.
This episode is for anyone interested in exploring how innovation happens inside companies, how startups can partner with big institutions, how TradFi is approaching crypto in this “Year of Institutional Adoption”… and what the next decade of financial infrastructure might look like.
In conversation with a16z crypto COO Anthony Albanese (the discussion was recorded at our recent Founders Summit event).
Tune in here: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/fidelity-ceo-abigail-johnson-on-stablecoins-bitcoin/
Thanksgiving is here in the U.S., which means it’s the perfect time to scour seasonal sales and kickstart your holiday shopping.
Whether you’re looking for something unexpected for the person in your life who has everything or reward yourself with something special, our annual gift guide offers 70+ ideas handpicked by the a16z crypto team, from our favorite tech to self-care staples.
There’s a lot here, ranging in price and with options for all ages. We’ve included gifts everyone will appreciate (AirPods), aesthetic picks for the hard to please (wooden puzzles), and gadgets we didn’t know we needed (a peanut butter stirrer, anyone?).
Find the full list here: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/gear-gift-guide-2024/
Thanksgiving is approaching here in the U.S., which means it’s the perfect time to scour seasonal sales and kickstart your holiday shopping.
Whether you’re looking for something unexpected for the person in your life who has everything or reward yourself with something special, our annual gift guide offers 70+ ideas handpicked by the a16z crypto team, from our favorite tech to self-care staples.
There’s a lot here, ranging in price and with options for all ages. We’ve included gifts everyone will appreciate (AirPods), aesthetic picks for the hard to please (wooden puzzles), and gadgets we didn’t know we needed (a peanut butter stirrer, anyone?).
Here’s what else the members of our team are recommending: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/gear-gadget-gift-guide-holiday-shopping-2025/
New podcast episode with Kalshi Cofounder and CEO Tarek Mansour is live.
In this special episode, our host Robert Hackett chats with Tarek about how prediction markets are enabling people to trade directly on real-world events — from elections to inflation — and what this means for the future of finance and forecasting.
Tarek explains why prediction markets aren’t gambling, how regulation has been central to Kalshi’s success, and why the company is embracing crypto and stablecoins as key components of its international strategy. He also discusses lessons learned about policy, product design, and staying compliant while innovating at the frontier.
Topics include:
→ How prediction markets make society "smarter"
→ The role of regulation in fintech innovation
→ Why Kalshi started with crypto payments
→ Tarek’s take on productivity, leadership, and even… kombucha
& much more.
https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/prediction-market-kalshi-ceo-tarek-mansour/
Real-world assets (RWAs) — traditional assets such as U.S. Treasuries, money-market funds, private credit, and real estate that are represented onchain (“tokenized”) — bridge crypto and traditional finance.
The total market for tokenized RWAs sits at $30 billion, up nearly 4x in the last two years.
19 Surprising Books for Builders ⤵️
…company building, how-to, systems thinking, and tech trends
1) Antimemetics: Why Some Ideas Resist Spreading by Nadia Asparouhova
2) The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn
3) Understanding Michael Porter: The Essential Guide to Competition and Strategy by Joan Magretta
4) Nearly Perfect by Thomas Drach
5) The Computer Always Wins: A Playful Introduction to Algorithms through Puzzles and Strategy Games by Elliott Lichtman
…related disciplines, domains, and histories of interest
6) The Origins of Efficiency by Brian Potter
7) Modern Principles of Economics by Tyler Cowen & Alex Tabarrok
8) Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy by Thomas Sowell
9) Fragile by Design: The Political Origins of Banking Crises and Scarce Credit by Charles Calomiris and Stephen Haber
Find the full list here: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/books-for-builders-and-everyone-crypto-fs2025/
