The tangled web of Andreessen Horowitz's crypto investments

Since its inception, Andreessen Horowitz has demonstrated its ability to pick what would become some of the most highly valued tech companies on earth. Andreessen Horowitz or “a16z”, the peppy moniker the venture firm adopted, quickly established itself on the venture investing map through its early bet in Skype, the online communications tool. Skype ultimately sold to Microsoft for $8.5B, netting the firm a rumored 3x return on its initial investment. The venture firm continued to prove its abilities, acquiring stakes in the companies we now know all too well: Facebook, Airbnb, Twitter, and Lyft.

Most recently, a16z has ramped up its involvement and investment in crypto and blockchain startups. While the firm is anything but a late adopter in crypto — it has early stakes in Coinbase and Ripple — the launch of its $300M crypto venture fund solidifies a16z’s convictions about the future of digital currency.