a16z crypto podcast Nobody's Gonna Trust Your Corp Chain
6 snips
Jan 14, 2026 
Christian Catalini, co-founder of Lightspark and former architect of Meta's Libra project, dives into why Bitcoin should be seen as more than just 'digital gold.' He discusses the critical lessons from his Libra experience, emphasizing that corporate-controlled chains often lack trust and neutrality. Catalini advocates for Bitcoin's role as a global value transfer rail and argues that openness, akin to Linux's success, will ultimately prevail over corporate chains. He also offers pragmatic advice for founders and shares some productivity tips in a rapid-fire segment.
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Bitcoin As A Working Rail, Not Just Gold
- Christian Catalini argues Bitcoin is more than "digital gold" and can be used as a fast, low-cost rail for moving value globally.
- He says volatility matters less when transfers occur in split seconds using Bitcoin as the most liquid global asset.
Neutral Networks Win Trust Over Corp Chains
- Lightspark built on Bitcoin because a truly neutral, permissionless network earns trust that corporate chains cannot.
- Catalini admits building on Bitcoin is harder but yields an infrastructure everyone can trust.
Libra's Tech Couldn't Overcome Perception
- Catalini recounts Libra's advanced tech and governance efforts that still failed to convince the public it wasn't a corporate project.
- He notes Bitcoin and stablecoins are the two crypto achievements that changed global money access so far.