How Crypto Is Rebuilding Finance From First Principles
How Crypto Is Rebuilding Finance From First Principles  
Podcast: a16z crypto show
Published On: Tue Oct 06 2026
Description: Guy Wuollet thinks crypto will have succeeded when we stop calling it crypto. Financial services will simply run on blockchains, much as other businesses now run on the internet. What will it take to get there?In this conversation with Robert Hackett, the a16z crypto general partner explains where he sees opportunities to build, from stablecoin payments and perpetual futures to new markets for energy and compute. They discuss what tokenization changes for Wall Street, why faster and cheaper blockchains make different businesses possible, and how crypto’s cypherpunk roots fit with its growing commercial adoption.Guy also shares his path from a16z intern to general partner, including a research project to build a decentralized internet service provider. Along the way, he explains how he evaluates founders, why early token liquidity doesn’t change his investment horizon, and what he looks for in people who want to spend decades building a company. Plus, oil painting and some strongly held opinions about how pants should fit.Highlights00:00 A preview of the conversation00:52 From a16z intern to crypto general partner11:51 Bitcoin and Guy’s cypherpunk roots14:34 From technological revolution to practical products19:28 Why timing matters for crypto adoption23:31 Token launches, liquidity, and going public28:20 Backing founders for the long term31:39 How Guy evaluates founders36:21 Where Guy sees opportunities in crypto38:42 New markets for energy and compute39:49 Stablecoins and finance’s digital transformation43:29 Why perpetual futures are gaining traction45:26 What tokenization changes for Wall Street49:04 Oil painting and the pleasure of making things51:02 Guy’s smallest hill to die onStay connectedWebsitehttps://a16zcrypto.com/Newsletterhttps://a16zcrypto.substack.com/Xhttps://x.com/a16zcryptoThis content is for informational purposes only and is not investment, business, legal, or tax advice. See https://a16z.com/disclosures for important information. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.