A digest of what our team is thinking, reading, and writing about crypto infrastructure, stablecoins, tokenization, and the latest conversations in DeFi and fintech. We select posts for founders in our network, but they're here for any builder navigating this space.
A lot of research goes into what we build. Here's where we make it public.
↓ 02Our team is constantly processing trends and patterns in crypto and beyond. Here are their thoughts.
↓ 03We're avid consumers of tech news and analysis. These are our sources.
↓A free, open-source directory of every crypto-focused VC fund, accelerator, incubator, and venture studio—with LinkedIn, X, and email contact info for primary contacts. Browse profiles openly, or confirm your email to receive a complete spreadsheet of contact addresses.
The "eureka moment" is a myth. Great startup ideas—Uber, Slack, Airbnb—tend to follow recognizable patterns. This piece breaks down those patterns and offers two practical frameworks for evaluating ideas: one lightweight enough for a side project, one battle-tested at a venture studio.
Fintech platforms and legacy banks are competing for the same prize: becoming the single financial home for consumers and businesses. Tokenization is the weapon, stablecoins are the battlefield, and the stakes are enormous. Here's what builders need to understand about the fight for financial infrastructure.
Circle and Tether haven't won—they've commoditized themselves. The real opportunity in stablecoins isn't issuance. It's distribution and infrastructure, and that gap is still wide open for founders who know where to look.
Retail traders are increasingly treating crypto and equities as direct substitutes—not correlated risk-on bets. Wintermute's data-driven analysis explains how institutional ETF adoption is compressing crypto volatility, and what it means for the shape of the next cycle.
Institutional adoption of crypto looks different up close than the headlines suggest. Demirors argues that institutions aren't here to participate in a new economy—they're here to convert it into recurring AUM fees. A sharp counterweight to the uncritical "institutions are coming" narrative.
The a16z crypto team's annual outlook: the ideas, technologies, and trends they expect to define the next wave of development. Covers AI-crypto intersections, on-chain governance, and the infrastructure improvements most likely to unlock mainstream adoption.
Four sharp minds—the investor who called 2008, Anthropic's co-founder, and two leading tech thinkers—share a Google Doc and debate AI's economic impact head-on: labor displacement, productivity gains, regulatory responses, and whether the transition will be orderly or not.
Perpetual futures are the dominant trading instrument in crypto—and most people outside the industry have never heard of them. McKenzie explains the mechanics clearly: how funding rates keep perps tethered to spot prices, and why a plurality of all stablecoins exist specifically to collateralize these positions.
A comprehensive map of the crypto landscape heading into 2025: where capital is flowing, which sectors are gaining momentum, and the macro and regulatory dynamics shaping the market. Essential context for founders and investors deciding where to build next.