In 2018, Andreessen Horowitz drew attention in the venture capital world by launching a16z Crypto, a division focused on digital assets. Eight years later—perhaps recognizing that the term “crypto” is no longer favored—the venture capital giant announced on Thursday that it would rename itself a16z Frontier and expand its investment scope to support startups developing artificial intelligence, robotics, and other emerging technologies.
Managing partner Chris Dixon will co-lead the fund alongside Andreessen, Horowitz, and general partners Eddy Lazzarin and Guy Wuollet. This adjustment expands the scope of the $2.2 billion fund announced in May, though the firm will continue to support crypto startups and advance crypto regulation.
In a post on X, Dixon wrote that as more companies adopt blockchain technology behind the scenes, the boundary between crypto companies and other businesses is becoming increasingly blurred.
“Does that mean they are crypto companies? That label isn’t as important anymore,” he said.
According to The Information, Ali Yahya, general partner at a16z crypto, has informed certain investors that he plans to leave to start his own venture. He has been with the firm since 2017, when he became the first full-time employee on the company’s crypto team.
Before the announcement on Thursday, the company had already begun investing outside the crypto space. In June, a16z crypto led a $33 million seed round in Ornn, a company developing financial products for the AI computing market. In October 2025, Andreessen Horowitz also co-led a funding round for the prediction market Kalshi.
This move also echoes similar expansions by other prominent crypto investors. In July, Paradigm announced its $1.2 billion fund, stating that while its investment approach began in crypto, it now extends to artificial intelligence, robotics, and other emerging technologies. In May, Katie Haun, founder of Haun Ventures, announced a new $1 billion fund. In a written statement, Haun said that building financial services from the ground up “includes crypto, but goes beyond this set of tools.” The firm has since increased its focus on other areas, such as emerging payment models and the agentic economy.
When Andreessen Horowitz first launched a16z crypto, it raised a $350 million investment fund with the initial mission of acquiring crypto assets and supporting projects built on blockchain technology.
Since then, the company has raised increasingly larger cryptocurrency funds, including a $4.5 billion fund in 2022. Its latest $2.2 billion fund brings the total capital raised across its five funds to $9.8 billion. Some of the company’s most successful investments include the decentralized exchange Uniswap and the crypto custodian Anchorage Digital.
The Thursday announcement also signals a shift in the company’s stance. In May, a spokesperson for a16z crypto told Fortune that its fifth fund was “100% focused on investing in crypto entrepreneurs,” even as competing firms had already begun expanding into artificial intelligence and other areas.