The Next Big Idea Why the Blockchain Is Still Critical to Our Future
30 snips
Jan 6, 2026 
Chris Dixon, a general partner at a16z crypto and author of *Read Right Own*, discusses the transformative potential of blockchain technology. He highlights the gap between its perceived and actual capabilities, emphasizing its role in enabling digital ownership and complementing AI. Dixon explores blockchain as a corrective to the centralization seen in Web2 and argues for its importance in the evolving metaverse. He also touches on the interplay between regulation, technological advancement, and the need for open alternatives in the digital landscape.
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Blockchains As Commitment Machines
- Blockchains are a new kind of computer that let networks make commitments and grant ownership across the internet.
- Chris Dixon argues that ownership via tokens can restore the societal benefits of the early web while keeping modern features.
Faustian Bargain Of Web2
- The 2000s web traded decentralization for powerful centralized platforms that captured value and user control.
- Dixon calls this a Faustian bargain that concentrated revenue and increasing AI risks consolidating power further.
Book Born From Post‑FTX Crossroads
- Dixon describes his post-FTX crossroads and chose to write Read Write Own to close the perception gap on blockchain potential.
- He turned disappointment into opportunity by trying to explain the technology and its promise.
