A16z, also known as Andreessen Horowitz, the venture capital (VC) company that has invested millions in crypto-related projects, has announced the launch of its own crypto research lab. This new initiative seeks to marry academic research with producing ideas and putting them into practice in startups and organizations in which the company is heavily invested.
A16z Announces It Will Conduct Blockchain Related Academic Research
Andreessen Horowitz, an organization with heavy investments in crypto and Web3 startups, has announced the launch of the a16z crypto research lab, an initiative that will let the company tackle the challenges the sector presents. The company considers that the crypto and Web3 sector has “emerged as a new frontier in technology, and it has matured into an independent field of knowledge that brings together elements of computer science, economics, finance, and the humanities”
This potential the VC firm sees in the blockchain environment is what is fueling its dedication to trying to solve all the new problems that the crypto environment faces, combined with the ability to put these resolutions to the test. On this, a16z stated:
There is an opportunity for an industrial research lab to help bridge the worlds of academic theory with industry practice, and to help shape crypto and web3 as a formal area of study by bringing together the very best research talent from the various disciplines that are relevant to the space.
The lab will be headed by Tim Roughgarden, a researcher and computer science professor at Stanford and Columbia, and Dan Boneh, professor of computer science and electrical engineering at Standford, where he also leads the Center for Blockchain Research.
Practical Focus in Mind
A16z has created this initiative with a practical focus in mind, applying the solutions designed and found via investigation to part of the companies in which a16z has important investments.
Be it DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations), decentralized finance, or NFT Gamefi projects, the a16z crypto lab will have four teams directed to make companies in the a16z portfolio generate ideas for solving hard open problems, implement these solutions in code, make sure these solutions comply with regulations, and share these findings with the crypto community.
The company aimed to raise $4.5 billion for two different crypto-related funds in January, with $1 billion being directed to the financing of new startups in the field.
What do you think about a16z’s new crypto research lab? Tell us in the comments section below.
Sergio is a cryptocurrency journalist based in Venezuela. He describes himself as late to the game, entering the cryptosphere when the price rise happened during December 2017. Having a computer engineering background, living in Venezuela, and being impacted by the cryptocurrency boom at a social level, he offers a different point of view about crypto success and how it helps the unbanked and underserved.
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