Andreessen Horowitz (a16z crypto)

The world's largest and most influential crypto venture fund

Menlo Park, USAEst. 2018 (crypto fund); a16z founded 2009$7.6B+ raised across four crypto funds

Quick Facts

Best For
Founders who want a large, multi-stage partner with heavyweight platform support across capital, hiring, policy, and ecosystem
Check Size
$500K–$500M+ (seed through growth)
Stage
Seed through Growth

Overview

a16z crypto is the definitive full-stack crypto venture fund — investing across the entire Web3 landscape from foundational L1 protocols to consumer applications, and providing portfolio companies with unparalleled platform support across hiring, policy, legal, marketing, and ecosystem development. With $7.6B+ deployed across four dedicated crypto funds, a16z has backed the most consequential Web3 projects of the past decade including Coinbase, OpenSea, MakerDAO, Solana, and Uniswap. Beyond capital, a16z's policy team, in-house research arm, and crypto startup school make it the most valuable non-financial partner in the ecosystem.

Focus Areas

L1 & L2 InfrastructureDeFi ProtocolsConsumer CryptoNFT PlatformsWallets & UXGaming & MetaverseAI & Crypto ConvergencePolicy & Regulation

Who They Back

Ambitious Protocol FoundersConsumer Crypto TeamsInfrastructure BuildersAI-Crypto Founders

Notable Portfolio

CoinbaseOpenSeaMakerDAOSolanaUniswapPhantomFarcaster

Key Partners

  • Chris Dixon (General Partner)
  • Ali Yahya
  • Arianna Simpson
  • Daren Matsuoka

How to Approach

Apply via a16zcrypto.com or through warm introductions; a16z Crypto Startup School provides a structured pathway for early-stage founders

Office Locations

New YorkLondonSeoul

Frequently Asked Questions about Andreessen Horowitz (a16z crypto)

What is a16z crypto's check size range?
a16z crypto writes checks from $500K at the seed stage up to $500M+ for growth-stage investments across its four dedicated crypto funds totalling $7.6B+. This multi-stage capability means a16z can back a project from earliest inception through to public markets — a rarity among crypto funds that makes it genuinely one-of-a-kind as a long-term capital partner.
What stage does a16z crypto invest at?
a16z invests from seed through growth — covering pre-product, early-traction, and late-stage rounds. The fund's scale means it participates meaningfully at every stage rather than concentrating at seed or growth alone. Founders at seed stage can access a16z via the Crypto Startup School pathway, which provides a structured route into the fund's investment process.
How do I get a warm introduction to a16z crypto?
The most structured pathway for early-stage founders is a16z Crypto Startup School, which explicitly provides a pipeline into the fund's investment team. Beyond that, warm introductions via existing a16z portfolio founders, ecosystem investors like Coinbase Ventures or Paradigm, or prominent community contributors are the most effective routes. Cold outreach via the website is possible but far less likely to result in engagement.
What does a16z crypto look for in founders and projects?
a16z backs ambitious protocol founders, consumer crypto teams, infrastructure builders, and increasingly AI-crypto convergence projects. The fund's stated thesis centres on crypto's potential as the next major computing platform — so founders whose vision articulates a genuine platform-level impact, rather than incremental improvement, tend to resonate most. Technical credibility and regulatory thoughtfulness are both valued.
Beyond capital, what does a16z crypto offer portfolio companies?
a16z's platform support is widely regarded as the most comprehensive in the ecosystem — covering an in-house hiring function, policy team (with dedicated DC presence), legal resources, marketing and communications support, a crypto startup school curriculum, and a vast alumni and portfolio network. For founders navigating US regulatory complexity in particular, access to a16z's policy team is a genuinely differentiated resource.
How long does the a16z crypto investment decision process typically take?
a16z is known for making fast decisions at seed stage — often within a few weeks of initial engagement for founders who fit the thesis clearly. Growth-stage decisions require more diligence and typically take longer. The Crypto Startup School pathway has a defined process with known timelines; cold outreach decisions are harder to predict. Founders report that partner conviction drives timing more than a standardised process.

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