Chris Dixon, founder of a16z crypto and author of 'Read Write Own', discusses how blockchain could restore the Internet's original spirit of decentralization and community ownership. He dives into the concentration of power in major tech companies and why this undermines true innovation. Dixon also addresses criticisms of crypto VC firms, the failure of Facebook's Libra, and highlights the importance of creator royalties for NFTs. His insights provide a refreshing take on the road ahead for blockchain in reshaping user relationships online.
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insights INSIGHT
Inspiration for "Read Write Own"
Chris Dixon, inspired by the internet's shift from democratization to corporate control, wrote "Read Write Own".
He argues that blockchains can restore the internet's original ideals by empowering users and creators.
insights INSIGHT
Internet's Centralization Problem
The current internet's problem is the consolidation of power and revenue in a few companies.
This hinders innovation, harms creators, and resembles old broadcast TV's limited options.
insights INSIGHT
Blockchains as Commitment Machines
Blockchains are computers owned by nobody, accessible to everybody, enabling commitment through code.
This allows for true digital ownership, unlike traditional servers controlled by companies.
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Idealism, Greed, Lies, and the Making of the First Big Cryptocurrency Craze
Laura Shin
The Cryptopians delves into the story of idealists, technologists, and opportunists fighting to bring cryptocurrency to the masses. The book focuses on the founding of Ethereum by Vitalik Buterin and the subsequent crypto fever it created. It introduces readers to larger-than-life characters such as Buterin, Charles Hoskinson, and Joe Lubin, highlighting the personal and professional conflicts that shaped the early days of Ethereum. The narrative explores the booms, busts, and internecine wars within the crypto world, revealing it as a deeply personal struggle to influence the coming revolution in money, culture, and power.
Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital
Carlota Perez
Carlota Perez's "Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital" examines the interplay between technological innovation and economic development. The book argues that technological revolutions unfold in distinct phases, each characterized by specific economic and social dynamics. Perez identifies key technological revolutions throughout history, analyzing their impact on investment, employment, and global power structures. Her work emphasizes the role of financial capital in driving technological change and shaping economic cycles. The book offers a comprehensive framework for understanding long-term economic trends and the challenges of managing technological transitions.
Read Write Own
Building the Next Era of the Internet
Chris Dixon
In 'Read Write Own,' Chris Dixon argues that the dream of an open, decentralized internet can be saved through blockchain technology. He describes the internet's evolution through three eras: the 'read' era, where early networks democratized information; the 'read-write' era, where corporate networks democratized publishing; and the current 'read-write-own' era, or web3, where blockchain networks grant power and economic benefits to user communities. Dixon provides a clear and compelling vision for a better internet, distinguishing blockchain's potential from cryptocurrency speculation and offering a playbook for navigating and building the future of the internet.
Chris Dixon, founder and managing partner of a16z crypto, believes the Internet’s early ideals of democratization and community ownership have been subverted by the consolidation of power into just a few small companies like Facebook and Google. He’s written a new book called Read Write Own in which he writes about this phenomenon, and argues that blockchain technology can help reverse the trend by providing an environment in which developers and entrepreneurs can once again build direct relationships with their audiences.
Dixon joins Unchained to discuss criticisms of crypto VC firms, how he feels now about a16z’s previous investment in Facebook, how crypto has become overly politicized in the U.S., why Facebook’s Libra project was ultimately shut down, the significant promise of restaking and EigenLayer in particular, and why he believes that creator royalties are essential for the NFT market.
Show highlights:
what inspired Chris to write his new book and why he thinks the crypto industry is misunderstood
what the current problems of the Internet are and how just a few companies control most of the revenue
how Chris explains the concept of blockchains to the layman
the importance of property rights in the real world and how blockchains make this better
how Chris responds to the criticism that venture capital firms “dump on retail” and what a proper allocation of tokens to VCs is
what the best designs are to achieve good governance in decentralized networks
how the crypto industry has become politicized in the U.S.
what Chris thinks about a16z’s investment in Facebook
why Facebook’s Libra project was shut down and his takeaways from the venture
what lessons Chris learned from the 2022 crypto debacle, with the collapse of FTX, Terra, Celsius, 3AC, etc.
where Chris sits in the debate about modular vs. monolithic networks
how restaking and EigenLayer could “unlock a bunch of new design possibilities,” according to Chris
the role of open source software in driving a better environment and better projects
how decentralized social networks could attract new levels of adoption
whether creator royalties are necessary and why Chris believes that they are “non-negotiable”
Unchained 
