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Chris Dixon on Blockchains, AI, and the Future of the Internet

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Apr 23, 2025

Guest

Chris Dixon

Chris Dixon, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz and author of Read Write Own, dives into the evolution of the internet and the promise of blockchain technology. He argues that we can restore creator autonomy and shift power back to the edges of networks. Topics include the rise of stablecoins and their regulatory challenges, AI's impact on venture capital, and how blockchain could redefine digital ownership. Chris also touches on the philosophical underpinnings influencing venture capital decisions, blending technology with deep thought.

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INSIGHT

Internet's Shift from Decentralization

The internet started decentralized, allowing direct creator-to-consumer transactions without intermediaries.
Today, dominant platforms like YouTube take large fees, concentrating economic power away from creators.

insights

INSIGHT

Why Centralized Internet Dominates

Centralized internet services won due to better user experience and subsidization.
Blockchains combine societal benefits of protocols with corporate competitive advantages through incentives and smart contracts.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Mastodon’s Decentralization Challenges

Mastodon struggled due to architectural flaws like fragmented servers and coordination challenges.
Blockchains show more promise in areas like payments where current systems are broken.

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The Internet's Evolution: From Decentralization to Centralization

05:12 • 9min

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Navigating the Stablecoin Landscape

13:42 • 20min

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AI and Venture Capital: The Future of Funding

33:56 • 4min

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AI's Political Landscape and Global Dynamics

37:33 • 14min

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Empowering Digital Ownership in the Blockchain Era

51:09 • 1min

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Navigating Philosophy: A Journey Through Thought

52:33 • 6min

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Philosophy's Influence on Venture Capital Decisions

58:35 • 4min

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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.

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Chris Dixon believes we're at a pivotal inflection point in the internet's evolution. As a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz and author of Read Write Own, Chris believes the current internet, dominated by large platforms like YouTube and Spotify, has strayed far from its decentralized roots. He argues that the next era—powered by blockchain technology—can restore autonomy to creators, lower barriers for innovation, and shift economic power back to the network's edges.

Tyler and Chris discuss the economics of platform dominance, how blockchains merge protocol-based social benefits with corporate-style competitive advantages, the rise of stablecoins as a viable blockchain-based application, whether Bitcoin or AI-created currencies will dominate machine-to-machine payments, why Stack Overflow could be the first of many casualties in an AI-driven web, venture capital’s vulnerability to AI disruption, whether open-source AI could preserve national sovereignty, NFTs as digital property rights system for AIs, how Kant’s synthetic a priori, Kripke’s modal logic, and Heidegger’s Dasein sneak into Dixon’s term‑sheet thinking, and much more.

Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video.

Recorded March 26th, 2025.

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