Chris Dixon: The Man Who Built Crypto on Vision and Belief

1. From Self-Taught Programmer to Web3 Architect

Chris Dixon’s journey began as a tech-obsessed boy who once wrote to Atari asking for computer manuals. After years of academic pursuit at Columbia and Harvard, he transitioned into a tech entrepreneur, founding startups like SiteAdvisor and Hunch—both of which were later acquired by major corporations like McAfee and eBay.

However, the turning point came when Dixon joined Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), one of the most powerful venture capital firms in the world. At a16z, he led numerous early-stage crypto investments, believing in blockchain’s potential long before it became widely accepted.

2. Trust Placed Right: From Coinbase to Uniswap

Dixon was the driving force behind a16z’s $25 million investment into Coinbase in 2013—a decision that later turned into billions of dollars in equity by 2021. He also played key roles in backing projects like Dapper Labs, Avalanche, OpenSea, and Uniswap—platforms that now form the backbone of the Web3 ecosystem.

Instead of focusing on short-term financial metrics, Dixon has always pursued a long-term vision. To him, blockchain is not just a technology—it’s a societal evolution, unlocking a future where users own their assets, data, and identities online.

3. Investment Philosophy: People First, Product Second

Dixon is known for valuing the people behind projects. He once shared: “My worst investments were when I was convinced by the market but overlooked the founding team.”

According to him, crypto demands more than technical know-how—it requires sensitivity to emerging organizational models like DAOs, tokenomics, and community dynamics.

4. Read Write Own: Blockchain as the Future of the Internet

After more than a decade of research and observation, Dixon released his book "Read Write Own", a manifesto for the Web3 era. In it, he argues that blockchain represents a new foundational layer for the internet—one where users no longer just read and write, but also own their digital domains.

5. Conclusion

Chris Dixon is not just a savvy investor—he’s a symbol of steadfast belief, long-term thinking, and a deep understanding of crypto’s societal potential. While many still grapple with the meaning of Web3, Dixon has spent the last decade laying its first foundational stones for a decentralized future.