What if crypto isn’t just a speculative asset class—but the next foundational layer of the internet?

In this episode, Chris Dixon, founding partner of a16z crypto and one of the earliest, most forward-thinking investors in the space, joins TBPN for a wide-ranging conversation on the real, long-term promise of crypto—and why we're still early.

He unpacks:

• Why stablecoins are already functioning as internet-native money
• How blockchains can serve as global, programmable financial infrastructure
• Why programmability, not just low fees, is the real unlock
• The evolving regulatory landscape and new bipartisan momentum
• The rise of AI agents, decentralized platforms, and real-world crypto use cases

This episode is about long-term thinking, technical optimism, and building open infrastructure for the future of the internet.

Resources:

Find Chris on X: https://x.com/cdixon

Watch TBPN: https://www.tbpn.com/

Timecodes:

00:00 Meet Chris Dixon: Crypto Visionary

00:26 The Evolution of Stable Coins

02:49 The Future of Stable Coins and Global Payments

06:04 Lobbying Efforts and Legislative Impact

09:01 Adoption Across Different Sectors

11:53 Competitive Forces in the Crypto Market

14:37 The Crypto Talent Shortage

15:05 Opportunities in the Crypto Space

17:08 Crypto Fund Performance

19:04 Venture Capital in Crypto

23:30 Real World Assets on Blockchain

26:34 Social Engineering and Proof of Humanity

29:10 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/

Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

In this episode, a16z General Partner Erik Torenberg is joined by the a16z Consumer team—General Partner Anish Acharya and Partners Olivia Moore, Justine Moore, and Bryan Kim—for a conversation on the current state (and future) of consumer tech.

They unpack why it feels like breakout consumer apps have slowed down, how AI is changing the game, and what might define the next era of products. Topics include:

• The rise of AI-native consumer tools and companion apps
• Why users are now spending $200+/month on AI products
• The missing AI-powered social graph
• Why speed and iteration may matter more than traditional moats
• And what it means to build for a world where software touches everything

From shifting business models to new behavior patterns, this is your pulse check on where we are—and where consumer is heading next.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 – Introduction to Consumer AI

00:01:00 – The Evolution of Consumer Breakouts

00:03:18 – The Shift in Consumer Spending

00:08:00 – The Future of Social Networks with AI

00:13:00 – Enterprise Adoption of AI

00:20:42 – The Rise of Voice Technology

00:23:06 – AI's Role in Enterprise Conversations

00:25:25 – AI in Education and Personal Development

00:26:34 – AI Companions: The New Norm

00:31:52 – The Future of AI Companions

00:38:50 – Speculating on New AI Platforms

00:42:07 – The Social Norms of AI Integration

Resources:

Find Anish on X: https://x.com/illscience

Find Olivia on X: https://x.com/omooretweets

Find Justine on X: https://x.com/venturetwins

Find Bryan on X: https://x.com/kirbyman01

Stay Updated:

Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z

Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z

Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/

Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

What if the next leap in artificial intelligence isn’t about better language—but better understanding of space?

In this episode, a16z General Partner Erik Torenberg moderates a conversation with Fei-Fei Li, cofounder and CEO of World Labs, and a16z General Partner Martin Casado, an early investor in the company. Together, they dive into the concept of world models—AI systems that can understand and reason about the 3D, physical world, not just generate text.

Often called the “godmother of AI,” Fei-Fei explains why spatial intelligence is a fundamental and still-missing piece of today’s AI—and why she’s building an entire company to solve it. Martin shares how he and Fei-Fei aligned on this vision long before it became fashionable, and why it could reshape the future of robotics, creativity, and computational interfaces.

From the limits of LLMs to the promise of embodied intelligence, this conversation blends personal stories with deep technical insights—exploring what it really means to build AI that understands the real (and virtual) world.

Resources:

Find Fei-Fei on X: https://x.com/drfeifei

Find Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casado

Learn more about World Labs: https://www.worldlabs.ai/

Stay Updated:

Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z

Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z

Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/

Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.