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This is an interesting piece and definitely fits with my perception of a16z. Their podcasts are really good and cover a wide range of tech subjects at a medium

This is an interesting piece and definitely fits with my perception of a16z. Their podcasts are really good and cover a wide range of tech subjects at a medium-high level for those not familiar. Content is usually aggressively future looking and often brutally honest and this article makes me think that is all by design now. Also look at their portfolio[0], makes you realize how big of a hand they have in the startup pie. Didn't realize they funded Coinbase. Explains a lot of their crypto-content. I've seen a lot of skepticism on HN about crypto, but the a16z podcasts have convinced me it will be a critical component of finance and the web going forward. [0] https://a16z.com/portfolio/ https://a16z.com/portfolio/

dcl 6y ago
Anything specifically that makes you think crypto(coins, tokens, etc) will be a critical component of finance? Is there a specific podcast you can recommend on the topic?
- wyck 6y ago
  Its not coins or tokens, but the blockchain that is already being integrated into traditional and decentralized finance. All the major financial players are working on some sort of smart contracts to reduce paperwork and more precisely the people that do the paperwork. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
  - dcl 6y ago
    Ahh, blockhain and smart contract technology. I take it that a16z are hoping to get a piece of that major financial player action by investing in that space?
    - wyck 6y ago
      Big Time.
  - stainforth 6y ago
    Couldn't they create RESTful APIs instead?
    - wyck 6y ago
      No, a blockchain is an immutable ledger, you can't equate a blockchain to an API. That would be like comparing an apple to a car. Lots of blockchain tech (defi) use various API's in their own ecosystems, some private, and some public like Chainlink's oracle system.
  - sulam 6y ago
    I’m probably ignorant to some big issue here, but it’s. It obvious to me that ledgers solve a big problem. Yes contracts are a big problem in general, but the ledger seems like they’re giving me a new pen to sign them with or a new box to put them in. The work in contracts is in the negotiation and I don’t see that’s affected at all.
bigtones 6y ago
Yeah really well written and researched piece. This is the first I had heard of Newcomer, it might be worth subscribing to.

dcl 6y ago

Anything specifically that makes you think crypto(coins, tokens, etc) will be a critical component of finance? Is there a specific podcast you can recommend on the topic?

wyck 6y ago
Its not coins or tokens, but the blockchain that is already being integrated into traditional and decentralized finance. All the major financial players are working on some sort of smart contracts to reduce paperwork and more precisely the people that do the paperwork. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
- dcl 6y ago
  Ahh, blockhain and smart contract technology. I take it that a16z are hoping to get a piece of that major financial player action by investing in that space?
  - wyck 6y ago
    Big Time.
- stainforth 6y ago
  Couldn't they create RESTful APIs instead?
  - wyck 6y ago
    No, a blockchain is an immutable ledger, you can't equate a blockchain to an API. That would be like comparing an apple to a car. Lots of blockchain tech (defi) use various API's in their own ecosystems, some private, and some public like Chainlink's oracle system.
- sulam 6y ago
  I’m probably ignorant to some big issue here, but it’s. It obvious to me that ledgers solve a big problem. Yes contracts are a big problem in general, but the ledger seems like they’re giving me a new pen to sign them with or a new box to put them in. The work in contracts is in the negotiation and I don’t see that’s affected at all.

bigtones 6y ago

Yeah really well written and researched piece. This is the first I had heard of Newcomer, it might be worth subscribing to.