a16z Crypto hires former Winklevoss Capital associate Jane Lippencott as partner

a16z Crypto, the digital asset unit of venture investing giant Andreessen Horowitz, has hired former Winklevoss Capital associate Jane Lippencott.

Lippencott's hire represents the latest move in a flurry of hires for a16z since it launched a $2 billion crypto-focused fund. Lippencott announced her new role as partner in a Wednesday tweet

Lippencott, who recently finished a 7-month long stint at the venture fund Distributed Global, serves as an advisor or mentor to crypto projects like Celo and Teller Finance. Before joining Distributed Global, she worked for Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss' venture capital operation. In that capacity, Lippencott participated in several crypto deals, including TaxBit, TracerDao, and ChainFlip. 

THE SCOOP

Keep up with the latest news, trends, charts and views on crypto and DeFi with a new biweekly newsletter from The Block's Frank Chaparro

By signing-up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
By signing-up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

a16z announced its $2.2 billion Crypto Fund II in June, which is co-led by Chris Dixon and Katie Haun.

The investment giant has pursued a broad mandate in its crypto investment strategy, focusing on areas from decentralized finance (DeFi) to bitcoin applications to Web3. The firm's portfolio includes Dapper Labs, Celo, Uniswap, and Near, among others.

At the same time as the fund's launch, a16z announced a string of hires including former advisor to President Joe Biden, Tomicah Tilleman, as its global head of policy. Former Coinbase public relations executive Rachael Horowitz also joined the firm as an operating partner charged with leading marketing and communications.

On September 2, a16z announced that Miles Jennings was joining the firm as general counsel. The former Latham & Watkins partner worked closely with venture capital firms and provided counsel to crypto starting ranging from Bitwise to Aave. 

About Author

Frank Chaparro is Host of The Scoop podcast and Director of Special Projects. He also writes a biweekly newsletter. Chaparro started his career at Business Insider, where he specialized in the intersection of digital assets and Wall Street, market structure, and financial technology. Soon after joining Business Insider out of Fordham University, Chaparro was interviewing top finance and tech executives, including billionaire Mark Cuban, “Flash Boys” star Brad Katsuyama, Cboe Global Markets CEO Ed Tilly, and New York Stock Exchange President Tom Farley. In 2018, he become a sought after reporter in the crypto world, interviewing luminaries such as Tyler Winklevoss, the cofounder of Gemini, Jeremy Allaire, the CEO of Circle, and Fundstrat head Tom Lee. For inquiries or tips, email [email protected].