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Ali Yahya

General Partner

a16z Crypto
SeedSeries ASeries BAI x CryptoInfrastructureDecentralized Compute

Investment Thesis

AI x crypto intersection, decentralized compute, infrastructure. Believes in AI-blockchain convergence.

What Excites Them

AI-crypto convergence, decentralized compute networks, novel uses of crypto for AI alignment

What They Pass On

AI buzzword projects without real crypto utility, centralized AI wrappers with tokens

How to Pitch

Show deep technical innovation at the intersection of crypto and AI/ML.

Key Frameworks

Progressive Decentralization Playbook

Phase 1: Build product, Phase 2: Nurture community, Phase 3: Decentralize control.

AI-Crypto Convergence

Most valuable protocols will sit at the intersection of AI and crypto

Notable Writing

The Decentralized Compute Stackblog

Framework for decentralized AI compute

Crypto and AI: A Match Made in Heavenblog

Crypto and AI are complementary technologies

DAOs may eventually replace traditional corporate structures for certain types of organizations.

Web3 restores user ownership and aligns platform incentives with users.

Protocol teams should decentralize gradually: product-market fit first, then community, then full decentralization.

Podcast Appearances

Decentralized AILightspeed
AIcompute
AI x CryptoBankless
AIcryptoconvergence
Why Web3 Mattersa16z Podcast
web3decentralizationuser ownership
Progressive DecentralizationBankless
decentralization playbookcrypto applications

Key Quotes

Web3 is about user ownership — not just decentralization for its own sake.

a16z blog

AI and crypto are two sides of the same coin. AI creates intelligence, crypto creates trust.

Bankless

Background

General partner at a16z crypto. Former Google engineer. Stanford CS PhD dropout. Research in ML and robotics.

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