Founded in 2009 by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, Andreessen Horowitz (known as “a16z”) is a venture capital firm located at 2865 Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park, California that backs bold entrepreneurs building the future through technology. The firm is stage agnostic: a16z invests in seed to late-stage companies, and both consumer and enterprise technology companies. 

Uniswap is the largest peer-to-peer decentralized exchange (DEX) running on the Ethereum.

Uniswap is a decentralized exchange (DEX) that operates on the Ethereum Network. It was initially proposed by Vitalik Buterin in 2016, and then launched in November 2018 by Hayden Adams, who received a series of grants for its creation. Since then, Uniswap has attracted investments from prominent firms, including Andreessen Horowitz. 

Like other DEXs, Uniswap uses an automated market maker algorithm, which means that instead of matching individual buy and sell orders, the exchange hosts a "pool" of two tokens that are traded against each other. Users of Uniswap submit one token to the pool in exchange for the other, and the price is determined by the ratio of tokens in the pool. Anyone can create a pool between tokens on Uniswap, and liquidity is provided by liquidity providers who lock both tokens of the pair in the pool. In the early days of Uniswap, liquidity providers were rewarded with UNI tokens, although this incentive scheme ended in 2021. Despite this, Uniswap remains one of the most dominant DEXs in the market.

Uniswap

NEAR Protocol is a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) Layer 1 blockchain built using sharding technology to achieve scalability.

NEAR Protocol is a decentralized application platform that operates on the blockchain and enables the creation of new coins, applications, and industries without the need for centralized control. As a collective, foundation, and development platform, NEAR Protocol facilitates the execution of apps that share a secure pool of resources, with data and identities controlled entirely by users.

In contrast to conventional centralized cloud servers, which are typically run by large tech companies, NEAR Protocol offers a transparent process where users can keep high-value assets, such as money, identities, and digital assets, on the platform safely without intermediary interference. This is made possible through the core platform, which is a cloud of community-operated nodes where smart contracts can be deployed.

Smart contracts operate as protocols on the blockchain, similar to regular contracts but without the need for paper documents. This infrastructure allows users to use the applications they power without needing permission from a central agency. Applications can securely store their data, from games to digital currency, on the NEAR Protocol platform. By offering a decentralized alternative to centralized cloud servers, NEAR Protocol paves the way for a more open and secure future web."

NEAR Protocol

dYdX is an decentralized derivatives exchange that operates on a Starkware Layer 2 ZK-Rollup, offering a variety of margin trading and perpetual options.

dYdX is a decentralized exchange built on the Ethereum layer 2 system, StarkWare, incorporating zero-knowledge proofs (ZK) for enhanced security, decentralization, and privacy.

Perpetual trading is the core feature of dYdX, enabling users to participate in open markets using non-expiring contracts. In contrast to other DEXs like Uniswap, dYdX does not rely on Automated Market Makers for trading. Instead, it employs a traditional orderbook + matching model, catering to the requirements of institutional traders.

This unique approach allows investors to maintain their buy or sell positions for an unlimited duration until specific trade conditions are met. With perpetual trading on dYdX, users can enjoy greater flexibility and strategic decision-making in their trading activities.

dYdX

Celo is a blockchain with a mobile-first approach, aimed at making financial dApps and cryptocurrency payments easily accessible to individuals using mobile phones.

Celo is an innovative platform that empowers mobile users worldwide to effortlessly engage in secure financial transactions using cryptocurrency. The platform operates with two native tokens on its blockchain. The CELO token serves as a governance asset, offering stakeholders the opportunity to actively participate in voting on protocol adjustments. Complementing this, Celo Dollars (cUSD) are stablecoins that mirror the value of the widely recognized American currency.

While Celo shares common principles of blockchains and decentralization with similar crypto services, it distinguishes itself through its dedicated focus on mobile accessibility. The Celo blockchain has been thoughtfully engineered to unite the vast network of mobile phones across the globe within a single decentralized framework. 

This pioneering system is bolstered by 100 network validators who engage in efficient proof-of-stake (PoS) operations. The utilization of Byzantine fault tolerance, a special mechanism, enables the system to effectively govern itself. By staking 10,000 native coins, network nodes secure voting rights, giving them the ability to influence potential platform alterations. This remarkable combination of decentralization and democratization firmly positions the Celo blockchain within the esteemed tradition of decentralized finance.

Celo

Arweave is a decentralized storage network that aims to provide a platform for indefinite data storage.

Arweave is a decentralized data storage protocol designed to provide a permanent storage solution for blockchain-based organizations. The protocol connects individuals and organizations in need of data storage with people who have spare hard drive space. This collaborative effort creates a collectively owned hard drive, making it an attractive option for storing non-fungible tokens (NFTs) permanently.

At the core of the Arweave network is the blockweave technology, which enables users to preserve valuable information indefinitely. Building upon this network, Arweave has developed a permaweb that relies on community participation. Users have the opportunity to contribute to the permaweb and potentially receive compensation for maintaining it.

The Arweave tokens, known as AR, serve various purposes within the ecosystem. They are utilized for protocol governance, network transactions, and distributed data storage. The project strongly emphasizes community involvement in decision-making processes regarding the development of the storage protocol.

a16z

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Investments

Uniswap

NEAR Protocol

dYdX

Celo

Arweave