Artificial intelligence-powered sales startup 11x has raised $50 million in a new funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz, the company plans to announce Monday, the latest significant financing for a young AI company.

Andreessen Leads $50 Million Funding in AI Startup 11x - Bloomberg

The startup, valued at over $600 million, is seeking to automate health care communication.

Andreessen Horowitz Backs AI Startup Automating Medical Phone Calls - Bloomberg

Concourse, a company building AI-powered automation tools for finance, has emerged from stealth with funding from Andreessen Horowitz.

Concourse is building AI to automate financial tasks | TechCrunch

Andreessen Horowitz, Ashton Kutcher and Nvidia are among the investors.

AI Pioneer Fei-Fei Li Raises $230 Million for New Startup World Labs - Bloomberg

Chan's based in the Bay Area, but is best known for her deep knowledge of China's consumer tech market.

Connie Chan is leaving Andreessen Horowitz after 12 years

Doppel is building a next-generation approach for detecting and removing fraudulent accounts and phishing attacks across various channels.

Investing in Doppel | Andreessen Horowitz

There comes a point after 12 years where you either double down or figure something else out. I’m still a loyal a16zer but will embark on something new.

A Personal Update | Andreessen Horowitz

For years, partners at Andreessen Horowitz proclaimed they would scour the startup world for the next big consumer marketplace like Airbnb or the next hit consumer app out of China, areas in which the firm had unique expertise. Now, it’s shifting toward an area more en vogue across venture ...

Andreessen Horowitz’s Connie Chan to Leave as Consumer Focus Shifts to AI

Andreessen Horowitz

andreessen-horowitz

We are very excited to announce that we have raised a new round of funding led by (a16z) with participation from and existing investors. Andreessen Horowitz Y Combinator Continuity This fundraise comes at the back of our impressive growth, as we are now sending for some of the most sophisticated engineering teams at companies both large (Fortune 500) and small (startups). billions of webhooks a year Companies like , , , , and , all use Svix to power their webhooks. Brex Lob Benchling Bizzabo LTSE Equity We have gotten to know the a16z and YC Continuity teams well over the last few months, and we are excited to be working with them for years to come, as well as continuing working with our amazing existing investors: , , Andrew Miklas, Yuri Sagalov ( ), Kevin Mahaffey ( ), Christopher Golda ( ), Jason Warner, Ian Storm Taylor, Kurt Mackey, Hana Mohan, Holly Dunlap, and Michael Orland. Aleph Y Combinator Wayfinder SNR Rogue Capital Today is an important milestone towards our mission of making server-to-server communication easy, secure, and reliable. So I want to take this opportunity to thank the team for getting us to where we are today. I love waking up every day and being surrounded by such smart and passionate individuals, serving amazing customers, and working with the best investors out there! What is Svix? To talk about Svix, we first need to talk about webhooks. Webhooks are how services communicate; you can think of them as sort of a reverse API, or as the API equivalent of push notifications. They power most of the products that we all use on a daily basis. For example: when you make a payment online, a webhook is sent from the payment provider to the merchant; when you push a commit to Github, a webhook is sent to the CI providers to trigger a build; and when you use a workflow automation tool like Zapier, the workflows are almost always triggered by webhooks. Webhooks have also become an increasingly common customer demand, both by API providers and more importantly API consumers. We see this trend across all industries, where customers expect webhooks in order to be able to take action on events without having to poll for updates. It makes sense, as webhooks enable building workflows on top of products, turning them from useful into critical infrastructure, increasing both stickiness and usefulness. The problem, however, is that building a reliable webhook service requires a lot more engineering time, resources, and ongoing maintenance than you first expect. Which is especially painful, as it diverts valuable resources from improving the product, to reinventing infrastructure. We believe webhooks will follow a similar development pattern to other internet infrastructure—like email, web servers, and CMS—which only a few teams build on their own. That's where Svix comes in. With Svix, companies can build a secure, reliable, and scalable webhooks solution in minutes. Saving them a lot of time, effort, and money, while focusing on their business and increasing team happiness. Looking back Milestones are always a great time to reflect on the past. Looking back, I'm really proud of the product we have built, and how we've been supporting our customers. It never gets old to hear "wow, that was really fast" when we release a new feature shortly after discussing it with a customer. We deserve some credit for that (and we work hard to earn it), but a lot of the credit also belongs to our customers. We are very lucky to have such engaged customers, and doubly lucky to have them be developers. We often get very detailed feedback, specced out feature requests, and of course pull requests for both the code and the docs. I think this has also been the secret to why our customers love the product so much. It's because they helped us build it every step of the way, and they still do to this day. The same way it never gets old to hear about how fast we move with product development, it also never gets old to hear about how people use the product and how much they love it. This is by far one of the best products I've ever worked with. It does one thing but it does it
so well that I can't imagine ever doing my own webhooks solution. - Senior Engineering Manager at Bizzabo One super important but often underappreciated aspect of what we do, is the relentless focus on stability and scalability. We spend a lot of time and work really hard to ensure that we provide our customers with a robust service at the scale they need. Whether it's the quality of the code, the test suite, the infrastructure, or our SDLC, we always hold ourselves to the highest standards. It's one of those things that no one notices when you do your job well, but are essential for any infrastructure service. At the end of the day, however, it's not about what we have built, but rather how we are affecting the lives of our customers. Thanks to Svix our customers can offer a state of the art webhooks solution to their customers at a fraction of the time and cost it would take to build it themselves, with no ongoing maintenance, while getting constant improvements and automatic scaling. All of this while freeing their engineering teams to work on their core business. For more on that, you can see what . Lob had to say about their experience switching to Svix Looking forward We have identified an important (and growing) problem, built a great product to solve it, and started a whole new vertical along the way (webhooks as a service). This is why our customers, our investors, and the Svix team are so excited about webhooks and what we are building. We have an opportunity to become an industry defining company, which is why we have decided to raise this round of funding, and partner with some of the best investors out there. We are going to use the money and the support of our new investors, to further expand the team and improve the product to keep up with the demand and our ever evolving customer needs.  We have a lot of exciting stuff lined up, and we can't wait to share them! If you are passionate about developer tools, webhooks, and server-to-server communication and you think you may be a good fit, please check out our . careers page If your company is looking to start sending webhooks, or upgrade their existing legacy solution, or . try us out check out our docs Also published here.

How My Startup Got New Funding from Andreessen Horowitz

Cómo mi startup obtuvo nuevos fondos de Andreessen Horowitz

Comment ma startup a obtenu un nouveau financement d'Andreessen Horowitz

कैसे मेरे स्टार्टअप को आंद्रेसेन होरोविट्ज़ से नई फंडिंग मिली

私のスタートアップがアンドリーセン・ホロウィッツから新しい資金を調達した方法

Como minha startup conseguiu novos financiamentos da Andreessen Horowitz

Làm thế nào Startup của tôi có được nguồn vốn mới từ Andreessen Horowitz

我的初创公司如何从 Andreessen Horowitz 获得新资金

Investment and Technology Giants Join NYM, a privacy-based blockchain as validators Dokia Capital, an a16z-backed Figment, Chorus One, and Telcom behemoth Swisscom joined Nym as a validator. The validators keep the mixnet privacy system running by providing consensus on the mix node network architecture at any given moment and public history of all token transactions, certificate generation, and double-spending prevention. This general-purpose Web-Assembly smart contract blockchain provides low-cost, lightning-fast transactions and smart contract execution speed up to 10,000 transactions per second (TPS). The outcome is a comprehensive, general-purpose smart contract blockchain that combines  privacy features and a Web Assembly-based smart contract environment. Earlier, Nym Technologies hired Chelsea Manning, a former US Army intelligence analyst and whistleblower who used the anonymity program Tor to disclose thousands of sensitive papers in 2011. Nym is gearing up to expedite the emergence of the private web powered by blockchain with a new $13 million capital investment, valuing the three-year-old Neuchâtel, Switzerland-based firm at roughly $270 million. To maintain track of the status of the network, Nym is employing a blockchain rather than a semi-centralized directory authority. They used the Tendermint blockchain and the Cosmos libraries to establish their network as validators. The blockchain is an open-source, decentralized, permissionless, and incentivized system that enables full-stack privacy, enabling developers to create apps that give users strong assurances against metadata snooping at both the network and authentication and payment levels. The company's staff comprises world-class researchers and developers from institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, KU Leuven, and University College London. The Need for Privacy in Layer-2 Blockchain Solution Layer 2 scaling solutions are aimed to increase throughput by off-chain processing transactions. Its goal is to increase the speed of transactions on the blockchain and lower transaction costs while retaining decentralization. Layer 2 offers a lot of promise for scalability and broad adoption of blockchain applications. Transaction custody consolidates all transactions over a certain period of time and issues a cryptographic commitment (commitment) on the updated transaction balances. The commitment and proofs will be submitted concurrently to the underlying blockchain, and the data will be computed using zero-knowledge proofs. Certain crucial elements must be considered to construct a blockchain with more security, decentralization, and scalability. Layer 2 does not alter the design scheme or consensus algorithm of the underlying Layer 1 blockchain since it continues to rely on the security and consensus mechanisms provided by it. Layer 2 often processes a substantial quantity of data and computations off-chain and only verifies on-chain (e.g. the Lightning Network). Layer 2 scaling solutions use a similar method, but their off-chain data and computations are generally validated online using smart contracts. All Layer 2 solutions announced by major tech teams now use trustless transaction custody (Operator) off-chain to enable transaction packaging and batch computation. On-chain smart contracts are often incorporated with zero-knowledge proof techniques and trusted computing technologies to guarantee fraud-proof off-chain computations.

Dokia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz backed Figment and Swisscom Join NYM as Validators

Thank you for riding shotgun with me here in the #vanlife of podcast writing. This week we’ll park at Sandhill Rd and unroll the shade. The passion economy and the creator stack Venture capital behemoth Andreessen Horowitz (A16Z) is a devilishly astute observer of human behavior. Recently they noticed that creative people believe deeply in their potential for success, influence, and fame, and they will make decisions—both small and large—to unlock it. They call the trend of people trying to build fame and fortune on their talents the and claim it’s the future of work. As part of a new media investment strategy, they are investing millions in businesses that accelerate the transition of people from working for larger media companies to being totally independent. Together, these businesses comprise the “creator stack.” passion economy This from former A16Z partner Li Jin lays out their vision of many independent creators working for themselves in clear-eyed detail. tweet thread And if you really want to go deep, here’s of the A16Z podcast on this topic with Jin and Patreon Cofounder Sam Yam. It’s full of optimism for creator potential and lacking any serious analysis of what happens to the passion economy at scale. an entire episode The companies of the “creator stack” are taking the media world by storm. They hardly need to market themselves as word-of-mouth and traditional press are doing the job for them. This week the New York Times ran what amounts to given that it starts with eye-popping figures like half million dollar contracts for indie writers, and we left the tab to start a Substack before finishing the article. a full page ad for Substack And why wouldn’t we? What other options are there? The vanishingly small set of opportunities available from traditional media companies to be paid vanishingly small amounts are forcing creators’ hands. So with nowhere else to turn, sexy new software starts to look pretty good. You’re reading this damn newsletter on Substack. I love well-crafted software, and I admit to not always looking to see who the investors are before jumping in with a new tool. Take Descript for example. Wait, Descript? What’s wrong with Descript? For one, they are sitting on a fat . On top of that, Andrew Mason founded Groupon which was the around the world for a few years, so he knows from experience how not to turn a blind eye to customer pain and how to grow a company . A16Z investment their founder bane of many small businesses faster than can be done while retaining a healthy culture As of right now, Mason’s Descript is staying in its lane as a valuable creative tool and not a monetization platform. But broadly, they’re obviously part of the “creator stack.” And as part of A16Z’s portfolio, Descript certainly adds leverage to the overall “platforming” of media that A16Z is trying to accomplish. By “platforming” I mean moving all media creation to independent creators, and removing all the “expensive baggage” that oversight, editorial vision, and institutions create. In place of that baggage is slick software with modest platform fees. In the case of Substack, it’s a mere 10% of your total revenue as an independent writer. Of course the platform owner (A16Z) makes vastly more money than platform participants by miles, but let’s focus on the opportunities for creators, right? You get to keep 90% of your success and 100% of your failure! That’s platforming. It shouldn’t be surprising that venture capitalists platforming because it’s a page right out of their own playbook. The way venture capital is that it expects a huge percentage of the companies it invests in to fail but a tiny handful to succeed so big that the failures are washed away by the riches of the one or two successes. And VCs understand that despite the nearly certain failure, entrepreneurs abound. love works We already have a full generation of America’s best and brightest (including me!) that jumped at the opportunity to be tech entrepreneurs despite the high likelihood of failure for a fraction of the salary and benefits earned by our big company working counterparts from earlier generations. Now it’s creators’ turn. If only 1% of Substack’s writers end up being successful, that’s fine for the platform owners as long as they are wildly successful. Everyone else has a gig waiting for them driving groceries for Instacart (another A16Z company). The other nice thing about platforming from A16Z’s perspective is that churn is money. Did you fail at being a Substack writer? That’s ok, they still got 10% of whatever you made while you gave it your best. (Quick side note about how I’ve kept the focus on A16Z as the owners and not the founders in the “creator stack.” A16Z would prefer we keep the focus on the entrepreneurs. They want to remain in the background with significant ownership, influence, and upside but out of the line of sight of accountability.) What can we do about A16Z’s corralling of all the sexy new media companies? I honestly don’t know if there’s much we can do. With Substack, we can certainly point out, loudly, that removing editorial oversight, economies of scale, and built-in audiences isn’t going to make a bunch of well-paid writers any more than removing regulatory oversight and wage-based employment made a bunch of well-paid Lyft (an A16Z company) drivers. With Clubhouse we can point out, loudly, that it’s not going to stay free forever, so then when they do “monetize”, what will the product be? (Hint: it’s listener data and creators’ content.) And finally with Descript, we can approach with caution. I’m not going to tell you they haven’t made some really good software. Their tools and tutorials are head-turning. But let’s wait and see what other companies pop up that are ready to compete with them that have a better source of capital. Also, whenever we recommend them, maybe we can mention their investors (A16Z) and wrinkle our noses like there’s a fart in the air. If you’re as motivated as me, you can look at your own toolset. I’m going to look into moving this newsletter over to because they have the same business model as Timber: make great software, sell that software for money with a . make great software with investor money and then collect rents off of users’ content. Platforms may say they’re charging for distribution and monetization, but those aren’t hard problems on the internet. Certainly not worth a percentage of your top line revenue. Ghost classic SaaS business model NOT But those signing bonuses! I think we could be on our way to a classic “how it started/how it’s going” meme in new media. The future of media with Andreessen Horowitz at the helm I’d love to be wrong and for people to resist the pull of the “creator stack.” I’d love it if we pushed up our collective nerd glasses and said, “Oh hell yeah, when it comes to technology, open protocols create more opportunity than closed systems even if they might be less efficient!” I’d love for us all to knowingly say, “Totally, and podcasting became great because of RSS, and the web became great because of HTTP!” In the meantime, even if new media goes deeper into the pit of platforming and thousands of hopeful people don’t emerge famous and well-paid, it’s a big world. Enough people will , understand how value works, and make good choices about what software they use and where they put their content. We will make a little self-sustaining group and make livings telling stories without lining Marc and Ben’s pockets. get it —Jon Christensen Previously published at Timber.fm

Andreessen Horowitz is Betting on the Passion Economy

Joseph Woodbury of Neighbor.com shares three pieces of advice on how to raise capital — from integrating yourself into the local ecosystem to being able to change your plans on a moment’s notice. Joseph Woodbury isn’t afraid of risks. It’s quite the contrary, in fact. Taking well-thought-out chances is exactly how he and his two co-founders — Preston Alder and Colton Gardner — launched and raised money for their startup, , an online marketplace people can use to store their items. Neighbor Before college graduation, all three had secured full-time jobs. But, plot twist: They ended up turning down their offers, choosing to dive full force into making Neighbor into something big. The idea for Neighbor came from Preston, who became frustrated when his only storage option was 30 minutes away, in a sketchy industrial park, and way out of his budget. Instead, he chose to keep his stuff in a friend’s garage. This option gave him peace of mind and saved him a ton of money, and he wondered why others weren’t doing it. Since Neighbor entered the world in 2017, they’ve raised several thousand dollars from business competitions, . $2.7 million in a seed round, and $10 million in a Series A And they certainly didn’t get to that point without more risk-taking. What if their competition pitch turned off possible investors? What if focusing on product over marketing yielded little to no user acquisition? But each decision they made was very strategic. They didn’t let uncertainty hold them back. In , Joseph shares how each of their risks paid off and helped them raise almost $13 million. an episode of How I Raised It 1. Start small and stay local At the beginning, Joseph and his co-founders entered Neighbor into a bunch of business competitions in their area. They lost some but won others, bringing in $10,000 here and there. All in all, they compiled around $35,000. This experience galvanized them. But, of course, money goes quickly, especially when you’re trying to scale a business. “You can only do door knocking and growth hacking tactics for so long,” Joseph says. These competitions ended up being the catalyst for Neighbor’s seed round. Because, as it turns out, a lot of local VC investors were in attendance. Several reached out to Neighbor afterward — they were impressed by both the idea and the team’s execution of it. Eventually, these conversations led to Neighbor securing $2.7 million for their seed round, which was led by Utah’s largest VC firm, , and biggest seed fund, . Pelion Ventures Album VC “It was great to bring on two different partners that could guide us,” Joseph says. “We were all very young founders, and they were very, very helpful in the early days.” Leverage local business competitions. They’ll provide you with great pitching experience, and you could gain invaluable exposure to investors. 2. Prove your product, then invest in marketing Neighbor spent their seed funding carefully, choosing to build a robust engineering organization rather than pay for various marketing campaigns. For the first several years of the business, they had a one-person marketing team and relied on organic growth. “We focused on the product and we iterated, iterated, iterated,” Joseph says. “We listened to customer feedback and made sure we’d solved all these nuanced problems and created a best-in-class product.” Putting all your money into marketing doesn’t make sense if your product sucks. When Neighbor started getting net promoter scores over 70, the co-founders knew they had a very solid product. So, they built the foundation for strong marketing and growth teams and started expanding into different markets through both organic and paid channels. Once they had a good playbook for establishing themselves in a new market, they decided it was time to pursue a Series A to help skyrocket their growth. Figure out how to use your capital efficiently before you start asking for more. At the end of the day, investors want to feel confident you’ll use their money wisely. 3. Identify your quintessential investors — and be willing to bend over backward to get them on board While raising their Series A, Joseph flew out to the Bay Area two to three times a week for investor meetings. He received multiple rejections but also some yeses, which were “always key to get the momentum moving,” he says. Then, mammoth firm got involved after one of Neighbor’s seed round partners spearheaded an introduction. Joseph flew to their offices and met with two investors, one being , who used to run eBay, PayPal, and OpenTable and had invested early in marketplaces like Airbnb and Instacart. Essentially, Jeff was Neighbor’s pie-in-the-sky partner. Andreessen Horowitz Jeff Jordan “He’s arguably the best marketplace investor in the world,” Joseph says. And that’s exactly what they were looking for — someone who had scaled marketplaces several times before. This is a great reminder to resist taking money from just anyone. Clearly define your ideal partner profile and go after that. As Joseph was boarding his flight back to Utah, his phone pinged. It was a message from Andreessen. They wanted to move forward, but they couldn’t unless three of their partners agreed. Remember: Joseph’s meeting was only with two. Andreessen also wanted to move fast because Neighbor already had a term sheet from another firm. When you’re raising funds, you need to be able to make decisions quickly, especially if your dream investors are on the line. So, Joseph left the airport and went back to the office to meet with Marc Andreessen, Jeff Jordan, and Andrew Chen. A few agonizing hours later, they told Joseph the good news: Neighbor had gotten the three yeses they needed. Neighbor closed their Series A at $10 million, which was the top end of their goal. WATCH a variation of this story with Jeff Jordan and Joseph Woodbury at Silicon Slopes: Nathan Beckord is the CEO of Foundersuite.com which makes software for raising capital. Foundersuite has helped entrepreneurs raise over $2 billion in seed and venture capital since 2016. This article is based on an episode of Foundersuite’s How I Raised It podcast , a behind-the-scenes look at how startup founders raise money.

That Moment When You're Boarding a Flight Home, and Andreessen Horowitz Calls...

The Economics of Public Cloud Repatriation and Why You Can't Stay in the Cloud at Scale

İctimai Bulud Repatriasiyasının İqtisadiyyatı və Niyə Ölçəkdə Xərcli Qadağandır

পাবলিক ক্লাউড প্রত্যাবর্তনের অর্থনীতি এবং কেন এটি স্কেলে ব্যয়-নিষিদ্ধ

Ekonomija repatrijacije javnog oblaka i zašto je skupo na nivou

La economía de la repatriación a la nube pública y por qué resulta prohibitivamente costosa a gran escala

パブリック クラウドの回帰の経済性と、大規模になるとコストがかかりすぎる理由

د عامه کلاوډ بیرته ستنیدو اقتصاد او ولې دا په پیمانه لګښت منع دی

Iyo Economics yePublic Cloud Repatriation uye Nei Iri Mutengo-unorambidza paChikero

பொது கிளவுட் திருப்பி அனுப்புதலின் பொருளாதாரம் மற்றும் அது ஏன் அளவில் செலவு-தடை

Kamu Bulutu Geri Yüklemenin Ekonomisi ve Ölçekte Maliyet Açısından Neden Engelleyici Olduğu

Ommaviy bulutli repatriatsiya iqtisodiyoti va nega u miqyosda qimmatga tushadi

Kinh tế học của việc hồi hương đám mây công cộng và lý do tại sao nó lại quá tốn kém ở quy mô lớn

I-Economics of Public Cloud Repatriation kanye nokuthi kungani ibiza kakhulu ngokwesikali

Beacon, a leading web3 accelerator founded by Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal, has unveiled its fourth and largest cohort to date. The program has selected 17 promising startups for its latest three-month accelerator, marking a significant expansion from previous cohorts. The new group includes some of the most high-profile companies in Beacon's history, with several already backed by prominent venture capital firms such as Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Founders Fund, Pantera Capital, and Polychain Capital. The startups span various sectors within the web3 space, including decentralized finance (DeFi), infrastructure, and artificial intelligence (AI). “We're thrilled to welcome our largest and most diverse cohort so far,” said Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder of Polygon and Beacon. “The caliber of companies joining us is truly exceptional, and we're excited to see how, with the aid of our mentorship and resources, they will shape the future of web3 and beyond.” Notable Participants and Their Innovations Among the standout companies in the cohort are: Stakestone: An omni-chain liquid staking token protocol enhancing staking yields and liquidity on Layer 2s.


EXO: Enables users to run their own AI clusters at home using everyday devices.


Nubit: A scalable, cost-efficient data availability layer secured by Bitcoin, empowering applications like Ordinals and Layer 2s.


Aligned Layer: A decentralized network that verifies zero-knowledge proofs and posts the results to Ethereum.


eoracle: A programmable data layer that connects smart contracts with real-world data by extending Ethereum's Proof of Stake. Building on Past Successes The announcement comes after the graduation of Beacon's successful S23 cohort, which comprised 10 companies. Alumni such as scalable data availability layer 0G and verifiable oracle protocol ORA have achieved unicorn status since completing the program. ORA secured $20 million in funding led by Polychain Capital, while Inco, a universal confidentiality layer, closed a $4.5 million seed round led by 1kx. “With the level of talent and innovation we're witnessing in this new group, we are entirely confident that they can emulate, if not surpass, their predecessors,” Nailwal added. The Full Cohort Lineup The complete list of companies in Beacon's S24 cohort includes: Avantis: Provides infrastructure for traders to access up to 100x leverage on major cryptocurrencies, forex, and commodities.


Compute Labs: Utilizes a Compute Tokenization Protocol to financialize AI and create compute derivatives.


Crynux: Founded by former Google engineers, building a permissionless and trustless protocol for decentralized AI.


EZKL: Offers a developer-friendly system for verifiable AI and analytics, powering various decentralized systems.


Lorenzo: A Bitcoin liquidity finance layer designed to meet global demand for Bitcoin liquidity across Layer 2s and DeFi platforms.


Nodekit: Developing Javelin, a solution aimed at restoring composability to rollups.


Othentic: Provides infrastructure for building distributed services, simplifying development on EigenLayer.


PADO: A decentralized zkAttestation and computation network aiming to unlock internet data for Web3.


Pallet: A hub for digital culture, community, and ownership built on the Sei network.


Pin AI: An open platform for personal AI, leveraging open-source technology and crypto for data ownership and privacy.


TAC: TON App Chain, an interoperability layer for the TON blockchain and EVM-based applications.


Warlock: Creating new primitives to disrupt and disintermediate the MEV (Miner Extractable Value) landscape. Beacon's decision to expand its cohort size may be a strategic move to capitalize on the growing momentum in the web3 sector. By supporting a larger and more diverse group of startups, the accelerator is positioning itself as a key player in shaping the future of decentralized technologies. The inclusion of companies backed by major venture capital firms also adds credibility to the program and could attract more high-quality applicants in the future. This move could foster a more collaborative environment where startups benefit not only from Beacon's resources but also from each other's experiences and networks. Don’t forget to like and share the story! Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR Beacon , a leading web3 accelerator founded by Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal, has unveiled its fourth and largest cohort to date. The program has selected 17 promising startups for its latest three-month accelerator, marking a significant expansion from previous cohorts. Beacon The new group includes some of the most high-profile companies in Beacon's history, with several already backed by prominent venture capital firms such as Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Founders Fund, Pantera Capital, and Polychain Capital. The startups span various sectors within the web3 space, including decentralized finance (DeFi), infrastructure, and artificial intelligence (AI). “We're thrilled to welcome our largest and most diverse cohort so far,” said Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder of Polygon and Beacon. “The caliber of companies joining us is truly exceptional, and we're excited to see how, with the aid of our mentorship and resources, they will shape the future of web3 and beyond.” Notable Participants and Their Innovations Notable Participants and Their Innovations Among the standout companies in the cohort are: Stakestone: An omni-chain liquid staking token protocol enhancing staking yields and liquidity on Layer 2s. EXO: Enables users to run their own AI clusters at home using everyday devices. Nubit: A scalable, cost-efficient data availability layer secured by Bitcoin, empowering applications like Ordinals and Layer 2s. Aligned Layer: A decentralized network that verifies zero-knowledge proofs and posts the results to Ethereum. eoracle: A programmable data layer that connects smart contracts with real-world data by extending Ethereum's Proof of Stake. Stakestone: An omni-chain liquid staking token protocol enhancing staking yields and liquidity on Layer 2s. Stakestone : An omni-chain liquid staking token protocol enhancing staking yields and liquidity on Layer 2s. Stakestone EXO: Enables users to run their own AI clusters at home using everyday devices. EXO : Enables users to run their own AI clusters at home using everyday devices. EXO Nubit: A scalable, cost-efficient data availability layer secured by Bitcoin, empowering applications like Ordinals and Layer 2s. Nubit : A scalable, cost-efficient data availability layer secured by Bitcoin, empowering applications like Ordinals and Layer 2s. Nubit Aligned Layer: A decentralized network that verifies zero-knowledge proofs and posts the results to Ethereum. Aligned Layer : A decentralized network that verifies zero-knowledge proofs and posts the results to Ethereum. Aligned Layer eoracle: A programmable data layer that connects smart contracts with real-world data by extending Ethereum's Proof of Stake. eoracle : A programmable data layer that connects smart contracts with real-world data by extending Ethereum's Proof of Stake. eoracle Building on Past Successes Building on Past Successes The announcement comes after the graduation of Beacon's successful S23 cohort, which comprised 10 companies. Alumni such as scalable data availability layer 0G and verifiable oracle protocol ORA have achieved unicorn status since completing the program. ORA secured $20 million in funding led by Polychain Capital, while Inco, a universal confidentiality layer, closed a $4.5 million seed round led by 1kx. “With the level of talent and innovation we're witnessing in this new group, we are entirely confident that they can emulate, if not surpass, their predecessors,” Nailwal added. The Full Cohort Lineup The Full Cohort Lineup The complete list of companies in Beacon's S24 cohort includes: Avantis: Provides infrastructure for traders to access up to 100x leverage on major cryptocurrencies, forex, and commodities. Compute Labs: Utilizes a Compute Tokenization Protocol to financialize AI and create compute derivatives. Crynux: Founded by former Google engineers, building a permissionless and trustless protocol for decentralized AI. EZKL: Offers a developer-friendly system for verifiable AI and analytics, powering various decentralized systems. Lorenzo: A Bitcoin liquidity finance layer designed to meet global demand for Bitcoin liquidity across Layer 2s and DeFi platforms. Nodekit: Developing Javelin, a solution aimed at restoring composability to rollups. Othentic: Provides infrastructure for building distributed services, simplifying development on EigenLayer. PADO: A decentralized zkAttestation and computation network aiming to unlock internet data for Web3. Pallet: A hub for digital culture, community, and ownership built on the Sei network. Pin AI: An open platform for personal AI, leveraging open-source technology and crypto for data ownership and privacy. TAC: TON App Chain, an interoperability layer for the TON blockchain and EVM-based applications. Warlock: Creating new primitives to disrupt and disintermediate the MEV (Miner Extractable Value) landscape. Avantis: Provides infrastructure for traders to access up to 100x leverage on major cryptocurrencies, forex, and commodities. Avantis : Provides infrastructure for traders to access up to 100x leverage on major cryptocurrencies, forex, and commodities. Avantis Compute Labs: Utilizes a Compute Tokenization Protocol to financialize AI and create compute derivatives. Compute Labs : Utilizes a Compute Tokenization Protocol to financialize AI and create compute derivatives. Compute Labs Crynux: Founded by former Google engineers, building a permissionless and trustless protocol for decentralized AI. Crynux : Founded by former Google engineers, building a permissionless and trustless protocol for decentralized AI. Crynux EZKL: Offers a developer-friendly system for verifiable AI and analytics, powering various decentralized systems. EZKL : Offers a developer-friendly system for verifiable AI and analytics, powering various decentralized systems. EZKL Lorenzo: A Bitcoin liquidity finance layer designed to meet global demand for Bitcoin liquidity across Layer 2s and DeFi platforms. Lorenzo : A Bitcoin liquidity finance layer designed to meet global demand for Bitcoin liquidity across Layer 2s and DeFi platforms. Lorenzo Nodekit: Developing Javelin, a solution aimed at restoring composability to rollups. Nodekit : Developing Javelin, a solution aimed at restoring composability to rollups. Nodekit Othentic: Provides infrastructure for building distributed services, simplifying development on EigenLayer. Othentic : Provides infrastructure for building distributed services, simplifying development on EigenLayer. Othentic PADO: A decentralized zkAttestation and computation network aiming to unlock internet data for Web3. PADO : A decentralized zkAttestation and computation network aiming to unlock internet data for Web3. PADO Pallet: A hub for digital culture, community, and ownership built on the Sei network. Pallet : A hub for digital culture, community, and ownership built on the Sei network. Pallet Pin AI: An open platform for personal AI, leveraging open-source technology and crypto for data ownership and privacy. Pin AI : An open platform for personal AI, leveraging open-source technology and crypto for data ownership and privacy. Pin AI TAC: TON App Chain, an interoperability layer for the TON blockchain and EVM-based applications. TAC : TON App Chain, an interoperability layer for the TON blockchain and EVM-based applications. TAC Warlock: Creating new primitives to disrupt and disintermediate the MEV (Miner Extractable Value) landscape. Warlock : Creating new primitives to disrupt and disintermediate the MEV (Miner Extractable Value) landscape. Warlock Beacon's decision to expand its cohort size may be a strategic move to capitalize on the growing momentum in the web3 sector. By supporting a larger and more diverse group of startups, the accelerator is positioning itself as a key player in shaping the future of decentralized technologies. The inclusion of companies backed by major venture capital firms also adds credibility to the program and could attract more high-quality applicants in the future. This move could foster a more collaborative environment where startups benefit not only from Beacon's resources but also from each other's experiences and networks. Don’t forget to like and share the story! Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program . HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR Vested Interest Disclosure: business blogging program business blogging program

Beacon's Largest Cohort Signals Growing Momentum in Web3 Innovation

Η μεγαλύτερη κοόρτη της Beacon σηματοδοτεί αυξανόμενη ορμή στην καινοτομία Web3

La cohorte más grande de Beacon indica un impulso creciente en la innovación de la Web3

Kelompok Terbesar Beacon Menandakan Meningkatnya Momentum Inovasi Web3

ビーコンの最大規模のコホートがWeb3イノベーションの勢いの高まりを示唆

សញ្ញានៃក្រុមដ៏ធំបំផុតរបស់ Beacon ដែលកំពុងកើនឡើងនៅក្នុងការច្នៃប្រឌិត Web3

बीकनको सबैभन्दा ठूलो कोहोर्ट संकेतहरू Web3 नवाचारमा बढ्दो गति

Cea mai mare cohortă a lui Beacon semnalează creșterea impulsului în inovarea Web3

Крупнейшая когорта Beacon сигнализирует о растущем импульсе инноваций Web3

Беацон-ова највећа кохорта сигнали растући замах у Веб3 иновацијама

Web3 இன்னோவேஷனில் பெக்கனின் மிகப்பெரிய கோஹார்ட் சிக்னல்கள் வளரும் வேகம்

“Beacon” -yň “Web3” innowasiýasynda ösýän pursatdygyny görkezýär

Mayoqning eng katta kohort signallari Web3 innovatsiyasida o'sib borayotgan momentum

As the founder of ScaleVoice, I'm leveraging my background in AI and automotive e-commerce to revolutionize sales operations. Our company provides autonomous AI voice sales agents that act as "superhero sidekicks" for automotive sales teams, handling outbound calls, SMS, and chat conversations with human-like proficiency. With a track record of facilitating more than $7 million in monthly car purchases for our clients and processing over one million calls per month, ScaleVoice is at the forefront of AI-powered sales solutions, delivering tangible results and redefining customer engagement in the automotive industry. 1. What is your company in 2–5 words? Ondrej Kuchta: Autonomous AI voice sales agent 2. Why is now the time for your company to exist? OK: VC firm Andreessen Horowitz recently stated, "We believe AI will fundamentally reimagine core systems and sales workflows, leaving no incumbent safe." This paradigm shift presents opportunities for companies like ScaleVoice that specialize in complex, long-term customer journeys. ScaleVoice combines cutting-edge AI expertise with deep automotive sales knowledge. Unlike traditional chatbots that follow strict scripts, our AI agents make decisions based on the conversation context. We focus on delivering tangible results rather than just selling software. Our approach manages end-to-end workflows, from initial customer contact through appointment scheduling and follow-ups. This comprehensive solution sets us apart in the market, where many competitors offer more limited functionality. 3. What do you love about your team, and why are you the ones to solve this problem? OK: I believe we are at the forefront of combining cutting-edge AI expertise with deep industry knowledge. We're not just tech experts - we're domain specialists who understand the unique challenges facing businesses in the automotive space. Our team's blend of skills and experience is what makes us uniquely qualified. We've got seasoned AI researchers and engineers working alongside former automotive executives and sales professionals. This cross-pollination allows us to develop solutions that are technologically sophisticated and grounded in real-world practicality. Equally important, we're passionate problem-solvers driven by results. This outcome-focused mindset permeates everything we do. 4. If you weren’t building your startup, what would you be doing? OK: I'd likely explore other AI applications in business or work on another transformative tech startup. My background spans roles from kernel development to founding my own startups in fitness, retail and home security.Prior to ScaleVoice, I served as the CTO at Driverama, a Germany-based e-commerce platform using data to facilitate used car transactions in Western Europe. Under my leadership, we experienced remarkable growth, expanding from four employees to 250 and increasing revenue from zero to $40 million in less than two years. My success in helping auto dealerships acquire vehicles at Driverama revealed even more opportunities to leverage cutting-edge AI technologies that previously weren't sufficiently advanced or didn't exist. These experiences, combined with the emergence of powerful new AI tools, made the timing perfect for launching ScaleVoice. So while I'm always open to new opportunities, I'm currently laser-focused on ScaleVoice's mission to redefine the future of sales through AI-powered operations. The potential is limitless, and I can't imagine doing anything else. 5. At the moment, how do you measure success? What are your metrics? OK: We have a unique success-based pricing model, which means we only make money when our clients make a sale. Our key metrics include sales volume for our customers, agent success rate, lead response time, and overall call volume which currently exceeds one million per month. At the end of the day, we're not selling software - we're delivering work. 6. In a few sentences, what do you offer to whom? OK: ScaleVoice acts as a "superhero sidekick" for sales teams in automotive and related sectors. Our autonomous AI agents handle outbound calls, SMS, and chat conversations as well as humans. They contact potential car sellers within seconds of their expressed interest, which helps convert more leads into qualified appointments. Most customers don't even realize they're interacting with an AI agent, which means more efficient, consistent conversations and happier customers overall. 7. What’s most exciting about your traction to date? The most exciting aspect of our traction is the consistent, measurable performance of our AI agents in real-world applications. Our work with Aures, the largest Central European dealer of pre-owned cars, has been a particularly significant milestone for us. We're currently facilitating more than $7 million in monthly car purchases for Aures. This impressive figure demonstrates the scalability and effectiveness of our product, even in uncertain market conditions. These kinds of results truly showcase the impact of our technology. Our AI agents aren't just talking the talk - they're delivering tangible business results for our clients. It's exciting to see our solution making such a substantial difference in the automotive sales landscape. 8. Where do you think your growth will be next year? Next year, we expect significant growth as we expand into the US market this fall, targeting states with high concentrations of car dealerships like California, New York, and Texas. We're confident that our proven track record in Europe will translate well to the American market, where businesses are equally hungry for innovative solutions to streamline their customer operations.We also plan to expand into related verticals like car insurance, financing and even the energy sector. These are ambitious moves, but we’ll never shy away from going after challenging verticals as the demand for our technology continues to grow. 9. Tell us about your first paying customer and revenue expectations over the next year. While I can't disclose specific client details, our success with Aures is indicative of our revenue potential. 10. What’s your biggest threat? One of our biggest threats is the rapid pace of AI development and potential competition. We’re staying ahead by continuously enhancing our AI-driven solution to provide even greater value to dealerships and sales teams. We're also developing deeper integrations with management systems and CRMs, enabling more tailored interactions and ability to handle even more complex workflows. For example, our system will soon be able to recognize when a customer's vehicle needs a tire change and facilitate that service on the spot. Beyond single calls, we're developing our AI's ability to manage and convert customers across a series of interactions, creating a cohesive and long-term engagement strategy. Ultimately, our deep industry understanding and laser-focus on tangible outcomes are our biggest advantages. While competitors may try to catch up, we're committed to staying steps ahead through continuous innovation and an unwavering commitment to results. This startup founder interview template is based on HackerNoon Founder & CEO David Smooke’s ten questions for startup founders. Would you like to take a stab at answering some of these questions? The link for the template is HERE. As the founder of ScaleVoice, I'm leveraging my background in AI and automotive e-commerce to revolutionize sales operations. Our company provides autonomous AI voice sales agents that act as "superhero sidekicks" for automotive sales teams, handling outbound calls, SMS, and chat conversations with human-like proficiency. With a track record of facilitating more than $7 million in monthly car purchases for our clients and processing over one million calls per month, ScaleVoice is at the forefront of AI-powered sales solutions, delivering tangible results and redefining customer engagement in the automotive industry. 1. What is your company in 2–5 words? Ondrej Kuchta: Autonomous AI voice sales agent 2. Why is now the time for your company to exist? OK: VC firm Andreessen Horowitz recently stated , "We believe AI will fundamentally reimagine core systems and sales workflows, leaving no incumbent safe." This paradigm shift presents opportunities for companies like ScaleVoice that specialize in complex, long-term customer journeys. Andreessen Horowitz recently stated Andreessen Horowitz recently stated ScaleVoice ScaleVoice ScaleVoice combines cutting-edge AI expertise with deep automotive sales knowledge. Unlike traditional chatbots that follow strict scripts, our AI agents make decisions based on the conversation context. We focus on delivering tangible results rather than just selling software. Our approach manages end-to-end workflows, from initial customer contact through appointment scheduling and follow-ups. This comprehensive solution sets us apart in the market, where many competitors offer more limited functionality. 3. What do you love about your team, and why are you the ones to solve this problem? OK: I believe we are at the forefront of combining cutting-edge AI expertise with deep industry knowledge. We're not just tech experts - we're domain specialists who understand the unique challenges facing businesses in the automotive space. Our team's blend of skills and experience is what makes us uniquely qualified. We've got seasoned AI researchers and engineers working alongside former automotive executives and sales professionals. This cross-pollination allows us to develop solutions that are technologically sophisticated and grounded in real-world practicality. Equally important, we're passionate problem-solvers driven by results. This outcome-focused mindset permeates everything we do. 4. If you weren’t building your startup, what would you be doing? OK: I'd likely explore other AI applications in business or work on another transformative tech startup. My background spans roles from kernel development to founding my own startups in fitness, retail and home security. Prior to ScaleVoice, I served as the CTO at Driverama, a Germany-based e-commerce platform using data to facilitate used car transactions in Western Europe. Under my leadership, we experienced remarkable growth, expanding from four employees to 250 and increasing revenue from zero to $40 million in less than two years. My success in helping auto dealerships acquire vehicles at Driverama revealed even more opportunities to leverage cutting-edge AI technologies that previously weren't sufficiently advanced or didn't exist. These experiences, combined with the emergence of powerful new AI tools, made the timing perfect for launching ScaleVoice. So while I'm always open to new opportunities, I'm currently laser-focused on ScaleVoice's mission to redefine the future of sales through AI-powered operations. The potential is limitless, and I can't imagine doing anything else. 5. At the moment, how do you measure success? What are your metrics? OK: We have a unique success-based pricing model, which means we only make money when our clients make a sale. Our key metrics include sales volume for our customers, agent success rate, lead response time, and overall call volume which currently exceeds one million per month. At the end of the day, we're not selling software - we're delivering work. 6. In a few sentences, what do you offer to whom? OK: ScaleVoice acts as a "superhero sidekick" for sales teams in automotive and related sectors. Our autonomous AI agents handle outbound calls, SMS, and chat conversations as well as humans. They contact potential car sellers within seconds of their expressed interest, which helps convert more leads into qualified appointments. Most customers don't even realize they're interacting with an AI agent, which means more efficient, consistent conversations and happier customers overall. 7. What’s most exciting about your traction to date? The most exciting aspect of our traction is the consistent, measurable performance of our AI agents in real-world applications. Our work with Aures , the largest Central European dealer of pre-owned cars, has been a particularly significant milestone for us. Our work with Aures Our work with Aures We're currently facilitating more than $7 million in monthly car purchases for Aures. This impressive figure demonstrates the scalability and effectiveness of our product, even in uncertain market conditions. These kinds of results truly showcase the impact of our technology. Our AI agents aren't just talking the talk - they're delivering tangible business results for our clients. It's exciting to see our solution making such a substantial difference in the automotive sales landscape. 8. Where do you think your growth will be next year? Next year, we expect significant growth as we expand into the US market this fall, targeting states with high concentrations of car dealerships like California, New York, and Texas. We're confident that our proven track record in Europe will translate well to the American market, where businesses are equally hungry for innovative solutions to streamline their customer operations.We also plan to expand into related verticals like car insurance, financing and even the energy sector. These are ambitious moves, but we’ll never shy away from going after challenging verticals as the demand for our technology continues to grow. 9. Tell us about your first paying customer and revenue expectations over the next year. While I can't disclose specific client details, our success with Aures is indicative of our revenue potential. 10. What’s your biggest threat? One of our biggest threats is the rapid pace of AI development and potential competition. We’re staying ahead by continuously enhancing our AI-driven solution to provide even greater value to dealerships and sales teams. We're also developing deeper integrations with management systems and CRMs, enabling more tailored interactions and ability to handle even more complex workflows. For example, our system will soon be able to recognize when a customer's vehicle needs a tire change and facilitate that service on the spot. Beyond single calls, we're developing our AI's ability to manage and convert customers across a series of interactions, creating a cohesive and long-term engagement strategy. Ultimately, our deep industry understanding and laser-focus on tangible outcomes are our biggest advantages. While competitors may try to catch up, we're committed to staying steps ahead through continuous innovation and an unwavering commitment to results. This startup founder interview template is based on HackerNoon Founder & CEO David Smooke’s ten questions for startup founders. This startup founder interview template is based on HackerNoon Founder & CEO David Smooke ’s ten questions for startup founders . HackerNoon Founder & CEO David Smooke ten questions for startup founders Would you like to take a stab at answering some of these questions? The link for the template is HERE. Would you like to take a stab at answering some of these questions? The link for the template is HERE. The link for the template is HERE.

10 Questions for Every Startup Founder with ScaleVoice Co-founder & CEO, Ondrej Kuchta

Holodeck Heroes: Building AI Companions for the Final Frontier

Using the Ethereum blockchain has become really expensive recently, with fees for sending Ethereum from one wallet to another reaching up to $2 and fees for swapping tokens within the network surging to over $50 when the network is congested. The problems of surging gas fees and scalability were solved in two ways: By developing Layer-2 solutions for the Ethereum network By launching projects that would offer the same functionality but without the most hurting problems. Now, there are over , and over 35 such solutions are in development. The Dencun upgrade allowed for a reduction in the Ethereum fees and resolved the issue of network congestion by allowing L2 solutions to keep some transactions off-chain and bundle transactions before sending them to the Ethereum mainnet. And only the most important transactions would be processed on the Ethereum blockchain. Ephemeral data blobs are also introduced, which are the storage units where intermediate results during transaction processing are stored. 45 L solutions for the Ethereum blockchain With these solutions, the problems of scalability and high fees will be resolved. Let’s see whether it really worked. Soon after the upgrade, the fees on the layer-2 solutions dropped drastically. Here, you can have a look at the changes in fees for the main L2 networks. The first part, the one with fees, has worked out. It is still not completely clear whether the second part has developed as expected, but we will learn about it soon. So, with it, it is expected that these developments will allow Layer2 solutions and the main network to benefit in the long term. However, some experts warn that the introduction of blobs may have impacted the fees positively for a short time. In the long term, when Layer2 networks start competing for blobs, fees may rise again. Only the time will show how correct these forecasts are. But what about the so-called Ethereum killers? How will this upgrade impact them? Ethereum Killers: How Do They Work and How the Dencun Upgrade Will Impact Them Ethereum killers - this is the name for projects that compete with Ethereum. While offering the same or similar functionality as Ethereum, all those projects use different technologies that allow them to overcome Ethereum’s shortcomings. Let’s start with some history. Earlier, Ethereum killers bragged about using a more environmentally friendly proof-of-stake consensus mechanism and its variations. But after on September 15, 2022, the Ethereum network moved to the proof-of-stake consensus mechanism, which reduced energy consumption by more than 99%. the Merge upgrade Many people expected that this would end with at least some of the “Ethereum killers” - at least with those who couldn’t offer anything but their environmentally-friendly approach. However, reducing energy consumption didn’t solve the issues of scalability and high gas fees. On the contrary, gas fees surged. Thus, eventually, none of the so-called Ethereum killers was impacted seriously. Now, let’s return to the recent upgrade. The Dencun upgrade solved two main problems that the Ethereum network used to face: high gas fees and scalability issues. This means that those Ethereum killers who relied only on faster transaction processing speed and low gas fees could indeed be impacted heavily. I doubt that projects running on such Ethereum killer blockchains will switch to the Ethereum network, but in the future, developers will prefer an established network, which Ethereum is, rather than networks that used to be competitors but lost their competitive advantage. However, some networks offer something completely different along with Ethereum’s set. Here they are, and this is why they will survive. Polkadot Polkadot is focused on something that is very important for Web3 - interoperability. It allows for the connecting of several blockchains and interchanging data between them without compromising security. Interoperability is essential for the future of Web3, and thus, the demand for Polkadot will be growing. Solana It is cheap, fast, and backed by some major financial players such as JPMorgan and a venture capital firm, Andreessen Horowitz. The first two benefits of the Dencun upgrade have been added, and the last ones are raising concerns about the network’s centralization. Even though thanks to the financial support and already high adoption level, Solana may stay around for a while, I believe its importance will decline over time. Cardano It is a nice project with a lot of developer activity. However, its competitive benefits, such as eco-friendliness, low fees, and fast transactions, are not there anymore. Although many people love it, and thus it may survive just because many developers pick it based on personal preferences. Bottom Line The Dencun upgrade is an important milestone not only for the Ethereum network but also for the entire world of crypto and blockchain. Its impact is still to be assessed, but for sure, many changes are coming.

Ethereum Killers, Layer2 Solutions, and Ethereum Dencun Upgrade: Who Will Benefit?

The World Wide Web, thank you Sir Tim, was conceived as a technology designed to be “ ” It has devolved from that into a (cyber)space of moated castles, Disneylandish . a powerful source for social change and individual creativity. cathedrals, not bazaars While very entertaining and very useful in many ways the hegemonic Web platforms present as artificial rather than organic, hierarchical rather than egalitarian. The Big Platforms are owned and managed by a handful of dominant, supervalued, companies. Prominent are Alphabet (Google’s parent) and Meta (Facebook’s parent). Low cost and high profit, they are great at informing and entertaining us. Meanwhile, however, in consequential ways they are beggaring those who provide the content and the users who consume that content. The top platforms are richly paid to channel advertising. To us. The Web has evolved into a massive, and massively profitable, advertising engine. As such, the Web now might be (and is becoming) seen as a form of de facto feudalism, digital imperialism, and digerati aristocracy. The attention of us billions of serfs is the product sold to advertisers. No coercion there. More like… seduction. Note, this critique does not imply a call for legislation or government regulation. Both tend to be blunt instruments that land much harder on startups than on the hegemons of the digital megaverse. It calls for transformation. Which will come, as always, , as Microsoft dethroned IBM, Google (partially) dethroned Microsoft, Facebook (partially) dethroned Google, Apple (partially) dethroned Facebook, and so forth. from more innovation How did we get here? Can we, and if so how can we, once again unleash the imprisoned lighting ( ) of the colonized Web to create a new golden age of innovation and equitable prosperity? h/t Emma Lazarus Enter the blockchain. First, though, who am I to judge? I am one of the few surviving Original Gangsters of the Supply Side/Reaganomics revolution. We, relentlessly mocked by the right (“voodoo economics”) and the left (“trickle-down economics”), got policies enacted that, over time , pushed the Dow from 814 (on that day in November 1979 that Reagan officially declared his candidacy for the presidency) to its current flirtation with 40,000. Our voodoo doubled real per capita GDP (from $30,000 to $60,000). It raised nominal American and world GDP by a factor of ten. Pretty good voodoo. That said, what’s the next act? The juice from the original equitable prosperity policy formula -- of stabilizing the dollar (slaying the inflation dragon for two generations and cutting the top marginal income tax rate from 70% to, initially, 28%) -- got wrung out around the time Bill Clinton left the building. I was and am enthusiastic about reducing counterproductively high marginal tax rates across-the-board. Yet much of what ensued in the name of supply-side during the 21st century is a cargo-cult version of supply-side’s successes of the ‘80s and ‘90s. The post-Reagan/Clinton grotesque caricature of authentic supply-side economics has left the economy limping for a generation. Cumulatively, over 20+ years, sub-par growth rates are crippling. They leave us with an economy, both national and personal, far lower than what consistent 3+% supply-side growth rates would have delivered over time. As , compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world.  A one or two percent differential compounded over 20 years makes a huge difference. Einstein probably never said Is there a new, plausible, way to re-ignite vibrant, widely shared, rising living standards? As Nobel Prize winner Paul Romer has pointed out, the secret sauce is innovation. Tech. Enter A16z’s , “a General Partner and has been at Andreessen Horowitz since 2012. He founded and leads a16z crypto, which invests in web3 technologies through four dedicated funds with more than $7 billion under management.” Chris Dixon Dixon has delivered a splendid new book . It lays out in clear, practical terms how the wild wild Web was lost. And how to set it right in such a way that everyone, including us serfs, can prosper. Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet As , prosperity is too important to be left to the economists. Enter Dixon. war is too important to be left to the generals How to restore sizzling, equitable, prosperity? The blockchain. The blockchain is a revolutionary form of software which, when more fully developed, portends to allow most of the value created by the community and by its cultural creatives to be enjoyed by the full community and its cultural creatives. Not (as now) exclusively, or at least primarily, by the corporate royalty and tech aristocracy. At long last, Dixon gives us a presentation of the blockchain and its properties imbued with an enthusiasm leavened with shrewd practical insight devoid of hype. Dixon is one of the Masters of the Digital Universe (as coder, entrepreneur, and investor). He knows whereof he writes and has written the first really great, comprehensive, book on the blockchain, . Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet Eureka! Dixon provides an overview in his introduction. He there provides us a World-Wide-Webb-telescopic-eye view of the three eras of the internet, of a new movement, of seeing the truth and determining the internet’s future. Part One, “Read Write”—treats the early internet, which was effectively read only, and Web2, allowing us surfers to write and post through websites, blogs, podcasts, social media and so forth. He explains why networks matter and lays out a trenchant taxonomy of the two dominant incumbent networks (protocol, like the internet and email, and corporate, such as Google and Facebook) and their properties. In Part Two, “Own,” Dixon then goes on to explain what blockchains are, what “tokens” are, and what the – radically great – properties of blockchain networks are… or could and can be. “Own” is a short word with huge implications. Ownership is what has been lost, and which can be restored via a (better) blockchain. In Part Three, “A New Era,” Dixon explains and explores the fundamentals of the business model, community-created software, and take rates (meaning the vigorish that the corporate network proprietors extract from their communities, a process he aptly calls “attract and extract”). He lays out how building networks with token incentives can dramatically change the way the world works for the better, making it more prosperous, cultured, and equitable. He presents vividly the attendant “tokenomics” … and how to restore popular, rather than corporate-autocratic, governance. In Part Four, “Here and Now”, he contrasts the culture of the computer (blockchain as compute platform) with the casino (cryptocurrency), concluding with “What’s Next” … showing how mobile computing, starting with the iPhone, changed everything. He then lays out “some promising applications.” Dixon concludes with a pragmatic vision of the reinvention of the internet… and what grounds his cause for optimism. Until Dixon, in many years of my searching, like Diogenes with his lantern, I had encountered not one single really good, comprehensive, book on the blockchain. (I may have missed one, admittedly, for instance, not yet having gotten to Alex Tapscott’s critically acclaimed .) Web3 There I rested, baffled. So much sizzle. So little steak. So, together with a brilliant acquaintance, I helped write one: . That said, it mainly was focused on the potential finance applications of the blockchain, not the Big Picture. Redefining the Future of the Economy: Governance Blocks and Economic Architecture I thereafter co-authored a second book on this subject, , a compilation of ten superior policies designed to let the sector thrive while protecting the public. Blockchain With American Character It took a long odyssey to arrive at Dixon. I wandered around for years asking people vastly smarter than me what the blockchain was good for and seeking examples of killer applications (“use cases” in the prevailing jargon). In response, I got oodles of hype. And almost no satisfying answers … with one exception, though a largely unpublished one. noteworthy Cometh now Chris Dixon. I am not the only one impressed. Sam Altman, the godfather of ChatGPT, blurbs Read Write Own: “Read this book to understand a compelling vision of where the Internet should go and how to get there.” Shark Tank’s Mark Cuban: “Chris Dixon succeeds at explaining how crypto technology is vital to our technological future and how we all can benefit much as we have from the internet.” And many more captains of industry, tech titans, and nouveau billionaires discovered Dixon’s writings before I did. My own modest credentials? I have been working within and with the Blockchain ecosystem for, well, eons. One of my LinkedIn verticals is aggregating some of the most interesting stories about NFTs. Ralph Benko’s Cryptozoic Eon Geology nerds will recognize the original to be the pre-Cambrian era … before the trilobites and dinosaurs... comprising 80% of Earth’s geo-history. Are we trembling at the verge of the blockchain’s equivalent of the ? Cryptozoic Eon Cambrian explosion Dixon thinks so. So do I. Call me yet my odyssey through the blockchain ecosystem has brought me into contact with creatures and cultures as exotically beautiful and, sometimes, as weird as those encountered by Odysseus during his long return to Ithaka. Nobody My own pilgrimage: Senior advisor to the fabulous Perianne Boring’s Chamber of Digital Commerce, one of the sector’s earliest and most distinguished cheerleaders. Long-time active member of the Federal Blockchain Working Group. Privileged to present more than once at the conferences of the , the preeminent association of officials and international career civil servants. Government Blockchain Association Serving, for two years, as the senior counselor to the American Blockchain PAC, with its advisory board chaired by who generously contributed the introduction to . The breakthrough nature of Stornetta and Haber’s discovery is decisively evidenced by the fact that three of Satoshi’s eight footnotes referenced his and Stuart Haber’s . blockchain-co-inventor Dr. W. Scott Stornetta Blockchain With American Character seminal paper The high privilege of working with one of Satoshi’s earliest Bitcoin core devs (and major contributor to the Android OS) in establishing a DC think tank devoted to smart energy policy, . Jeff Garzik Washington Power and Light Voted Contributor of the Year in 2022 at for my blockchain writings in six categories: politics, economics, science, art, philosophy, and (with Greg Meredith) scaling. HackerNoon My blockchain-related efforts have migrated primarily to the , rather than policy, side. enterprise My primary focus is on the use of rho calculus (a refinement of Robin Milner’s Turing Award-winning pi-calculus) to deploy a blockchain that, unlike the dominant platforms, scales. Bitcoin does a mere 7 transactions per second, Ethereum, 70 transactions per second. Inadequate for practical utility. And expensive to operate. And storable. (Currently it costs almost half a million dollars to store one iTune on the dominant incumbent chains, hence the referenced data are mostly stashed behind someone else’s firewall, not at all optimal.) And searchable. (Currently the dominant blockchains are largely opaque, like the Web before search engines.) And secure. So … now what? Dixon is a true Master of the Blockchain Universe. Not (like me) a practiced propagandist. Thus he buries his lede on page 179: “The stakes are high. As I’ve argued here, blockchain networks are the only known technology that can re-establish an open, democratic internet.” Hello Congress my old friend, I’ve come to talk to you again…. This re-establishment is a very big deal indeed. What’s next? For the tantalizing promise of the blockchain to be realized we need smart policy that protects the public while not stifling innovation or exporting this cutting-edge tech, and the potentially trillions of associated dollars, to Berlin, Singapore or Zug. Imagine how worse off America would be today if Congress and our regulators had effectively deported the headquarters of the big Web success stories, like Google, to Europe or the Pacific? The need for a savvy legal and regulatory environment is something that legislators, regulators, and the ethical actors within the industry (like Dixon) all agree upon. Yet Washington has thus far proved mostly thrown, acting like the primates upon encountering the monolith at the beginning of . 2001: a Space Odyssey We’re at the precipice of deporting Web3 and its associated power, prestige and wealth. That may be about to change. The blockchain’s thought leaders are at long last gearing up to help guide the footsteps of the Washington elite back onto the Paths of Righteousness via smart policy, smart legislation, and smart regulation. Some very smart leaders of the blockchain ecosystem are now promising to , a modest investment in support a multi-billion dollar sector. invest $78M in lobbying and advocacy in 2024 The open question? Will they deploy their resources effectively? Or be taken in by the wily Beltway Bandits? What to do? Those of us who remember C.P. Snow’s seminal understand that the “physical scientists” (which would include software engineers, notwithstanding that software is, so to speak, metaphysical) among whom I count myself as a very lesser figure do not really understand the “literary intellectuals” (among whom I also count myself in a very minor way). The Two Cultures And The Scientific Revolution This misunderstanding causes a terrible disconnect. As Snow reported, in 1959: “They have a curious distorted image of each other. Their attitudes are so different that, even at the level of emotion, they can’t find much common ground.” This can be countered… if the blockchain thought leaders know how to adopt an effective approach. There is abundant potential common ground. Dixon’s book offers a “ ” – the brain’s bridge connecting the left (logical, dominating the physical scientists) and right (narrative-based, dominating the literary intellectuals) hemispheres – to enable both sides to understand each other. corpus callosum To their mutual, and our, great benefit. There’s a simple way to expedite this process, one with a high ROI. Were the thought leaders of the $78M blockchain advocacy effort to allocate an absurdly small fraction (less than 1%) of their dedicated resources to distributing two copies (one for the Congressperson or Senator, one for his or her most relevant legislative aide) of Read Write Own, the impact almost surely will be disproportionately valuable compared to the low cost of such an operation. How do I know? I’ve pretty much single-handedly gotten (non-blockchain related) legislation passed through the House. Twice. There are a lot of smart, idealistic, people working on Capitol Hill, many actively interested in the blockchain and in its tantalizing potential. Put Read Write Own in front of them! The power of can hardly be overestimated: Joseph Pulitzer’s principles “…put it before them briefly so that they will read it, clearly so that they will understand it, forcibly so that they will appreciate it, picturesquely so that they will remember it, and, above all, accurately so that they may be wisely guided by its light.” The late supply-side chief propagandist Jude Wanniski’s book “The Way the World Works” played an outsized role in igniting the worldwide wave of unprecedented equitable prosperity driven by supply-side economics. This arcane fact is mostly long forgotten. That said, I was there and remember. In the , “And I only am escaped alone to tell thee.” words of Ishmael Read Write Own, properly deployed, very well could catalyze a comparably magnificent equitable prosperity transformation. Putting Dixon’s Read Write Own in front of the right eyeballs in the right way on Capitol Hill, could very well release the djinn of “the only known technology that can re-establish an open, democratic internet” from its lamp. Which eyeballs? Don’t try to guess. Simply trust the process known as “ as described by James Surowiecki. the wisdom of crowds” Flood the zone and let the implicate order take it from there. And then … let a new golden age of equitable prosperity, via the road thereto so ably mapped out by Dixon, foment well-designed policy and thereby foster the next great manifestation of equitable prosperity for America. And the world. Read. Write. Own.

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