Andreessen Horowitz Releases Lectures From Its 'Crypto Startup School'

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz — also known as a16z — has started releasing an online version of "Crypto Startup School," its seven-week education course for industry entrepreneurs. 

Two lectures from week one were published on May 13 via TechCrunch, while the rest of the material will eventually become available on the investment giant’s website.

Lectures from crypto execs and professors are on the way 

Titled "Crypto Networks and Why They Matter," the first talk was held by a16z general partner Chris Dixon, who argues that blockchains can become the next major computing platform after smartphones and the web, unlocking many possibilities to entrepreneurs and developers worldwide.

The second presentation is delivered by Dan Boneh, a professor in applied cryptography and computer security at Stanford University. Bohen discussed the cryptographic origins of blockchains and its basic features like private keys, mining and zero-knowledge proofs.

The remaining 12 lectures, which are yet to be published, were held by Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, angel investor Balaji Srinivasan and the United States Office of the Comptroller of the Currency executive Brian Brooks, among others. 

"Crypto Startup School" took place from late February to mid-April in Menlo Park, California. 

The bootcamp was attended by 45 students from the U.S. and overseas, who were selected from “among thousands of applicants”, according to the company.

A16’z crypto investments

Andreessen Horowitz is one of the key mainstream venture capital firms to operate in the space, as it has invested in major projects including Libra, Ripple, and Coinbase.

There might be more crypto-related investments on the way from a16z, given that the company has recently raised $515 million for its second crypto-focused fund, surpassing the initial goal by $65 million.